Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82949 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Someone whistles out from the shoreline, and I block the sun with my hand to see who it is.
“Ugh. I still can’t believe you and him are—”
“—nothing.” I glare at my best friend before lying down on my board and shuffling on. “You’re being ridiculous.”
I start paddling to the shoreline when Cooper calls out. Turning over, I see the roll of the shoulder before it slowly curls up into the pocket. I need to catch that pipe. It will be perfect. I push down on my board when I see the lip form on the tube, sliding up on my feet as the break opens up over my body in a half pipe. I can faintly hear Cooper in the background, but nothing else matters. With the sun rising in front of me, reflecting orange and red hues off the water, I have the perfect view. I reach out and skim my hand across the pipe, a wide smile on my face. I never want to leave this moment. The wave rolls out into a flat and I ride until I’m skimming the sand, turning to catch Cooper coming off his.
I’m still chuckling when I turn to find Dion, his eyes going between Cooper and me. “You ever fucked my cousin?”
My smile falls instantly, and I scowl at him. “Ew. No.”
He shrugs as if it’s the most normal question to ask anyone ever. “I had to ask.”
Dropping my board onto the sand, I wriggle out of my suit. “Did you need me?”
They leave tomorrow morning, and although Sparrow has told me the two people that they’re bringing in while they’re gone won’t be an issue, I’d be naive if I wasn’t nervous.
“Yeah, but we’ve all organized—and by all, I mean Cooper too—a kind of wake tonight for your mom. Cooper may have noticed that you would never ask, and I don’t know, Poppet—” He reaches forward and catches a wet curl, tucking it behind my ear. “I think your mom deserves it.”
I swallow through the dryness in my throat, drying off my hair before picking up my hairspray. “Okay. Thank you.”
He smiles stiffly before turning and walking back through the little footpath access to the house.
Cooper steps up beside me, drying his hair. “He tell you?”
“Yep.” I dump my UV hairspray and lip balm onto my towel. “But why didn’t you tell me?” I’m not that mad or even upset, more curious. Cooper could never keep a secret from me usually, what made this one different?
Cooper shrugs his shoulders, turning back to face the ocean while cupping the sun with his hands. “Eh, they asked me not to until they figured out whether they could get what they needed.”
I look up from Cooper to the house. From beachside, the dark timber arched up to the sky before stained glass windows lead your way back down. There’s a large black porch that wraps around the entire back, with steps that lead down to the sandy grass. Large trees spread out on the sides, the branches stretching wide over the ceiling.
“What is it that they needed?” When Cooper doesn’t answer me, I drag myself away from the mansion that was once known for slaughter. “Did they tell you?”
He brushes off the sand from the back of his shorts. “Nope!” He towers over me, his smile fading slightly when he pulls me into his embrace. “But I did beg them to allow some people over for after—”
“I don’t know.” I scoop up my board after twisting my hair into a messy braid, heading back to the house.
“I promise it’s after the other stuff. When you get your mom’s ashes back, we can do something else together.” His arm hooks with mine. “Also, I just really want to make sure the town pays your mom the respect she deserves.”
I’m still laughing at Cooper’s bad impersonation of Mrs. Harrison’s behavior when the sliding door opens, and Sparrow’s large body takes up the space.
“Jesus fucking Christ. Look, I’m not saying…” Cooper leans into my hair, his eyes weakening on Sparrow. “But I’m just saying…”
I shove him away playfully as he snatches my board to take with him. “Don’t forget to wash it!”
He flips me off, and I laugh before slowly going back to where Sparrow stands at the threshold of the door. He does look good this morning.
“How was it?” Dark sweatpants and no shirt are his thing when it isn’t the expensive Armani suits. His hair looks damp against the morning sun, and when it hits his face front on, I have to smack myself back down to reality. They called you a child.
“Good. Just what I needed, actually.”
His eyes fall to my mouth and the corner of his lip twitches.
My head tilts. “What?”
He holds my stare. “What day next week is your birthday?”
“Monday.”
“Good to know.”