Eversea A Love Story

night, that doesn’t sound like ‘nothing is going to happen’ to me. You better tell me the whole story.”
    We hauled my kayak up to the truck while I tried my best to answer her barrage of questions about what he was even doing in Butler Cove. Then we climbed into Jazz’s car since her air-conditioning was a tad better than mine—as in, it actually worked. I proceeded to tell her, in minute detail, about everything that had occurred since Jack walked into the grill last week.
    “Holy hell,” she said when I was done. “You are in so much trouble.”
    “I know,” I groaned, letting my head fall back against the seat.
    She shook her head slowly back and forth still trying to get her mind around it. Her expression was a cross between awe and completely freaked out. I could relate. I’d seen the same look in the mirror the last few days.
    “Soooo ...?” She prompted, looking at her watch. I knew she had class this morning.
    “So? I don’t know. I guess we’ll continue as friends, if he even shows up today. I mean it may be way too awkward, and I won’t see him again.”
    “Let me ask you something K—if there was no Audrey Lane in the picture would you have let him kiss you?”
    “I’d like to say that was why I stopped him, but to be honest, I only found out about his weird contract with her after we almost kissed. I think I stopped him because I was scared. You know what I’m like, I tend to run when things get intense. And being with him is ... intense. I’ve never felt anything like it. It’s like I have to consciously remember to breathe around him.”
    “I get that, but scared of what?” she probed. “Is it because he’s famous, or are you scared to get close to someone? I mean I know you were scared of getting tied to Butler Cove, not that I understand you wanting to leave a place where everyone cares about you, but this is not one of the local boys who you think would keep you here, as if you would let that happen anyway.”
    “Did you switch your major to psych?”
    “Ha ha. Seriously, Keri Ann. I want to help you with this. I mean it’s Jack Eversea. Most girls would kiss him just to say they had. I’m not saying I want you to be shallow, but I want you to live a little. Realistically, regardless of whether he has a girlfriend, he’s still going to disappear back to Hollywood.”
    My stomach churned at that obvious truth.
    Jazz continued, “And you are going to stay here not doing anything with your life until God knows when. So in the meantime, if life comes to you , to give you some amazing memories I think you should go for it. Maybe not sex, but why can’t you have some fun? God knows you deserve to have a little.”
    I couldn’t help the butterflies fizzing through my belly at the thought of giving myself permission to let something happen with Jack. I also couldn’t help the dread of dealing with my poor, pathetic, heartbreak when it was done.
    “I’m scared of how I feel about him, Jazz. I am so attracted to him, it’s scary.”
    “Well, duh, he’s only like, the most attractive man in the universe, and coupled with the fact that we are all in love with Max from Erath, I can hardly blame you.”
    “I know Jazz, you know how I felt about those books, I was obsessed with Max. I even dreamed about him.” I’d be embarrassed to admit this if Jazz didn’t already know and feel the same way.
    “I know, but we’ve all had fantasies about Max visiting us in our sleep like that. And yes, those scenes were hot. But you are way too sensible to let that make you crazy over the actor who played him. It seems like you’ve spent time with him and like Jack the person , not the part he played.”
    That’s what I was afraid of. And the penny dropped for Jazz too as soon as the words were out of her mouth.
    “Well, shit,” she said. “I guess I’ll be back to the job of helping you pick up pieces of your broken heart when he leaves. I take it back—don’t let anything happen between you guys. Stay sweet and virtuous and ‘un-Jacked.’”
    I punched her in the arm. “I’ll do my best.”
    “Yeah, right.” She sighed, and then she leaned over and gave me a quick hug, and I gave a small smile.
    Her eyes twinkled. “Sooo, can I meet him?”
    I laughed. “Yeah, I guess I need to tell him I broke his secret. Twice. Assuming he isn’t mad about that, swing by the house on your way back from school. I have no idea if he’ll even be there after our awkward