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“I guess you bring it out in me,” I admitted. She bit her lip and gazed down at the water, where our legs were nearly intertwined below the surface. “Seriously, I’m really enjoying spending time with you, Stella.”

We locked gazes for an instant, but something pulled her attention over my shoulder. “Shit, Zoe, don’t get your hair in the water—”

I swiveled just in time to catch Zoe dipping her whole head below the surface.

She must’ve missed the signs warning that the minerals in the water were great for the skin but would ruin a person’s hair.

When I looked back at Stella, the intensity of the moment between us was broken.

But all I could think was how freaking cute she looked when she was trying not to laugh.

Stella

Zoe and I stood in the shower together in our bathing suits while I put a third coat of conditioner in her stiff hair.

“It won’t be that bad,” I assured her. “It’s already starting to feel softer.” This was not true. Her hair felt like straw and didn’t look great, but I didn’t want to dash her hopes just yet. Zoe caught my expression and touched her hair to confirm.

“This can’t be happening,” she groaned.

“I’m sure Gus won’t care.”

“Of course Gus won’t mind. He claims he loves my intellect, but he is absolutely an ass man.”

I snorted. “I did not need to know that. Though I am also a huge fan of your brain, and to be fair, your ass is objectively quite nice.”

“He won’t mind my hair situation, but I do. I have to be in court tomorrow. I can’t afford to look like a dark-haired version of Albert Einstein during jury selection. Who would take me seriously?”

“Einstein was a brilliant man.”

“I heard that he took credit for his wife’s work.”

“Things seem to be going pretty well with Gus,” I said, switching topics. “Is it just a romantic vacation tryst between friends or something more long-term?”

Zoe grabbed a towel and wrapped it over her bathing suit. “If we’re being technical, I’d have to say long-term. We sort of started up a while ago,” she said.

First I’d been hit with the revelation that Teddy was old friends with my favorite author slash celebrity crush.

Now my other best friends had been having a secret love affair?

There were only so many revelations my brain could process in a twenty-four-hour period, and I was reaching that limit, fast. “How long is a while?”

“Last summer?” She grimaced.

“Wait—you hooked up while we were on the boat? I had no clue. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I think at first we did kind of think that maybe it was just a vacation fling between friends. And then when it was clear that it wasn’t, we worried that it would mess up the group dynamic.

I wanted to wait for the right time, and Gus had some wild idea that you and Teddy would hook up and we’d tell you at the double wedding. ”

I turned to Zoe, mouth agape. “Wait. Me and Teddy ?”

“What? You two never thought about taking your friendship up a notch?”

I was horrified. Teddy was Teddy. He was family. He was practically my brother. And a full-fledged man-whore—not that I was judging, especially as a sex-positive commitment-phobe myself. I shivered as I pulled on my jeans.

“Fine, don’t answer. It seems my line of questioning isn’t relevant at this point given the appearance of the newest character in our Icelandic chapter, Mr. Huck Sullivan, author extraordinaire. Seems to me that you’ve taken a bit of a shine to him.”

I tried to keep my face neutral, but I couldn’t stop my lips from curving into a grin. “He’s, um, very nice.”

“He does seem nice. At least his face is nice and his body is nice . I saw you checking him out when he took his shirt off in the falls parking lot. Pervert.” Zoe handed me some lip balm. “Seriously, though, I love this plot twist for you. Tell me you’re loving my literary jokes.”

“They’re amazing.”

“So…”

“What?”

“Do you like him?”

I shrugged, avoiding Zoe’s gaze in the mirror. “I don’t know.”

“Are you blushing, Stella? The entire time I’ve known you, I don’t think I’ve seen you blush.”

“I like his books,” I deflected.

“Yeah, his books are great. He’s a super creative and smart guy. But I think you like the way he sets your body ablaze.”

“Get real.”

“I am getting real. I’m not the one who isn’t being honest here.

I’ll tell you right now, the man is hot.

If I weren’t already with Gus, I would’ve been hoping to get into those trunks.

Did you see how snug they were? Teddy is the perfect blend of generous and vicious by lending him those microscopic swim trunks instead of the board shorts, and I’m here for it,” Zoe said.

“Okay, it’s hopeless.” She rotated and gestured toward her hairbrush, which was fully lodged in her tangled hair.

“Looks like Lawyer Einstein is going to have to have her day in court. Let’s get dressed. ”

“You could wear a wig,” I suggested. “That’s what television actresses do.”

“I don’t know. Maybe I can use this to my advantage. It’s distracting, that’s for sure. Opposing counsel will think that I don’t have my shit together. Then I can eviscerate them and enjoy extensive salon treatments while I celebrate. It feels like a real Legally Blonde moment.”

“Legally Brunette,” I said, and we laughed.

We met the guys in the lobby and took the short drive to the airport, where we bid Zoe and Gus goodbye.

“It was really nice to meet you finally,” Zoe told Huck.

“You’re good people for sure,” Gus said.

“Not that we’re shocked. Teddy has good taste.

” He turned to me and picked me up off the ground in a bear hug.

“Little Stella, it’s been a pleasure tromping all over this freezing island with you, but please find this treasure so we can plan a vacation without metal detectors before I’m too old to enjoy it. ”

“I know. I get it. Sorry we didn’t get lucky,” I said. “Actually, you did get lucky, didn’t you? Both of you,” I teased. “And I hear that you’ve been getting lucky for months behind our backs, so maybe you and Zoe should be apologizing to me instead of the other way around.”

“I ought to drop you in this parking lot,” Gus said. “Good thing I’m feeling rather magnanimous given my current level of sexual fulfillment.” Zoe fixed him with a courtroom look that made him clear his throat. “Deep, sublime emotional fulfillment, that is.” She slid her hand into his.

“Get a room!” Teddy shouted before bursting into wild laughter.

“He’s serious,” I said. “Speaking for myself, I’m never sharing a van with you guys again. And when we’re out on the boat next summer, I’m not rooming with you. I know way too much about your sexual repertoire.”

Zoe threw her arms around my neck and gave me a big squeeze. “Find that treasure for us, Stella. I may not have a job after they see my hair and I’ll need you to be my sugar mommy.”

“I’m okay with sugar-mommy status. I do know your sexual repertoire, after all.” I smoothed my hands affectionately over her tangled tresses. “Coconut oil. Leave it on all night.”

She waggled her eyebrows at me.

“For your hair, sicko.”

“You know, it is actually a very nice natural lubrican—”

I shook my head as my cheeks turned red. “Nope. Don’t want to know.”

“Alright, then. I’ll just say, until next time.” She turned back to Huck. “Listen, writer man, when you write a book about us, can you leave my little hair incident out of it? It’s not how I want to be remembered.”

“You got it,” Huck said. “No hair.”

“Well, maybe good hair. Bald is beautiful, but not really what I’m going for at the moment.”

“Deal. But I’m keeping the part where Ted split his pants.”

“I’m okay with that,” Teddy said. “The funny guy is always everyone’s favorite.”

“We’ve got to go, babe,” Gus said.

I gave them both one last hug, and then they headed inside, pulling their bags behind them.

Teddy stretched his arms wide, and I yawned reflexively.

“I guess the sleepless night has finally caught up to me,” I said. “I’m a mess.”

“Why don’t we go back to my cabin?” Huck said. “It’s not far from here, and I have a spare room and a hot shower…if we’re lucky—the water heater is a bit temperamental. I haven’t quite figured it out yet. Either way, we can get a fire going and get some rest.”

“That sounds perfect,” I said.

“Sleepover at Huck’s place,” Teddy announced, sliding into the van’s driver’s seat. “Just like old times.”

After twenty minutes on the Ring Road, we turned off onto a gravel path that wound through an old lava field just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Teddy navigated several sharp turns, and finally a small building came into view amidst a shadowy backdrop of rocky outcroppings and moss and cotton candy–colored sky.

Huck hopped out ahead of me and Teddy and switched on the lights around the deck and inside the house, creating a welcoming glow.

The cabin was small and spartan, with a wall of windows and a modern wood stove.

“So, how come you never told me that your Sully was Huck Sullivan?” I asked as Teddy and I grabbed our backpacks. “You know how much I love his books. You could’ve been holding his friendship over my head for years.”

As we walked toward the porch, I could make out Huck stooped in front of a stove, filling it with pieces of wood.

“Do you have any idea how annoying you would’ve been?

Don’t act like you don’t know that you get majorly obsessed with things.

You’ve spent the past ten years engaged in a relentless search for the world’s most infamous and elusive lost treasure.

I can’t even imagine how many times you would’ve bugged me for a meeting or an early copy of a manuscript, and, anyway, Huck’s super private. ”

“I don’t get obsessed. Okay, maybe a little fixated, but I would not have misused the knowledge.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Stella. Call it self-preservation on my part. I prefer to live my life in peace.”

“Wanted to keep him all to yourself, huh?”