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I let out a huff of air. “I said not to read into it.”

“I read into everything.”

“Everything? That’smyjob.” I walked to the counter and put the lid on the can of kitten formula, then slid it back on the shelf.

“So?” Why did he make it so easy to talk with his relaxed posture and nonjudgmental expression?

“When I was a kid I nearly drowned in the ocean. A lifeguard saved me. My mom was on the beach. She got distracted.”

“Distracted?”

“I was old enough to swim. It wasn’t like I was a toddler,” I said, surprised by my need to defend my mom. I didn’t normally feel that way. “I just went out too far, got tangled in seaweed, or caught in a riptide, or both. I don’t know. I couldn’t get back to shore and I tired myself out.” I leaned back against the counter, my legs weak with the memory of kicking until I couldn’t anymore. Of floating down beneath the surface before the strong hands of the lifeguard grabbed hold and pulled me up.

We don’t need to tell your dad what happened,she’d told me as we drove home.It will just worry him.

“I was fine. Iamfine. I’m not some helpless kitten.”

Asher gave a small warm laugh, then stood and walked over to me. He put his hands on the counter on either side of me. “You are not helpless at all, but I’m sorry that happened. It sounds scary.”

I tugged on the hem on the bottom of his T-shirt, my eyes down, staring hard at the thread running the length of it. “Why are you so likable?”

“Why do you sound mad about that?”

Because I didn’t know how he’d feel once he learned I’d been lying to him. And it sucked that I cared. I was very aware of the fact that now I had something to lose. I didn’t need more things to lose.

“You know if you’renotfine, that’s okay. You can talk to me.” he said. “I’m probably not as good of a listener as Bean, but I actually talk back.”

“Bean talks back. He’s practically a therapist.”

Asher smiled that adorable smile of his.

“Wait, did you hear me out there?” I nodded toward the door.

“No, I swear.”

I sighed and ever so slowly leaned forward until my forehead touched his shoulder and my chest was against his. His arms encircled me and I closed my eyes. Yes, I needed him to get back in the habit of hugging me becausethismade everything better.

Rule:Always date a boy everyone loves.

Kamala was spraying down tables in the coffee shop and wiping them with a rag. I sat at a table in the nook.

“Did you paint that on the window?” I pointed to the beach scene.

“Don’t make fun of it.”

Did everyone think I was judging them all the time? I hoped not. “I wasn’t going to! It’s good. I was going to say it’s good. I didn’t know you painted.”

“I don’t. It was a do and learn–type situation.”

“You should add it to your résumé.”

Kamala narrowed her eyes at me and pointed the dirty rag in my direction. “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not, but I’m just going to say thank you.”

“I’m not sarcasticallthe time.”

“Most of the time,” she said.

“Well, not this time, so there.”