“Do you ever get used to all the sweating?” Lauren asked, pushing her giant sunglasses farther up her nose.

Nicole laughed. “I think it feels kind of good. By the way, your shoulders are getting red.”

Lauren stopped walking, inspecting an arm, and frowned. “I’m going to need more sunscreen.”

“Over here.” Nicole headed to a bench sitting in a shady spot. Settling down next to her, Lauren pulled her sunscreen from her purse and started lathering up.

“This town is pretty nice,” Lauren commented as she smoothed thick, white goop on her shoulder.

Nicole looked around, at the two men biking by with surfboards under their arms, at the ice cream parlor across the street, at the rows of coral-colored houses.

“I love it here,” she said.

“Does that mean you’re staying?”

“There’s no job for me here,” Nicole reminded her. “It’s only a summer internship.”

“There’s always one for you in Albany.”

“I know, and thank you. Your parents are the best.”

Lauren’s family ran a big cat sanctuary right outside of Albany. Nicole had visited it a few times and loved it, but, in her mind, you couldn’t compare upstate New York and Florida. She’d already experienced enough snow storms to last her the rest of her life.

“All right. Done.” Lauren dropped the sunscreen back in her purse. “Let’s get to that amazing taco stand. Where is it, again?”

“It’s usually right by the beach.”

Standing, Lauren looped her arm around Nicole’s. “So tell me the truth. You haven’t met any guys?”

“Um—”

Lauren frowned. “Really? Have you gone out at all?”

“The other day I found this nice little church that I can walk to. And last night I went to a restaurant.”

Nicole thought about Aidan—not that reaching for thoughts about him was a stretch, as he’d been constantly on her mind. She’d barely gotten any sleep the night before and probably looked a mess when Lauren’s taxi dropped her off bright and early that morning.

“What about you?” Nicole asked, eager for a distraction from her own life. She wished she hadn’t decided to chat Aidan up the night before, because now she was even more attracted to him and her plan to stay away from him was proving to be harder than she’d expected it to be.

“Nada.” Lauren sighed. “But, you know, there’s time and all—I guess.”

Nicole nodded, once again doing her best to not think about Aidan’s side grin or focused gaze. Did he look at everyone like they were the most important person in the world or was it only her?

“What’s that?” Lauren stopped walking and Nicole followed her gaze.

The largest beach parking lot in Haven Sound had been shut off with orange traffic cones. Half a dozen trailers were parked along the rows and people walked around carrying bags, lights, and various stands.

“Looks like a movie shoot or something,” Nicole murmured, right as she remembered that Aidan was in town for a commercial shoot. She reached for Lauren’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go around the block.”

“Hold on. Don’t you want to see what they’re doing? Haven Sound seems kind of small for a movie to film here.”

“Yeah, I don’t know.” Nicole turned her back to the trailers.

“Nicole!”

She froze on an inhale and slowly pivoted around. There he was: Aidan himself, checking for traffic before crossing the street and coming over to where she and Lauren stood on the sidewalk.

“Hey,” he said as he came to a stop.

Lauren’s mouth was hanging open and she looked from Nicole to Aidan, then repeated the whole act over again.

“I’m Aidan.” He offered Lauren his hand.

She weakly shook it, her eyes big. “Coleman. Yeah.”

He shrugged a little, like it was no big deal.

“What are you doing here?” Lauren asked, sounding dazed.

“Filming a commercial. Apparently Haven Sound has the right combination of nice beaches and affordable hotels for the crew.”

“Cool,” Lauren breathed. “Oh! I’m Lauren—and you know Nicole?” Her voice couldn’t have gone higher if she tried.

Nicole couldn’t believe it. A new cashier rung her up every time she went to the corner grocery store and yet she ran into Aidan every day.

“Yeah, I do.”

Nicole found the expected cocky grin on his face. This makes four run-ins, she thought.

Aidan didn’t have to say a word. His face was gloating.

“I didn’t know you knew Aidan Coleman.” Lauren gave Nicole a look like she’d gone insane.

Nicole shrugged. “We met a few days ago.”

“And she didn’t know who I was,” Aidan said hurriedly.

“Aidan!” someone called from across the street. “We’re delayed ten!”

Aidan lifted his hand in acknowledgment before turning back to Nicole and Lauren. “I keep trying to ask her out, but she keeps turning me down.”

Lauren’s eyes nearly bugged out of her face, and she swatted Nicole’s arm lightly. “You lied to me.”

“Not really,” Nicole hissed back, hoping Lauren wouldn’t press the subject in front of Aidan. “Look, let’s go. We need to get to the taco stand.”

“It’s not going anywhere,” Lauren argued.

“How about a tour of the set?” Aidan cut in.

Before Nicole could answer, Lauren shouted, “Yes!” and bounced up and down. She grabbed Nicole’s hand and hauled her across the street, following Aidan.

“These are the trailers,” Aidan said, stopping at the first one. “Right here is makeup and that one over there is wardrobe.”

“Where’s yours?” Lauren asked.

Nicole pulled her hand from Lauren’s and crossed her arms firmly.

“Down there, at the end. My friend is in there, but I don’t think he’ll mind if we stop by.”

Lauren started walking for the last trailer, the one closest to the beach. Aidan stayed where he was, waiting for Nicole to move.

“This isn’t destiny,” she said, at the same time as he asked, “How was the sea turtle nest?”

“Oh,” Nicole murmured. “Sorry. I, uh—”

She pushed her bangs out of her eyes and looked away, across the parking lot. There was an area set up with lights and big white and black screens. It hurt to stare through so much sunlight without any shades on, but it was still easier than looking at Aidan.

“Nicole,” he said softly.

He took a step closer to her and suddenly his gaze drew hers like a magnet. She was looking into his eyes, powerless to turn away.

“Why are you always running?” he whispered.

Nicole’s mouth went dry. “I’m not. I’m just doing my thing. I came here to help the rabbits, not to—to—” She gestured at him.

Aidan didn’t budge. The spicy scent she’d picked up on him the night before was back and Nicole had to fight to not savor it with a long inhale.

“Is this it?” Lauren called.

Aidan turned to look at her and Nicole took the opportunity to stalk around him and join her friend. Lauren stood at the last trailer, her foot on the bottom step.

“That’s it,” Aidan answered, reaching past her to open the door. “Knock, knock,” he called.

“Man!” a male voice answered. “I could have been—oh.”

At the sight of Lauren and Nicole, Mikey sat up from where he’d been lying on a couch with a laptop. Setting the computer down, he ran a hand over his hair. “Hey there.”

“You remember Nicole?” Aidan asked as he and Lauren went into the trailer. Arms crossed, Nicole grudgingly followed.

“How can I forget? And why am I not surprised she’s here?”

Nicole tilted her head and started to wonder what he meant by that—but then she remembered that caring about anything Aidan or his friend did was a dangerous idea. Mikey seemed like a nice guy and she regretted their first meeting, but getting to know him too well meant keeping a door open for Aidan through association.

“Sorry about the, ah, park thing,” Nicole told Mikey. “I was pretty wound up.”

Mikey waved his hand. “It happens.”

“Nicole and her friend Lauren happened to walk by,” Aidan explained.

“Coincidentally?” Mikey asked slowly, a skeptical look on his face.

“Do coincidences really exist?” Aidan smiled.

Suddenly, all eyes were on Nicole. Before anyone could say another word, though, someone knocked on the open door.

“Ready to go?” a man holding a walkie talkie asked Aidan.

Aidan shot Nicole a lingering look. “Stay around. We can hang out at lunch.”

She took Lauren’s hand. “We have plans.”

“With a taco stand?” Lauren scoffed.

The walkie talkie guy checked his watch. “Sorry, Aidan, but we really need to get this done before noon. We’re running way behind.”

“Be here when I get back,” Aidan said, his dark eyes still on Nicole.

Everyone was quiet and she felt goosebumps rise on her arms.

“Maybe,” she answered finally.

Aidan gave her a firm look. “Be here. Please.”

A tingling wave of heat went over Nicole’s shoulders, down her back, and into her toes.

Aidan stood feet away—they weren’t even touching—and yet it felt so intimate.

A second later, he was gone, leaving the door swinging open behind him.

“So.” Lauren clapped her hands together and looked to Mikey. “You’re working on the commercial?”

Mikey gestured at the laptop on the tiny coffee table. “No, I tagged along to work on my book.”

“How long till you think they break for lunch?” Lauren asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Nicole quickly cut in. “We’re going.”

Lauren wrinkled her nose. “Huh?”

“Bye, Mikey,” Nicole said, not looking at him. She was too busy leaving the trailer and rushing across the parking lot.

“Nicole!” Lauren called from behind. “Hold on.”

Nicole stopped at the edge of the parking lot. Most of the crew had assembled around the black and white screens and she assumed Aidan was over there as well.

Lauren jogged over to join her. “Why are you acting so crazy? Why didn’t you tell me you met Aidan Coleman?” She pulled her glasses off so they could make eye contact. “And that he’s into you?”

Nicole shook her head and, before she realized how silly it looked, stomped her foot. “He’s only in town this week. It would never work out.”

“You can’t know that, Nic. And you’ll never find out if you don’t give him a chance.”

Nicole raked her fingers through her hair, catching the pony tail holder she’d forgotten was there. “Perhaps I don’t want to know, Lauren.”

A quiet moment passed. “Sweetie, we both know that’s not true. You’re so loving and young. You can’t live your life like that.”

“He’s on TV,” Nicole pushed, her eyes flashing with frustration.

“In a commercial. It’s not the same as—” Lauren trailed off. Sighing, she put a hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “Not everyone in that world is like your parents, Nic. And what happened to them has nothing to do with you.”

“I really don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

Lauren twisted her lips. “Let’s—”

“Please, Lauren.”

“I was only going to say, let’s go get some tacos.”

Lauren wrapped her arm around Nicole’s shoulders as they strode off down the street. With each step, Nicole reminded herself not to look back.