Finding Delaware (State of Us #1)

by Bree Wiley

Dinner is spent with the two of them poking fun at each other while Taylor chimes in, and that peaceful feeling starts to settle over me again. It’s kind of...easy spending time with them. Despite all the heavy stuff between Taylor and me, the vibe that all three of them put off is warm and inviting, like family. After moving to Cali, I spent a lot of time alone. Sure, I had my grandparents over the summer, who were amazing and took me on trips whenever possible. I had my roomie Shawn, who’s pretty chill and taught me to surf. A few friends from classes. I had my teammates, but they were just that; teammates. Coworkers. I never really hung out with any of them off the field. And then there were the boyfriends. One boyfriend after another, no relationship lasting longer than a year at most, because despite how hard I tried to make things work, I always felt...lonely. And fake. But I loved the ocean. A painful, almost homesickness chokes me up when I think about how much I miss that wide-open, churning vastness. Sitting on a surfboard, tossed about by something alive and free and more significant than any of my problems. But still. The sea never made me feel this way, even on its calmest days. And I don’t know how to handle it because I ran away from Utah in the first place to feel like this. So why is it hitting me now, here, of all places? Once dinner is cleaned up, Logan and Salem head upstairs while Taylor follows like a lost puppy. I stay on the couch, listening to thei...