Always Summer (4 page)

I lean my head back against the seat. “I’m
just not volunteering information,” I tell him. “I wasn’t sure how
people would react. I dated his brother, and then we had a
horrible, public breakup where I was fired from my job. And then
Vin left and now everything’s a mess. So I really didn’t think I
should announce it.”

“You obviously didn’t think about how this
would affect me,” Colby says. He looks away from me in the most
dramatic fashion. “Do you have any idea how stupid I looked last
night when Topher and Miles were acting like this was old news and
I didn’t know? You have no idea how dumb I felt when Miles said,
‘Dude, you’re like her best friend and shit. I can’t believe she
didn’t tell you.’”

I crack up immediately, and I’m not sure
which is funnier – Colby’s offended attitude or that spot-on
impression of Miles. He turns onto the street and tells me that
we’re headed to Shipwrecked because he’s craving fries after
watching Miles eat half a bag of them last night.

“I thought we were tight, though,” he says.
“After all we’ve been through, the cover band and the Solomons and
breaking my window…”

“Don’t forget breaking that coffee table,” I
chime in. “Or when your parents showed up and I had to track you
down on the pier. Or when you were going to quit Drenaline Surf and
I was creeping in your living room waiting to give you that speech
I’d prepared.”

“Exactly!” he shouts at his steering wheel.
“There is no one in Crescent Cove who has been through this much
shit with me. You’re like the one person who always has my back,
even when I’m wrong. I expected better of you.”

Luckily he lets me off the hook pretty
easily. I guess that’s the perk to being Colby Taylor’s only real
friend. He forgives quickly. He tells me how Topher finished moving
the last of his things in last night, but he didn’t unpack
anything. Miles doesn’t seem to be making himself at home,
either.

“He’s always leaving to go to Emily’s house,
and I overheard him telling Topher that he’s trying to convince her
to get an apartment with him,” Colby informs me as we pull into
Shipwrecked’s parking lot. “He also told Topher that it’s hard to
live with me because I buy all that ‘organic grass shit that humans
aren’t supposed to eat.’”

“You should’ve invited him today,” I say.
“Prove to him that you do sneak carbs sometimes, usually with me,
but still. It might would’ve made him happy to see that you are in
fact human.”

Colby scoffs and shakes his head. “And ruin
my reputation? Are you crazy?”

I slam the passenger side door and glance at
him over the hood of his truck. “You think eating fries will ruin
your reputation? Have you seen your reputation lately?” I ask.

The question remains unanswered because he
knows I’ve made a solid point. We slide into a back booth inside
the diner, away from the lunch crowd which mainly consists of
construction workers. I doubt they care about anything Colby has to
say, but he’s surveying the room with careful eyes, just like the
night we met.

I lean forward on my elbows, trying to study
his face. “What is it? Do you know someone in here?” I ask.

The waitress interrupts before he can
answer. We place our orders, which include extra spicy fries, and
wait until she disappears to pick up where we left off.

He shakes his head. “Just making sure it’s
safe to talk,” he says before skimming the room once more. “I
didn’t ask you to lunch to talk about my reputation or whatever you
have with Topher,” he says. “I wanted to show you something.”

He picks up his phone and opens the photo
gallery of screenshots. “Here. Look at this,” he says, sliding his
phone across the table.

I zoom in and recognize a popular surf
website that I personally hate because they tend to post garbage
and make surfers look badly. They have all but outright celebrated
Colby’s recent drama with his parents and the lawsuit. If there’s a
way to bring a surfer out of the ocean and into trouble, they find
it and capitalize on it.

As usual, there is no one named as the
author of the article, but I can see Colby’s concern by the
headline alone.

Drenaline Surf Newcomer Logan Riley Gets The
Sh*t Deal

“They don’t believe in sugarcoating, do
they?” I ask, hoping Colby picks up on the sarcasm in my voice. He
has his serious face on, so I’m not sure how to read him right
now.

Drenaline Surf’s newest surfer, Florida
native Logan Riley, may end up regretting inking his contract with
the California-based surf company. Although Riley has made his way
to the west coast and better waves, he has been left out of the
limelight in favor of even newer recruit, Topher Brooks, and the
surf world’s own tabloid star, Colby Taylor.

Riley’s co-sponsorship with Ocean Blast
Energy has done him zero favors. The high profile energy drink
company has yet to release promo images with the newcomer. Colby
Taylor remains at the head of their promotional material. Rumors
state that Brooks and his childhood best friend, Miles Garrett
(also sponsored by Drenaline Surf), have a photo shoot later this
month, leaving Riley out of the loop once again.

The Floridian did, however, compete in and
go on to win the recent Sunrise Valley Tournament. The scandal? He
wasn’t meant to surf in the event in the first place. Drenaline
Surf’s Colby Taylor and Miles Garrett were slotted to compete, and
Topher Brooks surfed on his own name prior to his sponsorship.
Riley was a last-minute replacement as Garrett broke his leg in a
free surf before the competition.

“Send those shots to me,” I say, sliding the
phone back to Colby. “I’ll let Jace know.”

“You think it’s weird? Because I do,” he
says. He scans the room again. “I feel like someone’s trying to
bring us all down. I know, I know – I’m paranoid. I know I’ve been
paranoid for years, and old habits die hard, but I just…I don’t
know. I feel it. My parents show up. Vin leaves. Now this?”

I take a deep breath and watch my phone
light up as Colby’s texts roll in, sending the evidence to my
phone. I want to believe this is all coincidence. When it rains, it
pours – or something to that effect. The universe is testing us.
We’re being pushed to make sure we can survive any storm. Drenaline
Surf is strong, and we have to prove it. It’s not a conspiracy.

“Haley, admit it,” Colby says. “You think
I’m right.”

I exhale. “I can’t,” I say. “If I admit it
and put it in the universe, then it becomes real, and that’s when
things get really scary.”

We’re silent as the waitress brings our
lunch to the table. Colby thanks her and fakes a smile. Then he
looks at me. “I don’t know about you, but this already feels real,
and I’m already scared.”

When Colby drops me back off at Drenaline
Surf an hour later, I stand outside on The Strip and try to steady
my breathing. I don’t want anyone to pick up on my concern. I don’t
want A.J. or Emily or Alston or anyone else to see the worry
written on my face.

I push through the door and manage to slip
by with a half-wave before closing the office door behind me. Jace
looks up from the computer screen.

“What’s wrong?” he asks immediately.

So much for a brave face.

“You need to see this,” I say, completely
defeated. I hand over my phone and watch the dread sink into Jace’s
skin as his eyes trace the words.

He looks tired when he turns toward me. “Can
we just keep this between us for now?” he asks. “I’d rather not
make a big deal out of it. Maybe it’ll blow over.”

I nod and keep my mouth shut about Colby’s
knowledge. I’m not really sure how Jace feels about my east coast
friend. If he’s anything like Vin, Colby probably isn’t his
favorite person, and it’s a fire I’d rather not play with.

“Do me a favor, though,” Jace says. “Keep
your eyes open for any local competitions, even if they’re small.
When you find one that seems good, stick Logan in it. Just Logan.
You know, to be on the safe side.”

I continue to nod, unsure of what I should
say. Is this how it’ll always be with us? Will I always feel like
he’s an awkward stranger, even though I’ve been around him for a
little while now? Will I always secretly wish it was Vin sitting in
this office, even though fighting with him would’ve been
inevitable?

A knock on the office door jerks me back to
the issue at hand. Joe steps inside, all smiles, but his happiness
quickly fades upon seeing us.

“Did something happen?” he asks, eyeing Jace
more so than me.

Jace quickly shakes his head and laughs it
off. “Nah, just a long day with a lot of learning,” he says. “I’m
just trying to take it all in. But we’re good.”

Joe smiles. “You’ll catch on sooner than
later, I promise. I know you,” he says. “I bring good news, so
maybe that’ll help. I spoke with Rob, and he’s all in for this
board shop. He’s looking to retire soon and get out of the
business, and until now, he’s had no one to pass his knowledge down
to.”

The words float around me like the dust
particles from the new shop – small and scattered but sparkling
with hope and light, like tiny stars bouncing around in a dark
galaxy, trying to find their ways to each other to form a supernova
and light up the universe.

Rob Hodges. He’s the guy whose board shaping
convention we never made it to that day when Emily convinced Miles
to paint a lizard on his face. I instantly smile when I remember
her squealing about being their own little garden. I’m really glad
we took the wrong exit. That day was worth the epic Brooks
brothers’ showdown that happened hours later.

“I want you to bring Theo over to my house,”
Joe tells Jace. “I know he avoids me, and you can’t deny it for
him. I understand his guilt, but he’s always been part of my
family. I want this for him. Jake would’ve wanted this for him.
This is my chance to give him the dream that my son didn’t get
to.”

And that alone is all the hope I need. Theo
will be our supernova.

“You can’t do this to me,” Miles says with a
groan. He leans against Colby’s kitchen counter, only one crutch
under his arm. “I’ll starve to death while you’re gone.”

Topher gives him a dramatic eye roll but
doesn’t bother with a comeback. It’s hard to believe that Miles has
actually calmed down in the last hour since I broke the news to him
that I was going with Topher this weekend in his place. It makes
sense for Ocean Blast Energy not to want him for the photo shoot. A
surfer on crutches isn’t exactly what you want in a magazine ad.
But it does ruin all of Miles’s plans for the next two days.

I hesitate before speaking, but I refuse to
walk on eggshells around Miles Garrett. “You can’t buy groceries?”
I ask.

He shakes his head. “I never go grocery
shopping. My mom just always had food in the fridge. When I go to
Emily’s, she’s stocked up for me. If Topher leaves me here for the
weekend, I’ll shrivel up and die,” he says, in the most serious
fashion.

I bite down on my lip to avoid laughing. I
bet Miles is the kind of guy who lies in bed moaning and whining
when he has a cold. Mr. Tough Guy isn’t really all that tough.

“Have you seen the shit Colby buys?” Miles
asks me. He nods toward the cabinets. “Even his damn pasta noodles
are organic. Who makes fucking organic noodles? That’s supposed to
be carbs and the good stuff. He’s like a damn cow out in a field
with his organic lettuce and shit. I’m not even kidding.”

As if being summoned, Colby steps in through
the back patio door. He glances at us but doesn’t say anything
before heading back to the shower. I have to give him credit. He
probably wants this pro surfer gig more than anyone else in
Crescent Cove or Horn Island. That boy trains more than Miles or
Topher even think of training.

“I’m taking you to Emily’s,” Topher says,
grabbing his keys off the counter. Then he glances at me. “I’ll
pick you up tonight. Six, right?”

I nod and he shoots me a smile before
rushing out of the house with Miles. Hopefully Emily has enough
food stocked for this weekend. I have a feeling Miles won’t bother
hanging out around his new home.

I settle in on the couch in the living room.
Colby joins me moments later, hair freshly washed and messy. He
glances around before speaking. “Looks like the new roomies didn’t
want to stick around,” he observes. “I’m guessing it’ll be a quiet
weekend.”

“Miles is going to Emily’s,” I tell him.

He sits in the opposite corner of the couch
and nods. “I figured he would. He’s always bitching to Topher about
how I don’t have food here. He thinks I can’t hear him, but he’s
loud,” he says. Then he shrugs. “So you sure about this whole
weekend away with the boyfriend thing?”

Oh God. Are you serious? Who does he think
he is? Alston and A.J.? Colby’s the one person who hasn’t been
curious my personal choices thus far. I don’t need him joining my
roommates in their conversations about me.

“It’s a business trip,” I say, even though I
know he won’t buy it. “He has a photo shoot. I’m taking Miles’s
room. It’s not a honeymoon.”

“Well, I’d hope not…considering,” he says
without elaborating.

Now the hesitation sets in, though. Maybe
Colby Taylor isn’t the best person to go to for guidance or advice.
Hell, he wasn’t the kind of person I needed to be chasing across
the country. Even when his heart is in the right place, his head
usually isn’t. But I can’t help feeling that maybe he has a point.
Maybe this is all too soon, too sudden. Vin’s only been gone for
about two weeks, and this relationship is super new. Even if we
take it slow, people will talk, and more gossip is the last thing
Drenaline Surf needs.

“Look, nothing’s going to happen,” I say. “I
can’t afford for anything to happen or to even look like it’s
happening. Drenaline Surf’s reputation depends on me right now. I’m
not going to be the one to drag us down.”