We hit a stoplight, and he eases on the brakes. He twists his head to me, the look on his face blank. Does he think I’m a stalker now? Is he annoyed that I didn’t just drop it back at the beach? Am I making something out of nothing? I’d give anything to know what’s running through his brain.

“You mean that?” he asks.

“I do. I’m sorry that I gave off the impression that I wanted more. I don’t. I’m happy with the way things are right now.”

That last sentence falls out of my mouth so stilted that I cringe. Drunk me momentarily wanted something more, but sober me knows better. Sober me knows what’s on the line if we ever veer offtrack.

Callum nods. “Right.” The word rolls curtly off his tongue.

When the light turns green, he speeds ahead. In the silence of the drive, I wonder why it’s so hard for me to believe my own words.

Chapter 13

A few days past my drunken slipup, we’re back to normal. The morning after the block party, Callum didn’t mention a word of what I said the night before. I didn’t either. When I found my sriracha and sweet chili sauce bottles missing the next day, I breathed a sigh of relief. Then I stole the container of lemon wedges from the counter of Hungry Chaps food truck during a carefully timed garbage haul, and that was that. Things were back to normal. We dove right back into flirty texts and no-nonsense hookups, and I couldn’t have been more relieved.

I look through the window of my food truck, spotting Callum standing in his own truck’s window. All he gives me is a lift of one eyebrow, but that low-key flirt is more than enough to get me through the rest of the day.

Tonight I’m heading to Callum’s place after my shift. Finn is helping a chef friend with a late-night pop-up in Napili tonight, then camping at Haleakala, so I’m due at Callum’s at 9 p.m. sharp. And it’s doubly good because tomorrow is Easter, which means we’re closed, which also means I don’t have to rush home after fooling around like usual.

Mrs. Tokushige saunters up to the window for her usual lunch order. “Ay, Tiva.” She narrows her eyes at Mom, who’s finishing a malasada. “Do you know how much sugar is in those things? You should know better!”

I let out a laugh. “I think one doughnut is fine, Mrs. Tokushige. You see how well she eats the rest of the day.”

The concerned expression on Mrs. Tokushige’s face eases. “I suppose you’re right. You never can be too healthy at our age, though, Tiva.”