Page 105 of Cross the Line
‘Because you thought it was strictly professional,’ I counter. ‘And it was. At first.’
His shoulders slump even further. He knows I’m right, and he’s probably realizing that any arguments he might have are weak in the face of what I’m saying.
‘I didn’t know any of this was going to happen, Oak,’ I tell him, my voice soft enough that it’s almost lost in the roar of the breaking waves. ‘Willow didn’t either. We tried to keep it platonic, but the way we feel about each other . . . There was no ignoring it.’
He inhales deeply through his nose, his jaw working. ‘Do you love her?’
‘Yeah,’ I answer, not a single ounce of doubt in the word. ‘I do.’
More silence follows my confession. Beside me, Oakley is fighting with himself, obviously torn between wanting to be furious and wanting to let go of something he can’t change.
But nothing he says is going to make me want to break up with Willow. If his previous warning wasn’t enough to keep me away, he’s got to know that there isn’t a single threat that will work now.
‘Fuck,’ he finally exhales, dropping his hands from his neck and into the sand. ‘This is messy, Dev. You know that.’
I sure as shit do. But I’ve learned that life is better with a little chaos. Especially if that chaos has brought the warmest ray of sunshine with it.
I let the quiet linger, giving Oakley the time and space to get it all off his chest.
‘I guess I can’t blame you too much,’ he begins, and there’s a sheepish note to it. ‘I used to have a massive crush on Alisha.’
Used to.Okay. It’s obvious those feelings are still alive and well, even after watching her marry another man yesterday, but I won’t correct his wording. There’s a part of me that hurts for him, knowing how much it sucks to want someone you can’t have – or who doesn’t want you back. But he’ll survive the heartbreak, and one day find the person who’s meant for him.
‘Yeah, dude,’ I say, chuckling. ‘I know you did.’
‘Weallknew youdid,’ says another voice from behind us.
I turn to see Mark approaching, his own surfboard tucked under his arm.
Looks like we all had the same idea this morning. Minus Chava, who’s probably still nursing his hangover.
‘It’s smart that you never went after her,’ Mark continues as he drops down on Oakley’s other side. ‘Alisha never would have given you the time of day.’
Oakley scowls and kicks sand in Mark’s direction. ‘Man, fuck you,’ he grumbles. But then he twists his lips to the side in acceptance. ‘But . . . yeah. Would have been a waste of time.’
‘But a hilarious waste of time,’ I add, elbowing him in the ribs. ‘She would have eaten you alive.’
That pulls a scratchy laugh out of him. He quickly cuts it off, as if he doesn’t want to find something I’ve said funny. But it’s progress.
‘I’m guessing I interrupted a conversation about being into each other’s sisters,’ Mark says after a tense beat of quiet falls. ‘May I just state for the record that I have never once been interested in Alisha or Willow? Or any of Chava’sfivesisters?’
I roll my eyes, and even though Oakley’s watching the waves crash onto the shore again, I can guarantee he does too. At least there’s one thing we can still agree on – Mark’s annoying sense of righteousness.
‘But anyway,’ he goes on. ‘Oak, I know you’re angry. Willow and Dev didn’t handle this the best they could have, but what else were they supposed to do? Wills had her reputation to worry about,andshe was terrified that she’d drive us all apart. Did you know she still blames herself for destroying our group after what happened with Jeremy?’
The reminder makes me bristle, and, based on the way Oakley’s hands ball into fists on the sand, he’s unhappy with it too.
‘She and I had a long talk about it.’ Mark blows out a breath, glancing out at the water before turning back to us. ‘It was obvious how much she was struggling with how she felt.’
She spoke to Mark about her feelings? When didthathappen? And what could he have said to make her want to runtome instead ofaway? He’s been critical of this situation from the beginning, though this speech right now is proving that’s changed.
‘She didn’t make the choice to be with Dev lightly,’ Mark says, his tone firm, leaving no room for Oakley to argue. ‘And I’ve seen how they are together. They make each other the best versions of themselves. You’d have to be a selfish asshole to not want them together.’
Well, that’s a direct dig if I’ve ever heard one.
Oakley’s scowl says he knows it too. ‘Yeah, all right,’ he grumbles. ‘Can we talk about something else now?’
‘Sure, like how much your dancing sucked last night?’ Mark supplies.
