Chapter 14
My leg no longer stinging but definitely itchy, I dress quickly, grateful for my dry clothes as the late April evening grows cool.
Rory’s waiting for me beside the car and I help him carry a box of food and a few beers through the long grass of the dunes and into the hidden but not really hidden section of beach on the other side.
This stretch of sand is small and only accessible through the awkward trek we’re making now.
With no lifeguards and nothing obvious to tell you it’s there, the tourists don’t use it and it’s avoided too by locals, too small and patchy compared to the bigger beach.
But it’s perfect for times like this with the tide slowly drifting out and the sun still lingering.
“Is this the beach they’re selling off?” I ask.
Rory frowns. “I didn’t hear that.”
“That’s Castlebay,” a voice says behind me. I turn to see a short, stocky man carrying an armful of driftwood. “It’s about a mile south of here. Thanks,” he adds as I take some of the sticks. “Nice to see you again, Abby.”
“You remember Sean,” Rory says.
“I do. Hi.”
“Luke told me you were back,” Sean says.
“Just for a visit.”
We reach the fire, dumping the wood in a small pile. “My boyfriend, Harry,” he introduces, gesturing to the man sitting cross-legged beside Sinead in front of the fire. “Who’s put himself in charge of the beer rather than doing something useful.”
“The beer doesn’t give you splinters,” Harry says. “And it’s nice to meet you.”
“What’s this about Castlebay?” Rory asks.
“Louise says they want to build a hotel there,” I explain. “Privatize the beach.”
“You’re joking! I love that beach.”
Sinead rolls her eyes. “When was the last time you were even there?”
“That’s not the point. The point is I should be able to go back whenever I want. I pay my taxes.”
I leave them to argue as Beth appears through the grass, carrying a picnic basket with one hand and dragging a gym bag with the other.
“Thank you,” she says when I jog over to help. “That walk is harder than it looks.”
I grab the spare handle, grunting at its weight. “What do you have in here?”
“Luke insisted we bring water,” she says. “Ever the adult.”
“One of us has to be,” Luke says, coming up behind us. He trades me a stack of beach towels, taking the bag with ease and I try not to stare at him. Try not to stare and remember the feel of his hands, or the way he looked at me when he—
“You okay?” he asks.
“Uh-huh!”
We both pause at the overly enthusiastic noise that comes out of my mouth but Beth saves the day with a dramatic groan as she drops the bag.
“My fingers hurt,” she says, taking the towels from me. “I’ll let you have the first pick of sandwiches,” she promises, and heads to the bonfire before I can stop her.
“I’ve got it,” Luke sighs, hoisting it up again.
“It’s okay.” I take the other side before he can, balancing it awkwardly between us. “I’m secretly very strong.”
“All that tree climbing?”
“That’s me.”
He smiles as we walk toward the others, our feet sinking into the soft sand.
“Dad told me he passed your name onto someone?” he asks.
“He did. It was really good of him.”
“He has a soft spot for you. I think he was even prouder than your parents when you left. You hear from anywhere else yet?”
I shake my head. “I did get rejection number ten last night though.”
“Ten’s not that many.”
“Those are just the people who got back to me.”
He grimaces as we lower the bag onto the sand. The others are busy adding to the bonfire and besides a lone dog walker in the distance, we have the place to ourselves.
“When does your course finish?” I ask to change the subject. “It must be soon.”
“Soon enough. I have my final exams in July. Another placement before that. Then that’s it. I’m hoping it will all be worth it.”
“It will be,” I say automatically. “Hard work pays off.”
“A bit of that American confidence shining through there.”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s good,” he says with a laugh. “I need it. Sometimes it feels like I’m a step behind everyone. I’m the oldest person on the course by about six years.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Ah, I know. But this is the time when I’m supposed to be settling down, right? Not catching up with everyone else. It’s…” He trails off, almost like he remembers who he’s talking to.
“What?” I ask, teasing. “Sad? Pathetic?”
“I didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay. We’ll be pathetic together.”
“You’re not pathetic.”
“Just you then.”
He laughs as a cheer goes up around the bonfire and we turn to see flames spark in the air.
“You weren’t bad,” he says, as Sinead arranges Rory for a picture. “Out on the water today.”
“For an amateur, you mean?”
“I’ve seen a lot worse.”
“Because you teach seven-year-olds.” I reach down to unzip the bag, grabbing a bottle of water. “I didn’t know you were watching me.”
“The currents were strong today.”
“Is that the only reason?”
He meets my gaze, clearly surprised, but I don’t wait for his answer, already walking away. It’s not exactly the sexy move I envisioned, seeing as I have to lurch my way through the sand, but still, shot taken.
“Finally,” Rory says as we join them at the bonfire. “And there I was thinking no one would bring warm, bottled water to the party.”
I settle next to Beth as we start distributing the food and for the next hour we eat and drink as the sun sinks lower in the sky.
Afterward, Harry and Sean go for a walk while it’s still light and Rory entertains Luke and Sinead with some very dramatic story.
Or at least it least looks that way from his hand gestures.
I stay where I am, with a beach towel around my shoulders, as Beth unwraps the last sandwich, splitting it in half.
“We have to finish it,” she says. “I hate food waste.”
“As if I need a reason to eat bread,” I say. “And these are great. Are they from the café?”
“Kind of. Luke made them.”
“He did?”
She laughs. “You sound so surprised. He makes a lot of food for us. Even though I tell him he doesn’t have the time. I think it relaxes him. Plus who can resist my company?”
I smile as she bats her eyelashes. “You guys are pretty close, huh?”
“He was one of the first people I met when I moved here,” she says.
“He’s a good friend.” The softness in her tone catches my attention and I follow her gaze across the fire to where Luke sits, shaking his head at something Rory said.
My smile fades as I think back to all the times I saw them together, the playfulness and the back and forth that I thought was just who Beth is. But maybe it’s not.
“Is that all he is?” I ask. “A friend?”
“How do you mean?”
I tear a piece from my sandwich, but my appetite shrinks by the second. I can’t believe I hadn’t put two and two together. “Do you like him?”
Her eyes go wide. “No! No, God, it’s not like that at all.”
“Oh. Shit. Sorry.” I almost laugh as I sit back, more relieved than I have a right to be. “It just sounded like—”
“I mean, he’s my landlord,” she interrupts, her voice a little shrill. Sinead glances over at us and Beth’s eyes drop to her legs as she pretends to roll up the cuffs of her sweatpants. “And he doesn’t see me like that,” she whispers.
But she does. I start to feel a little sick.
“Don’t say anything to him,” she says, my silence making her panic. “It would ruin our friendship. I know it would.”
“Beth—”
“It’s just a little crush,” she continues. “It’s a small place and he’s a nice guy who’s gone out of his way to help me without expecting anything in return, even though, yeah, sometimes I wish he would, but it’s not like I’d ever—”
I squeeze her arm, cutting her off. “I won’t say anything.”
“Thanks.” She takes a breath, visibly calming herself. “Look at me, I’m blushing.”
“It’s the beer.”
“It’s the embarrassment.” She stuffs the final bit of her sandwich into her mouth, swallowing thickly. “I mean,” she says, around the bread. “Can you blame me?”
No. I can’t blame her at all. “So there’s nothing going on between you two?”
“No,” she says vehemently. “Nothing. I swear. Only in my fan fiction. That was a joke. I don’t write fan fiction. Well, I used to but—”
“Ladies?”
We both look up to see Rory standing before us. “You’re looking far too dressed for my liking.”
I’m about to ask how much he’s had to drink when Beth stands, whipping off her sweatshirt with unexpected enthusiasm. Behind Rory, Harry and Sean are doing the same.
“What the hell is going on?”
“It’s tradition.” Rory grins, pulling off his T-shirt. He nods to the ocean, where the sun is just beginning to disappear beneath the horizon, making the water look like it’s been set ablaze. But looks can be deceiving. I have no doubt it’s just as cold as before, if not more so.
“Come on,” Beth says. “While there’s still a bit of light.”
“I’ve already been in the water.”
“You went paddling,” Rory says. “This is skinny dipping.”
“It is not skinny dipping,” Harry calls. “No one is flashing anyone.”
“It’s getting dark,” I protest.
“We’re not going far. And Luke’s a trained lifeguard.”
At his name, Luke glances up, already down to his briefs. “It’s just in and out,” he says.
Thankfully, Sinead doesn’t look too impressed either. “I’ll tend the fire.”
“You will not,” Rory scoffs, turning to her.
“I’m allergic to seawater.”
“Get up.”
“No, I’m divorcing you.”
“Hey.” Luke steps toward me as they start to argue. “You don’t have to. Especially if your foot’s still sore.”
Behind him, the others start running into the ocean with a collective shriek.
I don’t want to. It’s not the stripping down to the underwear bit, God knows Luke’s already seen me up close today.
But the water is cold and dark and I’m nice and warm here and, yeah, okay, maybe a swimsuit is a little different to parading around in your bra and maybe I don’t want Luke to see me pink- and purple-tinged and covered in goosebumps.