Page 42 of Plotting Summer

Awesome. Wear a swimsuit, but bring something nice to change into. And whatever you need to get ready after swimming.

CAPRI

You aren’t going to tell me where we’re going, are you?

TRISTAN

No, but if it helps, I’m pretty sure you’re going to love it.

With his response, my heart does some sort of weird lifting sensation as if I’m sitting on a rollercoaster, and I can’t suppress my smile.

“What’s so funny over there?” Heath's gaze lands on the glowing evidence in my hands. Walker glances in my direction too.

“Sorry.” I lower my phone to my lap. “I was just texting … a friend.”

“Which friend would that be?” Heath asks, a knowing smile forming on his lips.

“You’d like to know, wouldn’t you?”

“It’s Tristan,” Jack says from his seat next to me, reading the name from my screen.

My gaze catches on the subtle shake of Walker’s head, and I flip the phone face down. “Hey! Whose side are you on here?”

Jack shrugs and sets his attention back on the movie.

“Are you two going out again?” Tala asks.

“Tomorrow afternoon. We don’t have plans, do we?”

Tala shakes her head. “I was thinking of taking the kids to the beach, but we can do that in the morning if you want to come.”

The movie pauses, and Serenity’s holding the remote up, her impatient gaze shifting between all four of the adults. “Jack and I can’t hear with everyone talking.”

“You’re fine,” Tala says, pinning Serenity with a correctional look. “It’s not like you haven’t seen Trolls before.”

The Vanderduesen children are as serious about their movies as I typically am. But with Tristan’s texts, I’m all too aware that I’m going to have a hard time focusing my thoughts on anything but tomorrow’s outing. After a solid fifteen minutes of an average C- effort, I quietly excuse myself and slink from the room.

I’m halfway up the stairs when I hear footsteps behind me, and I glance over my shoulder to see Walker standing at the bottom of the stairs. It’s still odd to me that he’s here, hanging out with us by choice.

“Was the movie not holding your interest?” There’s a touch of accusation in his voice, as though I’m sneaking away for something more sinister.

“I’ve seen it before, so I figured I’d get some work done.” He nods, and I can tell he wants to say more. “Is that all you wanted to ask me?”

“What’s going on between you and Tristan?”

Heat instantly creeps into my face. “We’re just friends.”

He stuffs his hands into his pockets and leans a shoulder against the wall. “I know you’ve always had a thing for him, but be careful.”

With my shock at Walker stepping into the role of protective brother for the first time ever, I’m apparently left speechless.

Walker shifts. “With how he is, it’d be easy to confuse his intentions.”

“With how he is?” I repeat, not exactly sure what to make of his comment.

“He’s one of those guys who needs people to like him. And he’ll do whatever it takes for their approval. Just keep in mind that he might not have your best interest at heart.”

A wave of shaking starts to move through me. It always happens with confrontations, which is why I avoid them at all costs. “You don’t even know him,” I say. “We were neighbors for years and you refused to be his friend. What happened between you?”