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before I even open my mouth. My mom used to tell me girls were just jealous. Maybe she was right. However, it’s hard to believe someone could be jealous of the way I look when I wouldn’t be.
    I’d rather have gorgeous dark, shining hair I never had to color. I’d rather have olive-toned skin that didn’t need the help of bronzer. And I sure as hell would rather have less body.
    But I didn’t.
    Dying my hair dark would totally wash out my skin and it wouldn’t go with my light-colored eyes. And these curves of mine? They weren’t going anywhere. I tried for years—all through high school—to diet and exercise them away, but eventually, a girl gets tired of trying.
    Eventually, a girl wants a slice of pizza.
    So I work with what I have. And I try to be the best version of myself, even though on most days, my best version still feels kind of lame.
    Still, I’d never show the way I actually felt on the outside. I’d rather people think I was shallow and full of myself than insecure and vulnerable.
    I’d rather sling out a witty comeback than let anyone get the better of me. Over the years, I’d built up a strong defense for the softness inside me, so much so it was part of me now. Sometimes even I forgot about the weakness I kept hidden deep, so when I felt it—when it reminded me it was there—it frightened me.
    For some reason, that weakness was reminding me now.
    “Ivy?” Missy’s voice cut into my inner thoughts. She tentatively touched my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
    I gave her a bright smile and nodded. “Of course.”
    “You seemed a million miles away,” she replied, still eyeing me cautiously.
    “You caught me.” I shrugged. “I was staring at the piece of man candy down there running on the sand.”
    Missy turned to stare at the guy who was conveniently running down the beach with no shirt. His back muscles were cut and glistening with sweat under the early morning sun.
    “He’s definitely enough to distract anyone.” Missy elbowed me in the side gently.
    The truth was I hadn’t noticed him at all. I probably wouldn’t have if I didn’t need an excuse for my lapse into La-La Land a few moments ago.
    I wagged my eyebrows, and she laughed. “So,” I began, taking another sip of coffee, “I need the details.”
    “The details for what?”
    I rolled my eyes. “Girl. You and Trent. So what’s up with that?”
    Missy sighed and glanced out toward the ocean. “Girl,” she mirrored my tone, “you’ve been here all week. You know what’s up with that.”
    I made a snoring sound. “Look, we all know certain people were hoping you and him would hit it off this week.”
    Missy glanced my way. “I really don’t like it when people try to get involved in my love life.”
    “That’s what friends are for. So come on,” I fished. “Do you like him?”
    Smiling, Missy shook her head. “You should run a dating website.”
    I made a rude sound. “Gross. The last thing I want is a bunch of disgruntled women trying to blame me because they ended up dating a dog.”
    We both laughed. Wind blew up from down on the beach and pulled my hair in all different directions. “I’m going to take your evasion to my question as a no, you don’t like Trent.”
    Missy leaned her forearm on the railing of the deck and angled her body toward me. A few strands of hair had come loose from her bun and waved wildly around her face. “Trent is a really great guy. And he’s definitely easy on the eyes.”
    “But?”
    “But he’s not Braeden.”
    I choked on the coffee I was drinking. It spewed back out between my lips and splashed back into the half-empty mug as my body was racked with coughing.
    Oh my God.
    Did she just say what I thought she said?
    My mind was spinning as I tried to calm my racing heart and swallow down the rest of my coughs. After a few minutes, I seemed to be able to rein in it. Sitting the cup aside on the railing, I sucked in a deep breath.
    Missy was watching me closely, and I