South beach Read Online Free PDF

or without Alexa. But, because Holly's parents didn't let her fly anywhere alone, Alexa's being there was a necessity.
    If Holly was being completely honest with herself, her desire to go to Miami had something to do with a boy. The boy she'd met down there, three years ago. Holly felt a flush spreading up her neck into her face. She hadn't thought about Diego in a while. But talking about Florida had triggered all the old memories. They rushed back now, as vivid as ever.
    Diego Felipe Mendieta. He'd been fourteen at the
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    time, but tall for his age. His skin was the color of cocoa butter, his eyes were black as olives, and his hair was dark and glossy. Whenever he smiled, the two deepest, most adorable dimples appeared in his cheeks. Diego lived in her grandmother's apartment building and he'd introduced himself in the lobby one day, which had absolutely floored Holly. Boys like Diego never talked to her. But the two of them had ended up spending the whole week together -- surfing on Haulover Beach, bike-riding north to Sunny Isles, eating triple-scoop ice-cream cones on the boardwalk. Then, on Holly's last night, Diego had given Holly her first -- and, so far, only -- kiss.
    Holly closed her eyes, summoning that one yummy memory. It had been around ten o'clock, a muggy, sticky Miami night. She and Diego had gotten chocolate chip ice-cream cones, and decided to bring them down to the beach. The full moon had cast its pale reflection on the surface of the ocean. Holly remembered the feel of the cold ice cream on her tongue and the foamy water on her bare toes. She and Diego had fallen silent, gazing up in wonder at the moon, and Holly had felt an odd shift between them -- a kind of electric spark. She'd never felt that happen with a boy before. And she'd suddenly become aware of Diego's arm so close to hers. She'd resisted the urge
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    to touch him -- to rest her hand on the sleeve of his T-shirt but then Diego had touched her. He leaned over, brought his fingers to her lips, and lightly wiped the corner of Holly's mouth.
    "Ice cream," he explained with a half smile. Holly wanted to die of mortification, but before she could, Diego kissed her. Really kissed her. The fullness of his lips and the salty-sweet taste of his mouth, and his warm hand on her waist made Holly's knees wobble. She almost dropped her cone in the sand. Kissing was so much better than Holly had ever imagined -- soft and warm and easy. She'd wanted the kiss to last forever, but Diego had gently ended it, smiled at Holly, and turned back to the ocean. Still, when they'd walked back to the building, their fingers had brushed together as if they were about to hold hands. And when they parted ways in the elevator, Diego had given her another kiss, this time on the cheek, and promised to stay in touch.
    And they had, Holly remembered as she lay on her bed. They'd e-mailed and IMed for the rest of the summer and into the school year, trading reminisces about their week in Miami. Holly remembered how her heart would bang against her ribs whenever she saw his name pop up on her screen. But, as the year went on, their correspondence had petered out. After
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    some time, Diego faded in Holly's mind, remaining a blissful, if distant, memory.
    Holly opened her eyes and swung her legs off the bed. She looked at herself in the round mirror above her desk. Her green-gray eyes were very bright and her freckled cheeks dark pink. Holly had sometimes teased herself with the thought that she'd go back to Miami Beach one day and have a romantic reunion with Diego. But she'd gotten so busy with schoolwork and track, and sports camp in the summer, that there hadn't been another chance to visit Grandma Ida.
    Until now.
    Sure, things were weird with Alexa. The setup was far from ideal. But Holly knew she'd be insane to throw away this opportunity to reconnect with her old crush. Maybe it was fated that she see Diego again. There was a very good chance she'd run into him in