For the first time all summer, I wake up early. While I'm dreading the thought of spending the day with Jordan, I can't help but feel hopeful. If Lexi's plan works, Jordan could change his mind about the cafe; the Big Fish Cafe could be saved.

I take my time getting ready. I can tell by the sky that today will be a scorcher, so I put on a black strappy top and denim shorts before applying my makeup.

Dad's not in the kitchen when I make it downstairs–he's busy catering for some big conference at New Wave hotel–so it's just Lexi and her boyfriend, Elliot, at the table. I've only met Elliot three or four times–Lexi met him in college, and he lives on the mainland–but he seems nice enough, if a little boring.

"Hey, Evvy," he says with a grin. "How's it going?'

I smile before taking a seat. "Really good, thanks." I glance at his overflowing plate of French toast and fresh fruit. "Got enough there?"

"Blame Lexi," he says, glancing at his plate. "She knows French toast is my weakness, especially how she cooks it. You reckon she's gonna follow in your dad's footsteps?"

Lexi smiles as she hands me a plate piled high the same way. "Only if my plan to become a Marine Biologist falls through, which leads me onto my good news." She looks between the two of us, bursting with excitement. "My professor called me this morning to tell me he's secured an interview for a graduate entry position." 

The biggest grin spreads across Elliot's face. He jumps to his feet, pulling Lexi into a hug. "Congrats, Lexi. You'll do amazing." 

For a second, I'm silent. While I'm happy for Lexi, a part of me can't help but feel saddened by this news. If Lexi gets this job, she'll be moving to the mainland, and then I'll be moving to the mainland, and who will Dad have?

Lexi glances at me, so I force myself to smile. "I'm so happy for you, Lex. Do you need me to practice interviewing you?"

It was the same thing Lexi had done for me when I'd gone for the waitressing job at the cafe. She sat me down at the breakfast table with a list of questions, and we practiced for hours. I'd thought it was overkill at the time, but now I realize she was just trying to help me.

"No, it's okay," she says. "You need to concentrate on winning over Justin." 

"Jordan," I correct.

Elliot looks between us, confused. "Who's Jordan, and why do you need to win him over?"

I sigh and glance at the patio doors. Sunlight pours through them and falls on the floor, revealing the scuff marks on the tiles. When Mom bought this table, she enlisted the help of Lexi and me to drag it into position, scuffing the new tiles in the process. Dad spent forever laying them down, so whenever he'd notice, he'd get annoyed at Mom all over again.

Nowadays, he doesn't get mad, he just smiles at the memory. It's really the little things–scuffs in the wood, burn rings on the counter–that remind us of her. She was here, she existed, even if it sometimes starts to feel like she didn't.

"Evvy, are you okay?" Lexi asks.

"I'm fine," I say, turning to Elliot. "Jordan is this guy trying to sell the cafe. I'm hoping that giving him a tour of the island this week will help him to realize how important this place is to the locals. Maybe it will stop him from selling."

Elliot furrows his eyebrows. "Is it really such a big deal if it gets sold? I mean, it will still end up as something similar, right? A cafe or a coffee shop or an ice cream shop or whatever."

I narrow my eyes. "But it won't be the Big Fish Cafe anymore, and if the wrong person buys it, it would be the start of the piranhas monopolizing the beachfront."

He's still wearing his, What's the big deal, face, and I start to feel annoyed. Lexi must realize this because she rests an arm on Elliot's shoulder and says, "My mom worked at that cafe, Elliot. It's important to Evvy." 

My heart sinks. I'm glad that she's sticking up for me, but I hate the way she says it, like it's important to me, not us. "I need to get going," I say, getting to my feet. "I'll see you guys later."

I head into the garage and grab my bike before starting my ride. The cycle to the cafe calms me, and I concentrate on the way my feet spin on the pedals, and the way the smell of the ocean tingles my nose. No matter what happens, this island has the power to calm me again.

When I get to the cafe, Jordan is already waiting outside. He's wearing pale blue jeans and a white tee that shows off his new bronzed tan. I clear my throat and pull up before him, tilting my head. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," he says, squinting at me. "Where are we going?"

I smile. "It's a surprise, but first, we need to get you a bike." I grab his hand without thinking to lead him to the rental place. The second our hands touch, it's like every ounce of blood in my body rushes to my fingertips. Our eyes meet, and something tells me he felt it, too.

"Come on," I say. I shake off the feeling and lead him down a street of shops until we get to the bike rental place. It's a quirky little storefront with dozens of sunflowers stuck to the bright yellow awning. Inside, Teddy is standing at the counter playing on his phone. His head snaps up before he realizes it's me.

"Jesus, Evvy," he says. "You almost gave me a heart attack. I thought you were an actual customer or my dad coming to rag on me for being on my phone." 

I frown and say, "I am an actual customer. Well, he is." I point to Jordan, and Teddy's eyes slowly flit to his. He takes in Jordan's jeans first, then slowly works his way up to Jordan's face.

"This is...my friend," I say. "He's–" I glance at Jordan, knowing it's probably not a good idea to go around telling the locals what Jordan looks like. While most have heard about what's happening at the Big Fish Cafe, not many have a face to put to the name; I don't want to start a witch hunt.  "He's new to the island."

Teddy nods and proceeds to sort out a bike for Jordan. "It was good seeing you the other night," he says while he unlocks one of the bikes. "We should meet up again before you head to college."

I don't know why, but I glance at Jordan. He's been leaning on the counter thus far, watching Teddy with a stoic expression, but now I can see his arms are tense, his eyes slightly darker. Maybe it's my imagination, maybe I'm reading too much into a subtle change in demeanor, but a part of me wonders if he's jealous.

"Yeah, we should," I say, smiling. "How much do I owe you?"

Teddy waves his hand. "Just make sure you bring it back by the end of the week in one piece."

I grin and thank him, then Jordan and I start our bike ride down the street toward my favorite spot on the beach. It's a beautiful ride. We've got the ocean to our left and the shops to our right while the smell of water lingers in the air. It's the perfect weather, too, not a single cloud in the sky; I couldn't have planned this better if I tried.

"You guys friends?" Jordan asks after a while. He sounds casual about it, his voice light, so it's hard to tell if he's just making conversation or trying to pry. For some unknown, inexplicable reason, I want it to be the latter.

"Not really," I say. "He was friends with my ex. We hung out as a group sometimes, but that was it."

"You heard from him since?" he asks. "Your ex, I mean."

"Not since you scared him away at the cafe. What about you? Any exes hounding you?"

"No." He flashes the sexiest grin. "Maybe I'm just not as desirable as you."

"No arguing there."

"You don't find me desirable?" he asks.

I keep my gaze ahead, refusing to succumb to his gaze. "Nope."

"Could have fooled me."

I ignore him and pedal harder, like maybe if I do it hard enough, I can out pedal the butterflies flapping away in my stomach.

"So, what was it like growing up here?" he asks.

"Good," I say. "I mean, some of my friends found it boring, but I loved it. What about you? What was it like growing up in Chicago?"

Jordan lifts an eyebrow, his eyes still focused on the road. "It wasn't like here, that's for sure. I mean–" he nods at one of the stores we cyle past, which is completely unmanned. "You'd never get that in Chicago. How does the owner know someone won't come along and steal a bunch of crap?"

I laugh at the way his face scrunches up. "That's just the way it is here. We leave doors unlocked and shops unmanned, and nothing bad ever happens. Except people trying to sell our cafes." I smile as I say it to let him know that I'm joking, and he rolls his eyes. 

"It's kind of nice," he says after a moment or two. "Peaceful."

"It wasn't peaceful in Chicago?"

He shrugs and says, "Maybe for some."

I'm desperate to ask him what he means by this, but the way he goes quiet tells me he won't be elaborating, so we cycle on in silence. The further we go, the quieter the road gets. There are no cars or bikes or locals or tourists, there is just an open road and the sweet sound of silence.

At some point, the road becomes a dirt road that leads down through some bushes, and we pop out at my stretch of beach. Finally, I turn to Jordan, the biggest smile on my face. "We're here."

A/N

Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! 🏝