blanket around me.
“We’re going,” Xandro says. Elena and Juliet put their clothes back on and shiver with their hands close to the fire. They complain, but Maria quiets them with a single glare. “Sky?”
“I’m fine,” I say. “I’m going with River.”
“Don’t be silly, Sky. You’re going to catch a cold.”
“Somehow,” I say, smiling. “I think I’ll manage to take care of myself.”
Chapter 16
When they leave, the air gets a little lighter. Everyone still dotes on me. Jacob makes me a hot toddy with Suzy’s family whiskey.
“Are you sure this won’t make me go blind?” I ask him, grateful for the warm cup. The air isn’t that cold, and the fire is almost as tall as I am, but the wave felt like it was trying to dig into my bones.
“That’s moonshine,” Suzy corrects me. “And you’ll be fine.”
Hayden doesn’t come back to the fire. He plays volleyball and then stands at the shoreline. Now that they know I’m not in any danger, River and Leti challenge the boys to a game of “let’s chase each other and make out.” At least, that’s what it looks like from here.
When Jacob goes into the house to make sure his friends aren’t breaking anything, Suzy sits next to me.
“I’m really sorry about tonight,” I tell her.
“Don’t be!” She tucks her hair behind her ear. “It’s just nice to have people around. No one visits us in the winter, except for Hayden. He’s a really good friend.”
That makes me smile. “I’m starting to see that.”
“I’ve never seen him get so upset. He hates bossy men. Considering his relationship with his dad, I’m not surprised.”
“Oh, I’ve seen it,” I say, thinking about the way the old man seemed more concerned with losing a job prospect than his own son being hurt.
“I can tell you one thing,” Suzy says. “I’ve known Hayden since I moved up here from Tennessee. He’s fiercely loyal. There’s not a malicious bone in that boy’s body. He’s eager to love, even if it means getting hurt.”
“He told me he wants to be friends.”
She shakes her head. “I said he was loyal, not smart. Not always. He just wants to be with you, Sky. I knew about you the second he got home from work after his little accident. And there was nothing in that kiss you two shared that said you’re just friends.”
It’s weird when a stranger admits they know so much about you, but I like Suzy. Her accent is sweet-sounding, or maybe it’s the whiskey.
“Why are you still sitting with me, girl? Go talk to that boy.”
And I do. I guess all I need is a little push from a stranger to do something that feels entirely natural. Why is that?
I take his hand. He doesn’t seem surprised. He looks down at me and smiles. The waves are tempestuous now. There’s a bright white light at the end of the beach that makes me feel like I’m walking in a dream.
“Thanks for saving me,” I say.
“Sky,” he says, half smiling, half shaking his head. “You scared me. I could feel you getting pulled out of my hand.”
“Well, the ocean got a taste of me and spit me back out.”
He tucks my hair behind my ear and zips my/his hoodie up to the top, leaning in real close. “I doubt that. You taste amazing.”
Fire. I close my eyes and think of the fire that lights inside of me.
“Friends don’t say that to friends,” I remind him. But I suppose we never had a chance. Not really. “They don’t kiss either.”
“That’s very true. But before the wave crashed over us, I was going to kiss you until the tide pulled out.”
His confident smile knows that I’m not going to correct him. Still, the moment is gone, and the idea of all the repercussions of my impulses come to the forefront of my mind.
“I think I’m still concussed,” I say. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He laughs, and the warmth of it makes me want to bury myself in his arms. The only thing that’s stopping me is me. I know that.
“We have to go,”
“We’re going,” Xandro says. Elena and Juliet put their clothes back on and shiver with their hands close to the fire. They complain, but Maria quiets them with a single glare. “Sky?”
“I’m fine,” I say. “I’m going with River.”
“Don’t be silly, Sky. You’re going to catch a cold.”
“Somehow,” I say, smiling. “I think I’ll manage to take care of myself.”
Chapter 16
When they leave, the air gets a little lighter. Everyone still dotes on me. Jacob makes me a hot toddy with Suzy’s family whiskey.
“Are you sure this won’t make me go blind?” I ask him, grateful for the warm cup. The air isn’t that cold, and the fire is almost as tall as I am, but the wave felt like it was trying to dig into my bones.
“That’s moonshine,” Suzy corrects me. “And you’ll be fine.”
Hayden doesn’t come back to the fire. He plays volleyball and then stands at the shoreline. Now that they know I’m not in any danger, River and Leti challenge the boys to a game of “let’s chase each other and make out.” At least, that’s what it looks like from here.
When Jacob goes into the house to make sure his friends aren’t breaking anything, Suzy sits next to me.
“I’m really sorry about tonight,” I tell her.
“Don’t be!” She tucks her hair behind her ear. “It’s just nice to have people around. No one visits us in the winter, except for Hayden. He’s a really good friend.”
That makes me smile. “I’m starting to see that.”
“I’ve never seen him get so upset. He hates bossy men. Considering his relationship with his dad, I’m not surprised.”
“Oh, I’ve seen it,” I say, thinking about the way the old man seemed more concerned with losing a job prospect than his own son being hurt.
“I can tell you one thing,” Suzy says. “I’ve known Hayden since I moved up here from Tennessee. He’s fiercely loyal. There’s not a malicious bone in that boy’s body. He’s eager to love, even if it means getting hurt.”
“He told me he wants to be friends.”
She shakes her head. “I said he was loyal, not smart. Not always. He just wants to be with you, Sky. I knew about you the second he got home from work after his little accident. And there was nothing in that kiss you two shared that said you’re just friends.”
It’s weird when a stranger admits they know so much about you, but I like Suzy. Her accent is sweet-sounding, or maybe it’s the whiskey.
“Why are you still sitting with me, girl? Go talk to that boy.”
And I do. I guess all I need is a little push from a stranger to do something that feels entirely natural. Why is that?
I take his hand. He doesn’t seem surprised. He looks down at me and smiles. The waves are tempestuous now. There’s a bright white light at the end of the beach that makes me feel like I’m walking in a dream.
“Thanks for saving me,” I say.
“Sky,” he says, half smiling, half shaking his head. “You scared me. I could feel you getting pulled out of my hand.”
“Well, the ocean got a taste of me and spit me back out.”
He tucks my hair behind my ear and zips my/his hoodie up to the top, leaning in real close. “I doubt that. You taste amazing.”
Fire. I close my eyes and think of the fire that lights inside of me.
“Friends don’t say that to friends,” I remind him. But I suppose we never had a chance. Not really. “They don’t kiss either.”
“That’s very true. But before the wave crashed over us, I was going to kiss you until the tide pulled out.”
His confident smile knows that I’m not going to correct him. Still, the moment is gone, and the idea of all the repercussions of my impulses come to the forefront of my mind.
“I think I’m still concussed,” I say. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He laughs, and the warmth of it makes me want to bury myself in his arms. The only thing that’s stopping me is me. I know that.
“We have to go,”
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