entire life, and I
never asked for this life. I’d give it back in a heartbeat if I
knew it’d come down to this.”
Give it back? To who? Shark is gone, and Joe
can’t handle this place on his own. Whatever. Vin is just mouthing
off because he’s stressed.
“I can do this,” I say, pressing the issue.
“I can be your damage control for Colby. If nothing else, it gets
him out of your daily work. It’ll be one less thing to deal with. I
already have to watch out for him anyway.”
“Alright,” he says, looking at the computer
screen instead of me. “Just for the summer. You’re not giving up
college to clean up Taylor’s reputation, and you’re definitely not
making a career out of being Drenaline Surf’s damage control girl,
but for the summer, I’ll go with it.”
I really wish he’d look at me instead of his
e-mail inbox while he talks. I don’t like for him to make choices
and decisions for me, either. I know he’s overworked and underpaid
and stressed to the max, but that doesn’t give him the right to
tell me what to do with my future. I left North Carolina to make my
own choices, not to let my boyfriend make them for me.
Someone knocks on the door. Reed pokes his
head in and realizes it’s just us, so he comes inside. I’m thankful
to see him. There’s no way I’d go off on Vin in front of Reed. Vin
doesn’t know how lucky he is right now.
“Hey, dinner date tonight. Don’t forget,”
Reed says.
“Can’t make it,” Vin says to his inbox. He
looks over at me, then to Reed, and back to the computer. “I have
to get these merch orders filled or we’ll be out of stock for
Logan’s signing and the sale this weekend.”
“Oh,” Reed says, shoving his hands into the
pockets of his khakis. “Do you need any help? Or want us to
reschedule?”
“Nah,” Vin says. He pushes his chair back and
looks at us, trying to pretend like it’s no big deal. “I’ve just
been swamped, and they just sent me a final reminder for orders. If
I don’t get this stuff in by five o’clock, I won’t get it in time.
I have to check inventory before I can order, but I’ve got it. You
guys go tonight. I’ll catch the next one.”
Reed and Alston wait in the back corner booth
when we get to Shipwrecked. This was the place where I officially
met Vin last summer. Chills rush over me just as they did then,
when I realized the con artist from The Strip was the final guy I’d
have to get through to meet Colby. But I’m not with Vin tonight.
Instead, his brother gets out of my passenger seat.
“You don’t think they’ll care that I came
along, do you?” Topher asks.
I really don’t know, but I figure if he hangs
out with them and surfs with them, they’re probably cool with the
fact that he tagged along in Vin’s place. If they don’t like it,
well, it’s too late to back out now.
Topher slides into the booth and sits across
from Alston, leaving me the open seat across from Reed. A.J.’s
empty chair sits at the end of the table. Alston says something
about the swell this morning, and Topher dives right into talking
about the sets and how high the waves were.
“You find replacements on short notice,” Reed
says to me, covertly nodding toward Topher.
“Shut up,” I mutter. I hope he doesn’t think
I’m moving from one brother to the next. That’d just be awkward. I
change the topic instantly. “A.J. here yet?”
Reed shakes his head and asks Topher
something about a party at Kale’s. Apparently it’s after the big
Drenaline Surf celebration sale this weekend. Topher says something
about keeping it under wraps so a ton of people don’t show up, and
Alston says he’ll never meet any hot chicks as long as the
Hooligans keep throwing exclusive parties.
“Oh, you’re invited, by the way,” Topher
says, elbowing me. “I know you don’t drink, but you can hang out
with the one sober kid there.”
I smile when Reed corrects him and says that
there will be two sober kids there.
never asked for this life. I’d give it back in a heartbeat if I
knew it’d come down to this.”
Give it back? To who? Shark is gone, and Joe
can’t handle this place on his own. Whatever. Vin is just mouthing
off because he’s stressed.
“I can do this,” I say, pressing the issue.
“I can be your damage control for Colby. If nothing else, it gets
him out of your daily work. It’ll be one less thing to deal with. I
already have to watch out for him anyway.”
“Alright,” he says, looking at the computer
screen instead of me. “Just for the summer. You’re not giving up
college to clean up Taylor’s reputation, and you’re definitely not
making a career out of being Drenaline Surf’s damage control girl,
but for the summer, I’ll go with it.”
I really wish he’d look at me instead of his
e-mail inbox while he talks. I don’t like for him to make choices
and decisions for me, either. I know he’s overworked and underpaid
and stressed to the max, but that doesn’t give him the right to
tell me what to do with my future. I left North Carolina to make my
own choices, not to let my boyfriend make them for me.
Someone knocks on the door. Reed pokes his
head in and realizes it’s just us, so he comes inside. I’m thankful
to see him. There’s no way I’d go off on Vin in front of Reed. Vin
doesn’t know how lucky he is right now.
“Hey, dinner date tonight. Don’t forget,”
Reed says.
“Can’t make it,” Vin says to his inbox. He
looks over at me, then to Reed, and back to the computer. “I have
to get these merch orders filled or we’ll be out of stock for
Logan’s signing and the sale this weekend.”
“Oh,” Reed says, shoving his hands into the
pockets of his khakis. “Do you need any help? Or want us to
reschedule?”
“Nah,” Vin says. He pushes his chair back and
looks at us, trying to pretend like it’s no big deal. “I’ve just
been swamped, and they just sent me a final reminder for orders. If
I don’t get this stuff in by five o’clock, I won’t get it in time.
I have to check inventory before I can order, but I’ve got it. You
guys go tonight. I’ll catch the next one.”
Reed and Alston wait in the back corner booth
when we get to Shipwrecked. This was the place where I officially
met Vin last summer. Chills rush over me just as they did then,
when I realized the con artist from The Strip was the final guy I’d
have to get through to meet Colby. But I’m not with Vin tonight.
Instead, his brother gets out of my passenger seat.
“You don’t think they’ll care that I came
along, do you?” Topher asks.
I really don’t know, but I figure if he hangs
out with them and surfs with them, they’re probably cool with the
fact that he tagged along in Vin’s place. If they don’t like it,
well, it’s too late to back out now.
Topher slides into the booth and sits across
from Alston, leaving me the open seat across from Reed. A.J.’s
empty chair sits at the end of the table. Alston says something
about the swell this morning, and Topher dives right into talking
about the sets and how high the waves were.
“You find replacements on short notice,” Reed
says to me, covertly nodding toward Topher.
“Shut up,” I mutter. I hope he doesn’t think
I’m moving from one brother to the next. That’d just be awkward. I
change the topic instantly. “A.J. here yet?”
Reed shakes his head and asks Topher
something about a party at Kale’s. Apparently it’s after the big
Drenaline Surf celebration sale this weekend. Topher says something
about keeping it under wraps so a ton of people don’t show up, and
Alston says he’ll never meet any hot chicks as long as the
Hooligans keep throwing exclusive parties.
“Oh, you’re invited, by the way,” Topher
says, elbowing me. “I know you don’t drink, but you can hang out
with the one sober kid there.”
I smile when Reed corrects him and says that
there will be two sober kids there.
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