Butterflies in Honey (Growing Pains #3)(17)

They all laughed. Suddenly, the night was getting a whole lot better.

Since Krista was working out of the San Francisco office for the week, she headed out to Ocean Beach every morning to surf. She’d gotten lucky with a week’s worth of decent, if not always great, waves. She moved down the beach from where Sean might be, however. She didn’t want to face his rejection.

She saw Kate and Jasmine every night and Cassie made it to drinks or dinner when she could, which was most nights.

When Thursday rolled around, Krista had to skip surfing that morning because of an early meeting, so she decided to head down to her old stomping ground and do her revised routine for old time’s sake. She parked by her old house without so much as a wild urge to knock on the door, and headed to her old starting point. Out of habit, and because why not, she walked toward the spot she and Sean always met. The day was clear but cold, and the waves were messy. There were a few people on the beach, but not many.

She shook her head, not feeling at all bad for looking down her nose at the dirty, cold, fairly awful beach, and prepared to run. Taking a lungful of air, she turned to her right, took two steps toward flight, and stopped.

Sean was ten feet away, looking at her patiently.

Emotions and butterflies exploded out of Krista’s body in so many directions, the only thing she could do was freeze and stare dumbly. Look dumbly, too, because her arms were still out as if she was just about to start running.

“I was wondering how long it would take for you to notice me,” Sean said, walking over.

“L-long d-day, huh?” She stuttered. She didn’t know what else to say.

“Always.”

“You still start here?” Now she sounded incredulous. Get a grip!

Sean looked uncomfortable and shrugged. “It helps me keep track of my improvement.”

“Improvement, huh? You think the new and improved Sean stands a chance against Manic Marshall?”

Sean smiled despite himself, his body relaxing. “Bring it on.”

She did.

They went through the old routine, both knowing it by heart. Sean had improved. He ran faster and longer. His yoga was pretty good, his large body bending and twisting almost normally. And of course, he was still crazy strong. That wouldn’t change any time soon.

Krista did well, too. She was still faster. Not much, but it counted. He beat her without a fight in the strength building, but she had him easily in yoga. She was taking classes, though, which was technically cheating. Not like she would admit it.

When they were done, they sat on the sand, side by side, watching the sun sink.

“You are better, you’re right,” Krista admitted.

Sean grinned. “You aren’t.”

Krista laughed and bumped him with her shoulder. She saw his full lips curl at the corners and his eyes crinkle in the fading light.

“Are you still surfing?” Sean asked, looking at the horizon.

“Yup. My arms don’t hurt as much, but I don’t stay out for nearly as long, either.”

“You are pretty good. You learned really fast.”

“Thanks. But it’s easier to learn when you don’t spend all your strength paddling.”

“Still.”

They were silent for a spell. Krista could smell his sweat and unique scent. She closed her eyes and breathed it in.

“I’m sorry about the other morning. I was bitchy,” he admitted.

Krista kept silent. It was true. And it hurt. Another thing she wouldn’t admit.

They were quiet for a long time, darkness rushing in to steal their last moments together. Soon they would leave the beach; Krista would go back to her hotel room and Sean would go home. She doubted they would see each other again. He obviously didn’t want to see her, and she didn’t want to face that fact. Even now, in the fading light, sitting on a relaxed beach after working out together, he seemed uncomfortable. It was like he’d forgotten how to relax in her presence.

Making a decision, she figured she might as well drive the nail in the coffin.

“Do you ever think of me, Sean?”

He was silent for a long time. Debating. Then, “Yes.”

The way he said yes, Krista knew that regardless of what happened, at least she wasn’t alone in missing him. He thought of her, too. He might not want to keep up whatever they’d had, or be confronted with it as he was now, but even though they had only had something for a short time all those years ago, they had something once. Something strong.

“Do you…” Sean hesitated. Again debated. “Do you ever think of me?” He asked it so quietly that it was nearly lost on the breeze.

She wasn’t bashful about answering. “Every day.”

Sean was very still beside her. Disbelieving. Krista wasn’t even sure he was breathing.

“I probably shouldn’t have admitted that,” she muttered quietly. It was true. She would never want Chet to find out her feelings for Sean never went away. That she still loved him with all her heart and didn’t think that was liable to change any time soon, if ever.

“No. Probably not,” Sean said cryptically.

“If only things had been different. Jim is still messing up my life.”

Sean sighed as the darkness consumed the last of the fire on the horizon.

They passed into silence. Neither really knew what to say. There was really nothing to say. His life was in San Francisco, or wherever his job was, and Krista’s was in L.A. With the last of the light dipping behind the horizon, there wasn’t any other reason to stall. Krista had to respect Sean’s decision—not cling to the past like she had been—and finally move on.