揂lright, bookworm.?I took a few slow steps toward her, watching her closely. Her expression changed from defiant to shocked.
揂lright??She blinked. 揜eally??
I nodded, stepping even closer. 揗hm. On one condition.?
She bit her lip and her gaze rose to mine. 揥hat抯 that??
揧ou have to do everything I say.?My voice was low.
She swallowed. 揈verything??
揈verything.?I shot her a lazy smile. 揧ou抣l always be safe, but you抮e not allowed to be a chicken anymore.?
揘ot allowed to be a chicken anymore,?she repeated to herself. She nodded again. An internal battle warred in her head. 揧es. Yes. Okay.?She stuck her hand out and met my gaze, chin set again in that determined way.
A handshake? Adorable. I took her soft hand in mine and shook. My chest felt funny. Excited, filled with anticipation.
揗eet me here tomorrow at five thirty.?
Her mouth made an O. 揟he bookstore doesn抰 close until six.?
I headed back to the shop. 揊ive thirty in the morning,?I called over my shoulder. 揃ring your swimsuit.?
Her eyes flared with alarm, and she opened her mouth to protest but I stepped inside before she could say anything.
My day just got a lot more interesting.
4
Hannah
My feet crunched on the gravel beside the surf shop, and I glanced over my shoulder at the trees. The sky was a dim gray, and nervous anticipation bubbled in my stomach.
My eyes were dry. I had barely slept. I hadn抰 been up this early since high school, when our history class took a day trip to Victoria to visit a Titanic exhibit at the museum. I often stayed up late reading, rolled out of bed, and headed straight to the bookshop for nine o抍lock to open. I still stayed up late reading last night. I couldn抰 help myself.
What was I doing here? Alarm whistled through my veins. I had replayed yesterday抯 conversation with Wyatt a thousand times. I couldn抰 believe I actually went through with it.
I couldn抰 believe he said yes. Half of me expected him to laugh in my face.
Excitement shivered through me. If anyone was going to make me into a hot girl, it would be him. I抎 get the bookstore finances in order, I抎 find my true love, and in six months I抎 be out for dinner, sitting across from the guy I抎 spend the rest of my life with. He抎 be leaning on the table, watching me the way Emmett watched Avery. Th閞鑣e would return and she wouldn抰 recognize me.
I bit my lip. I couldn抰 wait.
Wyatt waited for me at the back of the shop. The top half of his wetsuit dangled at his waist, his arms crossed over his bare chest, and he leaned against the railing. Upon seeing me, he straightened up.
揥hat took you so long, bookworm??He didn抰 sound mad, though. He tossed me a wetsuit that had been hanging over the railing. 揟his will be your size. Suit up and let抯 go.?
I froze. 揢m. Go where??
A lazy smile grew on his face. 揥here do you think? We抮e surfing.?
Oh, how I wished someone would take a picture of my incredulous expression in that moment. 揑 can抰？surf, Wyatt. I read and sell books. That抯 all I do.?
He let out a short laugh. 揑 know you can抰 surf.?He shot me a quick wink and my stomach flipped. 揑 happen to be a surf instructor.?
He waited while I stared at the limp wetsuit with horror.
揃ut it抣l be cold.?
He nodded. 揧ep. Really cold. That抯 why I抦 wearing a suit too.?
The thought of the frigid ocean hitting my toes made me want to turn around and go home. I didn抰 do outdoor things. I used to camp with my parents, but we hadn抰 gone since my mom had passed. I didn抰 swim in the ocean because it was too cold most of the year. Sometimes I抎 put my feet in and walk along the shore.
Maybe this wasn抰 such a good idea anymore.
揑 won抰 let anything bad happen to you,?Wyatt said, tilting his head to watch me, and I wondered how many of my thoughts he could see.
He glanced at the sky, a couple shades lighter than when I arrived, and blew out an impatient breath. 揕ook, bookworm, I抦 itching to get out there so it抯 now or never. My rules, remember??
I nodded. 揧our rules. Okay.?I reached for the wetsuit. 揌ow do I??I looked up at him, unsure of the next step.
He pointed to the back door and placed a hand on my shoulder, guiding me inside. His warmth zinged me through my sweater. 揧ou can change inside, there抯 no one in there. Put your swimsuit on and step into the wetsuit, I抣l help you zip it up out here.?
I nodded. Right. Okay. One step at a time. Right now, I was putting on the wetsuit. I wasn抰 surfing or getting thrown face first into the ocean or getting eaten by a whale. I wasn抰 coughing up seawater or heaving for breath. I was just putting on a wetsuit.
I turned at the door. 揑 don抰 see what surfing has to do with being a hot girl棓