he next morning, I head to my secret beach for another session of moping, before I remember that moping isn't the answer. Sitting around and accepting my fate isn't the answer–or in my nature. Jordan hasn't sold the cafe yet, which means there's still time to fix this, somehow. Some way that he can get the money he needs without having to sell the cafe.

I spend the majority of breakfast eating the waffles Lexi made while begging my dad to buy the cafe. It's sunnier this morning, so the patio doors are open and a gentle breeze is passing through the kitchen, ruffling my hair about.

Dad reaches out, scooping a lock of my hair up before it gets stuck to my syrup-covered waffles. "Do you think I'm made of money?" he asks. "I can barely afford my own business."

I sigh and say, "What if we bought half? Or even a quarter? That would be enough money for Jordan to have in his pocket, and he'd still get to keep the cafe."

"And how long would a quarter last him?" Dad asks. "When that quarter runs out, what is he going to do? He'll be in the same position."

"It would last him until we get the cafe back on its feet," I say. "Fix all the problems, switch up the decor, revamp the menu. People will come running again."

Dad sighs and rubs his temples. "Evvy, you should be thinking about starting college in a few weeks, not this. Have you even prepared anything? Lexi said you were barely interested during your trip to the mainland. I really wish you would put all this behind you and start focusing on your future."

I finish off my orange juice and get to my feet. "This is mom," I say, looking at him. "This cafe was her, Dad. We can't just let it go."

He shakes his head, his eyes taking on this far-off look that sits somewhere between despair and desperation. "No," he says, looking back at me, "it wasn't. The Big Fish cafe is just a place, Evvy, a place she loved to visit, but still just a place. Your mother is you, and your sister, and everything she wanted for you both. It's you living up to your full potential and going on to do great things. That's your mother."

My throat starts to burn, and my eyes tear up. He's right, I know he is, but I'm not ready to let this cafe go. "I'm not giving up yet," I say, grabbing my bag. "Not until I've tried everything."

I don't wait for his response, I just walk out onto the patio and grab my bike before cycling to the cafe. I allow my mind to wander as I ride, first to the cafe, and ways I can save it, and then to Jordan.

Despite knowing I shouldn't be, I can't stop thinking about him. Can't stop thinking about kissing him. In the moments where I can forget that he's selling the cafe, I start thinking about the sound of his voice, and the way he smiles, and the way he makes me laugh.

If it wasn't for this dire situation, I think he'd be the perfect guy. And while I'm mad at the situation, I can't bring myself to be mad at him. It's his cafe, not mine, and he needs the money –what else is he supposed to do?

I sigh and focus on the scenery instead, allowing it to calm me. The ocean always looks lighter at this time, more of a turquoise blue, and I resist the urge to throw down my bike and go running into the water.

There seem to be more tourists on the island than usual. They walk the streets like their eyes are closed, and I swerve around several of them to avoid a collision. But I'm happy they're here: more tourists mean more business for the cafe–it needs all the help it can get.

I get to the cafe and chain up my bike before finding my usual booth by the window. Lina rushes over and hugs me before filling me in on the gossip: different buyers have been here all morning, scoping the place out. My stomach sinks. Jordan moves quickly.

That's when I spot him, sitting at the far table talking to a man in a business suit, and somehow, I know. I know this is one of the piranhas from the mainland. Jordan isn't just selling, he's selling it to one of them.

"Yeah," Lina says, following my gaze. "I know. What are we gonna do?"

I shake my head because I'm out of ideas. Maybe my dad is right–maybe I need to forget about this cafe and think about college. "I'm not sure," I say. "Maybe nothing."

I'm still looking at Jordan, taking in his pale blue t-shirt which looks good against his tan. He's busy talking with the buyer, smiling and using a lot of hand gestures, but his eyes are dark and missing their usual spark.

As though he can feel my gaze, he looks at me. His jaw contracts as he searches my eyes with an expression I can't place. Then, slowly, he frowns and drags his gaze back to the buyer.

"What was that?" Lina says.

I turn back to look at her. "What?"

"That," she says. "That brooding, 'I'm in love with you but can't have you', kind of look!"

"You watch too many movies."

"Yeah, which is why I know that look when I see it. Is something going on between you two?"

"No," I say quickly. Too quickly. "Maybe. It's complicated."

Lina smiles, but before she has time to berate me further, she's being beckoned by one of the customers. From here, I can hear the woman complaining that the sun is in her eyes and that the windows aren't people-friendly. It's at times like these that I'm almost glad Jordan decided to fire me.

It feels like forever before the piranha leaves. As soon as he's out of the door, I'm walking toward Jordan and grabbing his hand before pulling him into the back. He turns to face me once we're alone, his eyes dark, but just as he opens his mouth to speak, I am kissing him.

He's still as a statue for the first ten seconds, but then his hand wraps around the back of my head, pulling me in closer. His mouth tastes sickly sweet like he's eaten something sugary, and I nibble on his bottom lip.

He lets out a breath before grabbing both my arms, keeping me still. "What are you doing?"

"Manipulating you with my womanly charm."

He looks to the ceiling, jaw clenched, like he's trying to stop himself from ravaging me. "You're a troublemaker, you know that?"

"Believe it or not, that's not the first time I've heard that. So, you know that was a mainlander you were talking to, right?"

He tenses then shift his gaze to the street behind me. "Yeah, I do. He's the only one willing to buy it in its current state, and he's offering the most. I'd be stupid not to take this deal, Evvy."

"I get it, but–" I wait until he looks at me, "–you get to take the deal, and then you get to walk out of here and move back to Chicago, and you won't have to deal with the fallout. I mean, has he told you what he's going to do with it?"

"I asked," Jordan says. "He said he's going to turn it into a tiki bar."

"A tiki bar?" I'm horrified. "This isn't Vegas."

Jordan steps closer now, running a hand down his jaw. "Look, I can't give you what you want, all right? I can't be that guy for you."

"What guy?"

"The guy you want me to be," he says. "The good guy."

I pull him closer and say, "I don't think you're a bad guy, Jordan. You're doing it for your mom, I get it. I'm just saying the whole thing sucks."

"You don't think I know that?" He pulls me in closer, positioning his mouth near my ear. "Every time I think about you, all I can think about is disappointing you."

I smirk. "You think about me?"

He moves his hand to the side of my cheek. "More than I should."

My heart skips a beat, then sinks just as quickly. This is all getting complicated. Finally, I pull back a little to look him in the eye. "Just hold off on selling for a little while longer. Please, just for another week or two."

Jordan frowns. "He's ready to sign the deal, Evvy. I've already told him I'm willing to go through with it. He's getting the paperwork ready as we speak."

"He'll be ready in two weeks, too," I say. "He won't give up an opportunity like this. Please, I have another idea."

He sighs and looks at me, first into my eyes, and then at my lips, where they linger for a second too long. "I liked it better when I hated you."

I smile and stand on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

I just hope this plan works.

❤️