Page 24 of One Happy Summer

“Well . . . yes, I guess it was.”

“And you probably took it for granted.”

He doesn’t respond, and he doesn’t need to. I feel stupid for complaining. But it doesn’t seem like Briggs is judging me right now. He looks more contemplative.

“And now I get to spend the summer cooped up in a hotel.”

“You’re not in a hotel right now,” Briggs says. He’s giving me a teasing grin. It’s in the upward curve of his lips and the look of mischief in his eyes.

“Okay, I’m supposed to be in a hotel room. And after this, I’m going to stay there.”

He gives me a questioning stare. “I don’t know. You’ve been here for, what, less than a week? And you’ve already left the resort twice.”

I cover my face with my hands. “I know. I don’t know how I’m going to do it.”

Briggs is quiet for a minute, and I pull my hands away from my face to see him looking at me.

“It can’t be that bad at the resort,” he says.

“It’s not; the resort is beautiful. It’s not that, anyway. I’m just not good at staying put. I don’t know how to do it.”

Briggs looks off to the side, going quiet as if he’s thinking about something.

“We could do some of those things,” he says.

I pull my chin inward. “What . . . things?”

“The summer stuff. While you’re here.”

“I’m supposed to be hiding in my room, remember?” He was literally just teasing me about it.

He reaches up and adjusts his glasses. “Yeah, but you just said you don’t know how you’re going to do it. So . . . don’t. I’m here for the summer and feeling pretty directionless right now, so we could, I don’t know, do stuff . . . together?”

I can’t help it when my eyes tear up a little. I blink the moisture away and hope he doesn’t notice. I’m an actress, afterall. But I’m completely touched by the fact that he wants to spend time with me, especially after seeing the video of me losing my crap. Why did everyone else turn their backs, but not him?

I know right away that I can’t spend the summer gallivanting around with Briggs. Even if I really, really want to. But just the fact that he’s offered means so much to me.

“That is seriously the sweetest offer, and I’d love to take you up on it, but it’s for the best if I stay at the resort,” I tell him.

I want to say yes. I want to scream it, actually. A whole summer doing summer things with a guy who is so unexpectedly not what I’m used to. But, I can’t. I can’t risk it. This is my career. If word gets out and the paparazzi catch me roaming around an island having what would probably be the best summer ever—because, let’s face it, any kind of summer activity would be better than what I’ve been doing my entire life—the headlines would be scathing.

Presley James Living Her Best Life, Despite Video

Presley James Doesn’t Care What We Think of Her

Did She Think We Forgot Already? Presley James is at it Again

“We could be discreet,” Briggs says.

“We could,” I say. “But with everyone already talking and the teens sneaking onto the private beach, the damage might already be done. I think right now I probably need to lie low.”

It’s for the best, even if I hate it with a passion.

He nods. “Well, the offer stands if you ever changeyour mind.”

Even as I want to saynever mind, let’s have the best summer ever, I know I can’t change my mind.

This is how it has to be.

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