Chapter 26

I wake up the next day with a better understanding of my boss. In some ways, I was like Rafael. Closed off. Unbearably irritable. Silently suffering while my mom helplessly watched her only daughter take her anger and sadness out on her body.

It took therapy, a music tutor who wouldn’t give up on me, and a judge ruling in favor of my mother receiving full custody for me to finally start healing, both physically and mentally. So while I may not understand everything Rafael is going through, I know enough about anger issues to understand how everyone needs an outlet.

We just need to find his.

Spoiler alert: It’s not building sandcastles.

Rafael looks so damn sad building a pathetic excuse for a castle all by himself while sparing longing glances at his son, and I can’t help feeling sorry for him.

Nico is still keeping an uncomfortable distance from him. I tried to validate Nico’s feelings while also making it clear that Rafael wouldn’t skip out unless it was extremely important, but Nico wasn’t receptive. He is still disappointed in his dad for not joining us to see big wave surfing, and he is afraid he will ditch him for work again.

When I told Rafael that, he seemed more motivated to prove Nico wrong. So while Nico befriended a couple of other kids and volunteered to help them with their sandcastle, Rafael stayed where Nico left him.

I’ve been stuck on the same page of my book for the last ten minutes, no thanks to the lonely father sitting ten feet in front of my beach chair, looking completely lost in his head. He didn’t bother removing his shirt and going into the water like I expected once Nico left, instead choosing to linger nearby in hopes of his son returning.

“Screw this.” I toss my book on the chair and head over to him. My crochet top and pants swish in the wind, providing me with ample coverage while still keeping my skin cool.

He shields his eyes from the sun as he looks up at me. “What?”

“You look like you could use some help.” I kneel in the sand beside him and push a bucket out of the way.

“I’m fine.” He brushes grains of sand off his shirt.

“I’m not sure you’ll be saying that in a few minutes when this whole thing falls apart.” Somehow, he used both too little water on one side and too much water on the other, which will cause both sides to crumble for opposite reasons.

On cue, one tower collapses in on itself while another completely breaks in half.

Rafael unleashes a deep sigh that rattles something in my chest. “You don’t need to try to make me feel better.”

Nico giggles in the distance, and Rafael frowns as he catches the group of kids helping the other parent dig a moat out to the ocean.

“You know, we could totally make a castle better than that,” I bait him, hoping to spark his competitive nature.

A lot of people in town talk about Julian and Dahlia’s competitive streaks, but many overlook Rafael. The man always wanted to be the best at everything. From sports to clubs, he always strived for greatness, which was one of the many reasons people flocked to him like they did.

Me. I’m people.

He just had no idea.

I speak again when he remains silent. “Our reputation is at stake here.”

His lips twitch. “Who knew you were so passionate about sandcastles?”

“Are you kidding? I placed first for three years in a row during our family trips to northern Michigan.”

He passes me a shovel. “My mistake then. I didn’t know I was in the presence of a champion.”

I laugh as I grab the plastic tool from him. Our fingers brush, sending sparks scattering across my skin.

I’m quick to add some space and take a stab at the sand. “By the time we’re done, those kids are going to be wishing they helped us instead.”

“You sure about that?”

I scan our tools before passing him one. “Yup. Now get to digging.”

After three hours laboring under the unrelenting sun, Rafael and I finally finish the sandcastle. Compared to the kids’ crumbling disaster fifty feet away, ours is a masterpiece. A few people even stop to take photos of our creation, which feeds my ego until my head threatens to explode.

My sunburnt cheeks stretch from my smile. “What do you think?”

Rafael doesn’t answer, so I turn to find him focused on me rather than the castle.

My stomach swoops as he looks away and clears his throat. “I thought you were bluffing about first place.”

I laugh. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Why would I do that?”

“To trick me into accepting your help?”

I stare at him. “There’s absolutely no good reason for me to lie about something like that.”

He scratches at his short beard. “I know.”

“But you assumed the worst anyway.”

“Unfortunately.” His flinch is nearly invisible, but I notice it.

“Well, then I take great pleasure in proving you wrong.”

“I’d expect nothing less.” He doesn’t smile, but his eyes glimmer like the ocean in front of us.

“Whoa!” Nico kicks up sand behind him as he runs toward us. “This is awesome.”

“Too bad you were too busy to help us,” I tease while shooting Rafael a look.

Just follow my lead, I try to convey.

He keeps his lips sealed, so I take it as a silent confirmation.

“I wasn’t too busy.” Nico’s gaze drops.

“Hm. It sure looked like it from here. Your dad tried to get your attention, but you must not have heard him.”

His cheeks turn pink underneath the layer of sunscreen I went over to slather on his skin thirty minutes ago. “Yeah.” He looks over at his dad. “I thought you were going to work.”

“I told you I wasn’t.”

Nico shrugs.

“He didn’t touch his phone once,” I add.

Nico bites down on his bottom lip while circling our castle. “You built all this?”

Rafael nods. “With Ellie.”

“Wow.” Nico assesses it from every angle.

Rafael hesitates, and I nearly jump in to fill the silence but stop myself right before he speaks.

“I’d love it if you joined us tomorrow. We could use your skills building a moat.”

Nico stops midstep and stares down at his sandy feet. “What about work?”

Something in my chest twists as Rafael gets down on his knees in front of his son. “I know you’re disappointed about the second day, and I’m sorry things didn’t pan out how we both wanted, but if you give me a chance, I’d like to make it up to you.”

“What if work calls again?”

“I won’t know because I threw my phone in the ocean.”

Nico laughs. “No, you didn’t.”

“No, you’re right, but I sure thought about it,” he teases in a way I haven’t seen before.

“Good. It’s cracked and old like you.”

“Take that back.”

“Never!” Nico lunges away, but not before Rafael locks his arms around him and reaches for the ticklish spot beneath his arms.

“Stop!”

“Nope. You’re all mine now,” Rafael says in his best villainous voice.

“Ellie! Save me!” Nico reaches out for my hand.

I take a big step back. “Sorry. No can do.”

“¡Para!” Nico squirms in the sand, but Rafael ignores him. “¡Papi! Ellie’s ticklish too! Even more than me!” he shouts between big gulps of air and giggles.

That little brat.

Rafael’s head snaps in my direction, turning that small, devilish smirk on me.

I take a big step back and nearly trip over a bucket. “No, I’m not.”

“Yes, she is. Especially her feet.” Nico bats his father’s hands away.

I check my empty wrist. “Well, would you look at the time…”

¡Para! : Stop!

Before I can finish my sentence, Rafael releases his son, who comes running at me with his hands fully extended, his smirk reminding me so much of his father’s in that moment.

“Get her!” Nico rams into me, successfully knocking me over. My ass hits the warm sand first, followed by my back as he tackles me.

“I got you!” He reaches for my rib cage.

I could easily slip out from underneath him, but the way Nico looks over at his dad stops me.

“¡Papi! ¡Ayúdame!”

Rafael drops to his knees beside my legs and reaches for my right foot. His fingers brush the back of my calf, making me freeze before instincts kick in.

“No!” I attempt to yank my foot away from him, but his grip tightens. Invisible flames shoot up my leg, straight toward a place that should not be throbbing.

I consider kicking Rafael away, but my body freezes when his hand locks around my ankle like a shackle. He brushes the bottom of my foot with the tips of his fingers, and all hell breaks loose inside me.

Rafael is touching me, and instead of running away, I’m practically inviting him to continue.

I squeal when he teases my foot, ignoring the tightness in my belly that has nothing to do with being tickled.

“I told you she was ticklish!” Nico’s unhinged laugh spurs Rafael on.

¡Ayúdame!: Help me

I stare at the man holding my legs hostage. “I hate you.”

“Good.” He grins, and all hope is lost. I’m a goner for every single one of Rafael’s rare smiles, their scarcity causing an emotional supply-and-demand issue.

Being ticklish is the least of my worries because that strange tingling in my chest? The one that doesn’t stop, even after Nico loses interest in me and Rafael releases me from his hold?

It tells me I’m absolutely screwed.