Chapter 24
Luke
Harper has a pep in her step when she wakes up in the morning. It’s the happiest I’ve seen her since the trip started, but I guess that’s not saying much since the first day she was trying to set me up on a date, and the second day my date was trying to ditch her.
She makes breakfast quickly for both of us before heading out to the car, claiming the passenger seat.
“Where to?” I ask, buckling in.
“I’ll show you. It’s where we went last night.”
We. When she says it, it feels more intimate than maybe it should.
I let Harper lead the way, guiding us down a street and out toward the ocean. A large hill forms in front of us, the road snaking up it.
“Is this the right way?” I ask.
“Yup!”
It’s a few minutes of sketchy driving, but we get to a parking lot full of other cars. There’s a group of people standing off to the side and they wave at us. At first, I assume it’s just people being friendly, but then Harper waves back.
“I hope it’s okay. The people I met last night wanted to come see this place in the daytime.”
Leave it to Harper to always make friends. It’s a special talent of hers that I’ve always loved and envied, the way she can blend seamlessly into a group of people.
“You can’t stop yourself from making friends, can you?” I smile.
Harper gets out of the car. When she walks over to the group, they greet her like an old friend. One of the guys even hugs her, leaving his hand resting on Harper’s hip.
At least now I know why Harper was so happy this morning.
I try to ignore his hand on her, but I can feel that pit of jealousy forming. Suddenly, Harper’s ability to make friends anywhere doesn’t seem like such a fun talent anymore.
I approach slowly, trying to put my eyes anywhere but the guy hovering close to Harper. Perhaps it’s a bit hypocritical of me, seeing as I spent the entire day yesterday with Cassie, but I was trying to get over Harper. Seeing her with someone else while I was just dumped? Not great.
“This is my friend, Luke,” Harper says, gesturing to me. “Luke, this is Archie, Theo, Amelia, Elise, Lily, and Tom.” She says his name last, her eyes lingering on him.
He’s a couple inches taller than I am and wearing the type of clothes I’d wear to a casual day at work, not exploring Iceland—some sort of wool pants and a button-down shirt that’s mostly covered by some fancy-looking jacket.
Even his hair is gelled off to the side.
He’s probably gone through multiple containers of hair gel to keep it neat with all the wind here.
She was out with him until midnight? I try to push the thoughts away.
“Hey,” I say, giving an awkward wave. If Harper is the social butterfly, I’m the social deadbeat.
Tom eyes me like he has a million questions to ask, but he doesn’t say a word. He’s probably thinking the same thing Cassie was. Maybe he assumes we’re sleeping in different beds. I’m assuming his arm wouldn’t be around her if he knew the truth.
Tom looks from me to Harper, probably trying to piece us together and figure out why the two of us are in Iceland together if we aren’t dating. Harper’s too preoccupied with the rest of the group to notice the way he’s staring me down, like I’m an ex-boyfriend.
“The gang’s all here. Let’s go!” one of the short girls says. I forgot most of the names immediately after Harper said them. They launch into conversation, talking over each other with their British accents looping together so I have to focus to hear any individual speak.
I stay on the edge of the group, not quite knowing how to insert myself the same way Harper is always able to seamlessly make friends. They’re all talking about something they’d done the other day, but I don’t bother to pay attention.
Every now and then I feel Harper’s gaze on me, but then she rejoins the group discussion like I’m not even there.
We walk up to a building that turns out to be a lighthouse, though it’s nothing like any of the lighthouses in America.
Instead of tall and skinny, this one is short and wide.
The building is plain and made of concrete that’s painted white.
The top has the rotating light, which is housed in an orange metal cylinder.
A fence hugs the edge of the cliff that skirts right up to the edge of the ocean. Jutting out of the ocean is a huge rock, almost as tall as the piece of land we’re standing on. Where the rock meets the ocean, there’s a hole, letting water pass through and forming a perfect arch.
The blonde girl in the group tries to arrange everyone together for a photo.
“I can take the photo,” I offer.
She hands me her phone. “That’d be perfect!”
“Here, I’ll get out of the photo,” Harper says, but Tom grabs her by the hand.
“No, stay.” He pulls her back to him and she gives me an awkward smile.
Everyone smiles, and I take a few photos. When the girl takes her phone back, I hand her mine.
“Can you take one of me and Harper?”
“Sure!” she says, but Tom gives me a glare.
Huh, maybe this is why things didn’t work out with Cassie.
I try not to be smug as Harper pulls herself away from Tom and puts an arm around my waist to smile at the camera. It’s the same pose we’ve always taken for photos, but Tom’s anger gives me a bit of pride.
“Come on, Harper, I wanna show you something,” Tom says the moment the photo is taken.
Harper slinks out of my grasp, leaving me alone as the group scatters. I linger behind her and Tom, making sure she doesn’t leave my sight but trying not to be creepy about it. I know Harper would tell me that I don’t need to be protective, but at the end of the day, this is a stranger.
Then I kick myself for being a hypocrite because I was hanging out with a stranger yesterday. The thought stops me in my tracks, and I hang back, giving Harper her privacy.
I don’t know where the rest of the group goes, but I make my way back to the car slowly. I eye the ocean as I walk. Waves lap against the black beach, massive rock structures reaching out of the water, forming stone towers that look imposing as waves crash against them.
“Ready to go?” Harper says, coming up behind me after a few minutes. I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit how the sound of her voice made my heart swell. And I’m even happier when I turn around and see only Harper standing there, no Tom.
“Yeah, where to?” I ask, pulling the keys out.
“Reynisdrangar View,” she says, stumbling over the word. “You can kinda see it from here.”
She points over my shoulder, and I follow her gaze. There’s a beach at the foot of the cliff face we’re standing on, and off in the distance there are tall rock formations with waves crashing against them.
“Cool, want me to drive still?”
“Actually, I was going to ride with Tom if that’s okay.” She scrunches up her face, like she isn’t sure if she should even ask.
I look back at the cars and see Tom leaning against the door of his car, talking to one of his friends sitting inside, probably trying to be subtle while watching the two of us like a hawk.
“Uh, sure. I’ll meet you over there.”
Harper perks up. “Thanks! See you in a little bit.”
When she gets back to Tom, he opens the car door for her.
She’s not into you, I remind myself. As if seeing her fawn over some British guy didn’t make it obvious enough.