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"Hudson."
I glance at Damon, raising an eyebrow. He's been looking at me funny ever since I came back from dropping that phone off at Dove's house, and I don't know what.
"What's going on with you, dude?" he asks.
"You're going to have to elaborate on that," I get up and pick up a guitar I've been restringing off and on since we got here.
He rolls his eyes. "You didn't sleep with that girl from the beach."
"Nope."
"Which is odd for you, since usually you see a girl and turn into a caveman."
I shoot him a glare. "Only sometimes."
"Only always," he retorts. "Not only that, but you haven't even suggested taking Dove to bed, which is so out of character for you that I'm starting to wonder if you're coming down with something."
"Can't I be nice?" I wince slightly as I cut my finger on one of the strings. It's so easy to hurt yourself on these little shits.
"Hudson Whittaker isn't nice for no reason," Adonis adds as she enters the room, plopping down on Damon's lap.
Damon nods in agreement. "He always has a motive, doesn't he?"
"You guys are unbelievable," I shake my head and turn my attention back to the guitar.
Is that really how people see me, though? As a complete oaf? If that's the case, then ouch. I have a heart. It may be bruised black and blue and overly pessimistic, but it's there and it beats just like everyone else's.
"We didn't mean to upset you," Adonis eventually says. "It's just that the last time you seemed this interested in a girl, it didn't end well."
I look up from the guitar and fix my face to be as emotionless as possible. The last person I wanted to think about over this vacation was Zoe. "Yeah, and that was three years ago. Like I said, I'm just being nice."
"You bought her a phone," Damon points out.
"It's my fault she lost the one she had," I reply.
"Damon says you made her pancakes," Adonis adds.
"She was cooking, so I offered to make her something to go with her eggs." They're professionals at reading into every little thing. Yes, I'm intrigued by her. But it's not out of some twisted kind of love, it's because I've never met anyone like her. Never met someone who will match me word for word without backing down. Isn't it natural to be curious about someone like her?
Damon sighs. "Okay, whatever. We'll get off your case...but Hudson?"
"What?"
"It's okay to open yourself up sometimes."
"Yeah, whatever," I wave off the advice and return to stringing the guitar.
The couple head upstairs and I groan audibly. We've been here one day. I swear, if I hear anything come from their room, I might throw myself out of the window. At least I'm considerate about noise when I bring a girl home, but apparently when they let loose, they really let loose.
But seriously, it can't be shocking that I'd want to do a nice thing for someone. Especially after that major fuck up at the party. Then again, I don't really know why I care. It wouldn't be the first time I fumbled the ball with a girl, but it is the first time I've gone to such lengths to rectify the mistake. It doesn't make any sense. I don't make any sense. She doesn't make any sense. My phone buzzes and I pick it up, expecting it to be either my mother or some one night stand who found my Instagram.
???: You didn't have to buy me another phone.
It's Dove. Shit, I didn't expect her to find it so soon after I dropped it off. Honestly, I didn't expect her to text me either, it was just wishful thinking.
Me: It seemed like the right thing to do
Dove: It's brand new. I hope you didn't spend too much.
I chuckle. It wasn't that much, just around $1000. Nothing I can't make back after a sponsor or two.
In hindsight, I can see why a normal person would think spending that much on an iPhone 12 Pro for a girl I just met might be excessive.
Oh well, I'm not a normal person.
Me: "Thank you" is fine too. No pressure
Dove: Right, sorry. Thanks.
Even over texts, something about her seems so closed off, as if she can't even let her guard down when I'm not there to see her. It makes me wonder what could have happened to make her feel like this.
Me: You know, you text like an uptight grandma
Dove: That's actually offensive.
Me: The truth hurts, sometimes Water Lily
Dove: Why do you keep calling me that? You know my name
Me: Ever heard of a nickname?
Dove: Duh, stupid. This one doesn't make any sense though.
I can't help but laugh out loud at her responses. She takes everything to heart, it's kind of adorable. It's probably gotten her into a few difficult situations, undoubtedly. Maybe that's why she seems so sad and sheltered.
Me: I was joking, don't take everything so seriously
Dove: Sorry.
I didn't even hear the door open, but before I know it, Emma's leaning over my shoulder, trying to read the screen. I don't know why, it's not like I'm embarrassed by it. We weren't talking about anything particularly personal, but I still wanted to keep it to myself.
"Ooo, texting your new girlfriend?" she teases.
I scoff. "I feel like if I got a girlfriend, everyone would flip their shit."
"The universe would actually implode. Imagine, Hudson Whittaker, playboy extraordinaire, has a heart. I wouldn't believe it," she says as she walks around the couch and sits down. "Where's your brother?"
"In his favorite place," I grumble.
"So between Adonis' legs?" she pauses for a moment before her nose scrunches up. "It's not even 4 yet, their sex drive is insane. I expect this out of you."
I shove her playfully. "At least you don't live with him year round. Noise canceling headphones are a gift from God himself."
My phone lights up with another notification, and I glance at it quickly enough to notice it's from Dove. My hand twitches, I don't know why I want to jump and answer her as soon as possible. I glance over at Emma, she's distracted looking at something on her phone, so I go ahead and check it.
Dove: You know, it's only fair that I give you a nickname too.
Me: Yeah? Like what?
I try not to smile as I wait for her to respond. Yes, it feels extremely weird. I don't remember the last time I was this eager to talk to someone who wasn't related to me. Most of my texts with girls up until now have just been about me either ghosting them or trying to hook up with them again. Needless to say, my reputation is completely valid.
Dove: I'm thinking.
I turn off the phone and return my attention to Emma. A memory from the other night bubbles to the surface, about some girl she saw at work. Her and Dove share a name, so maybe they're the same person. If I'm lucky, this might make her more willing to open up to me since her and Em seem to get along so well.
"Can I ask a question?"
Em glances at me. "Shoot."
"What did that Dove girl you met at your job look like?" I ask.
"What?" She blinks. "I mean, she was pretty. Long brown hair, brown eyes, she has a pretty cool scar."
"A scar? Where?" Em's looking at me like I've grown an extra head, but I don't care.
She thinks for a minute. "On her lip, right here."
Emma taps her face in the same spot where Water Lily's scar is. "Oh my God, you know Dove," I murmur.
"Uh, yeah. I did tell you that was her name after all. That blonde chick you were with at the party knows her too," she says matter-of-factly.
"Yeah, and I know her too. Hell, I've been texting her for the past 30 minutes."
Emma's eyes widen and she gasps dramatically.. "Is she the girl you were trying to find last night?"
I nod. "I even apologized...but I still feel like shit."
"Apologizing doesn't always alleviate guilt you know," she squeezes my hand gently. "You can say all the pretty words you want, but that doesn't mean they hold any significance."
"Usually, I'd just go about my business after that, but something about her just pulls me deeper and deeper. I wanna know more about her, y'know?"
"Look at that. Hudson Whittaker's heart has grown three sizes overnight," Emma smiles jokingly.
I sigh and shake my head. It's true, what I said. She's magnetic, in a way that I've never experienced. It's like the universe itself is drawing me to her, and won't stop until it's satisfied. I'm not complaining though, something about her is so real and down to Earth. A lot better than the people I deemed my "friends" back home, save for Emma and Damon. Adonis has her moments, when she's not going down on my brother.
My phone sparks to life once more and I open the text almost instantly.
Dove: I think I've got it.
Me: Oh? Share with the class then
Dove: Sunny.
I can't help but grin at the nickname. It's so simple, but I can't deny that it's a play on my name I rarely hear. My mom used to call me Sunny when I was younger, but not so much now that I'm older.
Me: Fits like a glove, Water Lily.
Suddenly, this summer doesn't feel like it's going to be worthless and boring. It feels like the exact opposite. And it's all because of her. Maybe South Carolina is exactly where I need to be this summer. I might just get my shit together for the first time in years, and it all starts here.
It all starts with her.
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