Page 3 of Lovers Like Us

I glance at a row of baby blue lounge chairs along the yacht deck. About twenty feet away. Adults, teenagers, and kids congregate around them and eat tiny plates of meats andcheeses.

The infamousLoren Halesits on the edge of a lounge chair. Hand on the back of his neck. Jaw sharpened like ice. Sometimes he tries not to be a helicopter dad, but his amber gaze flits to me. Overlyconcerned.

Uncle Ryke and Uncle Connor take a seat on either side ofhim.

I’m not going to be the one who burdens my dad or my mom. Add in the media and three more kids under fourteen, they have enough shit to dealwith.

I stand straighter. Taller. Shoulderssquared.

I face Dr. Keene. “I’m okay. I think I cracked a rib or two, but I don’t want pain meds. I can just takeAdvil.”

Dr. Keene nods, not pushing further. “Are you excited for Harvard?” He sips his mojitoagain.

I think about tonight. I think about Jason and how much trust I gave and lost. I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to trust anyone on campus. Except for my cousin. That has to beenough.

I nod tomyself.

“Really excited,” I say honestly. “Charlie and I are rooming together, so it’ll be cool.” I wish Janie chose Harvard too, but she dreamed of attending the same alma mater as her mom.Princeton.

Dr. Keene rests an elbow on the railing. “Have you both picked a majoryet?”

“Philosophy for me, and Charlie decided on History of Art and Architecture—” A multi-colored beach ball sails high towardsus.

“Moffy! Get it!” Eliot Cobalt calls out, running but not fastenough.

I extend my body halfway off the railing, and I catch the inflatable ball for my fifteen-year-oldcousin.

When my bare feet hit the deck, Dr. Keene gives me a brisk smile. “Take care.” He leaves towards the bow of theyacht.

Eliot slows to a stop, and I hand him theball.

He’s about to run back to his brother Tom, but he pauses. And he turns, pats my shoulder, and tells me, “Thanks for this and forearlier—”

“Earlier?” Charlie magicallyappears.

I jolt. “JesusChrist.”

He’srightnext to me. I grab the railing, one small step from a heart attack.Don’t go into cardiac arrest on this boat.I’m so not fucking prepared for mouth-to-mouth from Dr.Keene.

Charlie laughs and relaxes on the railing. He lowers his Ray Bans over his eyes. Dressed in black slacks, a halfway unbuttoned white shirt—he looks like he’s ready to slouch in the back of a college lecturehall.

In reality, he’s almost seventeen and a full-blown genius who lives life unlike anyone I’ve everknown.

Maybe because I have no clue what he does half the fucking time. Some moments, he’s just gone. And then he sneaks up onme.

Literally.

His laugh dies as Eliot explains, “Earlier,Ben was crying on the swimdeck.”

“Ben?” Charlie frowns at the mention of their ten-year-oldbrother.

“Yeah,” Eliot starts backing away from us as someone calls his name. “Don’t worry, brother. Moffy fixed it!” He scampersoff.

“You were in the right place at the right time?” Charlie asks, his voice abnormallytight.

I rake a hand through my thick hair. “No, Eliot found me in the galley and asked for help. What happened, it wasn’t that serious,” I add so he won’t be worried. “Some asshole threw Ben’s shirt in the water. I just jumped in and fished it out. He should be fine. I talked to him for abit.”

“How heroic,” Charlie snaps…almostscornfully.