Chapter 52
The Party
Billy pressed his fingers to his temple, and when he brought them down, he saw blood, tiny specks coating his skin like paint. He looked up at his father and saw a gash right above his left eyebrow, small but visible.
“Jesus, Billy,” his dad said, pressing his palm to his forehead. He stormed away and returned a few moments later with the first aid kit, pulling out alcohol swabs and Band-Aids. “Sit.”
Billy did as instructed and let his father patch him up. “I’m sorry, Dad,” Billy said.
His dad nodded once as he unfurled the bandage, tapping it lightly in place over Billy’s cut. “I know,” he said.
They were quiet for a moment, the water rippling below them.
His father looked down at the tender tied to the ladder. “Let’s go back, okay? We can figure this out on dry land tomorrow.”
Billy looked up at the stars. The last place he wanted to be was home, where the reality of what was happening would actually set in, where tomorrow would bring stern talking-tos and tears from his mother, a conversation with Erica’s parents.
No. Billy wanted one more night of peace, one more night of pretending that everything would be as it was in his mind.
“Can I stay here tonight?” he asked, looking up at the stars.
Billy’s dad pursed his lips but then sighed. “Okay,” he said, glancing at his watch. “It’s almost morning, and I have a call with London soon. I’ll have Olivia come pick you up in the tender at dawn, okay?”
“You don’t want to stay here, too?”
His dad shook his head. “My alarm’s going off in an hour anyway.”
They both stood, and Billy’s dad paused for a moment, looking at his son. There was so much unsaid between them. No I love you. No I’m proud of you. But Billy’s dad rested a hand on his shoulder and patted him once. “It will work out.”
Billy’s mouth dropped open. It was the closest his father had ever come to comfort, to outward emotion, and Billy wanted to savor the moment. He was quiet as he watched his dad drive the tender back toward shore and suddenly, he realized he was all alone.
Billy stretched his neck up to the sky, looking for the Big Dipper. He and Ethan learned about the constellations when they were kids, and he liked to think they could chart the sea just by looking up. Not that he ever tried.
But once Billy started thinking about Ethan, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander to Trevor.
That dumb kid who was screwing Erica in the dunes behind his house.
How was that okay? How was that right? Billy wanted to set that kid straight, especially now that there was going to be a baby in the picture.
He reached for his phone and was pleased to see it still had battery. His fingers moved clumsily over the screen, but he got his text out through that disappearing message app they all used. Get your ass to the Sea Witch, he wrote. We need to talk.
Billy tossed his phone back onto the couch. He wasn’t sure if the kid would show, how he’d get here, anyway. But he had to do it. Had to prove to Trevor that he was tough. That Erica would choose him in the end.
Billy closed his eyes, rocked gently with the water. It was so calm here. Now he was having second thoughts. Did he really want to deal with Trevor tonight? He was suddenly so, so tired.
He didn’t know how long he slept, could barely keep track of time, but he was woken up by the sound of water churning, the dipping of paddles as they pushed through water.
“Hello?” Billy called, his voice hoarse. But no one answered. He pushed himself to sit up and swiveled to face the ladder. Damn. The kid came.
Trevor was climbing aboard, just like Billy suspected, but behind him, Billy was surprised to see another face, someone who had betrayed Billy by not telling him the truth. Someone Billy didn’t want to see at all: Ethan.