The morning of the scavenger hunt, I'm in a sour mood. Now that the day has finally arrived, I keep thinking about all of the ways it could go wrong. There's so much riding on this one scavenger hunt that it'll be impossible to truly enjoy it.

But that's not why I'm irritated. Deep down, it's Jordan and what Lexi said about us that I keep thinking about. It's like the few days we've spent apart have given me a chance to remember how much is at stake here, how much we've got working against us. Between me going off to college and him potentially selling the cafe and moving back to Chicago, this thing between us can't possibly go anywhere – it was doomed from the start. And if something is doomed from the start, why am I setting myself up for heartache?

Maybe I'm being negative, but I'm not the type of girl to throw all caution to the wind. I can't follow, It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I have never been an optimist, not since Mom died, which is why, the closer this scavenger hunt gets, the more I feel as if life as I know it is ending. I can't stop it or avoid it or change it, because Dad was right all along: change happens, and I am powerless to stop it.

Defeated, I take my time getting ready. At the end of this hunt is the party, so I need to wear something light enough to look casual in the day but can still look dressy at night. I settle on a white floaty dress that cinches in at the waist and flows outward in wispy tendrils. My hair is down for once, cascading down my back in ringlets, and I complete the look with some bronzer, gold eyeshadow, and lipgloss.

Lexi is already gone by the time I get down to breakfast, but Dad is still here sorting things out for the buffet. He grins when he sees me, then kisses my cheek. "Morning, honey. You look nice. You all set for today? You and Satan are doing the hunt, right?"

"I'm meeting him at the bike rental in half an hour. Weather still look okay for today?"

"Yup, been checking the forecast religiously. Blue skies all around."

Relieved, I finish off my breakfast and think about what I'm going to say to Jordan. We can't just go from kissing straight to cold turkey, but how do I explain to him what I'm scared of? Or more importantly, what if I'm getting ahead of myself? What if to him, this is nothing more than a summer kiss? Discovering he thinks of this as a fling is worse than anything else.

The ride to the rental shop is an anxious one. Still, the moment I see Jordan standing next to his bike in the sunshine, wearing a black tee and jeans, it's like I forget everything. It's only been a few days, but he somehow looks even more handsome than I remember.

I climb off my bike and kick up the bike stand before closing the distance between us. "Hey," I say, squinting at him. I'm tempted to step forward and throw my arms around him, but the logical part of me screams don't even think about it.

"Hey." He smiles that lopsided grin that makes my heart swoon. "I like your dress."

I ignore the way my heart skips a beat. "Thanks. Do you have a pair of jeans in every shade? Because it seems like it."

"Of course I do. You think I came unprepared?"

"I think if you were normal, you'd have come in shorts."

He raises an eyebrow, and I hate how ridiculously sexy it makes him look. I take a deep breath and start toward my bike, but he grabs my hand and pulls me back, spinning me into him. I'd forgotten how nice it feels to hold his hand, to feel the warmth of his fingers on my skin. I look up at the same time he looks down, something electric passing between us. It seems impossible that simple proximity can send my heart racing, but he seems to have this effect on me.

"You miss me?" he asks.

I swallow hard, certain he can feel the pounding of my heart through my wrist. I'm dangerously close to getting my heart broken, and while a part of me doesn't care, a bigger part does.

"Maybe," I say, pulling my hand back, but it's impossible to say it without smiling. He smiles back, and I'm practically a puddle at his feet. I quickly pull the first clue out of my pocket, acutely aware of him watching me. His eyebrows are furrowed, drawn together in the middle in that ridiculously sexy manner. "Lexi said the first clue is easy for the tourists," I say, opening up the note. "Finding the first clue will leave you with jitters, you might want to order some spicy conch fritters." 

"The cafe," we say in unison. 

"Come on," I say. "Let's go."

We hop on our bikes and cycle down the street in the direction of the cafe. It's a beautiful morning, the sun beaming down from a cloudless blue sky. The streets are relatively quiet too, except for a few hungry seagulls pecking at scraps of fries on the sidewalk, and a couple strolling the boardwalk hand in hand.

Eventually, Jordan says, "Maybe I'm off base here, but are you mad at me or something?" 

"Of course not," I say. "I just want to find the next clue."

"All right, if you say so."

I turn to face the road again. I feel terrible for lying, but right now I just want to get this hunt over with. When we find out how much money we've raised and whether it's enough, then maybe I can breathe again.

I'm grateful when we pull up to the cafe. There are already several people inside, in the process of ordering the fritters, which at least is good for business. Kali is running around all over the place trying to seat customers while Lina serves up the food. I lead Jordan over to my favorite table by the window, and we quickly take a seat.

Lina spots us and sticks up her thumb before heading into the back to grab us some conch fritters. She's working the morning shift today but will head to the beach this afternoon to help Lexi.

Across the table, Jordan leans forward, his serious eyes on, his legs trapping mine beneath the table. It looks like any moment, he's going to kiss me right here in the cafe.

"Stop looking at me like that," I say lightly.

"Like what?" he says.

"Like that." I indicate to his ridiculously handsome face. "Like you're about to possibly take off my clothes."

He lowers his head, leaning in closer. "What if I can't help it?"

"Try."

He frowns a little. "So the one thing I've wanted to do for three days, you're saying I can't do?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

I open my mouth to give him some kind of explanation. Because I like you, I want to say. Really like you. And I don't particularly want to go off to college suffering from a broken heart.

Luckily, Lina comes back with the conch fritters, our note on the side of the plate. Jordan grabs a fritter and munches away while I read out the next clue. "When broken only time will tell, how long you'll stay within your shell."

The biggest smile crosses my face. "You know where this is, right?"

He pauses, and then, "The turtle sanctuary you took me to."

"Come on."

"Wait." He quickly wolfs down the rest of the fritters, then gets out his wallet and leaves a tip for Lina.

We get to our feet before heading to our bikes, starting our ride to the sanctuary. Things feel a little lighter now, like we've found our rhythm, and for the rest of the ride, we make small talk about the island or his childhood summers with his grandpa. We make sure to steer clear of the trickier topics, like college or the cafe, and I realize it's better this way. Easier. If we can just keep avoiding what feels like the inevitable, maybe I can enjoy tonight.