Page 111 of Bend

“Thought you’d gone home.”

“Was considering it.”

“What stopped you?”

I could give him any number of excuses—the drinks, the fire, the fact it’s his birthday and leaving early would make me look like a right prick.

Instead, I stop beside him and look out over the water.

“You.”

That gets the smallest smile out of him.

Still, he doesn’t move closer.

Doesn’t make this easy.

Fair enough.

I exhale hard and scrub a hand over the back of my neck.

“Look, I don’t know how to do this.”

“Do what?”

“This.”

I gesture between us.

He glances down. “Stand on a beach?”

“Don’t be a prick.”

“Aw, you’re nervous.”

“I ain’t nervous.”

“You’ve been digging a whole ass trench with your boot for like thirty seconds.”

I look down at the line cut through the wet sand.

“Sand started that shit.”

Wolfe laughs quietly and the sound loosens something in my chest, but only a little.

“I mean it,” I say. “I don’t know how to say any of this without sounding like a complete fucking idiot.”

“Okay, then say it badly.”

“Oh is that your wise advice?”

“Pretty much.”

“Brilliant.” I rub the back of my neck. “You know what, you and Echo both reckon you’re dead helpful, but your advice is mostly bollocks.”

Wolfe smirks. “You’re stalling.”

I glance over at him. “I’m building up to it, mate.”