Page 77 of The Summer We Played Pretend

“Cut the crap,” she snaps, jabbing a finger at me. “We both know you’re full of it. I’ve seen the way you look at her. And Chloe? She’s falling apart because you’re too much of a coward to deal with it.”

Her words hit like a punch to the gut.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, but the denial feels weak, even to me.

“Don’t I?” Her tone sharpens. “She didn’t deserve to get her heart broken twice this summer. You were supposed to be better than Brendan. Not worse.”

The name makes my pulse roar in my ears.

“Yeah,” she says, her voice colder now. “That’s what you’re doing to her. Hurting her. Just like he did. The difference? Brendan was a selfish jerk. You’re just a scared idiot.”

My fists curl at my sides. I can’t explain it to her—hell, I can barely explain it to myself.

Sara lets out a sigh, shaking her head. “You don’t have to tell me what’s going on in that messed-up brain of yours but let me make one thing clear—Brendan isn’t out of the picture. He’s been sniffing around Chloe again, and I’m worried she’s too hurt to figure out he’s going to use her all over again.”

I snap my head toward her. “What?”

Sara shrugs, the casual motion at odds with the sharpness in her tone. “He’s been making a big show of being apologetic. Acting like he’s changed.”

"Chloe wouldn't go back to him," I say, my voice firm. “She’s too smart for that.”

“She’s also heartbroken,” Sara counters, jerking her thumb toward the pier in the distance. “I just saw them heading down there while I was on the Ferris wheel. Alone.”

The thought of Brendan anywhere near Chloe makes my stomach churn with something darker than jealousy. Something a whole lot closer to fury.

“Just think about it, Jackson,” Sara says, her voice softening slightly. “If you don’t figure out what you want—and soon—you might lose her for good. And it won’t be Brendan’s fault. It’ll be yours.”

I stare at her, the truth of her words slicing through me. I know I’ve been stubborn. Stupid, even. But I was only protecting the both of us from further hurt.

The dumb thing is, this hurts worse than if we’d fallen apart after she’s gone to college. At least I’d have known we tried.

I glance at Sara then at the road toward the pier. "Damn it," I mutter, shoving the burger into her hands before I duck out from under the awning.

The wind off the coast hits me like a slap, cold and relentless. Rain quickly soaks through my clothes, clinging to my skin, but I don’t stop. My feet pound the pavement as I head toward the pier, my heart racing with every step.

Through the sheets of rain, I spot two figures moving up the pier. Chloe’s pace is quick, her body language tense. Brendan follows close behind, his posture too aggressive.

She’s running from him.

Shit.

When I reach the pier, the wooden planks groan under my weight, and the wind howls around me.

She's standing dangerously close to the edge, her body language tense. The sight sends a jolt of fear through me. Despite the rain pelting down on my face, I quicken my pace toward Chloe and Brendan. My heart is pounding in my chest as I try to figure out what’s going on between them.

"Leave her alone!" I yell, but my voice is swallowed by the storm.

Chloe moves against the pier railing, waves splashing up around her, and Brendan steps closer, gesturing wildly. I pick up my pace, but it’s too late. The old wood gives a sickening crack beneath her feet, and Chloe tumbles backward into the dark, churning water.

"Chloe!"

Brendan freezes, staring at the waves. I shove past him, my shoulder slamming into his as I reach the edge.

"Move!" I snarl and kick off my shoes.

"You’ll drown,” Brendan says in a weirdly detached tone as he stares sightlessly at the waves

I dive in, the cold water closing in around me. I pull hard toward her, my muscles screaming in protest. The waves threaten to drag me toward the wooden struts of the pier, but I have to get to her.

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