Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82163 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
That weekend I decided it was just a crush, and I pushed back my feelings. Every single time I would see him, I would tell myself I didn’t really like him that way. I would tell myself it was all in my head, and then two minutes in the same room as him, and I felt like a stalker. I would look over at him all the time. But then I somehow convinced myself it was because I was just drawn to Penelope and not her father. Besides, there is no way my feelings will go anywhere. He will never see me like that. I mean, surely, he didn’t see me like anything besides the girl who helped his daughter get better. Then I became the younger sister of his friend. Then I slowly got into the lane of a family friend, where apparently I’m still at.
“Yes,” I say, more confident than I actually feel. “It’ll be fine. I’m sure he’ll be hanging with the guys anyway.”
“Why don’t we get into our suits,” Gabriella says, “grab a couple of cocktails, and go lounge by the pool?”
I clap my hands, getting up, and know this is the exact distraction I need. “That sounds wonderful,” I agree, walking over to my suitcase. I wheel it into one of the bedrooms, and riffle through it until I can find the top and the bottom. I slip out of my shorts and into my white bikini. Grabbing a white linen button-down shirt as a cover-up, I walk into the living room, seeing Gabriella come out of her room with a black bikini. “Ready?”
We walk out of the villa and head back to the pool, finding it empty. “Where is everyone?” Gabriella asks, turning around and then looking down the pathway to the sand. “Ah, at the beach.”
“Might as well just go there,” I say to her as we walk around the pool toward the pathway to the beach. I can hear music and noise as soon as we take a couple more steps toward the beach.
“I forgot my camera,” Gabriella says, “I’ll meet you at the beach.” She turns around and heads back to the villa. Turning, I make my way toward the beach, my feet sinking into the hot sand as soon as I step onto it.
I take a look around, seeing there are about twenty daybeds all lined up in four rows facing the beach. A tiki bar is set up next to the water, with Franny and Erika waiting for drinks. The kids are running around the beds, heading toward the water and then running back.
Lounge chairs are scattered around the beach. As I make my way down to one of the beds, I see my mother. “Hey,” I greet her, sitting down on the side of it as she lies next to my father.
“Where is Gabriella?” My mother looks at me and then looks back at the villa.
“She forgot her camera,” I inform them. I’m about to get up to go get a drink when I hear my name being called.
Looking up, I can’t help but smile when I see Penelope coming toward me. “Abigail,” she huffs as she holds a plastic shovel in her hand. “Will you come and help me build a castle?” Her eyes light up even brighter, and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for this kid.
“Ohhh.” I shrug off my shirt. “I love building castles,” I tell her as I get up and hold out my hand for her.
“Daddy is waiting for us,” she says, and I look up to see him standing there wearing a pair of swim shorts and nothing else. I really wish he didn’t look so good in everything!
“Hey,” he says when I walk down close enough to him, “I’m really sorry.” I tilt my head to the side as Penelope runs off to grab a pail. “I told her to leave you alone.”
I smile at him. “It’s okay. I love spending time with her. Why don’t you go and spend some time with the boys?”
“No way.” He shakes his head. “I’m not letting you guys have all the fun.” I can’t help but laugh as I walk over to where all the plastic pails are. I look down and then up when I feel him staring at me. “Sorry.” He shakes his head, chuckling, then looks back up at me. “I really like your laugh.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
TRISTAN
“No way.” I shake my head at her. “I’m not letting you guys have all the fun.” She throws her head back and laughs, and I swear it’s like music to my ears. It’s the best sound I think I’ve ever heard after “I love you, Daddy.” I can’t help but watch her as she walks over to the plastic pails. She looks up and catches me staring at her, and I have to think of a reason that doesn’t sound dumb. “Sorry.” I shake my head chuckling, looking down at the pails, then looking back up at her. “I really like your laugh.” The minute the words come out of my mouth, I want to groan and kick myself in the ass. I could have said anything else, anything else. I could have said literally anything else, but the truth came out. “It’s a pretty laugh.”