Page 2 of Chasing After You
“Mira’s face looks like that because she’s complaining I stole her wave that wasn’t even her wave. Hunt came out to give us water, then you walked over,” Bailey recites like the smart-ass he is.Is it considered violence if I kick him?
“Itwasmy wave.”
“Was your name on it?”
I open my mouth to retaliate when Dad interrupts, “Guys, come on, don’t make me be an adult. Mirabelle, Bailey’s right—you can’t put your name on the ocean because it’s a living thing. Bailey, don’t cut your sister off again. I don’t believe for a second that you didn’t know she was taking it. You could have both gotten hurt if you collided and then your mother would have murdered me, so maybe for the sake of my life, we don’t repeat this.”
“I’m going to shower. Maybe you won’t be such a crybaby by the time I’m done,” Bailey says, sticking his tongue out at me as Dad rolls his eyes.
I think I hate him. I love Bailey, but right now, I think I hate him.
JJ tosses the football to Hunter, who grins. Aside from JJ’s freshman year of high school, this upcoming season will be the first time they won’t be on the same team together. He’s leaving for Beaumont University in California in a week, and I’m not ready for my best friend to be on the other side of the country.
Hunter waits for JJ to take off down the beach before throwing the ball for him, turning to face us. “Oh, by the way, Mom wanted me to tell you guys Penelope and Chris are on their way over with Henry and Kaitlyn for dinner.”
My annoyance with Bailey immediately fades at the prospect of seeing Henry. I didn’t think I’d see him for at least another week. His best friend, Andrew, was traded to the Serpents for their wide receiver, and Henry went to help him move. “I didn’t realize he was back from Seattle already,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant, when in all actuality, my whole body feels like it’s coming alive.
Henry is one of my favorite people in the entire world.
I’ve also had a teeny, tiny crush on him for about as long as I can remember. My crush is a small detail, though. Not important in the grand scheme at all.
He’s simply a tall, dark-haired, ruggedly handsome quarterback with a sleeve of Greek mythology tattoos who somehow manages to get hotter every time I see him.
No big deal.
“He got back yesterday. Owen told me about the meeting he had with the front office and Henry this morning,” Dad answers easily. It doesn’t surprise me he knows this. It’s only been five months since he retired from the NFL after a legendary career, setting the record for the oldest player to retire at forty-nine after winning eight of the twelve Super Bowls he took the Panthers to. Dad’s been doing his best, alongside my Uncle Owen, the Panthers’ head coach, to help get Henry ready for his first season as QB1.
My heart spazzes in my chest because I can’t believe I’m arguing out here about this wave when I should be running inside to get ready before Henry arrives. “I’m going to shower too,” I say nonchalantly, or about as nonchalant as I can get.
My hair is a complete tangled mess right now, despite the braid I have it pulled back into, from all the salt in the water and the North Carolina humidity. There is absolutely no way I’m showing my face around Henry looking like I just crawled out of a swamp.Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but still.
I carry my surfboard up the stairs, setting it on the wraparound porch of the beach house my parents now live in full-time since Dad’s retirement. The twins didn’t care about staying in Charlotte for their senior year since the school they’re transferring to is the same one Kaitlyn goes to.
I start my sports public relations internship in Charlotte a few days after JJ moves, so the plan is for me to stay at the house there since my parents aren’t ready to sell it. However, since graduation in May, I’ve spent every day on this beach. It’s been great, but I’m ready to have a purpose again.
It’s been almost four years since the Olympics, and I spent the last three years at Duke trying to figure out what the next step is. I won the all-around individual gold medal, and Team USA earned the all-around team gold. After winning gold medals from the highest-ranking sports competition, it makes everything else pale in comparison.
But who knows? Maybe I’ll fall in love with this internship.
The fact it’s with the Charlotte Blue Panthers—coincidentally the same team Henry plays for—had no impact on my decision to take it.
No impact at all.
~
I’ve taken way longer than necessary to get ready. I’m wearing a black sundress, my long blonde hair has naturally waved after towel drying it, and my moisturizer gives my tan skin a healthy glow.
I look in the mirror, giving myself a reassuring smile.
You can do this. Just don’t let Bailey antagonize you into a petty fight in front of him, and maybe Henry will finally see that I’m twenty instead of ten. The key tonight is to not fight with my brothers. Kaitlyn and the twins are the same age, and have been best friends their entire lives, so hopefully that will keep Bailey distracted. JJ tries to have my back to keep me from acting like a fool in front of Henry, but there’s only so much he can do.
The rest is up to me to keep my short temper in check. I think there’s a better shot of aliens falling from the sky than that happening, but I’m going to try.
I know it’s wishful thinking that Henry will finally see me the same way I’ve always seen him, but I’m not ready to give up.
Shit, does that make me pathetic?
I pull my hair over one shoulder, making my way downstairs. I’m definitely the last one down, but better late than never.
