A horrifying realization washed over me. It wasn’t just that my dad was in jail; it wasn’t just that we had lost our house and all our stuff and all our money—things that I had spent the past three days panicking about and somewhat coming to terms with. My parents were going to get divorced. Of course they were. How hadn’t I seen it before? I was an idiot. I felt that burn in the back of my throat that meant I was going to cry. And then, horrifyingly, I did. I was sitting on the raw wood steps down to the beach crying in front of the hottest junior at Juniper Shores Prep. This was the most embarrassing moment of my life.

Well, it was… until he put his arm around me. “I want to tell you that I’m wrong, but I’m not going to lie to you, kid: I don’t see how they get through this one.”

Kid. That couldn’t be good. But I was so close to him, and he smelled so great, like salt air and pine trees and something just a little spicy like cinnamon. Maybe calling me kid wasn’t a setback.

I pulled away and wiped my eyes, and he put his thumb in the cleft of my chin and his fingers underneath it, turning my face toward his. He was going to kiss me. Oh my gosh, Merit, god of juniors, was going to kiss me. And while I acknowledged that it was probably a pity kiss, I would take it. I would take it all day long.

“I’ll teach you how to surf.”

“What?”

“I’ll teach you how to surf,” he said. “I swear, the waves healed me when I was dealing with my parents’ split.”

Surf. Uh-huh. Because that’s what Merit could do to take my mind off of things. Boys were so dumb. But it was a nice offer. And I did want to learn how to surf. I wanted to be one of those cool girls with the saltwater dried in her hair making effortless beach waves. Although I kind of figured those girls never gave much thought to their hair. Well, whatever. It was more time with Merit. I’d worm my way in there somehow.

“A burner phone and a surf teacher all in one?” I asked demurely.

He nodded. “Just consider me the big brother you never had.”

Big brother. That was going to be hard to come back from. But I could do it. The waves and Alice’s new bikini would be all it took to get Merit thinking about me like I wasn’t just a little sister. I mean, I thought. What did I know? I’d never even been kissed.

Merit stood up to go inside. “Burner phone time,” he whispered. I smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.