“I don’t think so. He just knows Nate rented the top floor with some friends. Mel and I haven’t said anything.”
“Well, I guess this will be interesting.” There was no way to avoid him, not that I wanted to, but was I really ready to talk to him? What would I say? What if he was mad at me? This could go only one of two ways. Because if it went bad, how would I manage the rest of the trip? The embarrassment and awkwardness would ruin the week for me. I pressed my hand to my stomach.
“You okay?” Leena’s eyebrows pushed together as she studied me.
I inhaled then released a big cleansing breath, and nodded. “Let’s do this.”
Leena placed her hand on my arm. “If it gets to be too much right now just let me know and we can go hang out upstairs. I’m sure we can avoid him, or at least try,” she offered.
“That would be really hard, and I wouldn’t ask that of you. Seriously, it’s fine. Let’s see how it goes tonight. Maybe it won’t be that bad.” My pep talk helped calm my nerves. “C’mon.” I motioned to the door and Leena followed me out.
“Everything okay?” Mason asked.
I leaned toward him and whispered, “Ryder’s here.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“No.”
With a shake of his head, he rolled his eyes. “Of course he is. Why wouldn’t he be?”
“It’s okay though. I think everything will be fine.”
He sighed. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” Leena offered. “We’ve got her back. Everyone will have fun.”
Mason glanced between us and shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Want to get this over with and go down to the water?” Leena asked.
“Might as well,” I said.
Mason didn’t answer.
“Oh, come on.” Leena tugged his hand. “She’s going to be fine. Get that pouty look off your face.” She shook her hips. “It’s party time.”
That snapped Mason out of it. His gaze locked onto her midriff. “Yeah, okay. I’ll meet you down there after I help get the food on the grill.”
With every step closer to the water my stomach knotted a bit more. Last time I saw Ryder, he couldn’t even look at me.
His back was to me as we approached. Mel was the first to notice us.
With a beer can in one hand, she launched herself into my arms and squealed, “Brinley!”
Ryder spun around.
I laughed at her exuberant greeting then glanced at him.
His jaw hung open slightly.
“Hi, Ryder,” I said.
He snapped his mouth shut. “Hi.”
Mel released me and glanced between the two of us. She smiled. “So, the boys were just trying to convince me to try surfing.”
“You surf?” I asked Ryder.
“Not well.”
Somehow I doubted that. He managed to do everything more than well.
“Want to try?” he asked me.
“Maybe.”
He smiled.
I stared at his newly healed tattoo then looked away. “I just wanted to say hi. I’m going to lay out over there.” I pointed to where I’d dropped my towel.
“I’ll join you,” Mel said. “I hate salt water.”
As we spread our towels, she nudged me with her shoulder. “So that wasn’t too bad.”
I lay down. “No. It wasn’t. It’s kind of awkward though. I don’t know if I should just pretend everything is fine or if we should talk.”
“Well, is everything okay?” She lay beside me.
“I’m not mad at him anymore but I don’t know what that means for us.” The brim of my hat shaded my eyes and I peeked at Ryder.
His gaze was practically glued to me. Briefly turning his head, he laughed at something then went back to staring at me.
I adjusted my bikini, self-conscious but a little thrilled too. Sunbathing with him here wasn’t easy. I tried to relax but he had me on edge. So when Nate yelled that the food was ready, I bolted upright.
“Hungry?” Mel asked.
“Starving.” I stood and shook the sand off my towel then folded it.
“Do you want to…” Mel trailed off. She glanced over my shoulder, smiled and said, “I’ll meet you up there.”
I turned and almost bumped into Ryder. “Hey,” I muttered.
“Can I walk with you?”
“Of course you can. I don’t own the beach,” I teased.
“You know what I mean. I’m not going to force you to hang out with me or anything.”
“I know. And you aren’t. I want you to walk with me.”
“You do?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah. I do.” I dug my toes into the sand and stared at the ground. “I don’t hate you. I was just so damn mad and, well…I shouldn’t have said that.”