“Summer. Hi…Hi, nice to see you,” he stumbles over his words.Let the awkwardness begin.
At that moment, Gemma pops out of the tent bouncing with energy. “Sorry about that. Can you believe how beautiful this spot is? This is going to be so much fun. I wasn’t convinced at first, but…. Oh, Summer, hi.” She smiles, but it’s not as bright as it was seconds earlier. “Sorry to hear you and Joel broke up,” she adds.
All eyes are now on me. Nate’s confused, while Cory’s clearly amused, and Dylan looks a little embarrassed. My own eyes find Dylan’s, and he shrugs.So, the lies continue.
“Thanks. It’s still hard to talk about,” I say, and for added effect, I look to the ground and wipe a nonexistent tear from my eye. A snicker comes from Cory’s direction.
“I’m sorry to hear that; I won’t mention it again,” Gemma says and looks toward Dylan with an expression I can’t read. Cory breaks the awkwardness by introducing herself to Gemma, and then we all get to work setting up the other two tents.
An hour passes, and we flop down onto chairs around the newly started campfire, since the weather’s cool enough here near the water. Nate hands out drinks as he unpacks some bags.
“What happened to Reed and McKenzie? I thought they were coming,” Dylan asks Nate as I take my first sip.
“The jackass got food poisoning from old meat in the back of the fridge.”
“Of course he did.” Dylan scoffs, his question making me wonder if he’s uncomfortable here with the small group.
When Nate’s finally settled, Cory asks the question that’s been on my mind since that fateful night. “How long have you two been dating?” She looks between Dylan and Gemma.
“Only two months, but there was an instant, deep connection, so it feels longer.” Gemma smiles, and Dylan chokes on his drink. He recovers quickly by sneezing, and I take pity and decide to help him out.
“Bless you,” I say as I give him a knowing smile. He clearly thinks differently about things with Gemma.Why does that make me happy?
As the sun sets, I realize I’d forgotten that Cory had a surprise for me. I’m only now remembering because headlights of an approaching car light up our little camping retreat. I glance at Cory, and she smiles, clapping her hands together. Her reaction makes me confident that I will not be disappointed. The car pulls up, and Logan jumps out of the driver’s seat. I stare in shock. I’m pretty sure my jaw may even drop. His eyes scan our group before he beelines straight for me.
“Hey, baby girl, have you missed me?” he yells, snapping me out of my daze. I leap up from my chair, running into his arms before he’s even finished his greeting.
“You’re here! How did I not know that?” I squeal.
I don’t act like an excited teenager often, but Logan brings that out in me. This man right here has been in my life since I was in elementary school. Other than Cory, he’s the closest person in the world to me. He’s closer to my brother’s age, but they never really hit it off. We haven’t spent longer than a weekend together in years, since his parents moved away when I was fifteen. It’s safe to say I’m pretty excited to have him here.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I stress.
We hug again and walk back to the group arm in arm. Cory jumps up and hugs him, and Nate stands to shake his hand. “Logan, man, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Nate.”
“Nate?” Logan looks at Cory. “So, you’re the man who’s stolen our girl’s heart?” He smiles. Corny as ever.
“That’s me. I’m the lucky man,” Nate agrees as he smiles widely.
“That you are. It’s good to hear you admit it, so I don’t have to give you the talk.” Logan laughs and pats Nate on the back while giving his best “tough” look.
Logan is best described as a “Hot Surfer Dude” with tattoos. I realize I’m generalizing here, but the long, dirty-blond hair, tan skin, and ripped body give him that look. And he actually surfs.
He’s currently looking mighty fine wearing a tight olive-green tee, black cargo pants that are fitted at the ankle, and sneakers without socks. This look he’s got going is a total turn-on for me, and he knows it. There’s something about a man’s ankle…Maybe that’s just me.Point is, he’s hot.
Dylan and Gemma stand when Logan makes his way over, and Cory tells them we’ve known Logan forever. Logan and Gemma introduce themselves first, but when it comes to Dylan, Logan pauses.
“You look familiar. Have we met?” he asks.
Dylan furrows his brow and looks at me for answers.Not that I have any.I don’t know how they know each other. Surprisingly, it’s Gemma that answers.
“Considering you bothclaimto have known Summer all her life, one would assume you know each other.” She’s a little snarky but does have a valid point.
Logan looks to me for help, and whatever is displayed on my face must communicate the right thing, because he comes to my rescue. “Of course, Dylan. Wow! Man, it’s been a long time. Good to see you again.”
“Yeah, you too, Logan. Looking forward to catching up,” Dylan adds to the charade.
They both smile, and I have to say it’s convincing, for me anyway. Gemma, on the other hand, looks annoyed about something, but I’m sick of feeling unsure and awkward.So, we are pretending to be best friends again—big deal.