Page 91 of The Beach Trap

KAT

The drive to Destin is just as long as it always is, but today, time seems to fly. The traffic is normal and so is the weather—but this is the first trip where I’ve had Henry to keep me company on the phone. Granted, I’ve done most of the talking while he works and listens to me on speakerphone, but it’s been nice. He’s nice. And a damn good kisser based on the few kisses we’ve been able to sneak when Sunny was distracted.

It seems Henry Alexander is full of surprises. We’ve talked every night this week after he’s put Sunny to bed, and it’s mostly helped me keep my mind off the fact that I haven’t heard back about the Worthington application. Or from Blake.

She never responded to the note I left, and I can’t say I blame her. I said some pretty hurtful things, and Henry’s helped me realize I’ve been taking most of my grief and anger out on her. It was wrong of me, and I’m hoping she’ll talk to me face-to-face. That’s the best way to apologize, anyway.

“What do you think?” Henry asks.

“Shit,” I curse under my breath. The man says a dozen wordsand I missed half of them. “Connection dropped for a second. What’d you say?”

Henry laughs and I’m pretty sure he knows I’m full of shit. “I was asking if you wanted to come by for dinner tonight.”

My heart does a little dance at the thought of seeing Henry in a few short hours.

“Sunny really wants to see you,” he adds.

I smile, knowing that Sunny has nothing to do with it. It’s been more than a week since we’ve been alone together, and I have a feeling he’s as anxious as I am to pick up where we left off. My lips tingle with anticipation, but I know there’s something else I need to do first.

“I’ve got to try and see Blake when I get in,” I tell him, knowing that if I go to Henry’s house, I won’t want to leave. And I need Blake to know she’s important enough that I wouldn’t wait to talk to her.

Henry exhales loud enough for me to hear, and I can’t help but smile at his disappointment. I feel it, too, but I know I have to do this.

“I’ll come by after,” I tell him. “Maybe Sunny will be asleep...”

That gets a laugh out of him, and we both agree that a few more hours won’t kill us.

“I should get back to work,” Henry says.

“Okay,” I tell him. Neither of us moves to end the call, and I feel like a teenage girl with a giant crush, not wanting to be the one who hangs up. Twice in the last week, we talked until I fell asleep, which I’m pretty sure means he now knows that I snore, too.

“I’ll see you tonight,” he says. “And in the meantime, I’ll be admiring your Instagram.”

“Liar.” I laugh. Henry might be the last adult alive who isn’t on social media. He says he’ll join and follow me to be my luckyone hundred thousandth follower, which is getting closer and closer. It’s such a huge milestone, and as excited as I am to reach it, part of me is sad that I’m a few months too late. In my head, 100k was the magic number that would make my dad proud of me. That it would be enough for him to realize that what I was doing mattered. That I mattered.

“What’s your count now?” Henry asks, bringing me back to the moment.

“Ninety-nine thousand seven hundred and thirty-two–ish,” I tell him.

He laughs the deep belly laugh that makes me feels like I won a prize. “Ish,” he says, a teasing lilt to his voice.

“I’ve been driving and on the phone with you,” I remind him. “It’s not like I could check in the last few hours.”

“I’ll let you get back to driving,” he says. “Good luck with Blake.”

He ends the call, and I drive the last stretch of highway with a smile on my face.

As I cross the Mid-Bay Bridge, my phone buzzes. My heart lifts at the sight of Blake’s name on the screen.

I hope this means she’s been waiting for me to get back to town, that the reason for her silence wasn’t hurt or anger, but that she also thought it would be best for us to talk face-to-face.

As traffic slows at the tollbooth, I reach for my phone and read her message. It’s long, which isn’t like her.

Blake:There was an issue with the house last week. I’d hoped to have it cleaned up before you got here, but the floor took too long to dry out, so please avoid the area that’s blocked off underneath the upstairs bathroom. I had to leave town for a family matter, but I’ll be back to finish the work next week.

Behind me, a car honks and I realize it’s my turn at the toll. I drive through, my head spinning from Blake’s message. There’s so much to unpack, starting with her tone. It’s cold and distant, the way we were in the beginning. Like we’re nothing more than strangers. I wonder what the family matter might be, and I hope her grandfather is okay. He’s all she has left. Other than me.

I step on the gas, hoping against hope that I can catch Blake before she leaves town and I miss my chance to make things right.

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