Page 11 of Paper Hearts

I look at his board shorts when he pulls at the front of them. They’re sticking to his thighs from the water and his, well, penis. I don’t want to look, but I totally do and see the outline of it. My cheeks turn an even brighter red.

“I just got here with my parents and sisters,” I confirm, trying not to appear shy. I sneak a glance at him, just one, and when I do, we both smile. “I have four older sisters.”

Ugh. Why’d I say that?

He nods, as though anything I’m saying to him is interesting. “What’s your name?”

“Hadleigh Hayes. But everyone calls me Hadi or Hads.” I shrug one shoulder. “You can if you want.”

His lips twitch, as if he’s fighting off trying to smile, and then he opens his mouth and I think he’s going to introduce himself until one of the boys yells his name.

“Ender!”

He smiles again. “See ya around, Hads.”

“Bye,” I say, watching him.

He pauses before leaving, leans in closer so his breath hits my ear and says, “I’m not a jerk to pretty girls. Arya’s lying.”

My heart thuds louder. I’m not sure I’m even breathing at this point. “Okay.”

“End!” a man shouts from inside the house. “Get your ass in here!”

Suddenly Ender’s serious, his expression unreadable, and I get a glimpse of sad eyes. His shoulders sag and he shakes his head as if he’s disappointed.

He turns, looks back over his shoulder and then leaves me with my heart thumping hard. I’d never had a boy make me feel like this before. So… uncomfortable and excited at the same time.

I wave goodbye before he’s running up to the house, just as Arya returns with a strawberry popsicle. She hands me one as she peels back the paper wrapper on her own. “Try not to throw this one in the lake.”

I smile, the heat in my cheeks still present as I watch Ender disappear inside the house. “I’ll try not to.”

“Oh God,” she groans, scrunching up her nose. “You like that dickhead, don’t you?”

I’ve never heard a girl talk like her before. My dad would ground us for life if we talked like that. “He was nice.”

She rolls her eyes. “He’s only nice when he wants something from you.”

Wants something from me? What could he possibly want from me?

* * *

Arya stays closeto me that afternoon, and I like her. She watches Ender’s friend, Roman, who eventually introduced himself to me. He’s cute and tall, even taller than Ender.

Hanging near the dock, a few girls come over and chase after the boys. Arya glares at one of them. I learn quickly her name is Kamila. She hangs on Ender, arms wrapped around his neck. He looks annoyed, but kisses her once, and I glance away, my own cheeks burning again. The thought of being kissed is never far from my mind but it hasn’t happened yet. Unless of course you count the little boy Ty who I babysit. He’s seven and always kisses my cheek.

But that doesn’t count.

Ender’s mood is different than it was earlier today, and he has a cut on his lip, like he might have gotten in a fight with someone. I’m too scared to ask what happened.

Arya and I stay on the dock, and eventually Harper and Aunt Leslie come over to check on me. With my thirteen-year-old attitude, they leave quickly.

I turn my attention on the water and see Ender again, wading around up to his neck. Arya is carving her name into the dock with a pocketknife, telling me about what they do for fun around here. “I’m getting pretty good at wake boarding.”

I nod. “I’ve never tried.” Though she holds my interest, I find myself watching Ender. There are a handful of other kids with him, friends maybe.

“I can teach you. It’s easy once you get the hang of it.”

“Okay.” I know there’s no way my dad’s letting me on a boat though. I don’t tell Arya this. I want her to like me, and if I tell her all the things I can’t do, she might find someone else to hang out with.

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