Page 68 of Shattered Crown
"Good."
"Yeah." Another pause. "Priya let me help with the database. And I went to a community health thing with Nalani. It was... I don't know. It was good."
I waited for more. She didn't offer it.
"I'm glad," I said.
"Okay. Here's Aunt Isabelle."
Rustling, then my sister's voice. "She's been great. There was a lipstick incident, but we've moved past it."
"Do I want details?"
"Absolutely not." She paused. "You sound tired."
"I'm fine."
"That's not what I asked."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "It's complicated."
"The hotel? Or the woman?"
I didn't answer. That was answer enough.
"Be careful, Sebastian." Her voice softened. "You're not as cold as you like to pretend."
"Thanks for watching Evie."
"Call if you need anything."
I hung up and kept walking.
The beach was nearly empty. A couple walking hand in hand near the water. An older man reading in a lounge chair. The sun hung low over the ocean, turning everything gold and orange and pink.
I found a spot near the water's edge and sat. Sand on my linen pants. Salt spray on my face. The waves rolling in and out, in and out, steady as a heartbeat.
I was falling for her.
The thought surfaced without permission. I tried to push it down, but it wouldn't go. It just sat there, undeniable, while the sun sank toward the horizon.
I was falling for Aria Kealoha, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it.
Movement down the beach in my peripheral vision. Dark hair, yellow sundress, bare feet in the sand.
She saw me at the same moment I saw her. I froze. She turned and started walking the other direction.
I was on my feet before I could think. "Aria."
She walked faster.
"Aria, wait."
She broke into a jog. I lengthened my stride, sand kicking up behind me, and caught her arm.
She spun around, yanking free. "What?"
"You've been avoiding me."
