Page 39 of Those Summer Nights (Sweet Cravings 2)

"I'm glad we made up," he said and stole one of the bowls out of my hand as soon as I came out of Sweet Cravings. "I missed this ice cream."

"I thought you missed hanging out with me." Stop being desperate.

"Eh...not as much as the ice cream." He smiled at me and took another bite. We started walking down the boardwalk.

When I was younger, I had always wished I was one of those girls walking down the boardwalk with a boyfriend. I glanced at my lifeguard. I completely understood everything he had said. But it didn't change how I felt. I wasn't sure if I could just be friends with him. Whenever I saw him, I got butterflies in my stomach. And his smile made my knees feel like jelly. And I started to sweat more than usual.

My head was completely logical. Friends only. My mind was one hundred percent into that idea. But my body? It was trying to betray me. I inched closer to him while we were walking and silently cursed myself. My body could be really stupid sometimes.

At the end of the boardwalk we turned down a side street and walked past some more shops. Normally I'd find silence unnerving, but it wasn't awkward with him. Somehow I was comfortable yet nervous at the same time. I tried to squash those nerves. There was no reason to be nervous around a friend. And J.J. and I were doomed to be only that.

"So I was thinking we should have a rematch," he said and stopped on the sidewalk.

"A rematch? You mean in ping pong?"

"Yeah."

"Do you really think that's a good idea? I completely smoked you."

He laughed. "You're so cocky."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, if you really want to get beat again, I'm game. We passed the Grottos already. Is there one closer or should we head back?"

My lifeguard scratched the back of his neck. "I actually have a table in my apartment if you want to just play there. It's probably closer."

He's inviting me back to his place? Even though we had just had a conversation about being friends, it felt like he was giving me mixed signals. Was he as conflicted as me? Or was he trying to torture me? I bit the inside of my lip. Going to his place didn’t mean like a hookup or anything. Friends hung out alone all the time. And I did want to see his place…

"Or we can head back to the Grottos if you'd rather."

"No. I'd like to see your apartment." I smiled at him. He had pointed it out before. It was just farther down the street we had already turned on. I thought we were just randomly walking, but maybe he was trying to get me to come see his place the whole time. The thought made me smile. And then frown. But then I smiled again because it was a lot easier to silence my brain than my body.

"Great. It's actually just a couple more blocks." We started walking again.

"So…I have a question for you," I said.

"Shoot."

"If you have a ping pong table in your apartment, why are you so incredibly bad at it?"

J.J. laughed. "I'm not that bad. You just took me by surprise, that's all."

"Mhm. Sure."

"Geez, you really are cocky, Jellyfish Girl."

He called me Jellyfish Girl again. Maybe we were right back where we were before the kiss. Before he royally screwed up and I gave up men. Before it felt like he stabbed my heart with a knife.

Whatever it was that we had now, I liked it. Him and I were natural together. There was no awkwardness. It seemed like maybe we could actually be friends, as long as I could keep my hands to myself. If it meant keeping him in my life, I had to try.

When we got to his apartment building, he opened the door for me. I couldn't help but think how much of a gentleman he was. Aiden had never opened doors for me. I silently cursed myself for even thinking about Aiden. There was no comparison between him and J.J. They were on totally different levels. J.J. had apologized to me the day after he stomped on my heart. Aiden on the other hand…I was still waiting. And I wasn’t holding my breath.

"So, are your roommates home?" I asked as we stepped on the elevator.

"I'm not sure. Why, are you scared to be alone with me?" He smiled.

He was being flirtatious again. The butterflies started flapping around in my stomach on command. He's like this with all girls. It means nothing. I just needed to get used to it. He wasn't coming on to me. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. Or is he?

"Not at all," I said. "Anyone who's that bad at ping pong isn't very scary."

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