when you said you felt lonely? Are you okay?”
Aria pressed her hand to her chest, touched by his interest and concern. “I’m fine,” she said, suddenly meaning it. “Actually, I’d rather hear about you first. What are you doing in New York? Going to grad school? Do you have a job? I bet it’s something fabulous.”
Ezra’s throat bobbed. “Well, I did have a job at a nonprofit for a while, but then I was laid off. So after that . . .” A bloom of red appeared on his cheeks. “I did some writing. And, well, I wrote a novel.”
“A novel ?” Aria’s jaw dropped. “As in a complete, start-to-finish book ?”
Ezra laughed bashfully. “That’s right. But I don’t know how good it is.”
“I’m sure it’s amazing!” Aria clapped. “What’s it about? When’s it going to be published?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Ezra glanced at his backpack, which sat behind them on the rock. “But if you’re interested, I have the manuscript. . . .”
“Of course I’m interested!” Aria said. “I’d love to see it!”
Ezra pressed his lips together, as if weighing the decision. “No agents are representing me yet. It might never even get published. The book industry is a little harder to crack than I thought.” He let out a bitter laugh Aria had never heard before.
“Am I going to have to tackle you to see this thing?” Aria teased.
“Okay, okay.” Ezra undid the straps on his backpack and pulled out a sheaf of dog-eared papers held together by a blue rubber band. The front page said See Me After Class, by Ezra Fitz in boldface.
“I can’t believe you wrote this,” Aria whispered reverently. “Is it about a teacher?”
Ezra grinned mysteriously. “Maybe.” He pushed the pages toward her. “Do you want to read it?”
“Yes!” Aria flipped through the ruffled pages. “I know I’m going to love it. And . . . thank you.” She looked up at him, feeling a rush of emotion. “For everything. Coming back. This picnic . . .”
Aria trailed off, and they stared at each other for a few long beats. Then, Ezra inched forward on the rock until their bodies were touching. As soon as he wrapped his arms around Aria’s waist and touched his lips to hers, she felt a whoosh of pleasure. The kiss deepened, and Ezra shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it on a rock next to them. Aria slithered out of her pea coat.
“Ahem,” someone whispered.
Ezra and Aria pulled apart, breathing hard. A group of old women, clad in hiking gear and fanny packs and carrying walking sticks, had emerged from around the bend and were staring at them with disgusted looks on their faces.
“Sorry!” Ezra called out, quickly buttoning up his shirt.
The women sniffed and headed toward the B&B, balancing expertly on the rocks. Ezra shot Aria a mortified look and covered his mouth with his hand. “That was like being caught by my grandma,” he whispered.
“Or the school librarian,” Aria giggled.
Ezra gathered her in his arms and looked deep into her eyes. “Let’s hope we get caught lots more times.”
Aria felt a swirl of complete and utter happiness. Then, she leaned forward and kissed Ezra softly on the lips. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Chapter 11
SUMMER SCHOOL REUNION
Later that same afternoon, Spencer pulled her Mercedes coupe into her family’s driveway after a long study session at the Rosewood Public Library. “ But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail ,” she recited. It was from the speech where Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to kill Duncan, the king. “ When Duncan is asleep, whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey . . . ”
Then her mind went blank. What came after that?
She shifted into park. This was infuriating. She’d mastered all the lines of The Taming of the Shrew in tenth grade when she was studying for the PSATs, volunteering for the Rosewood soup kitchen, playing field hockey, and juggling six honors
Aria pressed her hand to her chest, touched by his interest and concern. “I’m fine,” she said, suddenly meaning it. “Actually, I’d rather hear about you first. What are you doing in New York? Going to grad school? Do you have a job? I bet it’s something fabulous.”
Ezra’s throat bobbed. “Well, I did have a job at a nonprofit for a while, but then I was laid off. So after that . . .” A bloom of red appeared on his cheeks. “I did some writing. And, well, I wrote a novel.”
“A novel ?” Aria’s jaw dropped. “As in a complete, start-to-finish book ?”
Ezra laughed bashfully. “That’s right. But I don’t know how good it is.”
“I’m sure it’s amazing!” Aria clapped. “What’s it about? When’s it going to be published?”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Ezra glanced at his backpack, which sat behind them on the rock. “But if you’re interested, I have the manuscript. . . .”
“Of course I’m interested!” Aria said. “I’d love to see it!”
Ezra pressed his lips together, as if weighing the decision. “No agents are representing me yet. It might never even get published. The book industry is a little harder to crack than I thought.” He let out a bitter laugh Aria had never heard before.
“Am I going to have to tackle you to see this thing?” Aria teased.
“Okay, okay.” Ezra undid the straps on his backpack and pulled out a sheaf of dog-eared papers held together by a blue rubber band. The front page said See Me After Class, by Ezra Fitz in boldface.
“I can’t believe you wrote this,” Aria whispered reverently. “Is it about a teacher?”
Ezra grinned mysteriously. “Maybe.” He pushed the pages toward her. “Do you want to read it?”
“Yes!” Aria flipped through the ruffled pages. “I know I’m going to love it. And . . . thank you.” She looked up at him, feeling a rush of emotion. “For everything. Coming back. This picnic . . .”
Aria trailed off, and they stared at each other for a few long beats. Then, Ezra inched forward on the rock until their bodies were touching. As soon as he wrapped his arms around Aria’s waist and touched his lips to hers, she felt a whoosh of pleasure. The kiss deepened, and Ezra shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it on a rock next to them. Aria slithered out of her pea coat.
“Ahem,” someone whispered.
Ezra and Aria pulled apart, breathing hard. A group of old women, clad in hiking gear and fanny packs and carrying walking sticks, had emerged from around the bend and were staring at them with disgusted looks on their faces.
“Sorry!” Ezra called out, quickly buttoning up his shirt.
The women sniffed and headed toward the B&B, balancing expertly on the rocks. Ezra shot Aria a mortified look and covered his mouth with his hand. “That was like being caught by my grandma,” he whispered.
“Or the school librarian,” Aria giggled.
Ezra gathered her in his arms and looked deep into her eyes. “Let’s hope we get caught lots more times.”
Aria felt a swirl of complete and utter happiness. Then, she leaned forward and kissed Ezra softly on the lips. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Chapter 11
SUMMER SCHOOL REUNION
Later that same afternoon, Spencer pulled her Mercedes coupe into her family’s driveway after a long study session at the Rosewood Public Library. “ But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail ,” she recited. It was from the speech where Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to kill Duncan, the king. “ When Duncan is asleep, whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey . . . ”
Then her mind went blank. What came after that?
She shifted into park. This was infuriating. She’d mastered all the lines of The Taming of the Shrew in tenth grade when she was studying for the PSATs, volunteering for the Rosewood soup kitchen, playing field hockey, and juggling six honors
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