Page 118 of New Growth
I shrugged. “I’m fine with it.”
Hope smirked. “See? Elliot’s fine with it.”
Esther rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m coming too so I can keep an eye on your trifling ass.”
Hope shot her a middle finger. Esther flipped her off right back, and just like that, they were arguing again.
I ignored them and got out of bed, brushing past El to head to my room. As I walked by, his hand wrapped around my forearm, stopping me.
“You’re punishing me,” he said, his voice low.
I smirked, not bothering to look at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He let me go, exhaling through his nose. “Yeah, right.”
?
We all piled into the rental, and El drove us to the beach.
The drive was filled with Hope and Esther bickering over music choices while El kept stealing glances at me from the driver’s seat. I pretended not to notice, scrolling through my phone like I had important business to tend to. Every now and then, he’d drum his fingers on the steering wheel like he was waiting for me to acknowledge him.
I didn’t.
When we finally pulled up, I was expecting the usual sight of umbrellas, towels in the sand, maybe a rented lounge chair if we felt fancy. But instead, El parked in front of a sleek, modern beach house nestled just off the shore.
I raised an eyebrow. “We breaking in somewhere, or?”
“No, Peanut.” El chuckled as he cut the engine. “I rented it for the day.”
Esther let out a low whistle. “Damn, Big Money.”
Hope looked just as impressed. “For the day?”
I stayed quiet, stepping out of the car and taking in the house. It had floor-to-ceiling windows, an expansive deck overlooking the beach,and private access to the water. The waves crashed just beyond the deck, the scent of salt thick in the air. It was gorgeous.
El glanced at me. “You like it?”
I shrugged, keeping my tone cool. “It’s okay.”
He smirked like he saw right through me, but he didn’t push. Instead, he led the way up the steps, unlocking the front door.
Inside, the house was bright and open, the walls painted in soft shades of blue and white, giving it an airy feel. The deck doors were already open, allowing the ocean breeze to filter in.
I trailed behind everyone, my fingers brushing the wooden railing as I stepped onto the deck. It was beautiful. I hated that he was right. I liked it.
El was still watching me. “You wanna pick a room, or—”
I cut him off, turning toward Esther. “We should lounge out here for a while. Maybe read a little.”
Esther immediately perked up. “Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”
El exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “Are y’all really just gonna sit and read when the weather is this perfect?”
“Yes.” I smiled sweetly. “Yes, we are.”
Hope plopped down onto a chair, already rummaging through her bag for sunscreen. “Well, that sounds boring. I wanna do something fun.”
El took the opening immediately. “I was thinking of playing volleyball. There’s a group that plays just down the beach.”
