neurotically so. In the kitchen, there was some money
on the table, along with a note addressed to Blaze. When Ronnie caught Blaze sliding a few bills into her pocket and reading
the note, Blaze mentioned that her mom always left money for her. It was how she knew Blaze was okay when she didn’t come
home.
Odd.
What she really wanted was to talk to Blaze about Marcus, but she knew that wouldn’t do any good. Lord knows she’d learned
that from Kayla—Kayla lived in denial—but even so, it didn’t make sense. Marcus was bad news, and Blaze was clearly better
off without him. She wondered why Blaze couldn’t see that. Maybe tomorrow they’d talk about it at the beach.
“Are we boring you?”
Turning, she saw Marcus standing behind her. He was holding a fireball, letting it roll across the back of his hand.
“I just wanted to come down to the water.”
“Do you want me to bring you a beer?”
By the way he asked, she could tell he already knew what she was going to say.
“I don’t drink.”
“Why?”
Because it makes people act stupid,
she could have said. But she didn’t. She knew that any explanation she offered would only prolong the conversation. “I just
don’t. That’s all.”
“Just say no?” he taunted.
“If you say so.”
In the darkness, he wore the ghost of a smile, but his eyes remained shadowy pits. “Do you think you’re better than us?”
“No.”
“Then c’mon.” He gestured to the bonfire. “Sit with us.”
“I’m fine.”
He glanced over his shoulder. Behind him, Ronnie could see Blaze digging through the cooler for another beer, which was the
last thing she needed. She was already unsteady on her feet.
Without warning, he took a step toward her, reaching for her waist. He squeezed, pulling her closer to him. “Let’s walk the
beach.”
“No,” she hissed. “I’m not in the mood. And take your hand off me.”
It stayed in place. She could tell Marcus was enjoying this. “You worried about what Blaze would think?”
“I just don’t want to, okay?”
“Blaze won’t care.”
She took a step back, increasing the distance between them.
“I do,” she said. “And I’ve got to go.”
He continued to stare at her. “Yeah, you do that.” Then, after a pause, he spoke up so the others could hear: “No, I’ll just
stay here. But thanks for asking.”
She was too shocked to say anything in response. Instead, she started down the beach, knowing that Blaze was watching, and
suddenly thinking she couldn’t get away fast enough.
At home, her father was playing the piano, and as soon as she walked in, he peeked at the clock. After what just happened,
she wasn’t in the mood to deal with him, so she started for the hallway without a word. He must have seen something in her
face, however, because he called out to her.
“Are you okay?”
She hesitated. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said.
“You sure?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
He studied her before answering. “Okay.”
“Is there anything else?”
“It’s almost two a.m.,” he pointed out.
“And?”
He bent over the keyboard. “There’s some pasta in the fridge if you’re hungry.”
She had to admit he’d surprised her with that one. No lecture, no orders, no laying down the law. Pretty much the opposite
of how Mom would have handled it. She shook her head and walked to the bedroom, wondering if anyone or anything was normal
down here.
She forgot to hang blankets over the windows, and the sun lasered into the room, waking her after she’d slept for less than
six hours.
Groaning, she rolled over and pulled the pillow on top of her head when she remembered what had happened at the beach the
night before. Then she sat up, knowing sleep was out of the question.
Marcus definitely creeped her out.
Her first thought was that she should have said something last night, when he had called out. Something like
What the hell are you talking
on the table, along with a note addressed to Blaze. When Ronnie caught Blaze sliding a few bills into her pocket and reading
the note, Blaze mentioned that her mom always left money for her. It was how she knew Blaze was okay when she didn’t come
home.
Odd.
What she really wanted was to talk to Blaze about Marcus, but she knew that wouldn’t do any good. Lord knows she’d learned
that from Kayla—Kayla lived in denial—but even so, it didn’t make sense. Marcus was bad news, and Blaze was clearly better
off without him. She wondered why Blaze couldn’t see that. Maybe tomorrow they’d talk about it at the beach.
“Are we boring you?”
Turning, she saw Marcus standing behind her. He was holding a fireball, letting it roll across the back of his hand.
“I just wanted to come down to the water.”
“Do you want me to bring you a beer?”
By the way he asked, she could tell he already knew what she was going to say.
“I don’t drink.”
“Why?”
Because it makes people act stupid,
she could have said. But she didn’t. She knew that any explanation she offered would only prolong the conversation. “I just
don’t. That’s all.”
“Just say no?” he taunted.
“If you say so.”
In the darkness, he wore the ghost of a smile, but his eyes remained shadowy pits. “Do you think you’re better than us?”
“No.”
“Then c’mon.” He gestured to the bonfire. “Sit with us.”
“I’m fine.”
He glanced over his shoulder. Behind him, Ronnie could see Blaze digging through the cooler for another beer, which was the
last thing she needed. She was already unsteady on her feet.
Without warning, he took a step toward her, reaching for her waist. He squeezed, pulling her closer to him. “Let’s walk the
beach.”
“No,” she hissed. “I’m not in the mood. And take your hand off me.”
It stayed in place. She could tell Marcus was enjoying this. “You worried about what Blaze would think?”
“I just don’t want to, okay?”
“Blaze won’t care.”
She took a step back, increasing the distance between them.
“I do,” she said. “And I’ve got to go.”
He continued to stare at her. “Yeah, you do that.” Then, after a pause, he spoke up so the others could hear: “No, I’ll just
stay here. But thanks for asking.”
She was too shocked to say anything in response. Instead, she started down the beach, knowing that Blaze was watching, and
suddenly thinking she couldn’t get away fast enough.
At home, her father was playing the piano, and as soon as she walked in, he peeked at the clock. After what just happened,
she wasn’t in the mood to deal with him, so she started for the hallway without a word. He must have seen something in her
face, however, because he called out to her.
“Are you okay?”
She hesitated. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she said.
“You sure?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
He studied her before answering. “Okay.”
“Is there anything else?”
“It’s almost two a.m.,” he pointed out.
“And?”
He bent over the keyboard. “There’s some pasta in the fridge if you’re hungry.”
She had to admit he’d surprised her with that one. No lecture, no orders, no laying down the law. Pretty much the opposite
of how Mom would have handled it. She shook her head and walked to the bedroom, wondering if anyone or anything was normal
down here.
She forgot to hang blankets over the windows, and the sun lasered into the room, waking her after she’d slept for less than
six hours.
Groaning, she rolled over and pulled the pillow on top of her head when she remembered what had happened at the beach the
night before. Then she sat up, knowing sleep was out of the question.
Marcus definitely creeped her out.
Her first thought was that she should have said something last night, when he had called out. Something like
What the hell are you talking
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