Page 51 of Best Vacation Ever

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. “Uh-huh. Get in here before you cause ascandal.” Now a laugh slips out and her blush deepens. Lori’s had my back countless times from my various walks of shame, so she knows I’m just having some fun.

“I swear it wasn’t like that. Hey, Kellan.” She drops the clothes she was holding in her hand on the floor and unzips her luggage.

“Then whose shirt is that? Whose room did you stay in last night?” Kellan asks with a teasing smirk, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

She straightens up with new clothes in her hands. “Adam’s.”

The words hit me like a slap across the face. “But—my—that—what?” I’ve never had a problem with words before, but I can’t even process what that means. Lori andmy brother?!

Her eyes widen as she struggles to speak. “No! Not like—that’s not what—it’s not that. I swear!”

“Then why are you in Adam’s clothes? Why were you with him last night?” I try to tame the accusation in my tone, but we all hear it. It was fun when I thought Lori slept with some other guy, but now that it’s my brother, I feel like hitting something, preferably Adam.

“Nothing happened!” She hugs the clean clothes to her chest as her blush spreads. “He and Dylan got really drunk last night, and I helped Adam to his room while Dean helped Dylan. Adam puked on me, so I took a shower there when he passed out, and I slept in the spare bed. That’s all.”

The rising anger in my chest diminishes as I process her words. “Oh.” I knew Adam was drinking last night, and I can totally see him puking on her; he’s not very considerate. “Why didn’t you come back here?”

“Because.” Her eyes bounce back and forth between me and Kellan, who’s still leaning against the wall. “You know.”

Kellan and I register her words at the same time as he straightens up, and we both rush to explain.

“Oh, no—”

“That’s not—”

We stop and look at each other. I take a deep breath. “I came up alone last night. Kellan stopped by right before you did.”

Disbelief crosses her face before she masks it. “Uh-huh. I’m going to take a shower with my own shampoo. See you later, Kellan.”

She disappears into the bathroom, and then the rush of running water from the shower is the only sound in the room.

Kellan and I stare at each other almost awkwardly.

“So, uh,” I start, uncharacteristically hesitant. “How come you stopped by?”

“Oh, yeah.” He shakes his head, then reaches into his back pocket and pulls out something that was sticking out. “I remembered you said you have no more flip-flops. I don’t think the resort sells any, so I brought you my extra pair.”

He holds out the flip-flops and I stare at them like I’ve never seen shoes before. I told him I lost all my flip-flops?Idon’t even remember saying that, buthedoes?

“Are you gonna take them or stare at me all day?” he teases.

I spring back to life and accept the flip-flops, placing them on the floor to slip into them.

“They’re like nine sizes too big.”

The boyish smile he shoots me melts my heart. “Well, they are men’s size eleven. I figured they’re better than nothing, at least for the beach and stuff.”

I was planning on stealing Lori’s flip-flops, but now I want to wear these, even if they are huge on me. “Thanks.”

“Yeah,” he replies.

The hesitancy and shyness that surrounds us is foreign to me, and while I don’t like it, I kind of do too. It feels like it’s a fresh start.

He hitches a thumb over his shoulder toward the door.

“Anyway, sounds like Dylan and Adam had a fun night. Better go mess with them a bit now that they’re nice and hungover. See you at breakfast.”

Biting my lip, I watch him leave and lean against the door, my heart fluttering against my chest as I stare at Kellan’s flip-flops on my feet. He may not know it yet, but I’m going to make him realize his feelings for me, and I’m going to make it happen before we go home.