Creating a fake social media account for my “boyfriend?” Anyone who did a moment of digging would see right through that.
Pretending my boyfriend’s job at the Inn requires travel? It would take a simple question to Delia to prove that wrong.
Acting like my boyfriend and I broke up already? Chloe and Isabella would laugh harder than ever, and their taunts would only increase in severity.
There’s no way around this. I’m trapped in a relationship with an imaginary boyfriend, and I have no way to prove that he’s real.
Usually swimming brings me some sort of clarity but, by the time I pull myself out of the water, I feel defeated. My heart sinks as I towel off. I have absolutely no idea what I’m going to do, or when I can expect to see Chloe and Isabella.
I shiver against the cool morning breeze and quickly pull my sweats and hoodie back on. When I look up, familiar eyes meet mine. Wes.
“Hey, stalker,” I tease. “What are you doing at the lake so early?”
He holds up his hands. “I was just making sure that I didn't have to rescue you again. First day on the job, you can’t be too careful.”
I laugh, and we fall into step towards the Inn. He’s wearing grey sweats and a hoodie, but somehow, he looks sophisticated as ever.
“Do you swim every morning?” he asks as we stroll the gravel path.
I stare intently at the ground, looking for any possible trip hazards. “This summer, I hope to. I want to get up early, do laps, improve my time. There’s a big intercounty swim meet at the end of the summer I want to win.”
Wes smiles. “I’m impressed.”
I smile back at him and almost trip over my feet. I curse myself for my lack of grace on land.
We grab coffee and muffins from the kitchen before heading to the reception area. Bree Lewis is manning the desk, looking bored as ever. Her rose-gold hair color is a bold choice, but it looks exceptional on her.
I smile at her feisty expression. “Have you seen Delia?”
Bree sighs dramatically. “She’s in her office, I’ll get her.”
As if on cue, Delia twirls into the room in a whirlwind of color and energy. “Good morning! Excellent, you both have coffee. You’ll need it. Off we go!”
We traipse after Delia all the way to the lake and across the beach. There, she shows us the Activities Shed and gives us the code to the combination lock. Inside, there are kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards, along with stacks of life jackets, pool noodles and floaties. Everything you need for a summer of fun in the water.
After Delia shows us the ropes around the dock, we return to the beach for safety training. As expected, this ends up being a couple of boring hours’ worth of safety procedures and protocols. Wes takes notes, his chin resting on his palm. Meanwhile, I struggle to keep my eyes open.
“So!” Delia finally claps her hands, startling us both back to life. “That’s about it. Why don’t we break for lunch? This afternoon, you can categorize our Activities Shed inventory.”
Before either of us can respond, Delia sweeps off with a wink and wave. I stand and stretch, feeling more tired than ever.
“Lunch?” Wes asks, his turquoise eyes a bit sleepy. I’m about to say yes when he continues. “I said I’d meet Jonathan, want to join us?”
I frown. I still don’t know where I stand with Jonathan or what he’s said to Isabella. My plan is to avoid him completely until I know what to do next.
“Uh, I’m okay thanks.” I shrug. “Not hungry.”
Unfortunately, my stomach chooses to rumble at that precise moment. I keep my eyes locked on Wes’s and shift around, hoping he didn’t hear. I’m starving, but I’m going to have to wait until he and Jonathan are done eating before I can sneak in and grab some food.
Wes looks amused. “Well, I guess I’ll see you this afternoon for Activities Shed sorting.”
I roll my eyes. “Can hardly wait.”
With a wave, Wes walks down the beach, whistling and happy-go-lucky as ever.
I’m about to head back to my cabin when I hear a familiar, nasal voice behind me. “Who was THAT?”
My blood runs cold and my face turns white.
No, no no.
Please don’t let it be…
I turn and find myself face to face with Chloe Devine.
12
Anaya
My heart beats fast in my chest. Chloe is wearing a skimpy bikini with a kaftan on top and big sunglasses. Her hair is perfectly coiffed into a high bun. It certainly doesn’t look like she’s come to the beach to go swimming.
“Chloe!” My voice is louder and more shrill than expected. I clear my throat and try again. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
She smirks. “My family’s checking in today. I decided to join them so we could get your little lie cleared up sooner rather than later. Wait until Isabella hears that your imaginary boyfriend didn’t even last a day.”
My stomach sinks to my toes and my mind goes into overdrive. I wasn’t expecting Chloe or Isabella to show up for at least a couple of weeks. I thought I had time. This morning, my biggest concern was finding out whether Jonathan and Isabella were still close. Having Chloe here is the worst case scenario. What am I going to do?
“He’s not imaginary,” I say but my voice sounds weak even to my ears. I look around me wildly, praying to be released from this conversation. But, the trainwreck is already underway. I can’t escape it now.
Chloe laughs, the sound grating. “No? So where is this dreamboat of yours?”
My thoughts whirl frantically, sickeningly, in my head. And then, I get a shred of an idea.
I point feebly down the beach where Wes disappeared. Before I can even consider the implications, the words are out. “That was him.”
Chloe’s eyebrows shoot up and her perfect mouth pops open. She literally steps back from me. “The guy you were just talking to?”
I’m speechless, my throat bone dry.
I can’t turn back now.
I nod.
Chloe’s eyes bug out of her head. She places her hands on her hips. “You’re telling me that that tall, muscly, gorgeous lifeguard is your boyfriend?”
She snorts and bursts into laughter, holding her side. Her face is creased in a hyena-like grimace. I stare, captivated. It’s rare to see Chloe laugh like this. Normally, she holds a delicate hand in front of her mouth and giggles softly. It speaks to how absurd she finds the idea.
Her reaction riles me up and anger courses through my veins. I wait until she straightens and wipes a tear from her eye. Then, I look her dead in the face.
“Yes, he is.” My voice is stone cold.
Chloe’s eyes widen and she glances over my shoulder. Her smile turns wicked. “Great, it looks like he’s coming back. Maybe you can introduce me.”
In horror, I whirl around to see Wes jogging back up the beach. He gives us a wave as he approaches, his smile wide and genuine. My stomach flips.
“Hey!” he calls out. “I forgot my—”
But I don’t wait for him to finish. I run towards him as fast as I can, my heart beating a million times a minute. When I get to him, I jump forward and launch myself into his arms.
“Oof!” he groans as I collide with him. He staggers backwards, barely catching me. “Anaya, what the—?”
I throw my arms around his neck and bring my mouth next to his ear. “Please, please, please, I’m begging you — please play along.”
And then I kiss him.
13
Wes
Anaya’s lips graze mine delicately, the polar opposite of the force with which she threw herself into my arms. Despite my confusion, her kiss sends a shiver through my body. My mind goes blank and instinctively, I wrap my arms tight around her, lost in the moment.
Then, all too quickly, she breaks away. Her eyes are as big as saucers, her arms clasped behind my neck. Her face is, well, terrified.
“What exactly is going on?” I whisper urgently. There’s a mean-looking
brunette on the beach a ways back, staring directly at us with her hands on her hips.
“I’ll tell you about it later,” Anaya whispers out of the side of her mouth. “In the meantime, please do this for me. I’ll owe you.”
Her eyes are pleading and I give her the slightest nod, my mind still caught up in the kiss. To my surprise, Anaya then turns to the brunette and beckons her forward.
“Chloe, I’d like you to meet Wes,” she says as the brunette approaches. Then, Anaya adds, “my boyfriend.”
Boyfriend?! I choke and quickly disguise it as a cough. What is happening?
I look at Anaya and she mouths the word “please” again. Whatever’s going on, she needs help. I pull myself together and paste a bright smile onto my face, throwing my arm around Anaya’s shoulders.
“Hey, Chloe,” I say smoothly, extending my other hand. “Nice to meet you.”
I feel Anaya relax, cradling her shoulder under my arm. But, Chloe seems skeptical. She narrows her eyes.
“How long have you two been together?” Her nasally voice is suspicious.
“Two months,” Anaya says.
“Three weeks,” I answer at the same moment.
Anaya tenses and Chloe’s eyes narrow further.
I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. Whatever’s going on, I can have some fun with this. “Who’s counting? It’s been two months since our first date and three weeks since we made it official. Right, honeymuffin?”
I squeeze Anaya close and she shoots me a look of pure astonishment. I’m barely keeping it together, I feel like I could burst into laughter at any moment.
“That’s right,” she mutters through clenched teeth.
“Well this is just super cute,” Chloe spits, the sarcasm clear as day.
I ruffle Anaya’s hair and can physically feel the frosty vibes coming my way. “Totally. Nothing’s cuter than my little sweetie pie princess here.”
Anaya looks like she’s about to vomit. I smirk at her. Whatever game she’s playing, I can play too.
“This has been lovely, but Wes was just heading off for his lunch break,” Anaya says, shoving me away. “So glad you got to meet him, Chloe.”
“Charmed, I’m sure,” Chloe says, crossing her arms.
Man, she sounds like a piece of work. Whatever it is that she has on Anaya, I get the sense this girl is trouble. With her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed, she looks like a suspicious meerkat.
“Likewise,” I say in a tone that suggests otherwise.
Then, feeling cheeky, I lean toward Anaya and sweep her off her feet. I dip her backwards dramatically and her mouth forms a perfect “o,” her eyes massive. I place my mouth next to her ear, pretending I’m whispering sweet nothings for Chloe’s benefit.
“I’m going to need an explanation for this,” I murmur softly. I plant a swift, gentle kiss on her cheek before righting her again.
Her cheeks are tinted pink and she presses a palm to her face, staring at me open-mouthed. I bet she wasn’t expecting that much of a performance. And now, for the finale.
I give her an exaggerated wink. “Miss you already, lovebug.”
Anaya swallows painfully, like she’s drinking poison. She forces a smile. “Bye, Wes.”
I salute Chloe and she abruptly looks away, pouting. I blow Anaya a kiss and she continues to stare at me, her mouth open. Satisfied, I jog to lunch, chuckling to myself the whole way. I have no idea what that was about, but the look on Anaya’s face made it all worth it.
14
Anaya
I can barely eat lunch, I’m so nervous. After picking apart a bagel for half an hour, I drag my feet slowly, painfully, all the way to the Activities Shed — where Wes will be waiting, and wanting answers. It’s my first day on the job and I’ve already made a mess. Who kisses their coworker within hours of meeting them?
It’s sure to be one long, awkward summer.
I take off my shoes and step onto the beach, enjoying the feeling of the cool sand. All things considered, Wes took my outburst of crazy like a good sport. He played along for Chloe’s sake, and somehow even managed to twist the situation to his own advantage. He looked so proud of himself, basically bursting with laughter at my expense.
I mean, really. Honeymuffin?
Despite almost gagging on the nickname, I snicker at the memory.
Somehow, even with Wes’s terrible over-acting and ridiculous endearments, Chloe bought it. For now. I’m sure she’ll be sniffing around all week, and don’t get me started on what will happen come the fall. Kissing him seemed like a good idea in the moment, but I forgot one key detail — even if Chloe does buy it, Wes will be going to Edendale High in just three months.
And then my number will be up.
But I can’t think about all that right now. I need to deal with the fact that Wes needs an explanation. An explanation I can’t even begin to imagine without making myself seem like a freak.
I sigh deeply and kick at the soft grains of sand. Maybe the best thing to do is forget about all of this and come clean to Chloe. I’ve never been one for lying in the first place and poor Wes didn’t ask to be involved in this debacle. Nonetheless, the thought of Chloe’s smug, triumphant face is chilling.
Wes stands outside the Activities Shed and I approach slowly, stalling. His tan, muscular arms are folded across his chest and his mouth twitches at the corners.
“Hey, sugarplum.” His voice is smooth, breezy.
I am so not ready to deal with this. “Hi Wes,” I say, pretending I didn’t hear the ridiculous endearment. “How was your lunch?”
“It was great, babycakes.” He’s laying it on thick. “I spent it thinking about my new girlfriend.”
I stare intently at my feet and scuff my toe in the sand. “Yeah? Who’s that?”
Wes shoots me a wicked grin. “Oh, this girl I just met. You’d like her. Dark hair. Big, innocent eyes. She has a habit of kissing people and then coercing them into pretending to be in a relationship with her.”
Despite myself, I snort with laughter. “She sounds great, a real character. Shall we get to work?”
Wes grins and unlocks the Activities Shed. “Whatever you say, boss.”
We walk into the shed and it feels smaller than it did this morning. Like it’s not big enough for the two of us. I’m hyper aware of Wes’s presence, so close to me. I’m conscious of his movements, his gaze. I take a deep breath and shake myself off.
In the corner of the shed, there’s a high countertop lined with barstools. I busy myself by climbing onto a stool and flipping open the inventory binder. If I direct our attention to work, maybe I can put off having to explain what happened with Chloe.
I scour the list in the binder. Each item has a number next to it. Delia wants us to do a stock take before organizing everything.
“Where should we start?” I ask, not daring to look at Wes. “Kayaks?”
“Sure,” he says. But, he doesn’t move.
I noisily arrange a mess of lifejackets into neat piles sorted by size. Wes takes my cue and begins organizing the paddleboards. We’re silent as we work, but it's a relatively comfortable silence. Wes may be a stranger — a stranger I had recently kissed — but his presence is oddly comforting.
Eventually, Wes nudges me with his elbow. “I’m still waiting for that explanation, by the way.”
I cover my face with my hands. “Do I have to?”
“Well, either you explain,” he says matter-of-factly. “Or, I’m forced to continue living with the theory that you find me so irresistible you couldn’t help yourself.”
I give him a playful shove. “It’s definitely not that!”
He laughs, and his eyes soften. “You can tell me.”
And so, against my better judgment, I blurt out the whole story — Isabella, Chloe, their endless taunting, and my big whopper of a lie on the last day of school. Wes watches me with curiosity, his eyes alight. He listens patiently and I’m relieved to see that there’s no trace of judgment
in his cool, turquoise gaze.
“So.” Wes throws a tiny lifejacket on the kids pile. “When that she-devil turned up earlier, you jumped me in an effort to convince her you weren’t lying?”
I burst out laughing. “She-devil?”
“Seriously. She looked like she literally wanted to murder you.”
My laughter comes to an abrupt halt. She definitely wants to murder what remains of my social life at Edendale High. “I am so screwed.”
I hang up a wetsuit, feeling even worse. Not only did I just commit social suicide, but I dragged Wes into it as well. “I’m so sorry for doing that to you, Wes. I’ll make it right, I’ll come clean. I should never have gotten you involved.”
His eyes linger on mine, but he says nothing.
“Actually, it’s time for our break,” I say, checking the clock. “I’ll go tell her the truth. Bite the bullet.”
My stomach twists into a horrible knot but I know it’s the right thing to do. Chloe was right, I couldn’t maintain the lie for even a day. The truth was going to come out anyway. I grab my sunglasses from the counter and puff out my chest, ready to do what I have to.
Then, Wes grasps my wrist. His eyes gleam in the dim light, his brow slightly furrowed. “Hang on a minute. This could work for me.”
I’m taken aback, but his expression is impossible to read. “What do you mean?”
“You know Brooklyn?” he asks.
“Your not-girlfriend with the dog.” I shrug. “What about her?”
Wes lets go of my wrist and hops on the countertop. “Well, she used to be...”
“Used to be what?” I climb on the counter next to him, resting my feet on a stool.
“My girlfriend.” He grimaces, like the word tastes sour. “She dumped me when I moved to Edendale.”
His face says it all. The break up must be recent and raw. Personal. It makes me feel even worse for kissing him earlier — he’s going through a tough time, and I threw myself at him with no regard for his feelings.
The Complete Legacy Inn Collection: Four Sweet YA Romances Page 21
