Chapter 42 Six Months Later
Six Months Later
I hung my keys on the hook just inside the door as I walked into the house. I’d just finished a shift at the Purple Starfish, a diner on Main Street. I mostly cleared off tables and brought people their food. I’d been working there for almost five months, but now that it was summer it was busy.
My parents were standing in the kitchen. I shut the door behind me and looked between the two of them. They held their pickleball rackets.
“Coming or going?” I asked.
Mom was drinking a big glass of water.
“We just got back,” Dad said. His skin glowed with a tan, making it apparent how much time they spent outside these days.
Dad had been right about how the trial and his testimony in it would affect his business.
Even though he wasn’t the one on trial, it had an impact on all the partners.
People didn’t trust them as much. They weren’t getting as many clients.
So Dad left. He started a research position with the county where he didn’t have to go to court.
He now researched case law and precedent.
It didn’t pay as much, but sometimes money wasn’t the only benefit a job could provide.
When he’d first gone over, I could tell he thought it was some sort of failure.
But now we all knew it was the best thing that had happened.
We had more time together; he was less stressed.
“You still beating the old people?” The league they played in was mostly retired people.
“I mean, if we weren’t, it would be embarrassing,” Mom said.
“They’re not that old,” Dad said. “And they’re really good. We had to earn our spot at number one through sweat and blood.”
“And tears?” I asked.
“Only a few of those,” he said.
“Whatever makes you feel better,” I said, walking toward the stairs. “Beau’s pool party is today, so I’m just here for a sec.”
“I still don’t believe his mother let him throw a pool party,” Mom said.
“I know.” His mom had many gatherings at the house—Thanksgiving dinners and charity events and brunch. But she’d never let Beau have a party before. I wasn’t sure if she had changed or it was just that Beau was asking more for what he wanted. Maybe it was a little of both.
I made it to the bottom of the stairs when Mom said, “Wait, tell me your schedule for the week. We need to go back-to-school shopping.”
My senior year started in two weeks. “I have the next few days off. So whenever you have time.”
“Have you figured out why they call that place you work the Purple Starfish yet?” Dad asked.
“I guess Mrs. Patel found a purple starfish the first time she went to the tide pools by the rock.” At least that’s the story the employees told. Mrs. Patel had never confirmed it.
Mom lowered her brows. “Then why aren’t your uniforms purple? Or the starfish on the sign?” Nothing in or around the diner was purple.
“One of life’s mysteries, Mom.”
As I walked into the backyard at Beau’s house, “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift was playing over the speakers.
“Indy!” Ava called from where she was sitting on a float in the pool.
Caroline and Luca were on lounge chairs. Beau stood at the grill flipping burgers or something. I’d never seen Beau at the grill. His dad had always been protective of it. He looked good there in his board shorts and grown-out hair.
There were other people at the party too—sitting on blankets in the grass eating or at the table on the back patio. There were more people in the pool too, and a few throwing a Frisbee.
I walked to the grill and greeted Beau with a hug. “Look at us, being all social and popular.” I was using us in the collective sense again.
“Hey,” he said. “Missed you.” He kissed my cheek first, then my lips.
“I was just here yesterday.”
“And?” he asked.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and turned my attention to the grill. “These look good.”
“I forgot the cheese in the house.”
“I’ll go get it,” I said.
“No, I have it.” He started to put down the spatula.
“Rule number two,” I said.
“What was rule number two, again?” he asked.
“It was your rule. Something about accepting help when you need it.” I walked toward the house.
Over my shoulder I heard him call, “Caroline! Watch the grill for me, please.” And then he was by my side, sliding his hand into mine.
“Don’t accidentally get locked in any bathrooms, you two!” Ava called.
“How about on purpose?” Beau asked under his breath. I smiled.
Shortly after we’d been locked in the teacher’s lounge bathroom, the lock was fixed.
Not because of our mishap, but because Mrs. Thiessen got locked in there and couldn’t get her phone to call out for several hours.
I didn’t tell my friends it was karma when I heard.
That would have been rude. Okay, fine, I did tell them that.
But she was fine. Didn’t even have to sleep on the floor.
“I never did get a third rule,” I said thoughtfully as he opened the fridge and pulled out two packages of pre-sliced cheese.
“The rules only exist in the bathroom,” he said.
“What? I’ve been able to add sarcastic put-downs back into my arsenal for six months?”
“Pretty sure you never stopped those.”
I laughed.
He shut the fridge and caged me against the counter, his arms on either side of me. “What would your third rule be?” he asked, his eyes on mine.
He still took my breath away with his soft eyes, his floppy hair, and his crooked smile.
“That I can kiss you whenever I want?” I asked.
He placed a soft kiss on my lips. “You don’t need a rule for that.”
“That I can keep you forever?”
“Done.”