Page 113 of Wild Like Us

“You’re not too sensitive,” Banks reassures. “Akara knows he was an ass. He shouldn’t have said that. Even if it was a lie.”

We draw closer. “But why am I taking it to heart if I know it’s a lie? I shouldn’tcare.”

“You care because you love him, Sulli.” Banks looks more torn up as he says those words. “Love hurts. It’s just a fuckin’ fact. ”

My throat swells closed. “You’ve been in love before?”

“Once.” He stares past me, just sweeping the morning campers who awake from their RVs.

Why does that hurt—knowing he’s loved someone else before? I should be happy about his good experience, considering he’s had a bunch of terrible firsts.At least he fell in love once. I nod a few times, and as his gaze returns to me, we move in closer.

He nods his head towards the corkboard. I follow him around the board, which conceals us from campers.

And his arms instantly wrap around my shoulders. I cocoon myself in his cargo jacket and bury my face in his collar. When I felt hurt, why was my first instinct to run straight to him?

I keep these questions to myself. Because I know their answers.

I’m falling hard for Banks.

He sways with me like we’re slow dancing.

I smile at him. “I bet you were a total Casanova in high school. Three, four girlfriends that just fucking adored you.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“Ten girlfriends?”

He laughs. “Wrong direction, mermaid.”

“A high school sweetheart, then?”

Banks shakes his head. “Just a whole lot of casual sex and no relationships.” He wears a crooked smile at a thought. “I’m about as good at dating as I am in a three-legged sack race.” He stares down at me. “Which is to say I fall flat on my fucking face. Akara is the one with relationship experience, if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“No…I really hadn’t considered that as a factor in…”Choosing.I can’t even say the fucking word. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that it wouldn’t bother me either way. It’s not like I have any experience either.”

Banks lets out a soft laugh. “Thanks, mermaid, but I’mtwenty-nine.You have eight more years to run past where I am, and you’d think I’d learn to have astablerelationship before now. Something better than my parents had.”

My brows bunch. “Are you worried of getting in a relationship like theirs?” I move closer to his chest as the wind picks up.

He wraps his arms and jacket more around me. “I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t. But I know I’m not like my dad, so I’m safe there.”

I still don’t know too much about his dad. “How do you know you’re not like him?”

“Because I’m a lot of things, but I’m not selfish. And I’dneversay to a twelve-year-old, what he said to me.”

I’m about to ask him more, but my phone buzzes. “Sorry.”

“Take it,” he encourages. “It’s probably your sister.”

At mention of Winona, I touch the otter pendant at my neck. Once upon a time, I found four pendants in a zoo gift shop, and each one is supposed to represent my family. Over the years, we’ve passed them around, and I swapped with my sister recently.

The otter is hers.

I take out my phone and check the new text.

Banks is right. Winona sent me a message.

Sulli-Bear! Guess what I got Dad to do? He’s now officially going vegan :) Want to join with us?– Nona-Frog