Page 106 of Cross the Line
‘Excuseme? At least I know how to move on beat.’
‘You’rethe one who nearly took out a crowd of aunties with your elbows.’
Oakley scoffs. ‘Oh yeah? I’ll show you what kind of damage I can do with my elbows. Come here, you son of a—’
‘Yeah, okay, no,’ I interrupt, reaching for Oakley so I can distract them from going after each other, but they’re already tussling.
Shaking my head, I pull my hand back and wait it out. At least it’s not me Oakley’s fighting with. I wouldn’t put it past Mark to have provoked him on purpose. I’ll have to thank him later for taking one for the team.
When they finally break apart, Oakley has a seashell stuck to his forehead and Mark has an angry red scratch down his shoulder from where Oakley got him with a piece of driftwood, but they’re otherwise unscathed. And the general animosity has been turned down a notch as well.
‘Just like old times,’ Mark says, leaning back on his elbows and surveying Oakley and me. ‘Us fighting on the beach and Chava still passed out, missing all the fun.’
‘But he’ll have breakfast ready by the time we’re back,’ Oakley reminds us, plucking the seashell off his face. ‘Him failing out of culinary school was our gain.’
Mark leans around Oakley to shoot me a smirk. ‘And since it’s summer break, I’ll even let you eat French toast.’
I let out a relieved groan. ‘Oh, thankfuck.’
The tension between us cracks, and the old camaraderie falls back into place. It doesn’t mean that Oakley has forgiven me or moved past my misdeeds, but it’s evidence that wecanwork through it.
‘Come on, get your asses up,’ Mark says, climbing to his feet. ‘These waves are too good to just sit and look at.’
Following suit, I heave myself up and I test my luck, extending a hand to Oakley. I hold my breath as he scrutinizes it, because we both know it’s more than just an offer to help him up. It’s an olive branch. A peace offering. A question –will we be okay?
When another second ticks by and he doesn’t make a move, I nearly start to sweat. But then he slaps his palm against mine.
‘I still hate you,’ he says once I’ve pulled him to his feet. ‘But I get it. I don’t have to like it, but I get it. And it doesn’t change anything between us, all right?’
‘Except you hating me,’ I point out, but I’m grinning.
‘That’s nothing new, man.’ He slaps my shoulder and pushes around me. ‘I’ll get over it. Like always.’
I’m sure he will. We just have to see how long it’s going to take.
——
I’m bruised and battered by the time I make my way back toward the houses. As I climb up the pathway, I spot my mom on the patio sipping her morning cup of coffee. She raises a hand to beckon me over, and I don’t dare ignore it.
Like an exhausted kid, I drop in front of her legs and lean back against her shins. My wet, sandy hair falls into her lap, yet she doesn’t complain. No, like the incredible mother she is, she runs her fingers through the strands.
‘You look like you lost a fight,’ she says warmly. ‘I take it the ocean won?’
With a snort, I close my eyes and let her massage my scalp. It really is like childhood all over again. ‘I let her win.’
‘Smart boy.’ She hums, and I hear the clink of her coffee cup on the table before she speaks again. ‘Is everything okay with you and Oakley now?’
I freeze under her hand. The question is far too innocent, like she’s playing it off as if she doesn’t know exactly what’s going on. But she does. Shealwaysdoes.
After a beat, I tilt my head back to look at her, but her expression gives nothing away. ‘Is that your way of asking if he’s okay with Willow and me dating?’
The corner of her mouth quirks up a little, but it’s the sparkle in her eyes that gives her away. ‘Maybe.’
I groan as I sit up and pull back, turning to glare at her. It’s weak, though. ‘So you know?’
‘Oh, beta.’ The full smile spreads across her face. ‘I’ve had my suspicions, but I knew for sure when I saw you sneak into her house last week. You’re lucky you didn’t fall off that trellis, you bad boy.’
My jaw goes slack. ‘You saw that?’
