Breathing For The First Time (22 page)

Tyler watches us, his eyes following Brooke. The amusement is clear on his face, and he absorbs the scene in front of him. Brooke looks at me and gives me approval for the second bed and I smile at her. Tyler shakes his head, but smiles when Brooke meets his eyes.

This is going to be a lonely trip.

I follow Brooke and Tyler from the room back to the pool where they agreed to meet Paige and Dante after the wedding arrangements were set. Brooke pulls her cover-up dress over her head and drops in on a chair. Tyler strips his t-shirt off and follows her to the pool. I slip my dress off to reveal my wasabi green tankini.

I settle into my chair and watch Brooke and Tyler in the pool. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him sweetly. Their faces are millimeters apart, but I can tell they’re talking. The smile on Brooke’s face makes me wonder what the conversation is about, but very happy I decided to stay here instead of getting in the pool with them.

My eyes shut against the blinding light and the endless sea of couples. Why am I starting to feel like something is missing? I’m happy with my life. There isn’t anything missing, except someone to share it with.

When I went home after graduation, I was so happy to be with my family. My three brothers, Tom, Tim, and Travis, are all still living at home with mom and dad. I got my own apartment, but it was nice to be around them all. I love having them around, having people to spend time with. And I still have my friends from high school, and my new teacher friends.

But none of it feels the same as being with Brooke and Paige. Being with them is like having sisters. Paige is the only one of us who actually has sisters, but we all agreed our friendship is like that, but better since we choose to be friends. I love them, and I’d do anything for my friends. It’s getting hard to relate to them though as they get more and more involved in their relationships. Now Paige is getting married, and I’m sure Brooke isn’t far behind. I’ll be alone, in a whole new way.

I hear Paige’s voice before I open my eyes. She and Dante are talking about something with the wedding, but I’m not sure what. Then I hear the third voice. I guess it’s time to meet my roommate.

I look around and see Paige and Dante coming toward me. Paige is adorable as ever in her white cotton dress, but the tie of her lavender bikini top is sticking out. Her long brown hair is dangling down her back, loose and free. The expression on her face is the same, and I’m happy I came on this trip. This cruise will be great for my friends.

I stand up and wrap Paige in a hug. She’s beaming like the blushing bride she is. Dante leans in for a hug when Paige lets go of me. Paige catches me up quickly on the wedding arrangements. She says the cruise ship has it all organized, but if she needs someone to take care of anything, she asked them to get in touch with me.

A part of me wants to feel annoyed that she offered me up without asking first. In reality, I’m thrilled that she trusts me and values my opinion and assistance so much. It’s refreshing to know someone needs me.

“Oh,” Paige gasps, “I completely forgot. Tiffany, this is Craig.” She gestures toward the man standing next to Dante. I didn’t even notice him until now. He turns when he hears his name and I’m met with green eyes that match my bathing suit. His blonde hair is cut close enough to make me wonder if he’s in the military.

My eyes travel down his body, taking in my new roommate. He’s definitely attractive, but he’s not at all my type. If it turns out he is in the military, it will be a big step up from the frat boy he looks like. I look back up to his face and notice him watching me. A sly smile is on his lips, letting me know he appreciates that I’m checking him out.

What a jerk! He actually thinks I like him. And here I’m thinking he looks like exactly the guy he’s acting like. Well, this trip just got worse.