Keeley woke up on her stomach, with her head turned to the side, and her hands buried underneath her. She groggily rubbed her head against the pillow, wiping the drool off her face. She stopped suddenly when her skin encountered something hard and cold. Disorientated, she slowly opened her eyes and came face to face with Talon’s phone. “What the-” she mumbled, just as her stomach let out a loud growl. Last nights events came rushing back to her and she groaned in embarrassment. How the hell could she fall asleep while talking to Talon?

She lifted her head and looked at her alarm clock on her bed stand. Holy crap! It was seven in the morning. That meant she had been asleep for nearly twelve hours! She glanced down at her clothes and cringed. She hadn’t even managed to change into her pajamas.

The phone beeped indicating a text and Keeley warily picked it up. Only one person would be texting her this early in the morning, and quite frankly, she wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to him after last night. It was one think to banter with him everyday; it was a whole nother thing to fall asleep on him while talking on the phone.

Do you know that you snore excessively loud? –T

Keeley stared at his words in horror and felt her cheeks start to warm. “I do not snore!” she yelled at the phone as if he could hear her. What a jerk for making up something like that!

Damn! So, you weren’t just a figment of my imagination?! –Keeley

Please, baby doll. You couldn’t dream up something as awesome as me. –T

You’re right. When I dreamed about you, you were a lot less infuriating and a lot more charming. –Keeley

Ahhh, so you do admit you were dreaming about me ;) –T

Keeley’s jaw dropped. She did not dream about him nor would she ever! The boy was infuriating. Absolutely infuriating. Why was he even texting her so early in the morning?

Grrr! You know some people are like clouds. When they disappear, it’s a brighter day. –Keeley

Do you always use insults to mask your true feelings? Don’t be afraid, Keeley. Embrace your love for me ;)  –T

“Love?” Keeley sputtered in disbelief. “Love?!” What the hell was he on because she could barely stand him, let alone love him. “Egotistical, conceited bastard,” she mumbled while typing a reply.

Do you always have to make everything about you? –Keeley

Changing the topic? Is this another tactic you use to hide behind? –T

Unless your name is Google, stop acting like you know everything. –Keeley

I’ll take that as a yes. No need to be so defensive, baby doll. Just wanted to see how you were doing after yesterday. – T

Keeley felt a pang of guilt. That was the reason why he was texting her? He had been checking up on her? Damn it. Now she felt like a bitch. When did Talon become so nice and, dare she say, thoughtful? Her thumbs hovered over the virtual keyboard, poised to type a response but her mind went blank. What could she possibly say to that? Not knowing what to do, she typed the first thing that came to mind.

Thanks. Gotta go. Have to feed the dog. –Keeley

She grimaced as she pressed the send button. Really? Have to feed the dog? That was the best she could do? Talon must have thought the same thing because seconds later, his response popped up, echoing her thoughts.

Really? You have to feed the dog? At least if you are going to brush me off, have the decency to use a better excuse. Peace. –T

Keeley stared at his brusque text message. Was Talon offended? My god. She didn’t think anything could penetrate his wall of arrogance. This was Talon. He was made of Teflon. Crap. Now she felt like shit for what she said.

It’s not a brush off… -Keeley

Ten minutes passed and no response from him. “Come on,” Keeley grumbled impatiently while staring at the blank screen. “Text me back an insult or something.” A minute went by and Keeley typed another message.

Sorry :( –Keeley

Still no answer. Fed up with waiting for him to reply, she threw his phone across the bed. God. Why was she even stressing about this? It was Talon. It’s not like she owed him. If anything, he should be the one apologizing to her! It was his fault they were in this mess in the first place. Despite her feelings, Keeley glanced at the phone, hoping to see a text from him but there was nothing.

Her stomach rumbled as the smell of bacon and cinnamon wafted into her room. Needing a distraction from her thoughts about Talon, she kicked off the covers and tromped downstairs to investigate further. When she entered the kitchen, she saw her mom covered in flour, stirring something in a bowl. Next to her on the counter was a plate of bacon and sausage, piled together alongside a bowl of mixed fruit.

“Good morning, sweetie,” her mother cheerfully greeted.

“Morning, Mom,” Keeley responded. When her mother’s back was turned, she swiped a piece of bacon and stuffed it into her mouth but it did little to appease her hunger. She was about to grab another piece when her mother’s voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

“Don’t even think about it,” she threatened without turning around.

Immediately, Keeley lowered her arm and took a step away from the bacon. Damn, her mother was good. “How did you know?”

“A mother knows all,” she simply stated. “Now, be a dutiful daughter and tell your father and brother to come downstairs for breakfast.”

Keeley stuck her head out the kitchen doorway and cupped her hands around her mouth. Shouting at the top of her lungs, she called out, “Dad! Zach! Breakfast is ready!” She turned back around to see her mother standing there with her hands on her hips, sending her a pointed look. Keeley gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged her shoulders. “Well, you didn’t specify how.”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “How many more months before you move out?”

Keeley kissed her mother’s cheek and gave her a big hug. “Aww Mom, I love you too.” She knew her mother was just kidding. In fact, she had begged Keeley to reconsider applying to all east coast colleges. She wanted Keeley to stay close by and had even gone so far as to guilt trip her, but Keeley wasn’t dissuaded. She was determined to spread her wings and leave the nest.

A few minutes later, the Brewer family sat down together in the dining room. Her father and mother were discussing the dog park they took Tucker to last night, when Keeley remembered Cory and the car. She turned to her brother who was busy stuffing a cinnamon roll in his mouth and asked, “So, where were you last night Zach? I thought you had football practice till seven and that’s why you needed the car?”

Zach’s whole body froze and his eyes widened with panic. His adam’s apple bobbed as he quickly gulped down the food in his mouth. “Umm…” he mumbled, while nervously running a hand through his hair.

“Cause when Cory came to pick me up, he said practice ended at five,” she casually added.

Their father leaned forward and placed his forearms on the table. “What’s this about?” he asked, his eyes darting between the two of them.

“Oh just that Zac-” Keeley began with an impish grin.

“How’s your phone, sis?” Zach interrupted, talking loudly over her. “Still have that guy’s-”

Keeley kicked his shin underneath the table and shot him a warning look. She couldn’t believe he would tell their parents about the whole cell phone debacle. If they knew she had lost her phone, it would give them grounds to prohibit her from flying to Europe.

Zach triumphantly grinned at her from across the table, knowing he had won that round.

Their mother sent both of them a disapproving frown. “Behave you two,” she warned. “Now, your father and I were talking, and we thought it would be a good idea to have game night tonight.” Since they were old enough to play Candyland, Zach and Keeley were required to attend family game night once a month. It was their parents’ way of ensuring they were spending quality time together.

“No can do, Mom,” Zach replied while grabbing a handful of bacon and placing it on his plate. “I’m going to a big bonfire party tonight.” He popped one in his mouth and barely managed to swallow it before shoving in another piece.

“Can’t you miss it?” their mother asked, her disappointment apparent.

Zach shook his head. “It’s the last, big party of the summer since school starts next week,” he explained with a mouth full of food. “All the freshman football players are going to be there and I need to keep them in line. Can’t risk them getting in trouble and getting kicked off the team.”

“Well, I suppose we can have game night next week,” their mother amended. She turned to Keeley, who was sitting next to her. “How about you, sweetie? Are you going?”

Keeley snorted at the idea and shook her head. Like she would go to that beer fest. She would much rather be at home, reading a book, than dealing with a bunch of drunk people who had access to fire.

The rest of breakfast went by quickly as her parents had to rush off to work, and her brother had football practice. Keeley putted around the house, not doing anything except occasionally playing with Tucker and checking Talon’s phone. There was still no response from him and every time she looked, she became more agitated. Needing to get out of the house, she decided it was the perfect time to visit Shawn and discuss her shifts.

Keeley walked into The Surf Shack an hour later and immediately saw Nicky ringing up a customer. She lifted her head when Keeley walked in and gave her a questioning look. “Is Shawn here?” Keeley mouthed silently. Nicky nodded and pointed to the back room before turning her attention back to the customer.

Keeley walked in and saw Shawn standing in the middle of the room with his back to her. One hand had a cell phone pressed to his ear, and the other was holding a pen that he was nervously tapping against his leg. Not knowing what to do, she silently stood in the doorway and waited for him to turn around and notice her.

“So, basically what you are telling me is that you are dropping him from the surf team?” Shawn asked darkly. His head bent forward as he listened to the response. “You can’t do that to him, Reggie,” he argued heatedly. “It’ll destroy him. ”

Keeley realized this was not a conversation she should be listening to and turned to walk away, but her shoes squeaked against the linoleum floor. She froze and cringed when she saw Shawn whirl around to face her. He stared at her for a couple seconds before motioning for her to come in. Hesitantly, she walked to the back table and grabbed the closest chair available.

Shawn heaved a sigh. “I understand. Thanks for the heads up, Reg.” He shut his phone and rubbed a hand over his face, looking highly agitated. He flopped down in a chair across from her and gave her a wry smile. “What can I do for you, Keeley?”

Keeley tentatively smiled back. “I’m sorry about that,” she apologized as she gestured to the door. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.” She started to get nervous as she thought about what she was going to tell him.

Shawn waved her off. “It’s fine. You didn’t know.”

Keeley knew it wasn’t any of her business, but his face was so troubled that she felt compelled to ask, “Are you alright?”

He gave her a short, cynical chuckle. “Ask me that in a couple days.” He stared at the phone in his hand and seemed to get lost in thought. He sighed heavily and looked back at her. “So, I’m guessing you’re not here for a social call?”

Keeley shook her head and clasped her hands together so she wouldn’t fidget. “I..uh…” her voice caught in her throat. How did she tell her boss that she didn’t want to work with one of his employees?

Shawn gave her an encouraging smile. “You can tell me, Keeley. I’m not the Wicked Witch of The Surf Shack,” he joked playfully.

Keeley was too nervous to even crack a smile. “Well, I…” She shifted in her seat and wiped her sweaty palms against the outside of her jeans. Her eyes fixated on the pen he set on the table, not being able to meet his gaze. “I-I came here to ask you if I could switch my shifts.”

His smile faded and turned into a frown. “Is everything okay?”

“It-It’s Van,” Keeley confided. “I can’t work with him anymore. He’s constantly ordering me around and acting like I’m the devil incarnate.”

Shawn leaned back in his seat and sighed. “I was afraid this was going to happen,” he muttered to himself. Shawn stared at her for a couple moments, his face taunt as he contemplated the situation. “Listen, Keeley,” he began, sounding distressed. “He…” He stopped and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.

Keeley bit her lip nervously, afraid that she overstepped her bounds. She was tempted to apologize but decided it would be best to hold her tongue and wait for Shawn to address her.

His gaze swung back to her and he leaned forward in his chair. “Van’s going through a lot right now. I know it doesn’t excuse his behavior but…” Shawn trailed off.

“He has to be in his mid-twenties. Shouldn’t he know better?” Keeley argued, her timid behavior gone. Shawn was acting like a parent, defending his wayward child, not a grown-ass man.

“Keeley, I know it’s asking a lot, but I really do need someone to work with him,” Shawn pressed. “You saw how busy the shop has been lately. And honestly? It’s partly due to Van.”

“He’s that great of a surfer that he draws people into the store?” Keeley asked, her eyebrows raised in skepticism.

Shawn nodded. “At one point, he was the best in world. He’s won countless competitions and been offered dozens of sponsorships.”

Keeley crossed her arms and processed everything he just said. “Can’t someone else work with him?”

“The only person available would be your friend Nicky.” His head jerked in her direction. “Do you want me to ask if she’s willing to switch with you?”

Keeley sighed. There’s no way Nicky would survive working with Van. She would take Van’s harsh comments and insults to heart. “No. It’s fine,” she said in defeat. “I’ll work with him.”

Shawn beamed at her. “Thank you,” he said, his tone laced with gratitude. “Tell you what. For every board you manage to sell, I’ll give you an eight percent commission.”

Keeley’s jaw dropped in shock. This was huge. Every employee, except Nicky and Keeley, were allowed to make a commission if they helped a customer purchase a board. She could easily make double the amount of money she normally made in a shift. “Seriously? That would be awesome!” she exclaimed.

Shawn nodded. “No problem. Just be sure you know what you are talking about. I don’t want to hear about any irate or displeased customers.”

Keeley held up her hand like she was pledging her allegiance. “I promise to be the best surfboard sales person I can be.”

Shawn chuckled. “Good.” He rose out of his chair and added, “I have to get back to work but once I’m done, I’ll talk to Van about his behavior. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll see what I can do.”

Keeley sent him an appreciative smile and extended her hand. “Thanks Shawn. I really appreciate it.”

He nodded and shook her hand. “No problem. See you later, Keeley.”

She spent the rest of the day sitting in front of her laptop, researching surfboards. She made a large spreadsheet, organizing the boards by length and brand. It was dull and dreary work but Keeley knew the pay-off was worth it. By the time Zach stopped by to tell her he was leaving for the bonfire, it was already nine o’clock.

“I’m heading out, sis,” Zach informed her, his head bent over his phone, not bothering to look at her. “You’ll be available to pick me up, right?”

“Yup. Did you program in the number I gave you?” Keeley asked. Earlier that day, she had texted him Talon’s number so he could call her directly. She just hoped he would remember to use it. Knowing how Zach acted when he was drunk, that was high unlikely.

“Got it,” he mumbled, still immersed in his phone. “See ya later, Keels.”

She watched as he barely managed to avoid hitting the door on his way out of her room. Keeley shook her head in amusement. Her brother was something else.

For what seemed like the millionth time that day, she glanced at the phone resting on top of her desk. Still no word from Talon. She knew he had football practice, but shouldn’t it be over by now? Was he really that mad at her, that he couldn’t send a simple text acknowledging her apology?

Frustrated, she picked up his phone and scrolled through their messages. Maybe she should just call him. She needed to warn him about Zach’s impending texts anyway. It wasn’t like she wanted to call him. It was merely a courtesy call so his roommate wouldn’t be woken up again. With that thought in mind, she pushed the green button.

“Well, look who it is,” Talon mocked after he picked up. “The dog feeder.”

Keeley cringed at his dig. “I said I was sorry, Talon,” she reminded him.

“Sorry for what exactly?” his deep voice inquired. “You didn’t do anything wrong. All you did was feed your dog. Wouldn’t want him to starve after all,” he added wryly.

Keeley sighed. He certainly wasn’t going to make this easy for her. Then again, he’s Talon. What did she expect? “I’m sorry for brushing you off earlier, Talon. I was wrong.”

“It’s a good thing I’m such a forgiving person,” Talon sniffed. “Most people would make you do a lot more than apologize for such harsh words.”

Keeley rolled her eyes at his theatrics. “Yes, Talon. You are the epitome of forgiveness and charity. Mother Theresa has nothing on you,” she responded dryly.

“I’m so glad someone finally noticed,” he huffed with self-righteous indignation.

“Good god,” Keeley muttered under her breath. The boy had a bigger ego than Charlie Sheen. “So, am I forgiven?” she asked him impatiently.

“Forgiven and forgotten, baby doll,” he replied cheerfully.

Remembering the reason she called, Keeley advised, “I also wanted to warn you. My brother is attending another party tonight, so you might want to silence the phone if you don’t want to be repeatedly woken up.”

Talon gasped. “Baby doll, are you,” he paused and let his voice drop to a whisper, “looking out for me?”

Keeley scoffed at his ridiculous question. Of course she wasn’t. She was merely being considerate of his roommate. “I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer,” she retorted.

“So uptight,” he mumbled. Before she could respond, he asked, “If you’re not answering your brother’s SOS call, then who is?”

“I am,” she stated. “I just gave him your number to use.” Keeley got out of her chair and stretched her legs. Being cramped at that small desk for hours on end had made her legs and back super stiff.

“Great,” his deep voice drawled. “Now Mr. Can’t-Take-Care-Of-Himself has my number.”

Keeley frowned and ignored his barb. “Wouldn’t you do the same for your sibling?” she asked, her voice muffled as she bent down and attempted to touch her toes. Unfortunately, the closest her fingers got was mid-shin.

“Don’t have any,” Talon replied lightly. “Only child.”

“You’re kidding,” Keeley commented. She paused for a second, and then added, “Actually, now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense. You’re one of those spoiled kids who only think about themselves.”

“Gee Keeley, tell me how you really feel. Don’t hold back on my account,” he drawled, not seeming to be insulted by her comment.

She chuckled as she straightened up and widened her stance. “You know what I mean. I bet your parents would give you anything you wanted.” She shifted all of her weight onto the right leg and slowly stretched it out.

“Being an only child isn’t as great as it seems,” Talon confessed. “In fact, sometimes I think it’s harder than having a sibling.”

“Really?” she asked in disbelief. Somehow she had a hard time believing that. She was constantly getting into stupid fights with Zach.

“Well, think about it. My parents don’t have any other children to focus on except me. All their expectations, all their dreams are placed on my shoulders. I don’t have anyone else to share the burden with.”

“Burden?” Keeley questioned.

Talon sighed. “My dad played high school and college football. He was the team’s golden boy. The star quarterback,” he explained, his voice sounding slightly bitter. “Eventually, he was drafted into the NFL but during his first game, he blew out his knee. It ended his career and his dreams of winning the Superbowl.”

Keeley shifted her weight to the other leg. She was starting to understand where Talon was going with this. “So, he’s placing all his football aspirations on you,” she deducted.

“Exactly. And it would be one thing if he was just encouraging me but it’s more than that.” Talon’s voice was starting to grow tense. “He comes to every practice and every game with a video camera in hand and critiques my performance. Then, I have to sit down with him and go over play-by-play what I should have done differently,” he explained, his tone laden with resentment. “He never just sits back and enjoys the game.”

“Why don’t you just quit then?” Keeley asked, as if the answer was obvious. She sat down on the carpet and rested her back against her bedpost.

“Don’t get me wrong. I love football,” he explained passionately. “But I play to blow off steam and have fun. Not as a serious career path.” Talon let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. It just stresses me out.” He paused. “Let’s talk more about you.”

“Me?” Keeley questioned in surprise. “What do you want to know?”

“For instance, what are you up to tonight beside begging for my forgiveness?” His voice had lost its earlier tension and was back to being cocky and playful.

Keeley scoffed. So much for being forgiven and forgotten. Extra emphasis on the forgotten. “Besides wishing for your untimely death?” she asked sweetly.

Talon just chuckled at her insult.

“Well,” she glanced up at her desk, where the computer screen was displaying her complex spreadsheet, “I’m currently researching the different types of surfboards there are.”

“Surfboards?” his husky voice asked, sounding startled. “Why are you doing that?”

“It’s for my job,” she explained. “I get a certain percentage of commission for every board I manage to sell.” She sighed and thought about her spreadsheet. “The only problem is that I have never been surfing and have no clue about boards.”

“Do you need any help?” Talon offered, his deep voice seeming sincere and genuine.

Her eyes widened with surprise. “Y-You’re wi-willing to help me?” she stammered. Keeley certainly needed the help but to get it from Talon?

“Of course,” he stated. “I’ve been surfing since we moved here from Texas. What do you want to know?”

Talon spent the next two hours patiently explaining all the nuances of surfboards to Keeley. He never became frustrated or angry with her when she didn’t understand a term or reference. Instead, he would carefully explain it again, trying to clarify certain points that he may have missed. She was beginning to see that there was a lot more to him than she originally thought.

Keeley glanced at her calendar and her stomach fluttered with nerves. There was only one more day till Talon returned. Her mind raced with questions. What was he going to look like? Where were they going to meet? Would he want to hang out afterwards? And the biggest question of all: Were they ever going to talk again after they swapped back their phones?