Page 28 of Hearts at Seaside
Chapter Eight
BY SATURDAY MORNING Jenna was fit to be tied. She hadn’t seen Pete since he’d stormed out of the library, and she’d spent Thursday and Friday vacillating between calling him to explain and feeling like what she did was none of his business. She’d pouted and whined and tried burying her feelings in sweets, but nothing calmed her nerves. Even talking it out with Bella, Amy, and Leanna hadn’t helped her figure out what she should do, or if she should do anything at all. Her phone vibrated and Charlie’s name appeared on the screen.
“Ugh.” Something was seriously wrong with her. Charlie was strong and sexy, interesting, and, probably by any other woman’s standards, a really good kisser. Most women would swoon over his looks and fall in love with his attentive nature—any woman except Jenna, that is. He’d called her several times while he was out of town, and Jenna had tried to remain focused on those calls, but her mind had drifted to Pete. She knew that was a horrible sign, and she should have uninvited him on the boat trip, but she wasn’t good at breaking up, and doing it over the phone seemed rude.
She answered his call, hoping he might cancel their plans.
“Hi, Charlie.”
“Hey. I just wanted to let you know that I might be five minutes late to the marina, but I’ll be there. Don’t worry.”
Did he have to be so considerate? “Okay, no problem. If you can’t make it, just let me know so I can tell Dane.”
“I wouldn’t let you down like that. I’ll be there.”
Of course you will.
After their call, she plopped onto the couch and closed her eyes.Why can’t I just feel something for him? Then this would be easier.
Darn Bella for being right.Pete was the man she loved, and probably the only man she ever would.
“Knock-knock,” Bella said as she walked through the door wearing a blue sundress over her bathing suit. She narrowed her eyes and pointed at Jenna. “Let’s see…You’ve got on your least-favorite bikini, your favorite cutoffs, and your favorite earrings. But your face tells me that the yellow bikini was worn for a reason and the other stuff was an afterthought. Does that mean you didn’t break up with Charlie?”
Jenna met her gaze but didn’t say a word. She knew she didn’t have to.
“Jenna! You promised you were going to do it last night.” Bella sat beside her on the couch. “What are you thinking?”
“I was thinking that it would suck to be broken up with over the phone.”
“The man thinks you want to scale him like a mountain,” Bella reminded her.
“Climb him like scaffolding,” Jenna corrected her.
“Whatever. What happens after the boat trip when he’s ready to do you and you’re ready to dump him?” Bella exhaled loudly. “And what happens when you’re stuck on the boat with both Pete and Charlie?”
Jenna shot upright. “What?”
“Leanna told me this morning that Pete’s going. I didn’t remember him saying he was that night at the Beachcomber, but apparently, he and Dane swapped numbers to talk about boats and…” She shrugged.
“Bella, this is terrible. I can’t go. How can I even face Pete? It’shimI want to climb like scaffolding, and he stomped away when he saw me sucking face with Charlie.” Jenna paced. “This is bad. Very, very bad.”
“You could call Charlie and cancel. Tell him you’re sick or something.”
“I can’t do that. He just called and confirmed. Bella, I’m not cut out for this. I shouldn’t have approached Charlie in the first place. I should have come down here this summer and just ogled Pete for a few weeks, too chicken to let him know how I really feel, and let it go at that.”
“You guys ready?” Amy peeked through the screen.
“No,” Jenna snapped.
“She didn’t break up with Charlie,” Bella said.
“Cripes! Jenna.” Amy joined them inside the cottage. “You know Pete’s coming, right?”
“How come you both knew about him coming and I didn’t know?” Jenna asked.
“Leanna told me just now, but I don’t know how Bella knew.” Amy shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. How are we going to deal with this?”
“I’m not going.” Jenna plopped back onto the couch.
