Page 26 of Tracing Holland

I smile and shake my head.“I said badass, not bad.”

She returns it.“I know.”She grows serious.“I also learned you’re a hard person to avoid.Way harder than I thought.”

I glance at her.“What do you mean?”

She shrugs and stares off at the other group again, but I caught her revealing gaze before it fled.“I don’t know how to explain it exactly.”She stops and shakes her head.“Let’s just let that one go, ok?”she pleads, and I’m disappointed I have to accept when Wes spots us and breaks up the conversation anyway.

Hollandand I don’t get another moment alone on the beach, and we’ve barely even exchanged complete sentences with each other by the time we return to the hotel to clean up for dinner.No one else seems to notice the change in our silence, no one except Wes.I can’t help but observe how he seemed to be a constant presence for the rest of the day, always the third wheel, the barrier separating us from any chance of exploring whatever that was by the water’s edge, her cryptic comments later on.

Part of me is disappointed, but another part is strangely relieved.These feelings for Holland are confusing at best, and I’m having a terrible time converting them into a reality I can process.Better to make the entire issue a non-starter.I’m very comfortable with my plan to try to avoid her for the rest of the tour when she catches my arm just as the others disappear around the corner of the hall to their respective rooms.

“Hey, um, do you have a sec?”she says.“Can we talk?”

I swallow.“Yeah, sure, what’s up?”

She glances around.“Not here.Maybe in your room or mine?”

My heart races, blood pounding violently.The memories of her wet body close to mine is ravaging my brain.Her eyes as they scanned me with that hunger for possession.Even I’m not that stupid.

“Holland, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I say quietly.

Our eyes meet and she knows exactly what I mean.I can tell she feels it too as she bites her lip and studies me again with a troubling intensity.It makes everything so much worse.

“No, I know.You’re right.”She seems frustrated and grows quiet for a second.“Come out with me then,” she offers.

I stare at her.“What do you mean?”

She shrugs.“I don’t know.Let’s go do something.”Suddenly, her face lights up.“Let’s play mini golf!I haven’t done that in fifteen years!”

I laugh.I can’t help it.“Mini golf?Are you serious?”

She shrugs.“Why not?You’re too much of a badass to slap a tiny ball around a pirate ship?”

I grin and shake my head.I have no chance against that challenge.“Youareserious.Crap.Ok, fine.But I have to warn you, I don’t think I’ve ever actually played mini golf.”

“What?”she cries.“Never?That’s so wrong!Ok, you’re coming.Let’s go.”

“Right now?”I laugh.

“Yes, right now!”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

She shrugs.“We’ll grab a hot dog or something from the snack bar.Quit whining and walk, rockstar.”

She practically pushes me back to the elevator, and I’m still in disbelief that this girl is getting me to agree to a game that involves golf clubs and pirates.

“You don’t even want to change first?”

“Change?What’s wrong with my outfit?You don’t like it?”she teases.

I roll my eyes.She knows full well how good she looks.“I love your outfit, I just know you women.You have outfits for everything.I can’t believe your beach outfit is the same as your golf outfit.”

“Ok, first of all.It’s mini golf, not golf.There is a huge difference which drastically affects the dress code.”

I grin, loving how she can match me at every turn.“Ok, fine.And second?”

“And second, you can just toss everything you think you know about ‘women’ out the window.It’s time someone exposes you to the big secret.”She stops and glances around before leaning close.“No two are alike,” she whispers.