The Day That Saved Us Read Online Free

Brodee wasn’t on the water with me, he was studying or working on college prep assignments. His dad, Nick, meant business. Summer isn’t a time to take a break. It’s like he thought if Brodee weren’t consistently keeping up with schoolwork, he’d lose his intelligence and a future with Duke. Brodee hardly complained about it though. He’s always wanted to make his dad happy. But now I wonder if Brodee is even happy.
    We sit straddling our boards for a little while in silence as we wait for the next good wave. I feel his eyes on me again.
    “What?” I say without meeting his gaze, still trying to process his lack of interest in Duke.
    “If your heart was a prison, I would like to be sentenced for life.”
    My head falls back as I laugh. “It took you a week to come up with that ? C’mon, Brodee. You can do better.”
    He chuckles to himself. “For real? I thought it was pretty good. So, I guess you’ve got a better one?” He raises his left eyebrow, challenging me.
    A couple years back, our cheesy pick-up line challenge started when we were at Folley Beach and this guy tried to hit on me. I seem to have lost my phone number. Can I have yours? Brodee laughed in his face and said he could have come up with a million different pick-up lines that would have been more original than that one. And so I challenged him, and he hasn’t given up since. After all these years you’d think we’d be better at it by now.
    I clear my throat. “There must be something wrong with my eyes because I can’t seem to take them off you.”
    “ That? ” he says with a laugh. “That was not better than mine.”
    “It at least has to be a tie,” I dispute. “There’s no way yours is better.”
    “We’ll call it a tie, but I expect better from you next time.”
    It takes me a few more tries, but finally, about three waves later, I get up and stay. I can hear Brodee screaming, “That’s my girl!”
    I almost scream back, “You wish!” But there’s a part of me that wants to revel in a make-believe world where we’re together. It’ll be my little secret.

 
     
     
     
     
    I’M READING AT the kitchen counter when my mom and Tatum come traipsing down the stairs the following morning. They take turns kissing the top of my head as they pass.
    “We’re going shopping.” Mom grabs her keys off the mermaid hook on the back wall. “If you need anything, you can reach me on my cell or on Tate’s. Nick will be working upstairs today, so try not to bother him unless it’s an emergency.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    Tatum says, “And tell Brodee to load up on sunscreen, because that kid only tans he thinks the sun doesn’t affect him.” She shakes her head with that motherly concern in her eyes.
    “I’ll take care of him.” I smile.
    “Thanks, Peyton. We should be back in a few hours.”
    “Have fun.” I wave. “Bring back something good.”
    Brodee makes it downstairs just as they close the front door. “Where are they going?”
    “Shopping, I guess.”
    He heads for the fridge. “Of course they are.”
    “Also, I’m supposed to make sure you’re lathered up with sunscreen before we go out to the beach.”
    Today he’s dressed like he always is—khaki shorts and a T-shirt. But I see him entirely different. His navy blue shirt is just tight enough that it hugs his back muscles and cuts perfectly into his biceps. I gulp. And blink. Hard. What am I doing? Stop checking out Brodee!
    He turns around with a glass of orange juice in his hand and groans, flicking his unstyled hair to one side. “She’s so paranoid. I’m not going to burn, but whatever. You’ll just have to help me. I can’t reach my back very well.”
    Back muscles. I’ll get to touch his back muscles. Oh gosh. Get to? Have to, Peyton. Have to. Change the subject. I chuckle nervously. “Do you remember that summer—?”
    “Don’t remind me,” he grumbles and wipes the back of his hand across his mouth. “You called me Zebra Skin the