The Upside of Falling Down by Rebekah Crane

Author:Rebekah Crane [Crane, Rebekah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781503954250
Publisher: Skyscape
Published: 2018-01-30T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

After a brief stop at the cottage—luckily Siobhan is gone—to swap out paint supplies for surfing gear, we drive with the windows down, the sun out now, warm air blowing over my skin.

“So where are we going?” I ask. Out the window, my arm floats in the wind, the smell of ocean replaced, as we leave Waterville, with grass and manure.

“Inch Beach,” he says, his eyes on the narrow, windy road ahead, lined on both sides with green hedgerows.

“Is that close?”

Kieran glances at me with a smirk. “Close enough.”

It takes almost two hours. We drive through small towns, similar to Waterville, though not along the coast, and at one point get stuck in a traffic jam caused by sheep crossing the road. I don’t mind. The weight of the morning is gone, and when we finally pull into Inch Beach, where cars are allowed to park directly on the sand and surfboards pepper the ocean, I’m practically weightless.

A wide stretch of sand surrounds us, enclosed by rolling patchwork hills that gradually build into low mountains. Like in Waterville, the land here is bright green, the ocean a striking blue next to it. Surfers coast through the waves or lie on the beach, half-covered in wet suits and lounging on towels. A few pop-up stands advertise board rentals and food.

Kieran gets his surfboard out of the back of the truck and digs it into the sand.

“You need to change,” he says, casually.

“Into what?”

Kieran searches through his bag. He pulls out a bathing suit and holds it up. “This.”

“No,” I say emphatically. He holds the suit by its strings, because that’s all it’s made of. A string bikini.

He shrugs. “It’s all Siobhan had.”

“Didn’t she have something more . . . conservative?”

Kieran laughs. “I’m pretty sure Siobhan has never used that word before.” He gives me a taunting grin. “You’re not getting bashful on me, are you, Bunny? You proposed the dare. You can’t wimp out now.”

I snag the suit from him. “Where do I change?”

“Here.” Kieran gestures like we’re standing in a dressing room, with walls and doors and privacy, not on an open beach. He pats the truck. “You can change in here if that’s more comfortable.”

It’s not the bathing suit that makes me nervous. It’s being in a bikini in front of him. If it were Clive or Stephen, this wouldn’t be a big deal. Stephen’s seen all of me. He knows my bra size. But I need to keep control of myself around Kieran. To keep our boundaries in place. Yet there is no getting out of wearing this suit. I chose the dare after all.

I groan and climb into the truck to change as Kieran goes to the rental shop. With the suit on, the last item of clothing I need to part with gives me pause—my socks. Exposing my tattoo might lead to questions—questions I have no answers to.

He’s back with another surfboard and knocks on the truck. “Need help tying anything? You know me—always happy to help.

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