Page 25 of Rival Hearts

I chuckled. “Thank God for that.”

“Yeah, would be awkward,” Gabe said. “I’ll call you later when I’ve decided.”

We ended the call, and I dropped the phone in my lap. That had been horrible. Talking to Gabe about Charlotte was harder than it should have been because I felt like complete shit for betraying my best friend that way.

Again,noton purpose, but that didn’t change the fact it had happened.

The right thing to do would be to tell him, but I wasn’t ready for that.

Too much was going on right now. I wanted one place where I could go that didn’t have stress chasing me down the moment I considered having some fun. Besides, what did it matter? It was a one-off thing. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t like we were going to do it again.

We would be just like strangers. Easy as pie, right?

7

CHARLOTTE

The beach cleanup was symbolic. It wasn’t going to make a huge difference—it wouldn’t do anything to help yacht emissions and how the ocean life was being destroyed by what these mega companies were doing, but it was a step in the right direction.

The more I could keep the campaign in the public eye, the more awareness I hopefully brought to my cause.

That was all I wanted.

Besides, looking at the beach, it was horrific to think that people actually did this. They threw down their junk wherever they wanted without a second thought, and turtles or seagulls or any other kind of wildlife creature ended up choking on it.

Our team had been up since dawn, combing the sand with gloves, trash pickers and big bags. I walked a few feet from Maya, stabbing chocolate wrappers and chips packets, putting them into the bag I dragged behind me. It was my second bag already.

“This was a good idea,” Maya said. “Did you spot the reporters?”

“Yeah.” I stabbed another wrapper to my stack, lifting the picker to pull it off and dump it in my bag. “I’m a little worried about them.”

“Why? You’re getting the publicity you wanted, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I am. I just don’t know how it will go this time around—the last article wasn’t too great.”

Maya snorted. “They’re just trying to defend themselves because they know we’re right.”

I nodded.

“It would look worse if they didn’t do anything, so they’re scrambling to make the public think they give a shit when they really don’t.”

I nodded again. Maya was right—the press was going to cover this cleanup and something good would come of it. What could they possibly say that wasn’t positive about us doing something like this?

“I heard that the yacht companies are squirming,” Maya said.

I frowned. “Really? Where did you hear that?”

“Oh, you know”—she waved her hand—“you pick it up. Rumors do the rounds and when you’re out and about you can’t help but hear them.”

“That’s not exactly how it works,” I pointed out. “At least, not for me. How did you arrive in Newport the same time I did and you have so many friends and connections already, and I’m just… me?”

Maya smiled at me, her green eyes bright. The sun caught the pinks and greens in her hair, making her stick out like a sore thumb. She usually looked like she belonged in a club, not at a beach cleanup, but Maya was unapologetically herself.

“You’re just not as outgoing as I am, but trust me, being this well-known is a pain.”

“Enlighten me,” I groaned.

“I can’t goanywherewithout being stopped for a conversation, and sometimes I just want to be rude… but I can’t be because everyone knows me now and being rude just won’t cut it.”