Chasing Forever Down (Great White Surf Saga, #1) [Wattpad Featured Story] | ✔

Chapter 21: In Your Veins

I shake my hair free from the towel and check myself one more time in the bathroom mirror before I walk out. Topher hasn't been home long, and Vin has been lecturing him through the wall about getting enough rest before competitions. He hasn't mentioned my being here, to my knowledge.

Deep breath. "It's now or never," I say to my reflection. I push through the door, down the hallway, and into the kitchen, which adjoins the living room. Topher's bare back is to me while he digs through the refrigerator.

"Dude, did you not buy more milk?" Topher asks the refrigerator door.

"Middle shelf, toward the back...if you'd actually look," Vin shoots back.

"Found it!" Topher shouts out. He spins around, milk in hand. "Holy shhhhh...Haley! Vin! Dude! You could, like, tell me when you have chicks over so I can put clothes on."

Vin meets me halfway across the room, kisses my forehead, then says, "She ain't looking at you."

He couldn't be more right. Vin looks like himself today, well-rested, spiky hair, and intense blue iceberg eyes. Ohmygod he's beautiful, and this time, I'm not even afraid to admit it to myself.

"You have girls over often?" I ask.

"No," Vin says. He reaches into a cardboard box of Great White Surf merch and tosses Topher a T-shirt. "Never actually."

Topher's head pops out of the blue shirt. "But apparently there's a first time for everything. Cereal?" He shakes a box of Lucky Charms and shrugs his shoulders.

"Yeah, sure," I say. Topher hands me a bowl, and all the awkward conversation I expected never comes to surface.

*****  

An hour later, I'm latched onto both of the Brooks brothers trying to fight our way through the mass of people on The Strip.

"Why didn't we just go around back?" Topher screams into my ear from behind me, hoping Vin can hear him from in front of me.

"It's never been this crazy! I didn't think it would be!" Vin shouts back.

I expected a big crowd to swamp the beach today, but it's barely eight A.M. This is freaking insane. There's a line outside of Great White Surf, blocking the front entrance and any chances we had of getting inside. They don't care if Vin owns the place. They just need last minute surfboard wax.

"Strick's!" Vin shouts, jerking his head toward the boating store.

It's busy inside but nothing like the craze outside of the surf shop. Reed waves across the store, and an older guy joins him at the register. Reed says something to him then bolts around the counter toward us.

"Dad's got it covered, so if you need me, I'm yours," he says to Vin. Then he looks directly at me. "Haley...you're becoming a stranger these days. Not cool."

I swap awkward glances with Topher, hoping he won't start blabbing that I spent the night with his brother, but Vin is all business today and isn't in the mood for secrets.

"It's insane out there. We can't even get into the store. Mind if we cut through the back?" he asks.

Reed motions us to the back sliding glass door. He follows me and the brothers through the sand to the back office of Great White Surf, which thankfully has a fire exit that serves as today's entrance. A.J. is sitting in Vin's office chair.

"I'm not even late, and A.J. has taken over my store," Vin says. He grabs the back of the chair and spins it around.

"Dude," A.J. says. "Shaka Magazine already called wanting to interview Colby after he surfs today. The lady with the flamingo pond has called three times and won't let me take a message, and the Ocean Blast CEO dude took the wrong exit and I had to give him directions. Where the hell have you been?"