Unfiltered & Undressed (The Unfiltered Series) by Payge Galvin, Meg Chance Page A

me, but he’d just come out of the water and I tried not to notice the way his wetsuit adhered to him, revealing his athletic physique. Even soaking wet, he made my blood pound. He was still searching the waves, watching for something as he effortlessly held his surfboard underneath one arm.
    “Nothing,” I answered, my heart picking up speed. “I thought he was my friend. But it turns out, I was wrong.”
    Several other surfers bobbed farther out, where the swells were calmer, before they crested near the shore—same as they had been all morning. Will lifted his arm to wave at someone, and I watched as one of the surfers broke away from the pack to paddle ashore. It wasn’t until the surfboard—a long, sleek red board—was being carried out of the water that I realized the surfer he was waiting for was a girl.
    She was tall, and even in her wetsuit I could tell she had the kind of slender body I’d always wished for. She shook her soggy blonde hair as she dragged the tail of her board through the sand. Will laughed at the girl, and I told myself I wasn’t jealous even as I leaned away from Zane to get a better view of her.
    I felt Zane tense beside me, and then he said. “C’mon. Let’s get outta here.”
    “No. Wait.” I held my breath, everything inside me tense. “Who’s that with him?” I didn’t think I should ask, but I had to know.
    Zane’s eyes felt heavy on me, but I couldn’t tear mine away from Will or the girl. “That’s Tess.” He sounded almost reluctant to answer, and I wondered what it was that was bothering him, but I couldn’t find the words to ask or muster the selflessness to care.
    “Tess?”
    “She’s the reason he came back,” Zane explained, still watching me.
    I swiveled to face him. “Back? From where?”
    He looked puzzled by my question, like the answer was obvious. “You don’t know? About Will… Billy ?”
    There was that name again, and the memory of that first night at the Dunes, when Will’s lips had been on my stomach, was fresh in my mind, haunting me. Making me shiver. “He said he didn’t like to be called that,” I told Zane absently.
    “I’m sure he doesn’t. Probably brings back a lot of bad memories.” Zane settled back, leaning against his hands. “Your friend Billy was a big time surfer. Traveled all over the world, and was coming up through the ranks in all the semi-pro competitions. He had sponsors and was on the verge of going pro. Everything a guy dreams of.”
    “So?” I asked. “What happened?”
    “From what I hear, she did.”
    My gaze swung back in their direction. To where Will, or Billy rather, and this Tess girl were standing near the edge of the water.
    Zane went on, not even aware that his explanation was tying my stomach in knots. “He came back for her and let his whole career go to shit.”
    As if he’d heard us talking about him, Will looked my way then, scanning the beach. He barely noticed me at first; almost looked right through me. But then his gaze landed directly on me.
    I froze, my breath caught in my throat, and my heart stuttered.
    “I’m sorry,” Zane said, because of course he’d noticed too—that flash of recognition that filled Will’s eyes, right before he glanced away, all in the blink of an instant. “I thought you already knew.”
    Will turned his back then as he fell in step next to Tess, the girl he’d come back for. The girl he’d ended his surfing career for. When he reached her, he dropped his free arm around her neck and drew her close, whispering something in her ear.
    I couldn’t watch for another second. My stomach lurched, and I staggered to my feet. I might’ve said, “I gotta go,” but I couldn’t be sure because my head was whirling. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Will had kissed me, because what had that been, only two days ago? The way he’d put his mouth on my nipple and his hand between my thighs.
    How could he have done that when this girl—this Tess—meant