Unbreakable(11)

Before he has a chance to reply, I grab my beach bag and head for the door. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

His gaze is troubled, but he nods. “Okay. I have a few things I need to get done around the yard today.”

“See? It’s all good,” I say forcing a smile. “Later.”

The screen door bangs closed behind me, and I jog down the porch stairs, away from the cottage.

I’m a total chicken, and I know it. But if I don’t put some distance between us, things are going to get even more awkward.

I head down to the lake and walk along the shoreline, lost in thought. It’s quiet out, and that helps me relax.

Despite Will’s rejection, I still think it’s best that I stick to my original plan. I’m stretched so tight; I swear I might snap like a rubber band. I desperately need to let loose and just be a normal twenty year old. Flirt with guys, and yeah, maybe hook up with someone. It just totally sucks that someone won’t be the one guy I desperately want.

I’m going to milk this vacation for all it’s worth, because soon I’ll be back in New York City to start the fall semester. God, I’m dreading going back to school. I desperately want my parents to be proud of me, but I know now that I don’t want to be a lawyer. My dad wants me to follow in his footsteps and go into law school after I graduate, but it’s not for me. And majoring in Physics? How the hell did I let him talk me into that?

Still, University hasn’t been all bad. I’ve met a few friends that turned me on to fashion and makeup. Trips to Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, and Sephora have been my stress relief. I could probably open up a makeup mini-store—that’s how many eye shadow palettes, lipsticks, and assorted other products I’ve accumulated.

For the past eight months, I’ve been running a makeup and video blogging channel on ZeeTube, and it’s gained a ton of followers. When I added a website and blog into the mix, things really started to take off. I’m even earning a little paycheck from advertising revenue.

Living in New York City helped me to examine the type of image I wanted to project to the world. I used to shun all things traditionally girly, much to my mother’s horror. She wanted the perfect high-society daughter that she could take to tea with her friends and show off at parties. To say I was a fashion embarrassment to her would be the understatement of the decade.

After too many months of feeling like a frump in my designer—yet baggy—tomboy clothes, Shaya, my roommate, gave me a head-to-toe makeover one night. After that, I slowly started experimenting with makeup and fashion.

Honestly, tomboy fashion is super, super cute, but it wasn’t cute the way I had been going about it all those years. I’d never really given much thought to my clothes—I just used to pull on what was clean.

I decided to depart from my tomboy roots and go with more traditionally feminine fashion choices.

I kept things fairly conventional until after last Christmas. When I got back after my break, I really threw myself into developing my own style. I don’t think I’m quite there yet, but I love mixing bold colors, classic pieces, and ultra-feminine hand-made jewelry. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but I’m having a lot of fun experimenting.

I grab a rock and skip it across the water. Being back in Ontario makes me realize how desperately homesick I am in New York City. I miss my friends so much.

I wish I could find a way to get my parents to let me move back and go to school here. I’d be so much happier. I want a career in beauty and fashion, and I want to make that happen in Toronto.

I skip another rock and hear a deep chuckle behind me.

I turn and see a tall guy with closely-cropped brown hair and bright blue eyes standing a few feet away. He stares down at me, his arms crossed and his lips curved into a smirk.

“Not bad for a city girl,” he says.

“Hmm.” I peer at him over my sunglasses. “And how do you know I’m from the city?”

“Just a guess. Am I right?”

“I’m from Toronto, but I live in New York City.”

“See?” He grins at me. “I’m usually right about these things. I’m Jackson Bailey, by the way. And you are?”

“Emmy Sullinger.”

He picks up a rock and skips it across the lake before sweeping his gaze over me.

“So how long are you here for, Emmy? And when can I take you out?”

Well, he certainly doesn’t waste any time.

He’s cute enough, I guess. Cocky, but cute. And he might be the perfect way to forget about this total mess with Will. I can tell just by looking at this guy that neither Will nor my brother would approve of him, and that suits me just fine. I’m fed up with everyone having a say in how I live my life.

I give Jackson a coy glance. “Take me out? Hmm. I don’t know. Maybe we can talk about it over a swim?”

I skim my jean shorts down and off, revealing my bikini bottoms. He does another slow, lazy sweep over my body with his eyes as I kick off my shoes and wade into the water.

He tugs off his shirt and grins. “Sounds good to me, Emmy Sullinger.”

He’s not anywhere near as built as Will, but he’ll do just fine. It’s not like I’m looking for perfect, anyway. I just want to blow off a little steam and relax.

Pushing everything that happened last night to the back of my mind, I slide slowly under the water until there’s nothing but silence and darkness. The only thing I can do is tune out the noise in my head with a little fun. And Jackson Bailey is the perfect distraction.