Read Shades of Sydney (Sydney West #1) for Free Online

lay on my stomach and paddled further into the water.
    My body was in sync with how the waves moved. I felt like I was about to win first place again. The ocean was in a good mood. I could tell, but it was hard to explain.
    A wave in the distance caught my eye. That was my ride. I went for it. In my bones, I had the urge to show off and go in the tube doing a handstand, but refused to. That would anger Amelia and I didn’t want that. Besides, what did I have to prove to Jason? He was no one to me.
    At the swell of the wave, I stood and cut through the water, entering the barrel. I felt a natural high in life with a wave all around me. The green room was a marvelous place to be. For a brief moment, I glimpsed Jason staring at me and my body froze. The wave took me over. I crashed onto the beach, coughing up water.
    Someone pounded on my back, muttering something. After I coughed for a few moments, almost losing my lung, I looked up. Jason stood above me with a concerned look on his face.
    “Are you all right?” he asked, his eyes searching me.
    “Yeah,” I said, standing up. “I meant to do that.”
    I quickly wiped away the sand from my moist skin. If only I could erase the memory of my wipe out. If Jason was impressed by my skills before, it was gone now.
    Amelia caught the next wave and came in like a newbie pro, if there was such a thing. I hated her guts. Jason clapped for her and she did a little bow.
    “Want to do that again?” Jason asked, eyeing me.
    “No,” I said before Amelia could answer.
    He frowned. “Come on. When you fall off the horse, you have—”
    I played with my hair, trying to tame its crazy curls. “I know, maybe later. Isn’t it getting late?” I nodded at the sunset.
    Jason rubbed his jaw and stared out over the ocean. “Yeah, I guess. We can head out if you want. Hunter should be joining us soon.”
    “Okay,” Amelia said too happily. The mention of Hunter made her drop the sour look she was giving me.
    I brought up the rear and avoided Jason. Thankfully, Amelia and I came in my car and Jason’s Jeep had room for one more, not two. I wasn’t sure if I could’ve made it in a car ride with Jason. Something about him made my body tingle inside.
    In my peripheral vision, I could see Amelia fixing her hair in the car’s mirror. Once it was styled right, she moved on to her lips, wiping lip gloss on them. I bit down on my tongue to avoid laughing at the ridiculous duck face she made while applying the pink glittery lip gloss. She was acting like a sixteen-year-old girl going on her first date.
    Jason beat us to the crab shack. My stomach twirled as we walked up the path. Jason leaned against the railing of its porch. Amelia flew up the stairs and went to Jason. I saw her joy dampen when Jason said something to her. I guess her hunk, Hunter, wasn’t here yet.
    I walked up the three wooden steps and crossed my arms across my torso, two bars blocking anyone from getting too close to me. Despite being somewhere I didn’t want to be, I went in and ordered some food. Might as well eat as I waited for my freedom to be granted. Besides, eating gave me something to do and a reason not to talk.
    Crab salad was something new and interesting to try. After the first bite, though, I knew I wasn’t a fan. I was one of the strange people who loved the ocean, but didn’t like the food that came from it. Jason sat next to me and dug into his lobster. Hearing him crack its claws made me want to hurl.
    Using my fork, I moved all the crab bits to one side and ate the rest of the salad. Jason noticed what I was doing and lifted an eyebrow.
    “Why are you moving all the crab to one side? Planning on eating it for dessert?”
    I shook my head. “I don’t like it.”
    “Did you even try it?”
    I rubbed my temple with my fingertips. “Of course I tried it. I’m not a five-year-old who judges food on its appearance.”
    “Okay,” he drawled. “No need to bite my head off,” he said, going back to