It was a question, not a declaration, but the organ in my chest couldn't

tell the difference.

Sam Bishop would never say those words to me for real, so I allowed
the sparkles to fill me up, enjoying the fuzzy feelings, before coming back
to reality.
"Kent?"
"I think you should only say I love you if you mean it," I said.
"Just so you know," he said, "when I say it, I always mean it."
Pulling in a long inhale then releasing an even longer exhale, I smiled.
"That's good. Also, that was two of your questions."
"But—"
"Honestly, might've been three. But I'm willing to compromise."
As Sam shook his head, we walked to the end of the green. He retrieved
his ball; I sunk mine in one extra stroke, and we moved onto the next hole.
I think we both needed a breather after that because the follow-up questions
weren't nearly as profound.
Sam: What's your favorite sport?
Me: Does reading count as a sport?
Sam: No...
Me: Oh, okay, then figure skating.
(a grunt)
Me: If you could go anywhere, where would it be?
Sam: Fictional or real world?
Me: Either.
Sam: Schitt's Creek if it's fiction, a bakery if it's not.
Me: I love that answer.
Sam: Thanks, Kent.
Me: Also, a bakery? You must be hungry.
Sam: Hey, don't judge. I heard your stomach growl a second ago, so I
know you are too.
Me: This is true.
I learned Sam's biggest fear (never finding a purpose), and he learned
mine (losing the ones I love). Sam won another hole and asked me to name
my favorite musician. I told him it depended on the day and my mood but
that Taylor Swift, Drake, Vivaldi, Tracy Chapman, and Daughter were
always near the top of the list. When he asked who that last one was, I sent
him a link to a playlist—and informed him that he'd just used one of his
questions. We hunkered down after that, agreeing without speaking to
focus until the end of the game. We were in a dead heat. Sam still had one
more win than me, but I could tie it up with this final hole.
Fate must've been with me because I sunk my ball in two strokes.
"Yeah," I said with a fist-pump. "Your turn, Bishop."
He looked at me for a moment. "You're not going to get mad if I win,
right?"
"I'd be more upset if I found out you lost on purpose."
Sam released a relieved breath. "That's good because I'm about to bring
home this W."
He wasn't kidding.
Later—after Sam beat me by scoring another hole in one, this one even
prettier than the last—we were walking with our ice creams, hands close
enough to touch but not touching. I was still trying to take it in as Sam
nudged my side.
"You look like you're thinking deep thoughts."
"I lost," I said.
"Yeah."
"I've never lost at anything." When Sam's eyebrows popped, I said,
"No, really. This is the first time I've ever not won, the only time I failed.
It's…different."
"Well, at least you didn't lose by much," he replied. "How do you feel?"
I took a moment to check in with myself.
Then I smiled.
"Not bad," I said. "Strangely, even though I'm a loser, I actually feel
pretty fantastic."
Sam laughed. "Good, and before you say it, I know that counted as one
of my questions, but I wanted to make sure I hadn't ruined our date."
I shook my head. "You didn't."
We ate our ice cream in silence for a moment, leaning against the trunk
of his car, the moon and stars shining brightly against a blue-black sky, and
then Sam turned to face me.
"What are your plans for after graduation?" he asked.
"I'll go to UNC, get my degree in music and business, land a great
internship, preferably with a well-known conservatory in New York,
graduate summa cum laude, play professionally for a few years, start my
own freelance business composing, teaching violin, and focusing on lifting
up young voices, make my mark on the world and hopefully make it a
better place," I said, sending him a smile. "What about you? What are you
going to do?"
Sam shrugged. "I don't know."
I waited, but he didn't say more. "You must have some idea."
"Nope," he said.
"I thought you loved soccer," I said.
"I like soccer. I like working at the garage too. But I like a lot of things,
Kent." He finished the rest of his ice cream, dusted off his hands, then said,
"I'm just not sure what I want to do with my life."
My ice cream was all but forgotten as I stared up at him. "You don't
sound scared at all," I said in wonder.
Sam cocked a brow at me. "That's because I'm not."
"I would be. I can't even imagine what it would be like, not having a
plan."
"My mom and I talked about it. At our age, she wasn't sure either," he
said. "But even she had found her passion with dance. It's like you with
music. I just haven't found that thing yet."
"What thing?" I asked.
"My purpose," he said. "The thing that makes me want to get up every
day and say this. This is what I was meant to do."
Sam gave another small shrug.
"I figure I've got time. Right?"
"Right," I said then shook my head. "You're kind of amazing."
"I know," he said which made me smile. "Oh hey, look out."
Sam leaned forward swiftly, catching the ice cream that had dripped
onto my hand with his lips. My breath hitched as his tongue pressed
between my fingers, licking up every drop. As his lips closed around the tip
of my finger and gave a light suck, I felt shivers from head to toe. And it
wasn't because I was cold.
"You good?" he asked.
"Uh-huh," I said.
"Let's get you home. It is a school night."
 Giving my hand one last kiss, he smiled then went to hold open my
door. As I got into the car, I couldn't help thinking of all the things I was
and wasn't feeling. I probably should be down about losing at mini-golf.
Or jealous that even without a plan, Sam seemed more at ease about his
future than I felt at times. Or maybe I should've been appalled by Sam
treating my hand as if it was his own personal ice cream cone.
But honestly?
I didn't care about the loss; I wasn't jealous but impressed by his
confidence; and I was debating if I would ever wash my hand again.
As my heart sparkled, I just kept thinking one thing. Sam had delivered
on his promise yet again.
Best first date ever.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 15

There was something so satisfying about drawing a little check mark

next to the items on my list.
2. First date.
Check.
20. Fail at something.
Check.
It still astonished me, but losing at mini-golf didn't feel like a failure.
The whole time we'd been on our date, it felt like flying. Despite staying up
way too late rehashing every last detail on my call with Charlotte, the after-
effects lingered, and I went to school the next day with extra pep in my
step. My sister would've laughed her butt off if she could see me because I
couldn't stop smiling.
I was in a good mood, certain nothing could bring me down.
But all that happy came to a halt a moment later.
Sam and Brisa were in a little alcove down the hall.
They were standing close, talking in lowered voices.
Actually, I realized, it looked they were in the middle of a serious
discussion.
I stood there, shifting from foot to foot, unsure of what to do. Did I play
the possessive girlfriend card, walk over there, ignore Brisa, and claim
Sam's mouth like it was my property? Maybe I should step between them
and warn her to stay away from my boyfriend? Neither option felt right.
Mostly because this wasn't a cheesy rom-com, and people—and their
mouths—weren't property. Not to mention the small, very significant detail
that Sam was not, in fact, my real boyfriend, and how close he stood to
someone was none of my business.
I decided to text him.
Do you need rescuing?
There. That was light, casual, and left the decision up to him.
When Sam's phone pinged, he pulled it out of his pocket, looked at the
screen…and a second later, the softest, most devastating smile crossed his
lips.
My phone buzzed in my hand.
Depends. Are you the rescuer?
I grinned as I typed my reply.
Of course.
He texted back immediately.
Then yeah, girlfriend. I need you.
Those last three words got my feet moving before I'd fully decided to
act. Brisa had just put her hand on Sam's arm. He didn't try to shake her
off—or at least, it didn't look that way. I wouldn't be a jerk about it, but
maybe I could remind her of what she's missing.
That was part of the deal, I told myself.
Sam was doing an awesome job playing his part.
It was time for me to play mine.
"Hey, Bishop," I said, sidling up next to Sam, draping my arm around
his waist, and gazing up at him. "Did you miss me?"
"Always," he said.
As if we were perfectly in tune, I rose up on tip-toe, and he leaned
down, our lips meeting in a kiss that made tingles race down my spine. It
shouldn't have moved me so much. The kiss was quick, perfectly
acceptable PDA, but as we broke apart our mouths clung to each other as if
sad to let go. By the time we parted, I was slightly breathless, and Sam…
He was staring at my lips.
"I missed you too," I said quietly.
"That's nice to hear."
"Hmmm."
Ducking to kiss my cheek, his nose pressed in my hair, he whispered,
"Thanks for the rescue, Kent."
Laughing lightly, I turned to face Brisa and said, "Oh hey, Brisa, how's it
going? Are you ready for the festival?"
"Are you?" she retorted while running a hand through her hair. "You're
the one Principal Rochelle entrusted with all the power. Everyone else on
council is basically just doing your bidding."
"I'm sure it'll be a success. I've been working on this since last spring.
Everyone will have an awesome time, and we'll raise a ton for the school."
 She smiled brightly, flashing all of her teeth. "Well, if it fails, we all
know who to blame."
"I—"
"Cooper just walked in. Remember what I said."
"I will," I replied.
Brisa rolled her eyes. "I wasn't talking to you, Scarlett."
"Good talk as usual, Bri," Sam said. "Now, if you don't mind, I want to
be alone with my girlfriend."
She shook her head, muttered, "Hope you know what you're doing,"
then walked away.
My brow furrowed as she left. Our interaction was odd—especially that
last part—but the one between her and Cooper Hollingsworth was awkward
to say the least. When her now-boyfriend bent to kiss her, Brisa turned,
giving him her cheek. Cooper laughed it off good-naturedly, went to pull
her to him in a hug, and she deftly dodged his hands, moving like the
skilled track and field star she was. Again, Cooper didn't seem to take
offense, never once losing his happy grin. It was an interesting dance, but if
I didn't know better—which I didn't—I'd say Brisa and he were having
trouble.
"Looks like they're having some issues," I said.
"Yeah," Sam said, "I kinda saw that coming."
Frowning, I asked, "Cooper's an okay guy, right? He wouldn't do
anything to hurt her—would he?"
He chuckled.
"What?"
"If Brisa knew you were worrying about her, she'd hate you even more."
"I don't get why she hates me in the first place," I mumbled. "But back
to Hollingsworth. What's your take on him?"
"Cooper's cool but a little oblivious," he said. "If anything I'd be
worried for him, not Brisa. Trust me. She can take care of herself."
I gave him a small smile. "And she knows that you'd be there for her if
she ever needed you."
He nodded. "I would. And I'd be there for you too, you know."
As a friend, I mentally added.
He'd be there for me as a friend, and that was enough. It was more than
enough.
 It had to be.
Stepping back, I said, "What were you two talking about before?"
"Nothing important," he said.
"It sounded like something."
"Brisa just gave me some unsolicited advice."
"About?" I said.
"Like I said, it was nothing."
I wanted to ask more about their talk, but instead, I backed off. If Sam
didn't want to tell me what Brisa and he were discussing, that was fine. It
was none of my business.
And yet…
"What do you have there?" he asked.
I blinked then looked down at the bag in my hand.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," I said then held it out to him, feeling a bit
nervous. "These are for you."
"For me?"
There was a note of surprise in his voice as he took the bag and looked
inside.
"You didn't have to get me anything."
"I did actually," I said as he pulled out the tin inside and opened the lid.
"They're to thank you, for the flowers and the date."
Sam's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. "You baked."
"Chocolate chip is your favorite."
He shook his head. "I can't believe you made these."
I smiled. "And they're actually edible—I think. You'll have to try them
to find out, but I went through two batches before I finally got it right. The
container was supposed to keep them warm."
As Sam looked up at me, I gestured to the bag again.
"There's a carton of milk in there too."
"Thanks, Kent," he said.
"Don't thank me yet. You still haven't tried them."
Sam cocked his brow and popped one of the cookies into his mouth
whole. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment then closed his eyes, dropped
his head back, and groaned.
"That bad, huh?" I said.
 "That good," Sam replied before eating another cookie. "These are
amazing."
"Glad you like them."
"My girlfriend is an amazing cook."
"A little over-the-top but okay."
Sam made quick work of the cookies, then he chugged the milk. There
was something oddly hypnotic about the way his Adam's apple bobbed as
he did it. I was still staring at his throat when he finished and threw me a
grin.
"Those were the best cookies I've ever had," he said seriously.
But I shook my head. "Then you've obviously never eaten your favorite
food. Half of them were underbaked."
"Underbaked is my favorite."
As my eyes narrowed, he crossed his arms. "Flattery will get you
nowhere with me, Bishop."
"They were the best, Kent. Because you made them," he said with a
shrug.
And there he went turning me into a liar.
That type of flattery was the kind that fed your soul.
Sam Bishop was the kind of guy that could give compliments like that
and say them with such bone-deep sincerity, you believed it.
Which was what made him so dangerous.
"Well," I said, pretending to check my watch, "you didn't die, so I guess
they are edible."
Sam laughed.
"Glad I get to check that off the list as well."
The bell rang, and as I was putting my list away, Sam asked, "You want
to meet after school for another lesson?"
Translation: Did I want to meet Sam for more kissing?
Yes.
Every part of me yearned to say yes.
Unfortunately, I couldn't.
"I can't today. I've got mentoring," I said. "We're adding sports to our
session because the kids said they wanted to do something outside. So, our
lesson will have to wait."
Instead of looking disappointed, Sam's eyes brightened. "Can I come?"
 I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"To mentoring," he said. "You said you're doing sports? That's right up
my alley."
"Don't you have practice?"
"Not today," he said.
"Oh."
Sam looked at me expectantly.
"I just want to remind you that I work with young kids," I said.
"I love kids," he said back, "and I'm good with them. Just ask Betty and
Bennet."
"Sometimes they can be hard to win over."
"I love a challenge. So?"
"Okay," I said, and he whooped. "But if they hate you, don't blame me."
Sam gave me his signature grin. "Who could hate me, Kent? I'm
fantastic."

They loved him.

Of course, they did.
Sam walked in, carrying a soccer ball under one arm, flashed the kids a
smile, and said, "Who wants to learn how to score a goal with their face?"
Hands flew into the air, and that was all she wrote.
After that, it was a mix of "Mr. Sam, is this right?" "Mr. Sam, can you
show us that again?" "Mr. Sam, how do you do that without breaking your
nose?" And "Mr. Sam, how did you get so cool?"
He'd shot me a grin over his shoulder at that one.
"Well, Trevor," he said, "I had to work at it a lot."
Little Trevor, who was only eight, said, "Do you think I could be as cool
as you one day?"
"Oh definitely, you'll be even cooler."
The smile that split the young boy's face would've melted even the
coldest heart. He'd lost one of his front teeth the other night and proudly
pulled it out of his pocket to show people at every opportunity. As Sam
patted his back, he beamed even brighter.
"But only if you practice," Sam added.
 The young boy gave an energetic nod. "Okay, I'll go do that."
As I watched Trevor and the others practice bouncing the ball off their
heads, I shook my own. How did Sam make that look so easy?
Freya leaned over to me and said, "I think he's a keeper."
"No, actually, Sam's a midfielder," I said.
"You know what I meant."
"I do," I murmured.
Aurora nudged me with her hip. "You okay, Scar?" she asked. "You
sound sad."
"Yeah, why is that?" Freya asked.
Because I don't know if I can keep him.
Shaking my head, I broke my stare from Sam who was now going to
each kid, working with them individually, making sure they all felt special.
"I'm fine," I said, waving off their concerns.
Freya tilted her head. "Is it because they like him better than you?"
I bit back a smile. "No—and I don't think they like him better."
"They totally do," she said. "My girl, Zoe, who you said doesn't like
anyone at first, just gave him a high-five. A high-five!"
"I saw that," I said.
"Anyway, I understand if you're jealous."
"I'm not."
"Yeah," Aurora said with a sigh, completely ignoring my words, "it must
be hard having such a loveable boyfriend."
"Hey, I'm loveable," I argued.
They both looked at me and laughed.
"Thanks, girls. Trying not to take that reaction personally."
"Look." Aurora gently took my chin and turned my head toward the
field. It seemed like Sam was demonstrating how to correctly kick the ball.
As he ran forward, he must've hit a slick spot of grass because a second
later he was on the ground, smiling as all the kids around him burst into
laughter. "That is the definition of loveable."
As Sam jumped to his feet, he smiled, sent me a wave, then pulled the
bottom of his shirt up to wipe the sweat from his brow. Hard abs
momentarily left me speechless. Was I even breathing?
"What's not to love?" Freya mumbled, which made me laugh.
"Stop ogling my boyfriend," I said.
 "I will…in a second," she said.
As his shirt fell back into place, there was a collective sigh of
disappointment from my cousins and me. But again, I shook my head.
Loveable, indeed.
Aurora suddenly smiled at something over my shoulder.
"Hey, Charlotte," she said. "What are you doing here?"
I spun around to see my sister and her boyfriend, Bo, walking this way.
"You said you couldn't make it," I said.
"I thought we couldn't," she replied, gesturing to the tall, scowling guy
at her side. "But Bo heard the word soccer, and here we are."
"Scarlett invited me," Bo said with a nod in my direction. I didn't take
the scowl personally. That was just Bo's go-to expression. "I couldn't let
her and the kids down."
Charlotte elbowed him in the ribs. "Be honest, flower boy, you came to
play ball."
Bo stared down at her, and something in his face shifted. I'd seen this
before, but it never got old. The guy hardly ever smiled—which was
literally the opposite of Charlotte, who was smiling brightly up at him even
now. But I swear, whenever he looked at my sister, you could practically
hear his grumpy façade crumble. A moment later, his lips twitched slightly
at the corners.
"Perhaps," he said.
Charlotte rolled her eyes, still smiling, then turned to me again. "He
heard Dare was coming and refused to miss it."
Just then a car door slammed, and I saw my cousin, Viola, and Dare
Frost, approaching us from the parking lot.
"Hey Scar," she said, "I hope we're not too late."
"You're not," I said in surprise. "Thanks for coming. I thought you had
to work."
Viola sent me grin. "We went to the shelter earlier. Dare couldn't miss
the chance to see his best soccer frenemy."
"Hilarious," Dare said.
"Thanks, I try," she said back.
He laughed then turned to Bo. "Stryker."
"Frost," Bo said back.
"Ready to get beat?"
 "Are you?"
I gave them a frown. "Don't you guys play on the same team in
college?"
"We do," Dare said.
"But we still like to face-off against each other every now and then," Bo
finished.
As Sam came over, he dropped an arm around my shoulders, then gave
the group a nod. "Looked like a party over here, so I decided to join the
fun."
"Are the kids okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, I left them with Mrs. Primm working on dribbling drills. They'll
be busy for a while. What's up?"
I narrowed my gaze at Bo and Dare. "These two were supposed to help
with mentoring, but apparently they're planning to disrupt everything with
their dumb feud."
"Hey!" Dare and Bo spoke together.
"Lotte, Viola, I love you, but if your boyfriends ruin my program, I will
end them. Swiftly. With no remorse."
Both guys winced, but Sam just laughed.
"You're terrifying," he said.
"Thank you," I said back.
Sending me a fond smile, Sam lifted his chin. "Might be good for the
kids to see a real match."
"But there's just two of them."
More people joined our group then—I wasn't expecting anyone else, but
I knew every single face on the field which was getting more crowded by
the second. My brows couldn't get any tighter.
"Uncle Becks?" I said, looking around. "Aunt Sally? What are you
doing here?"
"Hey, Scarlett. Sorry, we're late," he said. "Have you started the game
yet?"
"What game?" I threw up my hands. "This is a mentoring program."
"Oh, I know, I know. Viola told us all about it."
Bo's mom and dad appeared then. "How's it going, Scarlett?" Ash
asked. "Did we miss the match?"
 When I looked at her, Charlotte shook her head. "I didn't tell them," she
hissed.
"Becks," Ash said, and the two did one of those back-thumping guy
hugs. "Good to see you."
"You too."
"Son." Ash nodded at Bo then rubbed his hands together. "Have you
started yet?"
Aurora gaped at the couple that joined us next. "Mom? Dad? What are
you doing here?"
My other uncle, Clayton, laughed. "Thanks for the warm welcome,
princess."
"Sorry, I'm just surprised to see you."
Aurora's mom drew her in for a hug. "I begged him to stay home, but
he and your Aunt Sally forced my hand."
Guffaws followed that statement, mostly from Aunt Sally who rolled her
eyes.
"You know how much I hate sports," Aunt Lillian added.
"Not when I play them," Clayton put in.
"That's different," she said. "You know, I just like seeing you run in
those little shorts."
"Mom," Aurora mumbled, blushing bright red.
"What?"
"Aunt Lillian, it's nice to see you," I began, but she lifted her hand to my
cheek.
"Your face, it's glowing," she said. "What's your secret?"
Freya leaned forward and whispered, "Her boyfriend's got great abs."
"Thanks, Freya," I said as Sam chuckled at my side.
"Welcome," she said sweetly.
My uncles gave Sam a dark look. "Boyfriend?" Becks said then looked
to his brother. "I don't remember Leo saying anything about a boyfriend."
"Me either," Clayton said.
"It's a fairly new development," I muttered.
"Might need to have the talk."
"Already done," Sam said brightly and held out a hand. "It put the fear
right into me. Hey, I'm Sam."
 After they shook, Clayton looked to Becks. "So, are you and Ash
playing each other, or is it you against the kids?"
Someone cough-laughed. I thought it was Dare or Bo—or both.
Uncle Becks turned to the guys with raised brows. "Something funny?"
"Nope," Dare said.
Bo shook his head, but his father's eyes narrowed.
"You got something to say, Bo?" Ash asked.
Bo shrugged. "No, it's just…you're old."
"Oh, thank you. I didn't realize," he said.
"Come on, Dad. You know what I mean."
"I don't think I do."
"Uh oh," Snow murmured. Mrs. Stryker sent me an apologetic glance
as if she knew where this was going, and there was no stopping it.
Dare pushed his hands into his pockets then said, "Well, I mean, you
and Coach Kent can't play against us. It wouldn't be fair."
"For who?" Becks said. "You or us?"
"You," he said. "Obviously."
"Obviously."
"It's not an insult, Coach," he said, but Uncle Becks certainly looked
offended. "We're young and in our prime."
"Yeah," Bo said, "you and dad were good back in the day. But there's
no way you could take us now."
Becks and Ash stared at each other a moment.
"Should we?" Becks asked.
"We should," Ash said then looked back to the others. "Challenge
accepted. Let's go."
Bo scoffed.
"I'm serious."
"I can't," Dare said. He gave a deep sigh then looked to Viola. "I don't
want to beat your dad in front of you, flower."
Uncle Becks had a glint in his eye. "Scared, Frost?"
"No way, Coach."
"You should be," Becks said.
Aunt Sally nodded. "You really should."
"Damn, right," Ash put in. He lifted his chin at Sam. "We'll play three-
on-three. Sam, you're with Bo and Dare against Becks, Clayton and me."
 "Hey, I'm not in this," Sam said with his hands up. "Think of me as
Switzerland. Plus, it would be weird. You're my coach."
"That's right. And as your coach, I'm ordering you to play—sorry, it's
on the losing side."
Sam shrugged. "Alright, if you insist."
"Fine," Bo said with a shake of his head. "But don't be mad at us when
we win."
"You won't," Ash said, "so that's not going to be a problem."
Uncle Becks turned to me. "You okay with this, Scarlett?"
I thought it over for a moment then said, "Promise me you and Ash will
come back next week to teach the kids and that you'll stay after to talk to
them about going pro?"
I stared down my uncle and Bo's dad until both men nodded.
"You got it," Becks said while Ash added, "Of course, I'd love to work
with them."
"So?" my uncle asked again.
Before I could answer, one of the kids came over and tugged on my
arm. "Miss Scarlett, we're tired. Can we take a break now?"
"Of course," I said, giving her hand a squeeze, "I brought waters for
everyone. I'll pass them out in just one second."
Looking at the faces gathered around, specifically Sam's, who was
smiling at me as if he knew I'd make the right call, I caved.
"We're about to get to see a real, live soccer match," I said.
I just hoped no one ended up in the hospital.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 16

Soccer was never so entertaining.

"Holy cow," Freya said. "Did you know Uncle Becks could play like
that?"
"Honestly, when my dad told me, I thought he was exaggerating," I said.
Viola was shaking her head in awe as her dad—my uncle—scored yet
another goal. "My mom told me stories too," she said. "But she loves Dad
so much. This is just…unbelievable."
"Bo hates losing," Charlotte said.
"Same with Dare. He and my dad are so competitive, especially when it
comes to soccer."
"But man, what a good game."
"They're killing them," Aurora said.
It was true.
Dare, Bo, and Sam were fantastic players. They really were. Both Dare
and Bo had expressed their intentions to go pro, and I had no doubt, when
they got there, they'd take the world by storm. But even if they were
younger and arguably more in shape, there was just no touching Becks and
Ash when they got into a groove. Uncle Clayton played well too, but he
and Sam didn't have any real stake in the game. They were simply having
fun, hamming it up for the kids—who, I had to say, were loving every
minute.
The group went crazy a second later when Ash dribbled the ball down
the field with Bo hot on his heels. Father and son duked it out, vying for
control of the ball, while Dare covered Uncle Becks. The terms of the game
were the first to seven. As it stood now, the adults were winning 6-4. They
only needed one more goal to win. We watched as Becks broke away, and
Ash waited until the perfect moment to lob the ball his way. In a gravity-
defying move, Uncle Becks jumped up, spun in the air, kicked the ball and
sent it sailing directly into the net. The kids screamed, and my cousins and
I were no better. Aunt Lillian, Aurora, and Freya rushed the field while my
sister, Viola, and I hung back.
 "What the what?" I said, elbowing Viola in the arm.
"I know," she said.
"That was amazing!"
"That," Aunt Sally said, sidling up to us, "was Becks Kent, still one of
the best players of all time, and Ash 'The Whip' Stryker. Two legends, fully
unleashed and playing to win."
"Well, they definitely did that," I said with a laugh.
Snow joined us and gave me a nod. "It was nice of you to let this
happen, Scarlett."
I shrugged. "The kids loved it."
"Ash does so much coaching now, but he still loves to compete."
My aunt nodded. "Becks too."
"I don't think they could play like that if they didn't," I said.
"They've always played so well together—even when they thought they
hated each other."
Snow sighed. "Well, I better go grab my husband and son. You want to
come too, Charlotte? Bo might need some consoling after that loss."
"Yeah," my sister said with a smile. "And wow, Mrs. Stryker. Mr.
Stryker was on fire."
"He's the best," she said simply.
Once she and Charlotte were gone, Aunt Sally leaned over to me and
said, "For the record, your Uncle Becks is the best. Just sayin'."
"Do you think he and Dare will be okay after this?" Viola said.
As the two joined us, they were nothing but smiles.
"You have to teach me how to do that last move," Dare said, and my
uncle just laughed.
"Maybe someday," he said.
"I've got time next week. If you're not busy."
"Sounds good." Becks pointed at him. "But just remember what
happened here today."
"Trust me, Coach, I'm not likely to forget a beatdown like that." Dare
grimaced, but it turned into a grin when Viola slipped under his arm. "Your
dad wasn't playing around out there."
"I know," she said, laying a kiss on his cheek. "But you'll get over it."
"You gonna help with that?"
"Of course."
 Viola rested her gaze on her father and sent him a smile.
"Dad, you're still my favorite muggle," she said.
"Thanks, Viola. I love you too," he said.
After she and Dare left, Uncle Becks looked to my aunt and said, "Hey,
Sal. Can you come here?"
"Yeah," she said, walking over to him. "What's wrong?"
"Think I pulled something in my back on that last goal," he said.
"Might need a little help getting to the car."
My aunt shook her head but wrapped her arm around him, letting him
lean against her. "I can't believe you sacrificed your back just to win a
game," she said.
"Worth it."
Uncle Becks threw me a smile.
"See you later, Scarlett," he said. "It's really nice that you mentor all
these kids."
"Thanks, Uncle Becks," I said.
"Remind your boyfriend of the talk if he ever gets out of line."
Aunt Sally rolled her eyes. "We're going now. Bye, Scarlett."
"Love you guys," I said.
"Love you too."
They left, and that was when Sam came over, wearing his usual grin.
"Good game," I said.
"Are you kidding? Coach Stryker and your uncles schooled us out
there."
I sent him a smile as we went to retrieve the balls.
"Yeah, I saw," I said. "Are you sorry you came?"
"No way," Sam replied, "I loved hanging out with the kids."
I swallowed as he went on.
"That Trevor is a trip, kept wanting to show me his tooth, and Zoe's got
real potential. She channeled her aggression into kicking the crap out of the
ball."
"She's got a lot of that," I mumbled, "which is understandable,
considering her situation."
Sam's brows pinched. "What situation?"
Startled, I looked up at him. "Oh, it's nothing. Sorry, my brain got
away from me for a second."
 "No, it didn't."
When I gave him a questioning look, he tilted his head.
"Just then, you said something about Zoe, and it made you sad."
"You noticed that?"
"I always notice you, Kent."
Those words hit me deeper than they should have.
"So, what's up?"
"Like a lot of the kids in the program," I said, "Zoe's from the foster
home. Her dad died, and her mother just left her there. It's hard, you
know? Getting left behind."
He was quiet a moment then, "She'll regret it."
"Who?" I asked.
"The mom," Sam said, never taking his eyes off mine. "She really
missed out."
"Yeah, Zoe's a great kid," I said.
"I don't doubt that—but I think we both know she's not who I meant."
I looked away, avoiding his gaze, and waved at Mrs. Primm as she
shepherded the kids toward the parking lot. Once they were gone, I took a
deep breath, turned back to Sam and lifted my shoulders.
"You still up for the next lesson?" I said, fully aware I was asking him to
kiss me again. It would be a nice distraction from all these confusing
feelings. "We could probably fit in another pretend date too."
"Sure," Sam said.
While we were walking, he slipped his hand into mine.
"Hey."
He waited until I looked at him.
"You've done a good thing here, Kent. Thanks for letting me be a small
part of it."
"Thanks for wanting to be part of it," I said quietly.

I was right.
Kissing Sam was just the distraction I needed.
Or it would be.
If we ever got started.
 Sam seemed skeptical of my plan.
"I have so many questions," he said.
"Okay," I said.
Sam glanced at the bookshelves surrounding us before his gaze landed
back on me. "Why the library?"
"I hear it's a good make-out spot."
Sam chuckled.
"What? It's true."
"Oh, I know," he said. "It just sounded funny, the way you said that."
I crossed my arms. "It's on my list."
"Number 13." Sam gave a nod. "I remember."
"That's right," I said slowly. "Did you memorize my list, Bishop?"
He cocked a brow. "Maybe."
It kind of blew my mind, the idea that Sam took the time to commit my
list to memory. But I shook it off, knowing I needed to stay focused.
"What's the phone for again?" he asked next.
"I told you," I said. "Setting an alarm will make sure we go long
enough. That we don't finish too early."
Sam stepped forward, erasing the space between us, and my breath
hitched.
"That won't be a problem," he murmured as he tucked a strand of hair
behind my ear.
I licked my lips. "Well, it's also so we don't get carried away."
"Definitely more likely."
God.
Talk about distracting.
"A typical make-out session," I said, nearly breathless as his fingertips
burrowed into my hair, "should last anywhere from a few minutes to an
hour. So, I set my alarm for five."
Sam's intense gaze met my own. "Where'd you hear that?"
"Google."
He chuckled again, and this time we were close enough that I felt the
sound vibrate through my body.
"You ready?" I asked.
"Start the timer," he said.
 Sam's mouth was my new favorite place. I wanted to move in and never
leave. As his lips moved to my neck, and I gasped, I couldn't think at all.
"Your alarm's going off, Kent," he murmured into my throat.
"Oh?" I managed to get out even as his lips trailed over my jaw. "Well,
I chose the lowest amount of time, so"—I gasped again as he nipped my
skin—"I guess we could hit snooze. Just once."
"Hmmm."
After hitting the button, I pulled Sam's mouth to mine, trying to get even
closer.
The kiss deepened, and I got lost in him again.
"Kent," Sam breathed.
"Yeah?"
"The alarm."
"What?"
"Alarm. Going off."
"I don't care," I murmured.
"Huh?" he said.
"Sam, just ignore it."
He stopped and pulled back. "You called me Sam," he said, wearing a
bright smile. "You never do that."
"Sam?"
"Yeah?"
"Keep kissing me," I said.
"Thank God," he said.
Sam tossed the phone away, gripped my hips, and lifted me up. My legs
went around his waist, and as my back pressed into the books, I kissed him.
And he kissed me. And we kissed and kissed for what felt like an eternity
and not nearly long enough at the same time.
Then someone giggled.
It wasn't Sam or me.
"Um, Scarlett? Is that you?"
The voice was familiar, but it took me a moment to float back down
from my kissing haze.
Looking to my left, I spotted the speaker and blushed.
"It is you," Casey said with a triumphant smile, nudging the girl
standing beside her. "Told you."
 "You did," Natalia replied. "How's it going, Scarlett? We haven't seen
you in a while."
"Well, obviously, it's going well." Casey glanced at Sam then whispered
—though everyone could hear her, "He's cute."
"Oh my gosh," I said, burying my head in Sam's neck as he said,
"Thanks."
"We heard a phone going off and decided to come investigate," Natalia
added, holding up my cell. "Does this belong to one of you?"
I raised my hand. "That's mine. Sorry about…this," I said, gesturing
between Sam and myself.
"Girl, please," Casey said. "You're like the third couple we've walked in
on today."
"Speaking of which"—Natalia placed my phone on the nearest shelf and
grabbed her arm—"we should get back to the front desk."
"But—"
"Scarlett, you and…"
"Sam," he supplied. "Sam Bishop."
"You and Sam, Sam Bishop, take as much time as you need."
"Thanks, Natalia, Casey," I said. "Also, maybe don't tell my sister about
this?"
"Oh definitely," Casey said, smiling way too bright. "Enjoy your trip to
the library!"
As I disentangled myself from Sam, he was still laughing.
"They're going to tell her," I said.
"Yeah," he said, "but so what? She already knows about us. Right?"
She did.
But that didn't make getting caught making out in the stacks by my
sister's friends any easier. And in the library too. Charlotte was going to
hold this over my head for the rest of my days.
"Should've chosen a different location," I mumbled as I retrieved my
phone from the shelf.
"I disagree," Sam said as we walked out of the aisle. "This library will
always hold a special place in my heart."
Throwing him a look, I shook my head. "You're unbelievable, Bishop."
"Thanks, Kent."
 Casey and Natalia waved to us as we left, and I waved back, despite the
embarrassment. When Sam and I pulled into the parking lot where our
pretend date would take place, he raised his brows.
"This is where you want to go?" he said.
"Yeah," I said, "they have the best baked goods in town."
Sam nodded and held the door open for me. "Okay, but you know—"
"That Brisa works here? Yeah, I do."
Turning to face him, I smiled.
"That's part of what makes it perfect."
"Care to elaborate?" he asked.
With a shrug, I placed my hands gently on his shoulders, and his
automatically wrapped around my waist. I didn't even try to hold back my
reaction, allowing myself to shiver and letting the warmth I always felt for
him shine through my eyes. "I figured we could put all that practice to
good use. Letting Brisa see us outside of school might tip her over the edge
and into your arms. You know?"
Hands tightening on my hips, he said, "Good plan. There's just one
problem."
"What?"
"Brisa doesn't want me back," he said.
"We'll see about that."
I leaned up and brushed a kiss against his jaw, enjoying the way it made
his breath catch.
"Are you two ever going to order? Or just stand there blocking the
door?" Brisa said.
Her voice held a good helping of impatience, annoyance, and dare I
hope, jealousy?
Leaning back to meet Sam's eyes, I gave him a wink.
"We're ready now," I said.
I infused the words with a lightheartedness I definitely didn't feel. But
this wasn't about me. It was about him. And Brisa was who he wanted,
who he'd always wanted.
I needed to remember that.
No matter how much my heart clung to the hope that one day he might
want me like I wanted him.
OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 17

Music was my saving grace.

As always.
When my mind was troubled, all I had to do was reach for my violin.
Yami Yami was getting a workout today. I'd been playing nearly non-stop
for over an hour—and making my cousins do the same. They didn't seem
to understand my need for the healing powers of musical therapy.
"Scar, we've been at this forever," Freya said, frowning at me through
the screen.
"Oh," I said, lowering my instrument. "Do you need a break? Because
you can take one, get some water if you want. That's fine."
"Oh, well, thanks."
She rolled her eyes then walked out of frame.
"I think we should stop," Viola said. "Didn't you say you had plans?"
I nodded. "Yeah, but they can wait. We could still get some good
practice time in."
"I thought that's what we've been doing."
"Scarlett." My sister gave me a look, and even though she was miles
away, it felt like she was right there in the room with me. "Meeting online
might not have been the best way to go. My video keeps freezing."
Aurora sighed. "Mine too."
"Let's call it a night," Charlotte said.
"But…" I frowned. "Don't you want to play some more?"
No one said anything.
"Well, I do," I said, lifting Yami Yami to my shoulder with a sniff and
starting the piece we'd been working on from the beginning.
"Then you go right ahead," Freya said, reappearing, a glass of water in
hand. "By all means, play until your fingers bleed. It won't help though."
"Freya," Viola said, "come on."
"What? We all know there's something she's not telling us."
I stopped playing and shook my head. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Charlotte was the one who answered.
 "You're stressed," she said. "Who knows about what, but this music
session is definitely full of stress."
Viola nodded. "And bad juju."
"And restless energy," Aurora said.
"And know-it-all-ness," Freya put in.
"That's not a thing. Is it?"
"It is, Ror. Just ask Scarlett."
"Ha ha," I said. But when everyone just stared at me, I paused. "Have I
really been that bad?"
Freya nodded. "You keep correcting every little mistake—not that I
made any, but Aurora almost cried."
"I did not," Aurora said.
"Could've sworn I saw a tear."
"Sorry," I mumbled, "I was just trying to be helpful, make us better."
"We know," Viola said.
"I love playing with you guys. It's one of my favorite things in the
world."
It really was.
"Now that Viola and Charlotte are in college," I continued, feeling my
emotions pulling me down, down, down, "who knows how many more
times we'll get to practice like this, let alone perform together?"
Freya gave me a half-smile. "We'll always have the Kent family
reunion."
"I know, but…I want us to be ready in case we ever land something
big." I tried to laugh it off like it was nothing, but it felt like I was
betraying myself somehow. "Not that it'll happen, but a girl can dream."
"You can, and you should," Charlotte said.
"Everyone should have dreams," Aurora agreed.
"The ones about flying are the best," Freya put in. "Bonus points if
there are dragons. Also love the ones where I'm rolling around in a pile of
puppies—or a vat of chocolate."
"I'm down with the puppies," Viola said on a laugh, "but the chocolate
sounds disgusting."
"See? This is why I want this to last forever." I smiled sadly. "I haven't
even graduated yet, and I miss you guys already."
"Where is all this coming from?" my sister asked.
 I shrugged. "I've just been thinking. Why does everything good have to
end?"
We were silent a moment, then Aurora said, "I don't think it does. The
best things in life like love and friendship never really end. They might feel
farther away, but they're never gone. Love is always there even if you can't
see it."
"Wow," Freya said. "You are so sappy."
"Whatever."
"No really, you should write Hallmark cards or something."
Her joke broke the tension. I didn't know if it was that or hearing their
laughter, but my mood brightened considerably. With a sigh, though, my
sister met my gaze and tilted her head.
"Scarlett, be honest," she said. "Is this about Sam?"
You could've heard a pin drop as the others waited for my answer.
"No." I scoffed then added, "Well, maybe a little."
"Are you scared of things ending with him? Because you two looked
super close at the game the other day."
"Yeah," Freya said, "honestly, you and Sam are couple goals."
That's the whole idea.
We're supposed to look in love.
It's part of our fake arrangement.
"I don't think you have anything to worry about," Aurora said. "You're
obviously head-over-heels for him, and Sam is totally into you."
"You think so?"
She nodded, and Viola chuckled.
"What?" I asked.
Eyes bright, Viola said, "The guy literally smiled the whole time he was
getting his butt kicked on the field—by two members of our family, I might
add. And Bo's dad. Anyway, I think it's safe to say he likes you, Scarlett."
Yeah, but is it enough?
Because I like Sam.
More than like him.
I adore him so much, too much, more than enough times infinity.
"Wait, or is this about skinny-dipping?" Charlotte asked, successfully
breaking me out of my thoughts. "Because it's your list, Scar. You can
make changes any time you want."
 I shook my head. "It's not that, and I'm not changing anything."
"Is Aurora still going with you?"
"Yes, I am," Aurora said then added hopefully, "although, if you want to
call it off, Scarlett, I won't mind."
I shook my head.
"Is Sam coming?" Freya asked with a smile.
"No, definitely not," I said.
"Too bad. Would've been nice to see him shirtless."
I sniffed, trying not to picture Sam shirtless and failing. Miserably.
Even in my imagination, he was beautiful. "Like I said, that's not
happening."
Viola's brows went up. "Ror, are you skinny-dipping too?"
"That would be a big no." Aurora laughed. "I'm way too self-
conscious."
"I will be the only person getting naked," I confirmed. "But I was
wondering, what does one wear to skinny dip? Thoughts?"
Freya lifted her hand. "As long as you remember your birthday suit,
you'll be fine," she said.
The joke was silly, but I laughed anyway, enjoying my time with my
friends who also just happened to be family. Sometimes, all you needed
was a little laughter to brighten the dark, uncertain times. I carried that
warmth with me to school the following morning, stopping outside of Sam's
first period after the bell rang in hopes of speaking with him. But as the last
student left, he still hadn't come out.
Did he stay home today?
Peeking inside, I spotted Sam and smiled.
There he was, sitting at his desk with his head down, mouth partially
open, one cheek pressed against the desktop. If this was a cartoon, little Z's
would've been floating above him because the guy was out cold. I didn't
know how he could sleep like that. It looked very uncomfortable. But as I
walked closer, not stopping until I was even with his chair, Sam didn't move
a muscle.
"Hey, Bishop," I said softly.
He didn't stir.
"Bishop?" I tried again.
Still no answer.
 Bending my knees, so I was level with his ear, I whispered, "Class is
over. It's time to wake up."
Sam mumbled something intelligible, scrunching his brows in the most
adorable way.
"You know, I shouldn't find this so endearing," I said.
I brushed back a stray lock of hair that fell across his forehead.
"But you're so cute like this."
"Cute enough to kiss?"
Gasping, I leaned back as his eyes slowly opened.
"Hey, Kent," he said with a soft smile. "Thought that was you."
"Yeah, I came to find you," I said then frowned. "You shouldn't be
sleeping in class."
"But I'm so cute when I do."
I barely stopped myself from smiling; he really was cute—and
annoying. Parking my hands on my hips, I said, "This is junior year all
over again. Why are you always so tired? Don't you know math is
something you'll use in every facet of life? It's important."
Sam stood up with a laugh. "Thanks, I actually do know that, Starlet.
Math is my best subject."
"How's that possible?"
"I've got a big brain, courtesy of my mom—that's according to my dad,
by the way."
He yawned, lifting his arms in a stretch, causing his shirt to ride up, and
I caught myself staring at his stomach. When he dropped them a moment
later, I had to swallow my sigh of disappointment.
"And as to why I'm tired," he said, "Bennet had a nightmare which made
Betty have one too. They woke me up last night, asking to stay in my
room, during which time we broke out the sleeping bags and talked until
they finally fell back asleep. So yeah. It was a long night."
I blinked.
"What are you thinking right now?" he asked.
I think I love you.
"Kent?"
I love you so much it's ridiculous.
"Scarlett, are you good?"
"I…nothing. I was just taking in what you said."
 He shook his head slowly. "No, you were thinking something. And you
owe me a truth."
"Excuse me?" I said.
"From our first date," Sam said as we walked out into the crowded
hallway, "I had two truths left, and you had one."
I scoffed. "There've been a lot of questions since then, Bishop. Pretty
sure we used them up."
"Still, I want to know," he said.
I patted him on the shoulder. "Here's a truth: You can't always get what
you want."
Sam sighed. "You were looking for me. I'm assuming it's not to talk
about my sleeping habits."
"No," I said, straightening my shoulders. "I wanted to tell you that I
won't be home tonight. I'm going out."
"Okay…"
"Sorry I can't go on our date."
He gave me a blank stare. "Did we have one planned?"
"Yeah"—I rolled my eyes—"it was on the tentative schedule you gave
me. Second Date: Party Time. I assumed you were going to take me to a
party."
Sam kept staring at me until I started to blush.
"But if not or you forgot, that's fine," I added hastily.
"I'm just messing with you, Kent," he said with a grin. "There is a party,
and I was going to take you."
I raised a brow. "And you didn't think to ask me first?"
He shook his head. "That would defeat the purpose."
"Huh?"
"The goal was to surprise you. Knock on your door and whisk you
away—without giving you time to back out."
"What makes you think I'd do that?" I asked.
Sam gave me a knowing look. "Because you thrive on lists and being in
control. Parties are unpredictable. They're definitely outside your comfort
zone."
He was one hundred percent correct.
Parties scared me. They always had. It was why I'd added #15 (Go to a
party) to my list, to try and overcome that fear.
 Not that I'd admit it.
With a sniff, I crossed my arms. "I'll have you know that I'm doing
something very out of control later. Some might even call it wild."
"Wild, huh?"
I nodded.
"Sorry, but I can't see it," he said. "Scarlett Kent, being wild."
"Well, I can be," I said. "I will be. Tonight."
Sam hummed then reached out to touch the ends of my hair. "This is
new."
"I dyed it last night. It should wash out in a few days. Another list item
complete."
Without your help, I thought pettily but didn't add.
"Looks nice." Sam stared at me as his fingers played in the blush pink
tips of my hair. "If you need help, just call me," he said.
"Thanks, but my cousin's going too," I said. "We'll be fine."
Seeing Brisa and Cooper approach, I put my arms around Sam's neck
and pulled him to me.
"Brisa's coming," I whispered.
"And she's the only reason you'd ever hold me like this," he mumbled.
"Got it."
"That's not—"
"I meant what I said." Sam's voice held a hint of something I couldn't
name as his arms encircled my waist. "If you need me, for anything, call
and I'll be there."
A beautiful promise.
But there was no way I'd call Sam.
Not for what I was doing tonight.
Never in a million years.

"Aurora, are you listening?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said, looking back at me, "I mean, yes. It's just the song
they're playing. It's one of my favorites."
Nodding, I said, "I agree. Whoever it is has good taste."
"Sounds really close."
 "They're probably just blasting the music. I did some research. This
stretch of beach is supposed to be empty this time of year. The main
tourist-y spots are much farther away."
"If you say so," she replied.
"So, do you understand the plan?"
My cousin shrugged. "You're going to get naked, run into the ocean,
splash around like a crazy person in the icy water, and I'm here to stand
guard while you do it. Right?"
I smiled. "Yes, that was perfect."
"Can I ask you something?" she said.
"Sure."
"Why are you doing this again?"
Because it's on my list.
Because earlier, Sam implied that I couldn't be out of control.
Because that struck a nerve deep inside me, and now, I want to prove
him—and myself—wrong.
Meeting her eyes, I said, "Because I won't let my fears stop me from
getting what I want."
Aurora nodded. "And that would be…what? A cold? Sand in areas we
shall not speak of?"
"Crossing something off my list, Ror."
"Cool," she said. "I've got your back."
"Thank you." I took a deep breath. "I'm doing this."
"You absolutely are."
"Now, I just strip and dive into the ocean. Easy."
"So easy."
"You're here, and if anything happens, you'll rescue me."
"I confess I'm not the strongest swimmer, but if we go down, at least
we'll go together."
I looked at her, saw her bright smile in the quickly disappearing
twilight, and laughed. "Okay, turn around so I can take off my clothes."
Once I'd folded my t-shirt, pants, and undergarments and neatly placed
them in a pile, I made a run for the water. Aurora was right. It was colder
than I thought it would be—but it was also exhilarating. As the water
swallowed me up, my head emerged a second later, and I'd never felt more
free. I laughed out loud as the waves crashed against my skin.
 "How is it?" Aurora called.
"Cold, but amazing," I yelled back.
"I'll take your word for it."
"You should come in, Ror. It's such a rush!"
"No thanks," she replied.
"Ah come on."
"If I do that, who's going to take care of your clothes?"
Smiling, I opened my mouth about to say, "What could possibly happen
to them?" But right then, what looked like a large black dog burst out of
nowhere, scooped my pile of clothes into its mouth, and made a mad dash
down the beach. I squeaked as Aurora gasped.
"Don't worry," she yelled. "I've got it."
As she ran away, all I could do was stare in disbelief.
The dog was faster than my cousin. But even from here, I could hear
Aurora calling out for him to, "Stop! Give those back! It's not nice to steal
people's clothes!"
Unfortunately, the surprises didn't end there.
Two figures were walking along the beach. From the deep sound of
their voices, I thought they might be male. I tried to turn invisible, but
when one of them reached down and held up something that looked
suspiciously like my underwear, I whimpered. The sound must've drew
their attention—or maybe I wasn't as inconspicuous as I thought—because
both figures turned their heads.
"Kent?"
Oh God, this could not be happening.
"What are you doing out there?" Sam asked.
"Just having a swim," I forced out.
"At night. In the ocean. On a beach hours away from home."
"Yeah. So?"
"Thought you were supposed to be doing something wild tonight."
Making sure I was still covered by the waves, I said, "I thought you
were going to a party."
Sam nodded. "I am. It's at a friend's house a little ways up the beach.
You can hear the music from here."
So much for research.
 Appparently, people did come here at this time of year. They even
threw parties.
His friend held up my underwear and asked, "Are these yours?"
I could've died right there.
Just let the ocean pull me under.
But I decided to brazen it out.
"Yes, actually they are," I said. "Can you put them back where you
found them please? Thanks in advance"
Sam's face suddenly brightened, and I wanted to die all over again.
"Is this #12 on the list?" he asked.
I didn't need to answer. He was smiling already.
"It is, isn't it? Man, Kent, I thought you would do that somewhere more
private."
"The beach was supposed to be empty," I gritted out.
Sam shrugged. "Well, it's not."
"Obviously."
He frowned at his friend, snatched my panties from his hand, glanced at
the ground then faced me again. "Where are the rest of your clothes?"
I swallowed. "There was a dog."
Before I could get too far into the story, Aurora came back, looking
slightly harried and red-faced. "Sorry, Scar, he got away."
My heart dropped.
"What did the dog look like?" Sam's friend asked.
"He had the prettiest midnight black coat," Aurora said. "Fast as a
cheetah, a little scary because of how big he was. And smart too because he
hid from me, so I couldn't get Scarlett's clothes back."
"Sounds like Onyx."
"You think?" Sam said.
"Could've been her, only one way to find out." His friend let out a long,
piercing whistle, and the black dog came bounding back down the beach,
not stopping until it rubbed its head against its owner's thigh. "Did you take
this girl's clothes, O?"
It was a rhetorical question, and the dog panted happily up at him.
"She looks guilty," Aurora commented.
"Sorry about that," he said. "She's the best dog, but yeah. She likes
clothes."
 "It's okay," Aurora said. "She's gorgeous."
"Thanks."
"Um, hello?" I said, bringing their attention back to me and my current
predicament. "Does anyone have any spare clothes I could borrow?"
"I brought a blanket," my cousin said, pulling one out of her bag and
holding it up. Of course, the dog didn't even touch that—a fact for which I
should've been grateful, but I still wasn't over being mortified. "And a book
and headlamp just in case this skinny-dipping expedition ran longer than
expected."
"Ror."
"Right," she cleared her throat. "Gentlemen, can you turn around?"
They spun faster than I could blink, and I made my way out of the water
to my cousin as quickly as possible. After she'd wrapped me up in the
blanket, I went over to Sam.
"Um, can I get my panties back?" I said.
"Oh yeah," he said, and even in the moonlight, I could see a blush
suffuse his neck and cheeks.
I pulled those quickly into place as well.
"Ror, did you happen to have another shirt in there?"
She shook her head.
Looking down at myself, I frowned. The blanket would've been fine to
conceal my lower half, but stretched out as it was, the length barely covered
all my bits. "Well, I can't walk to the car like this," I mumbled.
"You can use my jacket," Sam's friend-whose-name-I-still-didn't-know
said.
Before I could reply, Sam shot him a glare.
"No way, Ryker," he said. "She's not wearing your jacket without
anything underneath it."
"Just trying to be nice," Ryker said.
"Sure."
I looked at Auora, but she only shrugged.
"It's okay, Bishop," I said.
"Sorry, but my girlfriend's not wearing some other guy's clothes."
"Well, there aren't a lot of options available, so… What are you doing?"
With one hand, Sam lifted the shirt he was wearing over his head.
 "What's it look like?" he said then tossed the material back to me. "You
can wear my jersey, Kent."
"And what will you be wearing?"
Sam shot me a look over his shoulder. "A smile when I see you in it."
Oh.
Okay then.
As I slipped into Sam's jersey, I couldn't be too mad at Onyx for running
off with my clothes. Sam's scent surrounded me, and he actually did smile
when he saw me wearing it. For my part, I had a hard time keeping my
eyes off his broad shoulders and muscular, toned chest. The moonlight
played off the contours of his skin, making him look like a piece of art, and
making it nearly impossible for me to look away. Also, I realized it wasn't
the first time I'd seen Ryker—or rather, he recognized Aurora and me.
"Hey, I know you," he said. "You guys played my little sister's birthday
party. I told my roommates all about you. You rock." Of course, that made
both our nights. Despite her thievery, Onyx was a loving, affectionate dog,
letting Aurora and me fawn all over her. And Sam couldn't stop sneaking
glances at me in his jersey.
Overall, I'd say skinny-dipping was a success.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 18

Not going to lie. I wanted to keep it.

Sam's jersey.
I wanted to keep him.
But I knew returning the shirt was the most sensible thing to do. You
couldn't hang onto something—or someone—unless they wanted you to.
And Sam had never said he wanted to be mine. He also didn't tell me I
could keep his jersey indefinitely which was really the point. Showing up
at Sam's house Saturday afternoon, I knocked on the door, carrying his
freshly laundered, meticulously folded shirt in one hand.
Sam answered the door, wearing a smile.
"Starlet," he said.
"Bishop," I said back.
"I'm honored. Can't believe you woke up so early just to see me."
A scoff. "Please, it's after twelve. I've been up since 5:00 AM."
Sam winced. "Why?"
"Well, I had the morning shift at the diner. Didn't you wonder why I'm
wearing this?"
"Thought you dressed up just for me."
"Very funny," I said. "Anyway, after that, I checked in with our vendors
for the festival. They're all set. Then I emailed all the volunteers to make
sure they're up to date. Then I went to the store, and…"
"I get it," he said and shook his head. "Wasn't expecting to see you
today."
"I know." I gave a shrug. "But I guess we weren't expecting to see each
other last night either."
"Do you want to come in?"
Shaking my head, I thrust his jersey at him. "Nope, I just came to give
you this."
Sam frowned at the material then looked back to me. "You didn't have
to come all the way here for that."
"I didn't know if you'd need it."
 "Hmmm."
"I washed it," I added. "So, it's clean. You don't have to worry."
"I wasn't," he said then lifted the shirt with a shrug. "You could've kept
this you know."
I cursed internally, wishing I had done just that. My heart leapt at the
offer, reading more into it than I should have—but then he kept talking.
"I have other jerseys. It's no big deal."
"Well, I wasn't sure."
"You positive you don't want to come in?" he offered again, gesturing
inside. "My parents are out, but the twins are home. I know they'd like to
see you."
I threw him a smile. "Babysitting? That's such a normal thing for the
Sam Bishop to be doing on a Saturday."
Sam shot me a grin. He was about to say something when Bennet ran
around the corner and spotted us.
"There you are," Bennet said to his brother. "I need your help. ASAP."
"Is it urgent?" Sam asked.
"Yes."
"Are you or your sister dying?"
"Well, no," Bennet said.
"Then can you give me five more minutes, B? I was talking to
someone."
The boy's eyes lit up when they landed on me. "Oh hey, Scarlett."
"Hey, Bennet," I said. "How are you?"
"Terrible," he said seriously.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm going through something."
"That doesn't sound good."
"I know, and I need Sam's help. This could affect my entire life—but
what's another five minutes?" the boy said with a frown. "Oh yeah, and
Betty won't stop blocking the TV, practicing her dumb dance routines."
"They're not dumb," Betty said, appearing at his side. "I have a recital
coming up."
"Yeah, in like three months."
"I need to practice."
"Whatever. Sam?" he asked again. "Are you done yet?"
 "Don't be like that, Bennet. He's talking to his girlfriend."
Betty threw me smile.
"Hi, Scarlett. Did you come to see our brother?"
"Yeah," I said, "but we're done now. So, I'll just go."
"Wait," Bennet said suddenly. "Maybe you can help."
"She probably has more important stuff to do than hang out with us,"
Betty said.
"Do you?" Her twin gave me the roundest, bluest, most beseeching look
ever. "Have something more important to do than help a child in need?"
Betty gave me the same look. "Well?"
Glancing between the two of them, I said, "Oh, that is so unfair."
They didn't drop the puppy-dog eyes for a second.
"I guess I'm staying," I said finally.
The twins whooped, and I followed them into the house.
"Did you teach them that?" I asked Sam.
He shook his head. "Nope, it works on my parents, their teachers, me,
and apparently you too. They were born knowing exactly how to get what
they want."
"Sounds like someone else I know."
"I don't always get what I want," Sam said.
"I don't believe you," I said with a laugh. "Name one time you haven't
gotten what you wanted."
"There was at least once."
Hearing the odd note in his voice, I looked over and found him already
staring back at me. His eyes were intent on my face. For some reason, that
look warmed me from the inside out, and I found myself blushing.
After Sam and I were seated on the loveseat, Bennet's face turned
serious, and he asked the last question I expected.
"Okay, I need to know. How do you kiss someone?"
Sam's brows rose. "Wasn't expecting that."
"Me neither," I mumbled.
"Why are you asking, B?"
Bennet ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Well, it's complicated."
"There's this girl in class," Betty cut in. "Her name's Anna, and she
asked him to kiss her the other day. Bennet freaked."
"I did not," Bennet said.
 "You raced out of the room like it was on fire."
"No, I walked quickly." He sniffed then turned back to his brother.
"Anyway, I didn't even want to kiss her. She's annoying."
Sam looked to me then back at his siblings. "Then what's with the
question?" he said.
Betty grinned. "Bennet likes her, even if he won't admit it."
"I really don't," her brother replied.
"Then why did you give her your pencil to take the test in English?"
"That doesn't mean anything."
"It did to Anna." Betty rolled her eyes. "Scarlett, what do you think?
When a boy gives you something, no matter what it is, it means something.
Right?"
Sam crossed his arms, and I chose my words carefully.
"It can," I murmured. "But some girls—and guys—have been known to
read into things."
"And they're usually right," Betty said.
"I guess."
"Okay, I'm going to go practice in my room." Betty stood and turned to
me. "Scarlett, you're coming to my dance recital. Aren't you?"
"Do you want me to?" I asked.
"Of course."
Betty gave me those eyes again. Earlier Bennet mentioned the recital
was months away. I wasn't sure Sam and I would still be together then. We
were on track for a Brisa-Sam reunion, and my list only had a few more
items. Still…I couldn't say no her. Didn't want to. But I also didn't want to
get her hopes up only to let her down.
"I'll try my very best to be there," I said.
Satisfied, Betty left the room, and Bennet shook his head at his sister's
back.
"She's wrong," he said, turning back to his brother and me. "I really
don't like Anna. I just want to know how to kiss in case someone I do like
asks me."
"That makes sense," I said. "You're planning ahead. It's smart."
"Thanks. So, will you guys show me?"
I blinked. "Show you?"
"How to kiss," he said.
 I sputtered as Sam chuckled at my side.
"Also, can you hurry? I've got homework."
"I'm in," Sam said. "How about you, Kent?"
"I'm…yes," I said back.
We turned to face each other on the couch, and I honestly couldn't
believe we were about to do this.
"Okay, B," Sam said, "first rule, you never rush. Kissing isn't a race.
Understand?"
"No rushing." Bennet nodded. "Got it. What else?"
He gently cupped my cheek, causing me to swallow. "You'll want to
take your time—especially if it's someone you like."
"Okay. But what do you do with your hands?"
"Whatever you want," Sam murmured, "but you should watch the other
person for cues. You want them to enjoy it too. Actually, that's the most
important part, making them feel good."
"How will you know if they enjoy it?"
I shivered as Sam's other hand gently caressed my face, his fingers
gliding into my hair.
"You'll know," Sam assured him.
"But what if you don't?"
"Then you ask."
As Sam's eyes locked on mine, I felt a spark deep inside me.
"Can I kiss you?" he asked.
Bennet scoffed. "That's not how you do it."
Sam looked away to meet his eyes. "Trust me, B. Consent is sexy."
"It really is," I breathed.
"So? Can I?"
"Yes, please."
As ocean blue eyes came back to meet mine, I leaned forward, and Sam
did as well. Our lips met in a kiss that was like the ones we'd shared before
and not. As his mouth moved, it seemed to say, "Hi, I missed you." And
mine responded, "I missed you more." When we broke apart, I couldn't
help but smile as I opened my eyes. Sam's lips were turned up as well as he
looked at me, and I couldn't stop myself from stealing one last kiss.
"Huh," Bennet said, officially ending the moment.
"All good, B?" Sam asked.
 "All good," he said. "I'll leave you guys alone now. Thanks, Scarlett."
"No problem," I said without looking away from Sam.
Once we were alone in the room, he leaned back with a grin. "Well, that
was an interesting lesson."
The tension dissipated, and I couldn't help but giggle.
"And she laughs," Sam said. "Not sure if that's a good or bad sign."
"It's good," I said.
"Yeah?"
I nodded, trying not to smile too big, but it was hard. Sam looked so
pleased with himself. I was still reeling from that PG-13-yet-amazing kiss.
I wasn't sure who started it, but when the front door opened a second later,
we were mere inches apart.
"Kids, we're home," a voice said.
My eyes widened, realizing how this might look, and I hopped off the
loveseat just in time. Sam's dad came into the living room first followed by
his mom, who was arm-in-arm with another woman I didn't recognize. She
was obviously older with pearly white hair, walking slowly with the aid of a
cane, but her eyes missed nothing. As she took in Sam and me, the older
woman whose makeup was done to perfection smiled her ruby red lips.
"Well," she said, "either my eyesight's finally gone, or I'd say we
interrupted something."
Colton choked back a laugh, and Sadie, Sam's mom, poked his side.
"Hi, Betty," Sam said brightly.
"Godson," she said back.
"You're looking beautiful as always."
"And you are just as charming as the day I held you in my arms the first
time."
Sadie lifted a brow. I'd only met her once or twice, but she'd always
been nothing but friendly. "Sam, you didn't tell us you were inviting
anyone."
I stepped forward then. "Oh, he didn't know."
"Really?"
"I just came to return his shirt."
All the adults' eyebrows hit the ceiling on that one.
"Must've interrupted more than I thought," Betty muttered.
 After another cough-laugh, Colton said, "Well, at least, everyone's fully
clothed."
"That is so not funny," Sadie said, shaking her head at him.
"Come on, Sadie. It's kinda funny."
"I'm with him," Betty said. "This situation is hilarious."
"Thanks a lot," Sadie mumbled. "I thought you were supposed to be on
my side."
"I am, dear. But as I've told you before, you're only young once."
Before she could say more, the twins ran into the room, smiles eating up
their faces.
"Betty!" they both said in unison then proceeded to attach themselves to
the woman's legs. She gave a trilling laugh, hugging them each in turn, and
as they drew back, little Betty looked at me.
"This is who I was named after," she said proudly. "Betty senior, my
mom's oldest friend. Isn't she fabulous?"
"She is," I said.
"And who is this lovely young lady?" the older Betty asked.
"That's Scarlett," Bennet said. "She's Sam's girlfriend."
"It's nice to meet you," I said. "Also, your makeup is flawless."
"Thank you, dear. Politeness and flattery will get you everywhere."
I turned back to Sadie. "I'm really sorry to intrude, Mrs. Bishop."
"It's fine, Scarlett," she said with a sigh. "Would you like to stay for
dinner?"
"I—"
"It'll be ready in an hour. We do early dinner on Saturdays."
I debated on whether to accept the invite, but the twins looked so
hopeful. When I met Sam's eyes, he said, "You should stay." And that was
how I ended up agreeing to eat dinner at my pretend boyfriend's house.
It was truly a family affair.
Music, food, and conversation flowed freely. Although I learned Betty
senior wasn't related to them by blood, everyone at the table loved her.
Sadie and she, especially, seemed to have a close bond. I found out that
Betty did makeup for the stars back in the day which made sense. She was
so put together and gorgeous. When she told me she was 99, my jaw
dropped.
"No way," I said.
 "Yes way," she said back.
"I can't believe it."
"The secret to staying young is to forget the number. It's all about how
you feel. Also, finding a good skincare routine and washing your makeup
off before your head hits the pillow." Betty grinned at Sadie. "Unless
you're so naturally pretty you don't need it."
Sam's mom laughed. "In case you forgot, you were always asking to do
my makeup."
"Yes, but that was only because I wanted to spend more time with you."
"Betty."
"And okay, everyone could use a little enhancement."
Sam leaned over to me.
"You doing okay, Kent?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said, glancing around the table. Sadie and Betty senior were
laughing with their heads pressed together while Colton pulled out a car
part and explained something to the twins, who listened with rapt attention.
"Your family is pretty fantastic."
"True, but I'm still your favorite, right?"
Looking back at him, I said, "I don't know."
"It was a rhetorical question."
"Between Betty senior and the twins, you've got competition. I'm just
saying."
Sam scoffed. "Well, at least I'm ahead of my parents."
"Your dad is kinda hot," I whispered, nearly laughing out loud at the
look of horror on his face.
"Gross, Kent."
"What? Your mom's beautiful too. I just meant I can see where you get
it from."
He grunted. "Way to kill a guy's ego."
I reached out and rested my hand on top of his. "You know I was
joking."
"Do I?"
"Yes," I said, "and you know I prefer your pretty face over anyone's."
Sam grinned, never breaking eye contact, as he brought my palm to his
mouth.
"Good to know," he murmured.
 The kiss he placed there had my pulse fluttering.
A chair screeched, and I looked up to see Sadie's back as she walked
into the kitchen.
"I don't think your mom likes me," I whispered.
"Maybe she heard what you said about my dad," he said. When I gave
him a look, Sam added, "Kidding. My mom likes everyone. And she has to
like you because you're with me."
It sounded so simple when he said it like that.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that Sadie had something against me.
When I walked into the kitchen to put my plate in the dishwasher, I had
to ask.
"Mrs. Bishop," I said. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Why would you say that?" she asked.
"I don't know. I just got a feeling."
A beat passed.
"If this is about the shirt thing from earlier, I can explain," I added.
"It's not that." Mrs. Bishop turned to face me and met my eyes. "I'm
just worried about Sam."
"Why?" I asked.
"Do you want the truth?"
The way she said it made me hesitate, but I nodded anyway, bracing
myself for whatever she was about to say.
"It's hard for me, Scarlett. I love seeing how happy my son is right now
with you. I'm actually thrilled that you're here. But I can't forget what
happened."
I frowned as she went on.
"Sam's always been a happy kid. Carefree. Easy-going. But beneath
all that, he has the biggest heart."
"I know," I said.
"When you two stopped being friends…" She shook her head. "I've
never seen him so sad. Even when he broke up with Brisa, Sam bounced
back like it was no big deal. But with you, it was different."
As I tried to process this, Sadie continued.
"Sam cares about you so much. He always has."
She took a deep breath.
 "I just hope…you'll be careful with him. And I know I probably
shouldn't say this, but I'm going to anyway. Don't hurt my son, and we
won't have any issues. If it doesn't work out, fine. But try not to break his
heart. Okay?"
"Okay," I said quietly. "For the record, it broke my heart when our
friendship ended."
"I hope you don't think I'm crazy now," she said.
"I don't."
"Being a boy mom is hard sometimes."
"You've got to look out for the ones you love," I said with a smile. "I
get it."
She tilted her head. "Sam told me he's helping you with a list?"
"Yes," I said, "I love lists."
"Me too. Checking things off is so satisfying."
"It really is."
"How's that going?" she asked.
I shrugged. "Pretty good. I put some items on there that aren't practical.
One in particular is more like a dream that may never happen. So…"
"Never say never." A soft smile touched her lips. "When I was your
age, I had a list."
"You did?"
She nodded. "I wanted to do things like roll down a hill in Ireland."
My eyes widened. "That's awesome!"
"Go viral with my choreography when I had next to no following," she
added. Sadie Day-Bishop was a well-known choreographer these days with
tons of viral videos, so I knew she'd achieved that one, several times over.
"Like you said, some of them seemed impossible. But that was only until
they were done. I had help, of course."
She looked over at her husband, and as if he felt her gaze, he looked up
and gave her the most devastating smile.
"So did you ever go?" I asked.
"To Ireland?" When I nodded, Sadie sighed. "Colton and I went there
on our honeymoon."
"That's so romantic," I said.
Sadie turned up the music then patted my shoulder. "I like you, Scarlett.
Any time you want to come for dinner or take class at the studio, feel free."
 "Thank you, Mrs. Bishop," I said.
"And for your list," she said. "Just remember, carpe diem."
She walked away, and Sam took her place.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Sure," I said. "I think your mom just gave me her version of the talk."
Sam's brows went up. "I didn't know she had one of those."
"Learn something new every day, Bishop."
Betty senior sighed loudly from the other room. "Oh, this song! My
husband and I used to dance to it all the time. Scarlett, make my day, and
dance with my godson."
"Well, I—"
"It would mean so much, considering the little time I have left."
With wide eyes, I nodded and walked over to Sam.
"Will you dance with me?" I said.
"You don't even have to ask, Kent."
He placed one hand against my waist; I rested mine on his shoulder.
Our other hands joined, and then we were dancing. The slow sway of our
bodies matched the music to a tee.
A few moments later, he chuckled, causing me to lean back.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"Betty," he said. "She guilted you into this."
"No, she didn't. I love to dance."
"Hmmm."
"And if it reminds her of good memories with her husband," I added,
"that makes it even better."
"I'm not even sure she had a husband," he said, and I gaped at him.
"According to Betty herself, she was quite the flirt."
"But what about having only a little time left?"
He threw me a smile. "My dad tells me that's how she got him to help
my mom years ago. She's a master of persuasion."
"I see."
"You wanna stop?" Sam asked.
"No," I said. "I like this song."
"Me too."
He pulled me closer, and I released a sigh.
 Resting my head against his shoulder, I tried to drink in this moment.
Lock it inside my heart and never let it go. Because letting go was exactly
what I had to do with Sam. The talk with his mom only made me more
certain.
Yes, I had a few more list items that required assistance.
No, I didn't know how I'd complete them without him.
But it wasn't fair to either of us to keep this going—especially with
Brisa waiting in the wings. Maybe she could make him happy, I thought
with a pang in my chest. It was time to end this. I just needed to let Sam
know.
After this dance, I told myself, listening to his heart beat in time with
mine.
I'd do it right after this song.

OceanofPDF.com
 CHAPTER 19

I was going to call it off.

I was.
But one dance led to another, and soon, I was on my way home without
having said a word to Sam about breaking up. Oh, and I took the jersey.
Sam called my name as I was about to get into my car and tossed it to me,
saying, "Here, Kent."
"What's this for?" I'd asked.
"Something to remember me." He shrugged. "So you don't forget after
Scam is over."
"As if I could," I murmured.
He'd given me the perfect opening. I should've mentioned ending things
then.
But I didn't.
"Thanks for the dance, Bishop."
"Any time, Kent."
All the way home I kept touching the material, reassuring myself that
tomorrow. I'd do it tomorrow.
But Sunday, I was simply too busy, practicing violin, replying to emails
with questions about the festival, finishing a paper for lit. Then Monday
rolled around, and I couldn't do it then either. In fact, I couldn't do much of
anything.
Because I was sick.
Did I think this was punishment for me not breaking up with Sam when
I promised myself I would?
Perhaps.
But in all honesty, I couldn't beat myself up too much, not when I was
struggling to breathe and blowing my nose every two seconds. I knew I'd
have a ton of homework, so I went ahead and emailed my teachers.
Hopefully, they'd send my assignments. Then I shot an email to the
members of student council, cc'ing Principal Rochelle. I included any and
all updates regarding the upcoming festival. Everything was running