“Prue or Nuri will help me!”
“I’ll do it!” Nuri nods happily. “And you’ll do mine so I can soak in the sun too.”
I feel Nate’s hand going back to my calf and his thumb rubbing in gentle circles. Good thing I had the time to wax a couple of days ago…
“I have SPF 50. I count on you to put a timer and re apply accordingly,” Ikram concedes, looking between them with a serious gaze. “You too, Prudence, even if you stay in the shade.”
“So bossy,” Evie drawls.
He sticks out his tongue at her and Jack hides his smile nuzzling in Ikram’s neck.
“Alright, let’s go!” Nuri says, standing up abruptly, and Nate pushes my leg softly until it lands back on my other knee.
Our eyes meet again then, and I manage to smile shyly through the embarrassment, ignoring how his eyes are making me feel all sorts of inexplicable things.
I really need to learn how to understand what I feel. Because I have no idea how to explain this weird mix of attraction, desire, and annoyance. I mean, as I told him yesterday, he does way too many things that upset me.
I hate that you have reasons to hate me. I hate that my actions caused your insecurities.
Alright, maybe he got to me when he said all of that. Maybe I’m not as annoyed as I used to be. Maybe I even understand a little more why he did what he did. Scaring guys away from me… Probably not as selflessly as I thought, and definitely not only because my brother asked him to. But I think I understand.
I just wish… Actually I’m not sure what I want. That he told me? Back then I don’t know how I would have reacted, because of Jack and the reputation Nate had. I probably wouldn’t have believed him, even if my self esteem was not as bruised at that time. I’d probably have thought that he was trying just what he accused other guys of doing: lie his way to my bed. And Jack being his best friend… No. Past me would not have risked it. Especially with how protective of me Jack was at that time.
But now? Jack’s different. Maybe he really means it when he says he wouldn’t mind. After all, Nate might be pushing his buttons, but Jack might be serious? Am I willing to risk it now?
As Nate and I are sitting at the edge of the deck, we basically already have our feet in the sand. Evie leaves the folded wheelchair in charge of the restaurant manager and Ikram slides his arm under Jack’s shoulder, keeping close to him and helping him walk at the same time.
My feet still hurt—more my left foot than the right, thanks to Nate—but I manage to keep the limping to a minimum.
We stop under a large pergola where four lounge chairs are waiting for us, covered in thick beach mattresses. There are a few other covered areas like this one but all of them are pretty far from each other, giving people the privacy they expect when booking spots in a place like this.
“Alright, everyone out of their clothes, I’m getting the sunscreen from the bag,” Ikram says as Jack sits on one of the lounge chairs.
“How am I supposed to get a tan with sunscreen?” Evie complains.
“Youdon’t. But at least you’ll be protected from—”
“Melanoma, yeah.” She rolls her eyes as she unbuttons the front of her jumpsuit, letting her bright neon pink bikini top peek through. “Next time I’m going to the beach, I won’t bringyou.”
Ikram gasps in fake shock and leans forward to pull on a strand of her hair, making her gasp too in response.
“Oh, no, you don’t! That’s it, I’m bringing Samantha to take your place on Monday.”
Ikram rears back then, placing his hand on his heart, lips parted. “You wouldn’t.”
“I would! Even though I made sure Sasha would get the spot, I can totally change all this.”
“No, no, no… I’m sorry! I take it back! Go bake in the sun and get Melanoma if you want! But notSamantha,” he squeaks, retreating on himself like he just touched the wet food stuck down the drain of the sink.
She steps out of her jumpsuit, revealing the stark contrast between her dark skin and the bright pink of her bikini, and crosses her arms, her eyes narrowed on him.
“Let me pull your hair and we’re even,” she says.
Ikram’s eyes go wide, his arms lifting to reach for the defined black curls framing his face.
“Please. Not my hair. Come on, you can be reasonable.”
I feel more than hear Nate chuckle behind me, making me aware of how close he’s standing. His chest nearly against my back, his breath brushing the shell of my ear. Like in the shower this morning.
