Shipwrecked Summer by Carly Syms Page A

off, losing my nerve.
        “Just what?” I could detect a trace of impatience in his voice and I sighed.
    Did it matter what he thought of me at this point? He obviously preferred Pia and I might as well let him know I wouldn’t be a total pushover.
       “I don’t know what your problem is,” I snapped, the bite in my voice surprising both of us. “You’re all nice to me the night we met, rescuing me from Jeff at the bonfire, and you’re even nicer the next day when we’re hanging out. You keep asking me to do things, saying all the right stuff, and then it’s just like...bam! You’re done with me as soon as the next shiny toy comes along.”
    “That toy being...?”
        I narrowed my eyes. “Really? You have to ask?”
        He looked at me and shrugged. “Yeah, I have to ask.”
        “I know you haven’t already moved on from Pia.” I said her name as if it was a contagious disease.
        “Moved on from...” he trailed off. “Pia? I’m not interested in Pia.”
        “Yeah. Obviously not.” I shook my head. If Anthony wasn’t even going to be straight with me, what was the point?
        He shook his head. “I don’t know where you’re getting this, Lexie. Because I’m nice to her? That doesn’t mean I want her.”
        “Oh, please. Guys always want her.”
        Anthony held up his hands, palms facing the dark night sky. “I don’t know what to say. I’m not one of them.”
        “Then what do you want?”
        “Honestly? I don’t want anything but to have a good time this summer. I’m going to school in the fall, you’re going to school in the fall, she’s going to school in the fall. I just want to enjoy this last summer before college, you know?”
    I nodded, but I didn’t know. I wanted to have a good time, too, but I wanted more than that. How could he be so cavalier about his expectations for the summer?
    “It’s like...whatever happens happens,” he went on. “And I’m not interested in anything serious, so I’m sorry if I somehow gave you that impression. And I didn’t mean to give it to Pia, either. Guess I have to talk to her, too.”
    I smiled, comforted by the thought that Anthony didn’t prefer Pia to me and that he was a decent enough guy to tell her that straight to her face. And mine.
    “Okay,” I said. “No big deal.”
    He raised an eyebrow as if he didn’t quite believe me, but was nice enough not to press the issue.
    “Then are we good?” he asked me. “Because I like hanging out with you. I don’t want that to go away.”
    I nodded. “Yeah,” I said. “Me neither.”
    “Okay.” He sighed. “Good.”
    We walked up to Tack Jordan’s front porch and Anthony tried the door. Finding it unlocked, we walked into his house and up a maze of staircases to the rooftop pool. It was probably the only private pool on all of Fresh Water Island and as much as I loved my third-floor balcony, if Grandma and Poppy said they’d rather put a swimming pool up there, I don’t think I’d complain too much.
    Gianna was already there, standing off to the side, holding a red plastic cup and talking to Joey, who grinned back at her as she gestured wildly as only she could.
    Pia sat on a ledge on the side of the pool by herself, but I watched as her eyes lit up when Anthony entered the room. Her face fell only slightly when I showed up right behind him.
    “Ready to jump in?” Anthony asked me with a wicked grin as I pulled my blue swimsuit cover-up over my head.
    He held out his hand to me and I smiled, taking it in mine. It felt warm and smooth and nice against my skin and I couldn’t help but shoot a sly smile in Pia’s direction. She glared at us through eyes as narrow as slits.
    “One...two...!”
    We didn’t get to three before Anthony jumped, pulling me with him. I shrieked as we flew through the air and hit the cold water with a splash.
    Our hands separated underwater and when I came up for air and looked for him, my