“Thanks for coming with me,” I say to break the cycle of her nervousness. Still, she jumps, sliding her attention to me with wide eyes. “When Dad ordered me down here, it was pretty much the last place I wanted to be.”
“However would you have survived the sun and beach?” She smirks.
“Being away from you was the issue, but you fixed that.” I lift my glass in a mock salute. “You’re nicer to look at than nothing.”
“Don’t charm me, Levi Westwood. It won’t work like it does with all the other unsuspecting girls.”
I want to ask her what girls she’s talking about, considering they were pretty much cut off after we got close. I wasn’t risking my future with her over a meaningless fuck.
“Besides,” she continues, “I’m the one who should thank you. A vacation like this would require saving for a while. It’s the perfect break between semesters and…after everything.”
See how I’ll care for you in every way?
She reaches for her own glass and asks, “How was work? Figure out what you’re supposed to do?”
“Basically nothing. Dad hires good managers, so I don’t want to overstep. After today, I’m convinced he wanted me out of his way for the summer.”
Her lips pinch as she becomes occupied watching a waiter deliver food to a family two tables over. Knowing her well enough, she’s avoiding saying what’s on her mind.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
She’s never liked my parents, mainly since they treated her like shit. It’s been the source of a few of our arguments, and I’ve even threatened giving up my role as a Westwood if they don’t learn to accept her in my life. Our wedding will be chaotic, no doubt. Or maybe I’ll give my parents more reason to hate me and whisk Summer away to elope.
“It’s unfortunate your father sent you here if there’s nothing to do. I mean, it’s great you’ll have a lot of free time, but it seems like another tick in the column of things to make you into the perfect son. By the time we graduate, they’ll have a marriage lined up for you.”
She’s not wrong that my parents have already picked potential future matches in their business partners’ daughters, but I’ve told them to give it up. If they want me to play the cooperative heir, I’ll choose my own wife. What’s more disturbing is how she never brings this shit up, but whatever is in her head today has her concerned about a future that’ll never come to pass.
“No,” I say firmly. “They don’t because I’m not playing those games. Do we have to talk about this now?”
“Sorry.” She looks away with a frown. “I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”
It’s my job to remove the unwelcome thoughts from her head, so when her attention is diverted to her glass, then the restaurant again, I pull my phone out and keep it hidden from view on my side of the table.
Me
Levi needs to keep his eyes to himself.
Her head jerks upwards, eyes comically widening. She looks at me, then scans the tables with a renewed urgency. She rolls her lips together and masks her anxiety with a sip of her water and then a nervous smile my way.
“Something wrong?”
“Everything’s fine.” Her smile doesn’t meet her eyes. She fiddles with the stem of her wine glass, then glances at her lap again. My peripheral vision catches bubbles on my screen, telling me she’s typing, so I wait.
Vengeful _Summer
You’re watching me?
Me
You expected otherwise?
Vengeful _Summer
The restaurant is only so big, so yeah…
Me