Page 12 of Tourist Trap

Either way, this ismy summer.

FIVE

MILES

After spending the night trying not to think about Claire Donovan and our dip into the ocean, I wake up before the sun and go for a run to attempt to clear my mind. Then, I spend the rest of the morning tidying the house for the arrival of my new renter, despite my barely even touching most of the rooms throughout the week.

Finally, at noon on the dot, the doorbell rings, and I make my way to the front with an overwhelming sense of dread.

The truth is, I don’twanta roommate. I don’twantto share my home with someone else, not when this is the one place I can hide away from the tourists that will flood this town in the next couple of weeks.

But Idowant my brother off my ass and to finally have this shit behind me, and this is the easiest way to get that done without having to ask for help. So, with my hand on the doorknob, I take in a deep breath before opening the door.

“Hey—” I start, but stop when I see the last person I expected to see.

Claire Donovan.

Claire Donovan is standing on my front step, her face clear of makeup, her hair pulled into a ponytail, a loose Atlas Oaks T-shirt tucked into the front of a pair of jean shorts.

Her pristine, bright yellow car is parked in my driveway next to my truck that’s seen better days, spots of rust spackling it all over. Between New Jersey winters and their salted roads and the ocean air, cars don’t have much of a chance around here unless you’re incredible about your maintenance, of which I am not.

It’s almost funny, the way they look next to one another, the perfect example of how different she and I are. She’s had that same car for years. I remember June calling me to help them on the side of the Parkway when Claire ran out of gas and seeing the yellow Bug a quarter mile away. After that, it’s how I always knew she was here, seeing it parked around town.

But it’s never been parked outside my house.

“Can I help you?” I ask, unable to mask my irritation.

Irritation because somehow, she’s prettier than normal, and annoyingly so. Her eyes are bluer than they were last night in the dark, the color of the sky on a clear, sunny day. Now that she’s smiling at me in broad daylight, I see her set of dimples for the first time in what might be a year. Then she lets out a laugh, that ringing, magical laugh she’s always had.

“God, the world really does work in mysterious ways, doesn’t it?” she says cryptically, putting her hands on her full hips. She’s thoroughly entertained by something I don’t quite understand and don’t have the time for, since my renter should be here any minute.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, looking around to see if June is somewhere nearby.

Or maybe a camera crew for some idiotic prank show. It sounds like something Claire would sign up for.

“This is 14 Ocean Avenue, right?” My brow furrows as she reads out my address, and in the back of my mind, something starts to move, warning bells ringing out.

“Yes?” She lets out an entertained laugh once more, and my irritation grows. “All right, look, if this is some kind of joke, I?—”

Her laughter dies down, and her smile turns sweet before she cuts me off.

“I’m not here for a joke—I was sent here by Helen. She told me you have a place I can stay at for the summer.”

For a moment, I stare at her, trying to piece together the words she’s saying, before finally, it clicks.

I’m such an idiot.

How didn’t I see it the second she showed up at my door?

Claire is the renter Helen recommended. When Helen originally called, I didn’t bother to ask for a name since it didn’t really seem to matter, but now I’m seeing the catastrophic mistake that was.

“No,” I say instantly with a shake of my head, stepping back and starting to close the door. “No way.”

Her foot moves out, stopping me from shutting her out.

“Helen said you said I could stay here,” she explains, her voice taking on a pleading note that does something I very much do not like to my chest.

“She didn’t tell me it would beyou.” Something I realize was probably intentional since Helen knows everythingabout everyonein this town and definitely knew that Claire used to be Paul’s girlfriend.

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