Free Good Intentions (Welcome to Paradise) (Volume 2) by S. L. Scott Page A

you need to give yourself some… time ,” she says with a chuckle as she suddenly runs down the hallway into Zach’s room, avoiding the pillow I throw at her.
    “I hate you, Sunny!” I yell, partly joking…okay, fully joking, but damn it, I need someone to tell me something different.
    I shower and get dressed in some of Sunny’s clothes. After searching frantically for my phone and still not finding it, I concede and tell Sunny I’ll go with her to the surf contest.
    As she’s driving, I look down on the floorboard and see my purse, relieved to find it. I pull out my phone and then drop my head back while closing my eyes in frustration. It’s dead.
    I’m supposed to be giving the whole ‘us’ thing serious consideration, but I can’t stop the ache in my chest over the pain he must be feeling about how things went down last night. I sit back in the seat and start thinking about all that I know about Evan. There’s so much more to him than most give him credit for, but I see him, the real him under the arrogance and privilege, and how much he has to offer the world. I will never forget how he’s shown me happiness and made me feel desired and alive. Glancing to Sunny, I ask, “Can I use your phone?”
    Her expression reassures me that I’ve made the right decision. She doesn’t give me a hard time or make any faces or jokes about not being able to stay away from him. She hands me the phone. “I don’t have Evan’s number, but he’s with Zach.”
    I scroll until I find Zach’s name and push the button. Four rings and then I’m sent to voicemail. Unsure of what to say, I waver and sigh. “Hey Zach, it’s Mallory. Um…” Looking to Sunny, her smile is sympathetic. She sees my struggle. “Will you let Evan know I called? Thanks.” I was disappointed I didn’t say more, but with my emotions still swirling, it was hard to get that much out.
    On the drive to the beach, Sunny doesn’t pressure me for a conversation she knows I’m not ready to have. She gives me time .
    When we arrive at the beach, we both squeal when Johnny greets us with a tight, squeezy hug. He seems happy, which makes me smile. I wonder for a split second if it’s because he’s seeing Sunny, but then he introduces us to Lorelei, and that thought is instantly replaced. Johnny rests his hand on her lower back as she stands to shake our hands. She’s pretty—Hawaiian in heritage with long hair and beautiful, dark gleaming eyes. When Johnny talks to her, his face lights up, and my heart melts seeing him so smitten. He seems to be getting over Sunny just fine.
    “Lorelei has this cool vintage looking t-shirt line. We have a booth set up and get swarmed between each heat.”
    “I really appreciate you coming here to help me out today,” Lorelei says, smiling at us.
    It’s good to be busy and will hopefully take my mind off of my own problems, but I know deep down that it won’t take my mind off Evan. Nothing could right now.I put on a smile for them, and ask, “No problem. Glad we can help. Where do you need me?”
    Sorting the folded t-shirts by size and color makes me feel useful. I thought I wanted things off of my mind, but I should have known that was impossible. I do the assigned task and let my mind ‘go there.’ Reliving the events of last night isn’t fun, but I find chinks in the flow of the evening that lead me to the only conclusion I can live with: it doesn’t matter what the text said. Ultimately, I do trust Evan. He doesn’t need to lie to me because he doesn’t have a reason to. He loves me. I know because I feel it in my own heart. Plus, when he professed his love publicly the other night, I was sure half of Hawaii heard him.
    Watching the surfers out in the water, I hear Noah’s name announced in the heat as the lead in the contest.
    Noah!
    It was Noah who wronged me, us. Noah spied on us and then used that information against Evan which also ended up embarrassing me in front of everyone including