15. Summer
Summer
The ocean breeze hits me as soon as we climb out of Rhonda’s car. It dawns on me that I haven’t dipped my toes in the ocean for weeks. I tip my head back, drinking in the salty air. The sun is sinking toward the water, saturating the sky in vivid shades of pink and orange.
It takes me all of two seconds to spot Chase’s truck in the lot. My lips quirk faintly. I’m glad he decided to come.
I’ve been thinking about him and Felicity all day.
When you’re little, you believe your parents are invincible.
That’s the hard part of growing up—you realize they’re just people.
Fragile, breakable people. Maybe it’s why I try to find good in all the little things.
It’s easier to cope that way. Whether it’s color bleeding across the sky when a new day dawns or nights like this when you’re surrounded by the people you choose.
It’s easy to sit at home in fear and let the darkness swallow you whole, but that’s not living.
Addie shivers beside me, and I tug my sleeves over my hands, thankful for the extra layer.
Joanna leans out the open window. “Tell Xavier I say hi!”
“Absolutely not,” Addie replies.
“Sit down, Joanna,” Rhonda calls, reaching across the center console and tugging her back into her seat.
With a final wave, Rhonda peels out of the beach parking lot.
Cody lets out a low whistle. “That girl is going to be trouble when she’s older.”
“She already is,” Addie says, taking my hand.
We follow the music drifting from the shore and cut through the silvery-green brush, stepping onto the sand.
The bonfire is already roaring, flames of yellow and gold licking up toward the fading light.
People are scattered in all directions, talking and drinking and dancing.
The crew tonight is mixed. Kids from my year, a few familiar faces from Orange Bay, and plenty more I don’t recognize.
Four large coolers are dug into the sand, overflowing with ice and beer.
I catch a flash of red in my periphery and turn to find a group of guys tossing a football back and forth. Totally shirtless.
“Look out!”
“Shit, Summer!” Cody shouts.
“Oof!” I cry out. Something smacks me in the shoulder and I go down. Hard.
I haul myself into a sitting position, rubbing the sore spot.
All around me, people stand, hands covering their mouths.
“As you were.” I flick my fingers, waving them off, and face my friends again. “Was that a football?”
“It was,” Addie confirms.
“It felt like a bag of concrete,” I reply.
“Summer! Are you okay?” a voice calls, and I freeze, eyes slamming shut.
I’d know that voice anywhere.
Oh God. This is so embarrassing.
A large hand closes gently around my biceps, and I jerk away at the contact.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” His voice skates over me, so quiet only I can hear. “It’s me.”
I catch my breath, dropping my gaze to his touch. I’m tempted to lean into it. Instead, my eyes travel up smooth, tanned skin. When I finally tip my head back, I’m met with my favorite color: emerald.
Emotion fizzes in my throat as I take him in.
Barefoot. Sun-kissed skin. Abs on full display, coated in a sheen of sweat.
A constellation of freckles, all different sizes, sprinkled across his stomach.
Blond hair messy, falling perfectly over his forehead.
He’s wearing navy shorts; his white T-shirt tucked into his back pocket.
Heat sneaks up my neck, all the way to my ears.
His lips move, but I don’t catch a word. I’m too distracted by the way his muscles shift as he speaks.
I swallow thickly. This is so stupid. I’ve seen Chase shirtless a hundred times.
“Earth to Summer?” He chuckles.
Addie pokes my cheek. “Earth to Summer.”
I blink. “I—sorry. What?”
“Are you okay?” she asks.
Chase offers me a hand. I take it and scramble to my feet.
“I’m fine,” I manage.
Chase’s fingers are still curled around mine. His thumb gently brushes over my knuckles. My insides turn gooey at the feel of his calloused skin.
“You sure?” His voice is low. Just for me.
“I promise.”
His attention falls to our joined hands. He frowns, as if he’s only just noticed he hasn’t let go. And still, he doesn’t.
“You came,” I whisper.
His jaw clenches tight.
Someone clears their throat and he drops my hand as I jolt away, my heart racing.
“Do me a favor and pass me that ball, Shitmore,” Addie says.
Chase’s brows furrow, but he snatches it off the ground and tosses it to her.
“Watch this.” She rotates the football in her hands as a wicked grin smears across her face. “My dad’s a massive Patriots fan. Used to play catch with me as a kid. I’m about to show you suckers how it’s done.”
Chase’s head cocks.
I follow her gaze and my stomach drops. “Oh, God. Addie, don’t—”
It’s too late. She reels back and launches the ball. It arcs through the air with a perfect curve, sailing down, down, down until—
THWACK.
It nails Steele in the middle of his back. Chase winces as Steele stumbles forward, his beer sloshing over the rim and onto his hand. Xavier and Jasper run over to him, folding with laughter. He whirls around, eyes flashing before he zeroes in on Addie. He stills.
“Still got it,” Addie says, dusting off her palms.
Cody gives her a high five. “Nice shot.”
Steele stands there, visibly stricken. He takes a step forward but hesitates. It’s obvious he’s unsure whether to come over here.
“I need a drink.” Addie flips Steele the bird, then shifts her attention to me and Chase. “Catch up with you soon?”
“I’ll find you shortly,” I reply.
She pivots on her heel, stalking toward the coolers with Cody hot on her trail. Steele pours the remainder of his drink onto the sand, turns, and storms off.
“Are you gonna join them?” Chase asks.
“I will soon,” I reply. “Are you going to join your friends?”
The corner of his mouth kicks up. “I will soon.”
“How are you?”
“Better than I was this morning.” Dipping his chin, he peers up through a dark fringe of lashes. “Thanks for staying with me last night.”
“Always,” I reply, a smile teasing my lips. “How’s your mom doing?”
“She’s good. Real good, actually.” His eyes light up, and it stirs something low in my gut. “I’m pretty sure she was gonna have my balls if I didn’t come tonight.”
I laugh. “That does sound like Felicity.”
“Yeah.” He chuckles. “She told me I needed to stop being a helicopter son.”
“Well, I’m happy you’re here.”
He’s quiet for a second. When he looks at me, there’s something unreadable in his expression.
“Yeah?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
He glances at the water, and I take in his sharp jawline and broad, muscular chest.
“I’m still kind of in shock that you’re here, honestly. First Xavier’s party, now a bonfire.” He turns back to me. “Am I gonna need to keep an eye on you, Hayes?”
I bump him playfully with my elbow. “Maybe I’m turning over a new leaf.”
He catches my elbow to steady me. “Next thing you know, you’ll be doing keg stands.”
“Ha!” I snort. “Don’t hold your breath, Whitmore.”
A small crowd of shirtless footballers gathers near the water’s edge. “I think they’re waiting for you,” I say.
He glances at them. “They can wait.”
“Chase.”
“What?” He shrugs. “I’m talking to you.”
Before he can respond, Xavier’s voice cuts through the air. “Whitmore! Stop flirting and get your ass over here. I need my linebacker!”
I feel my cheeks flush. “Go. Have fun.”
He backs away slowly, pointing at me. “Don’t go anywhere.”
My stomach flips. I roll my lips, not trusting my voice.
He spins around and jogs their way, and I stand there watching him go.