Golden Angel: (Broken Angel #5) by L.G. Castillo Page A

about. You’ve been acting strange ever since that night at the bar. Tell me what’s going on with you.”
    “Nothing.”
    “Ugh! Don’t give me that ‘nothing’ crap. Look, we’re friends, right?”
    “Yes.”
    “Then tell me. Besides, you owe me.”
    “I owe you?”
    She smiled when he stopped and looked down at her curiously.
    “Yeah, you owe me a secret because you made me tell you about my dad.”
    “I didn’t! You—why are you laughing?”
    “Because that’s the most emotion I’ve seen coming out of you all day.”
    “I’ve been that bad, huh?”
    “Yeah, but I know what it’s like. I may be only nineteen, but I know heartbreak when I see it.” She gazed into his handsome face.
    Boy, do I know it.
    “Well, it’s a little hard to explain. I’m not sure where to start.”
    “From the beginning. I’m pretty smart, you know. I even got a full ride to California University.”
    “Really?” He beamed, pride shining in his eyes.
    “Yeah, really.”
    “Then why are you still here?”
    “I couldn’t leave Sammy and Auntie Anela. Besides, even with the scholarship, I couldn’t cover the cost of living expenses, and I would have to earn enough to send back for Sammy.”
    He shook his head and stared out back into the horizon again. His voice was so soft she couldn’t hear what he was muttering. It sounded like he was saying it was his fault.
    “Anyway, I can keep up with whatever it is. So go ahead and tell—good grief! Check out those morons.”
    Two hang gliders soared overhead. They were so close, one false move and they would crash into each other.
    What was up with people? One lesson and they thought they were pros.
    “That looks amazing. How are they doing that?” Jeremy’s eyes lit up for a moment as he watched them flying through the air. Then slowly his handsome face twisted into a wistful expression. It gave her an idea.
    “They’re tourists. They jump off from over there,” she said, pointing to a cliff down the beach. “I know another place that’s way more private and with a lot less crazy tourists. Would you like to try it?”
    He looked back down at her with surprise. “You know how to do that?”
    “When are you going to learn how totally awesome I am? I know lots of things.”
    She should’ve been angry at him for always doubting her, but the deep laughter coming out of him was music to her ears.
    “I’m bowing to your awesomeness,” he said as he dramatically threw up his arm and bowed so low his head nearly touched the sand.
    “Knock it off, Golden Boy.” She chuckled. It felt good to laugh with him again. “So what do you say? Let me take you hang gliding.”
    “Now don’t get mad. I do think you are awesome, but jumping off a cliff is dangerous.”
    “Oh my god, you’re so stubborn. I just told you I know what I’m doing. It’s like the surfing and the freediving. I’ve had training.”
    “You almost drowned when you went freediving.”
    “Yeah, well, I got a little carried away with that.”
    He raised an eyebrow.
    “Damn it! Okay. So, I shouldn’t have gone alone. Next time, I’ll have—”
    “Next time? No. There won’t be a next time.”
    Well, look who suddenly decided to come back to the land of the living. His face was animated. A spark came to life in his eyes. Depressed friend or not, she wasn’t going to let that stop her from training for the surfing competition. She needed the cash.
    “Yes, there will be a next time. I have only a few months to train. In fact, I’m meeting up with Kai tomorrow.”
    She was still mad at Kai, but she needed the cash and he was willing to help her, especially since Sammy had pestered him into it.
    “Cancel it,” he snapped.
    “No.”
    “Cancel it!”
    “No!”
    He let out a frustrated growl. Then his scowl smoothed, and his lips slowly curled into a dimpled, lopsided smile.
    Gah! He was playing dirty.
    “I thought you wanted to take me hang gliding.”
    Oh, he was evil. Only he could make