Page 35 of Sunset Catchers

“Definitely, yes.”

It was still way too cold for a proper soak, so, unfortunately, playing mermaids would have to wait.

“I should warn you,” he says while we walk further onto the beach, “the water will be very cold.” I scoff and turn around, walking backward to look at Levi.

“Don’t worry about me, big stud. I can handle myself in cold water.”

Then, I spend the next twenty minutes shrieking and yelling about how cold the water is.

Levi laughs the whole time.

The sun is slowly beginning its descent over the lake, while Levi and share a bag of salt-and-pepper chips.

“Favorite color?”

“Obviously pink.”

“Didn’t want to assume anything,” he says with a one-sided shrug.

Even if the view was spectacular, with the sky turning lilac and the water lapping in loud waves, I had a hard time not looking at Levi.

My eyes land on him for what I’m sure is the hundredth time. Dark hair messy from the wind, curling at his nape. Pinked cheek from the chilled air. Gaze lustrous.

He’s so handsome, in a non-pretentious way. Some men reeked of pompousness over randomly given features. Levi knew he was handsome, but understood it was all thanks to a lucky shuffle of genes.

I cleared my throat and forced my gaze away. But then he asks me another question—I have no choice but to look at him again.

“Favorite soda flavor?”

“Grape.” He regards me doubtingly. “Stop,” I say with a laugh. “It’s so underrated. I swear it’s the best.”

“If you say so.”

“I know so.”

What I don’t know is what has gotten into him—the questions just keep on coming.

“What is my favorite meal?” Sushi to his pasta.

“What is my favorite dessert?” All of the cakes to his tiramisu.

And so on, and so forth.

My anxiety is all over the place. Perking up anytime he opens his mouth to ask a question, just to settle back down from the non-triggering question he ends up asking.

“What’s with the interrogation, anyway?”, I ask. “Are you collecting data for something?”

“No.”

“Trying to steal my identity?”

“No.”

“What’s your angle here?”

“My angle?”

“Yes! Why do you want to know all this information about me?”