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Her fingers flew over the keys, her head cocked as she stared at the screen in concentration.

I waited until her hands stilled and she took a break to pop her neck before announcing my arrival.

“G.”

Her head snapped up at the sound of my voice and her face split in a smile. “Romeo! What are you doing here?”

She was speaking in a loud whisper, watching me with barely contained excitement as I slid in the seat adjacent to her. I winced when I was seated on the wood chair. It was uncomfortable as fuck. How did she sit here for hours every day?

“Saw your van and stopped by,” I replied, giving nothing away. But Goldyn’s brows wiggled on her forehead before she narrowed her eyes and leaned into me.

She smelled like a different flower every time I saw her, and I didn’t know how that was possible.

“Did you just admit to visiting a place because you knew I would be there?”

“When did you hear me say that? Maybe I wanted to get some books.” That was a lie. I used my library card to check out ebooks and audiobooks online because I had enough herbal medicine books to constitute a small library and didn’t need to add to the chaos on my bookshelves.

Goldyn popped her tongue and closed her laptop with a soft thud, giving me her undivided attention.

“Yousaid it when you said you saw my van and came in this library to see about me.” A self-satisfied smile took up residence on her lips. And what was I gonna do? Tell her she was wrong? So I said nothing.

I stared at her, my face unaffected but I knew my eyes gave me away when she giggled and covered her face to hide her smile.

I would do a lot to keep that smile right there forever. She deserved all the happiness and smiles. And knowing I’d given her one made my heart skip a few beats.

“Romeo Wilde, it’s okay to admit you like me.”

A scowl claimed my features so fast she howled out a laugh, before covering her mouth with wide eyes and looking around to make sure a librarian wasn’t coming to tell us to shut up.

“How long before we can go home?”

“As soon as you tell me you like me.” She folded her arms across her chest. “We’re friends and you like being around me. Say it.”

She was wrong. I didn’t like her. It was something deeper than that. Something worse that I would never say aloud.

“Fine, stay here on these uncomfortable ass chairs. I thought you wanted to learn how to wakeboard but I can teach you another time.” The coolness in my voice belied my erratic pulse as I stood to leave.

“Wait!” Goldyn scrambled to grab her things and stuff them in her floppy tote bag. “I do wanna learn. Rome, wait for me. Please!” She hissed when I was back at the periodicals, using my long gait to my advantage. I slowed down when I reached the entrance and smirked when she caught up to me, out of breath.

We fell in step, walking out the entrance and back into the late-July sun.

“Don’t I need special gear to wear before I can get in the water with you?”

“Already got it.” I’d ordered a new board and two different life vests in her size last Friday, the day she saw me and Enzo come back from a session and asked how hard it was to learn. I’dknown the second those doe eyes swelled in interest I would be the one teaching her.

“Is there anything you aren’t prepared for?”

Just you.

Nothing could have prepared me for Goldyn.

We made it to the driver’s side of her van and I tried to keep my face neutral. Knowing she drove this thing around the narrow cliff roads leading to our house fucked with me.

“I’ll be right behind you,” I told her, yanking her door open.

Goldyn tossed her bag inside and looked up at me, her eyes fixating on my mouth.

“How many of these do you have?” She pointed at my grill, her finger skimming over my chin before she lowered her hand.