Chapter 12
twelve
ELLIE
“Can I get the campfire sundae? All the fixings.” Addie asks while she stands in front of the small window where a teenager is taking her order.
I dip a spoonful in my vanilla ice cream, scooping up fresh strawberries, hot fudge, and caramel sauce. I let out a deep, satisfying breath. The thickness of the vanilla ice cream mixed with everything else melts perfectly on my tongue.
Riley licks her chocolate and vanilla ice cream, the colors swirling together in the large waffle cone that wraps around it.
The bright blue skies and wisps of clouds cover the town. The sun is shining down on everyone, embracing them. The summers in Dove Point are out of a fairytale. We have our rainy days, but most of the time, it is always sunny and warm.
Living in New York for as long as I have, I’ve developed thicker skin—mostly thanks to the brutal winters. When I first saw snow during my first winter there, I was giddy, like a little kid. The way it blanketed the streets, turning everything into a winter wonderland—it felt magical.
But as the years went on, that magic faded fast. The snow changed from pure white to black and gray. The thick fluffiness turns into mush. I cursed the weather gods every time I slipped on a patch of ice or trudged through piles of slush.
I was never meant for that kind of weather. It’s just not in my bones.
We walk around town, eating our ice cream, and take in our surroundings. The town is holding a music festival, and some of the shops have tables displayed outside their storefronts, covered in items they sell.
“Why couldn’t Hailey come with us?” I ask Riley, thinking about how much I miss her sister and haven’t had the chance to catch up with her yet.
“She’s on a date with some guy she met from out of town.” Riley licks more of her ice cream.
“A date in the middle of the day? That doesn’t seem like her,” Addie replies and grabs a piece of graham cracker that was poking out of her ice cream and dips it in the melted marshmallow, vanilla ice cream, and hot fudge.
“I think it’s a beach date, nothing too serious, just casual. You know Hailey, she’s all about fun and not getting all tied up in a relationship.”
“Whatever happened to Zach? I thought things were going well with him?” I ask.
Riley sighs before saying, “He broke things off, said he wasn’t sure if he was ready for something serious. I think he turned her off to relationships, and now she’s just dating.”
We start to walk toward the heart of the town, passing under a large banner that hangs from two lamp posts on either end of the sidewalk.
Dove Point Music Fest is written across it. The road is closed with groups of people taking advantage of walking down it, because that’s what we do when a road is closed. When a street is closed for a festival of some sort, people flock to it like we’ve never seen a street before.
Kids are running around with their faces painted. I spot a lion, Spiderman, unicorn, and something that looks like a terrifying SpongeBob SquarePants.
Toward the end of the street, a large stage looms, the hum of activity surrounding it. I spot a band setting up their instruments, adjusting the microphones and tuning guitars, preparing for the night ahead.
Meanwhile, a DJ plays upbeat tracks through the speakers, the music spilling into the streets, giving an energetic pulse that seems to ripple through the crowd.
“Last night was fun. Who knew Milo could have a tray strapped to him and carry drinks to customers? I noticed the small cups attached to the tray where the glasses sit. Clever,” Riley says, sitting down at a table outside a shop.
“When you’re getting paid in treats, anything is possible. Plus, it took forever to train him to do that. Rowan taught him a trick that lets us know when he wants to do it. So, he chooses his own hours.” Addie licks some ice cream off her thumb.
“I also noticed someone staring at James almost the entire night.” I smile at Addie, who shovels a mouthful of ice cream in her mouth.
She winces and fans her hand toward her mouth. “Cold!” she cries out.
Riley lets out a cackle before scrambling to eat as much ice cream as she can as it runs down her fingers and into the napkin around the cone.
“I wasn’t staring. He was talking, so my attention was on him,” Addie murmurs.
“He answered a question that Rowan asked, and you kept your eyes on him after that,” Riley says.
“I didn’t know I couldn’t look at people, sorry.” Addie rolls her eyes.
Riley tilts her head. “There’s a difference between looking at people and eye-fucking.”
“I was not doing that,” Addie says matter-of-factly.
I look at Riley with a smirk, and she mirrors my expression.
Addie sits up straighter and puts her hands between her legs. She looks around before whispering, “I had a crush on him one time during middle school, and you guys never let me forget it.”
Riley and I start to giggle like little schoolchildren and Addie hides her red face in her hands, shaking her head.