Page 119 of New Growth
Hope shot up like she’d been personally invited to the Olympics. “Yes! Let’s go!”
El looked at me again as if expecting me to change my mind, but I just adjusted my sunglasses and settled into the lounge chair.
He sighed, raking a hand down his face. “Alright. You two enjoy your book club.”
Esther waved him off. “Don’t let Hope break a nail, or we’ll all be hearing about it.”
He shook his head with a scoff, and Hope flipped her off. Defeated, he looked at me one more time before heading down to the sand with Hope right behind him, practically buzzing with excitement.
I tensed at the thought of the two of them being together alone, but Elliot was ignoring her presence so far. I doubted that would change outside of him needing a volleyballpartner.
We sat in silence for a while, but the sound of the waves kept our company. I was just starting to get into my book when Hope came running back up the deck, still slightly out of breath from the game.
“Ellie, did you tell El about me yet?”
I hesitated for half a second, resting my opened book on my stomach. “Tell him what?”
Hope’s face tightened. “That I’m interested in him? I just tried to make plans with him, and the man looked at me like I was crazy.”
I bit back a laugh. “Oh… I forgot. Sorry.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. I had forgotten, but only because I didn’t want to think about it.
“Why can’t you talk to him?” Esther asked lazily from behind the pages of her crime thriller.
Hope placed her hand on her hip before she replied, “Because he doesn’t know me like that. If Elliot puts in a good word for me, then he would be more intrigued to get to know me.”
Esther let out a deep laugh, finally putting down her book. “Girl. You know he’s basically in love with Elliot, right?”
Hope and I sported the same expression at Esther’s words.
“Stop, El is not in love with me.” I knew Esther loved to get under Hope’s skin, but joking like this was taking it too far. “Sure, he’s attracted to me, but we are just friends, and he understands that.”
“No. He’s waiting for you to let your guard down so that he can slide in those draws,” Esther teased. I pinched her instantly, which made her giggle.
“That’s not what’s happening at all,” I defended. “We are friends.”
Esther returned to her book, her mind already made up. “Hm, sure. I rent out beach houses to spend time with my friends, too.”
I turned to Hope. “ Don’t listen to her. It ain’t like that with us. We really are just friends.”
Hope frowned. “Whatever, Ellie. Just talk to him.”
Before I could say anything, she ran back to the game, leaving me alone with the intense feelings of her and Esther’s words.
I hated how I felt about it. None of this had anything to do with me.
It shouldn’t have mattered. Hope was interested in El. And El, as far as I knew, wasn’t interested in Hope. El wanted me; that much was obvious because, apparently, Esther picked it up, too.But in love?It was too soon for that.
I massaged my temples to relieve the tension.
Why was my life so complicated all of a sudden?
“You want me to break that shit up, or you good?” Esther asked, still reading her book but nodding in the direction of the volleyball game.
I glanced over at Hope and El. They both were really into the game, moving around and diving into the sand to save the ball. El took off his shirt mid-game, and occasionally, he would give her a pat on the back when they scored or a little high-five. It was cute. They looked good together.
They were both fit from working out constantly, they both were very straightforward about what they wanted, and they were closer in age than Elliot and me.
