Page 89 of Love Unwritten

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.