“I’ll give it a shot,” he says, wrapping his towel around his waist. “But you have to understand things may not work out. My dad and I have a lot of baggage.”
“I knew from the beginning that you’re a wild card. I know what I’m getting into.”
It’s true, and I plan to brace myself for the simple fact he may really be leaving, because even though I think Carter can handle living here with this dad, I’m not sure he believes in himself.
37
Bea
The next morning, I get a text from Carter:
Dad and I talked all night. Headed out on a trip together to try to work through some stuff. Thanks for everything.
And like that, the house next door is empty. Kind of like my heart.
Everything else continues like normal. I head into my final week of camp. Maria and I are both tired and slightly over it, but we try to make it fun. It’s hard when we arrive for free swim and not only is Carter missing, but Erin replaced him with a new boy. He’s tan, skinny, and has eyes only for Sabrina. I guess she got her lifeguard boyfriend after all.
That makes one of us.
The week drags by, highlighted by a trip to Bazinga! with Katherine, where we learn more gossip that the Photobooth Society really may be close to a movie deal. The clip Dean Turner made for his sister went viral, sparking more interest in settling a deal. Norah is beyond herself with excitement, putting in overtime on the websites and helping Gabe get ready for the new issue that’s supposed to come out later this year. It’s awesome to see their success.
That night, after everyone else has gone to bed, Carter calls me, telling me he and his dad are in L.A. and visiting his mom’s gravesite. His voice is quiet, calm. Unlike any way I’ve ever heard him before. We talk for an hour, him telling me about his day, his dad, the emotions of it all. I listen, being the friend he needs—the one person that understands him—hating the fact I miss him so much. Hating the fact I can’t tell him that. This is a time for him and his dad. Not me and Carter.
The next night, after a long, hot day at camp, photos appear on ChattySnap of Carter and his dad hiking the hills overlooking Los Angeles. He looks healthy. Happy. There’s no call or text, but why would there be?
On Thursday, Maria celebrates the last day of camp by hanging out at the swim meet. She’s there to spy on Hippie Sam, who definitely is coming to the Fourth of July party with us, and I’m there to cheer on Atticus, who’s having to fill in for Carter being gone. His absence is notable, the relay barely squeaking in a win. That night at the Creamery I walk down to the swings and eat my ice cream alone, remembering the night Carter and I came out here together.
I take a selfie and send it to him.
He responds with a photo of the sun setting over the Pacific—somewhere down the coast.
With no camp on the Fourth, I get to sleep in for the first time in weeks and wake up feeling a little more like my old self. The sun’s shining bright and Katherine and Maria show up in the early afternoon to prep for the event at the club. There’s a picnic on the green, a soft piece of grass overlooking the ocean. The Club sends a boat out in the water that shoots fireworks once it’s dark. It’s one of the perks of being an employee, getting to hang out with the members for one night.
“I saw Carter’s pictures on ChattySnap,” Maria says, while decorating the cookies with red, white, and blue candy. “It looks like he and his dad are having fun.”
I’d seen the latest pictures, too. Dad and son, arms tossed over each other’s shoulders. Surfboards stand behind them and the dark Pacific rages in the background. They’re surfing down in Catalina.
“I didn’t know Carter surfed,” Katherine says, keeping her eyes focused on stirring the brownie mix. “But I guess it’s not a surprise, with his athleticism.”
I didn’t know either, and it’s a jarring confirmation of how little I do know about him. I look up at both girls, and feel the panic spread across my expression.
“What?” Maria asks. Katherine’s forehead is lined with question.
“I just realized I’ve become that girl.”
“What girl?” Katherine asks.
“That girl. The one that thought she could save Carter Haines. That I was special. Different.” I turn and pace around the room, my breathing unsteady. “How could I be so stupid? I mean, I told him I wasn’t going to be that person, that girl.” I look at my friends and shake my head. “How did this happen?”
Katherine and Maria share a look and my best friend rests the spoon in the brownie batter. She walks over and before I can think, wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. “You’re not stupid, Bea, you didn’t go into this trying to save Carter, and you, more than any other person in his life, seems to have made a difference.”
I clench my arms around her. “But why does it hurt so bad?”
Maria laughs and shakes her head. “Because you love him, silly.”
I blink and pull back from Katherine. “That’s ridiculous.”
My best friend wrinkles her nose. “Is it?”
“That just makes it worse.”
Neither girl responds, just getting back to their baking. When we’re finished we take turns getting ready and I slip on the red tank-top Maria forced me to borrow, with a pair of blue shorts. Katherine French braids my hair and they hang over each shoulder. A month ago I would have balked at the outfit and the hair, but now it makes me feel a little more confident—not that a girl has to change to feel better about herself—but it feels right. If Carter helped me with anything, it was with realizing I didn’t need to hide anymore. I’d spent too much time hiding behind Atticus or even my friendship with Katherine, afraid to let people see the real me. When I let Carter in and he didn’t reject me? That meant a lot.
When we’re ready, we fill the baskets with food and drinks. The guys, Atticus, Sam, and a few others that worked with them are in charge of blankets and chairs. At dusk we pile into Atticus’ SUV and head to The Club.
The place is swarming with members, families, workers, and more. Generations come to celebrate here every year. There’s a catered meal and a bar set up by the club. A brass band plays on a large stage, speakers pushing their sound across the property. Each song is an American standard, loud and ballsy. Sam finds us when we walk in and waves us down to a little breezy spot just off the ninth hole. The area is filled with the familiar faces of summer staff, some I’ve never met but I’ve encountered during work.
“This is where the real party is,” Sam says, smiling at Maria. The guys arrange the chairs and spread blankets on the ground. By the time the sun’s setting, a brilliant orange and pink over the water, we’ve each got a pile of food on our plates. I settle on the ground, trying not to feel like a fifth wheel—but it’s hard with all the couples around. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I fish it out. It’s a picture from Carter. A selfie of him by the same sunset I’m looking at right now—just down the coast on another beach.
I text him back with a picture of my own, my hair almost glowing red with the fading, burning sun behind me.
The phone buzzes a few minutes later while I have a huge hunk of brownie in my mouth.
C: Beautiful.
The first words he’s texted me in days.
B: It’s gorgeous right? Who knew the ninth hole was the perfect spot for sunset viewing?
I wait for a response but nothing comes. The sweets in my stomach feel like lead. A wave of nausea rolls over me, thick panic and anxiety. Talking to Carter like this—giving him something and getting nothing in return? I’m not sure I can do it. It feels like hanging over a cliff with no net beneath.
“Where are you going?” Katherine asks.
“Just need some air.” I give her a tight smile. “I’ll be right back."
I see the way she glances at my brother, the worry, and that just makes everything worse.
“Do you want me to come?”
“Nope. I’m fine. Really.”
I move away from the othe
rs, the air cooler away from the crowd. The music’s louder out here, the songs more jubilant—the exact opposite of how I feel. The sun sets, leaving the sky pink and purple. The lights from boats in the water blink on, one by one, and I’m relieved when darkness arrives.
The fading light and the arcing music signal the big show’s about to happen. My hands sweat and I turn to head back to The Club—call my mom or an Uber. I don’t want to be here anymore.
“That text was about you,” a voice says from the dark. A body follows, tall and broad.
“Carter?”
“Hey,” he says, walking toward me with hands in his pockets. His face is tanner than even before, his hair lighter. A small, tight grin sets on his handsome face. “Did you hear what I said?”
“That you texted me?” My stomach tosses and turns. What is he doing here? He was hours away. “I replied.”
He nods. “I was on the road and couldn’t respond, especially when I saw you misread what I meant. I was already on my way here and didn’t want to stop and waste time. I also didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding. I texted about you, Beatrice.” He takes a step toward me. “I wanted you to know that I think you’re beautiful and I thought about you every minute I was gone.”
I swallow, overwhelmed by the sentiment. “I thought about you, too. I was worried about you but from the pictures, things seemed to go well.”
“They did. Thanks to you.” His eyes, once so stormy and dark, are calm. “Dad told me that you spoke to him. He was more willing to listen and for once, I was ready to give him a chance. Things aren’t perfect, but we realize we just don’t know one another and we’ve both been scared. He’s got a lot of guilt about my childhood and I have a lot of anger. We’ve decided to talk to a counselor, work through some of this together. Boarding school is off the table.”
Relief washes over me. “That’s amazing, Carter, I’m so happy for you.”
A breeze rolls off the water and music from the band increases, building in intensity toward the big event. But a different sort of energy brews between Carter and I, and I’m not going to mess this up again.
“So let’s not bury the lead here, you think I’m beautiful?” I ask innocently.
A slow grin appears on his face. “Devastatingly.”
“And you missed me while you were gone?”
“Embarrassingly so. It would destroy my reputation if it got out that I pined over the girl next door while I was away.”
He closes the gap between us and slips his strong arms around my waist. I feel the heat rolling off him when he presses his forehead to mine. “I’m not here to save you, Carter Haines.”
“Too late,” he says, cupping my face with his hands and brushing his lips across mine, “you already did.”
The fireworks finally begin with a loud crack in the sky, but I only hear my heart racing and the feel of Carter’s mouth against mine. There’s no need for a safe word—this boy, he already makes me feel that way. All the nerves and insecurities fade, both of us knowing that we not only need one another, we want to be with one another. Not out of an arrangement, not for a deal, not playing games.
Fire bursts over our heads and I jump, laughing at being startled, and he wraps his arms around me, holding me tight. We create an anchor for one another so we can start something new, together.
Afterword
Thank you for reading Bea and the Bad Boy. This is book number three in the Love in Ocean Grove series. Each book in the series is loosely tied through the characters in the small beach side town of Ocean Grove yet is a stand alone novel. Make sure you read all the books in her series!
Finley and the Foster Brother
Lucy and the Leading Man
Bea and the Bad Boy
Keep an eye out for Norah and Gabe’s story of best friends falling for one another in Norah and the Nerd coming June 2019!
Anna Catherine Field is a fan of first love, toe-curling kisses and swoony romance. Not only does she like to read young adult romance, but she enjoys writing them as well. She lives with two dogs, two kids and a man-sized adult with a comic book collection big enough to require its own room. You can find her on Facebook at Anna Catherine Field or her reader group Young Adult Book Lovers for a spot to talk all about young adult books, her news and releases and meet other readers!
Bea and the Bad Boy: Young Adult Sweet Romance (Love in Ocean Grove Book 3) Page 17
