Page 52 of The Summer of Wild

"You're a natural," Ian laughs. "I'll have to put in a good word with my dad."

"Yeah," I chew on the inside of my cheek.

Hendrix misses the ball and hits the sand at least a dozen times before Wilder jogs over to help her. I roll my eyes in disgust as he stands behind her and places his hands over hers. Then, Wilder sways their bodies back and forth as he shows her how to swing the club.

"You guys close?" Ian guesses as he tips his head in Wilder's direction.

"Not really," I shrug. "We've been neighbors for the past six years."

"So, you're the girl next door?" he laughs nervously.

"I'm the girl a few doors down," I clarify. "I also dated his best friend all through high school."

"There's history then," he scratches the back of his neck.

"You could say that."

"Do you like him?"

I scrunch my nose. "No. Wilder is annoying and disgusting."

Ian smirks. "That sounded like a yes."

It might be a yes, but I'm not admitting it to a stranger.

"I don't really care how it sounded," I hitch a shoulder. "Wilder and I are acquaintances who live on the same block."

Finally, Hendrix makes contact with the ball. It flies by us, in the opposite direction of the hole.

"We're going to be here all day at this rate," Ian runs a hand over his face.

By the time we make it to hole 15, there's a line of golf carts behind us. I sigh with relief when I see the beverage cart heading our way.

"I'm gonna go get a drink," I say to the group.

"I'll go with you," Wilder offers.

I swallow hard, not sure what game he's playing at now. "Okay."

We leave Hendrix and Ian behind as we walk over to the cart. We wait behind two middle-aged men, neither of us saying anything. I'm hyperaware of every movement Wilder makes. The twitch of his hand, the way his Adam's apple bobs as he swallows, the tiny droplets of sweat forming on his upper lip. I study him, trying to read him. Trying to figure out why we can't seem to get along for very long.

"Why are you staring at me, Blondie?" He raises his eyebrows at me.

"I'm sorry," I shake my head. "I was thinking about earlier. I shouldn't have said what I did."

"It's fine," he huffs.

I know I shouldn't push him, but I need answers.

"Did Cash really have a secret Snapchat account?" I gnaw on my lower lip.

"No," he clears his throat. "I lied about that."

"Oh," I frown.

"I knew it would upset you, and I wanted to hurt you after what you said to me."

"I do the same thing to you sometimes," I admit. "And the part about him using you to get out of spending time with me, was that a lie, too?"

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