Page 51 of This Could be Love

“Two weeks ago that would’ve been reason enoughnotto bring you,” he shot back amusedly.

“He. Did. Not. Bring. Me.”

Only now did I realize I’d followed him down to the water.

“Hmm,” Chip said and bent down to tie his leash. But he didn’t tie it around his own ankle. He tied it around mine.

“What are you doing?”

“You and me are going surfing.”

“What? No! I don’t know how to surf.”

“I’ll give you a crash course.”

I shook my head, then my ankle, and Chip laughed.

“Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“Yeah, because I’ll keep on falling over.”

“Happens to all of us.” He put his board onto the water. “Step on up, Harry!”

“Harry?”

“Herzog-Riggs is kinda long.”

I looked at him blankly.

“Herzog-Riggs. He-Ri?” He tapped his forehead. “Well…?”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t keep from cracking a smile. At the same time, Chip said, “Hey! Here’s our hostel boy himself!”

He greeted Vince, who’d dropped his own board into the water not fifteen feet away, with the shaka gesture. Vince stared back at us, then turned to the ocean and began paddling outward.

“What was that all about?”

I realized I’d said it out loud only when Chip quipped, “I think he wanted to be the one to teach you how to surf.”

I was about to dismiss Chip’s comment with another eye roll, but then I realized how it must have looked to Vince. In no uncertain terms I’d made it clear that I didn’t want to learn how to surf when he’d asked. I’d brought up the risk of injury. Fears. And now here I was with a leash around my ankle, screwing around with Chip—just one day afterwe’d kissed. I tore the leash off my ankle and waded out into the water until I could swim without hitting my knees on the sand.

“Vince! Wait!” I called after him and made a few powerful strokes in his direction.

But he was already too far away, and the waves were too strong. Water kept hitting me in the face. My eyes burned, and my nose itched. I puffed up my cheeks in frustration.

“You want me to pass something on to yourneighbor?” Chip called out to me as he paddled past. “Or…clear something up?”

“No, I’ll do it myself.”

He raised his right hand in farewell and paddled on as I made my way back to shore. It took almost an hour for Vince to come back out of the water. I’d sat down on the sand and let the sun dry me off. My skin grew taut, and whenever I ran my tongue across my lips, I could taste salt.

“Chip’s still out there,” Vince called over to me, putting down his board.

“I was waiting foryou.”

“You sure?” He sounded angry.

“Of course I’m sure.” I got up and took a few steps toward him. “Listen, that wasn’t what it looked like.”