Then he leaned in and his lips pressed softly against hers. The kiss was small and sweet, almost innocent, but it felt like fireworks inside her.
“Sorry,” Alex said when he stopped kissing her and looked away.
“Why are you apologizing?” Gemma asked.
“I don’t know. ” He laughed. He shook his head and looked back at her, smiling at him. “I’m not sorry. ”
“Me neither. ”
Alex leaned in to kiss her again, but before he could, Brian yelled from the house behind them.
“Gemma!”
That was all it took to ruin the moment. Alex jumped away from Gemma like he’d been shocked.
Gemma got up more slowly than he had, offering him an apologetic smile. “Sorry. ”
“Yeah, no, it’s okay. ” Alex rubbed the back of his head and refused to even look in the direction of Gemma or her father.
“I’ll see you later?” Gemma asked.
“Yeah, yeah, of course. ” He nodded quickly.
Gemma hurried back over to her house, where her father stood at the back door, holding it open. When she went inside, Brian stood outside for a minute longer, watching Alex as he awkwardly tried to fold the blanket.
“Dad!” Gemma shouted at him.
Brian waited a beat before coming in. He closed the back door behind him and locked it, then flipped off the outside light. When he came into the kitchen, Gemma was pacing and chewing her fingernails.
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“You don’t have to check up on me, you know. ”
“You went out fifteen minutes ago to take out the garbage. ” Brian leaned against the counter. “I was simply making sure you hadn’t been kidnapped or attacked by rabid raccoons. ”
“Well, I wasn’t. ” Gemma stopped moving and took a deep breath.
“Do you want to tell me what was going on out there?”
Her eyes widened. “No!”
“Look, Gemma, I know you’re sixteen, and you’re going to start dating. ” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “And Alex isn’t a bad kid, exactly. But he’s older, and you’re too young for certain things—”
“Dad, we just kissed. Okay?” Gemma’s face pinched with discomfort over discussing the topic with her father.
“So you’re … seeing him now?” Brian asked carefully.
“I don’t know. ” She shrugged. “We just kissed. ”
“And that’s all you should do,” Brian said. “He’s leaving in a couple months, and you’re too young to really commit to anything. Plus you have your swimming to focus on. ”
“Dad, please,” Gemma said. “Let me figure this out on my own. Okay?”
“Okay,” he said reluctantly. “But if he touches you, I’ll kill him. And if he hurts you, I’ll kill him. ”
“I know. ”
“Does he know that?” Brian gestured toward Alex’s house next door. “Because I can go over and tell him that myself. ”
“No, Dad!” Gemma held up her hands. “I’ve got it. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go to bed so I can get up early tomorrow to swim. ”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday. The pool’s closed. ”
“I’ll go out to the bay. I skipped tonight, and I want to be in the water. ”
Brian nodded, letting the conversation go, and Gemma hurried up to her room. The light shone from beneath Harper’s bedroom door, signaling she was still up, probably reading a book. Gemma snuck into her own room quietly, so as not to alert her sister.
From her bedroom window, Harper might have been able to see Gemma and Alex kiss, or she might’ve overheard Gemma and her dad talking about it. And the last thing Gemma wanted to do was rehash it with Harper, especially when she had no idea how she felt about it herself.
Gemma flopped back on the bed. Plastic stars were stuck to her ceiling, and only a couple of them still managed a dim glow. She stared at them, smiling because they reminded her of Alex.
Harper had been the one to put the stars up when Gemma had been eight and suffered from serious night terrors. Alex had helped, though, mapping out the constellations with as much accuracy as he could manage.
It was so weird thinking of him now. Gemma had been used to having him around as a nerdy friend of her sister’s. But now when she thought of him, her heart beat faster and a warm feeling grew from her belly.
Her lips still tingled from his kiss, and she wondered when she’d be able to kiss him again. She stayed up late, replaying their moments under the stars over and over in her head. When she finally fell asleep, she did so with a smile on her face.
The alarm next to her bed jolted her awake in the morning. The sun was just starting to rise, shining bright orange through her curtains. The snooze button was tempting, but she’d already missed a full day of swimming, so she really had to make up for it.
By the time Gemma was up and ready, the whole town of Capri was bathed in warm sunlight. Both Harper and her dad were still asleep, and she left them a note on the fridge reminding them she’d gone to Anthemusa Bay.
She blasted Lady Gaga on her iPod and hopped on her bike. It was still early, so the rest of the town was asleep. Gemma liked it better that way, when the streets weren’t filled to the brim with tourists.
The trip to the bay seemed to go more quickly than normal. Pedaling seemed easier. Gemma felt like she was floating on a cloud. One simple kiss from Alex had somehow made the whole world lighter.
Since she rode her bike, she couldn’t swim at the spot with the cypress trees like she usually did. Her bike couldn’t make it up the path, and there was no place for her to lock it up. Instead, she went down to the docks near where her father worked.
Technically, people weren’t supposed to swim there, since it was dangerous, with all the boats, but she didn’t plan to actually swim there. After she locked up her bike, she would dive in and swim out where it was safer. Nobody was really out this early to catch her anyway.
Gemma parked her bike next to a post on the dock. Once she’d stripped down to her bathing suit, she shoved her jean shorts, tank top, and flip-flops in the backpack she’d brought with her. She looped the bike chain through the backpack’s straps and secured it with the bike, locking everything up tightly.
She ran to the end of the dock and dove in. The morning air still had a chill to it, and the water was a tad icy, but Gemma didn’t mind. It didn’t really matter what the temperature was or what the water was like. Gemma never felt more at home than when she was in the water.
She spent as much time swimming as she could, but by late morning the bay had started to get crowded. It was shaping up to be a beautiful warm day, so the beach was full. The water closer to the dock had filled up with boats heading out to sea, and Gemma knew she had to head back in or risk getting run over with a propeller.
The ladder at the end of the dock was missing a few rungs, so she struggled to pull herself up. She was just about to hoist herself over the end of the dock when somebody stuck a hand in her face. The nails were long and manicured, painted bloodred, and the skin smelled of coconuts.
With salty water dripping down her face, Gemma looked up to see Penn standing right in front of her, her hand outstretched toward Gemma.
“Need a hand?” Penn asked, smiling in a way that reminded Gemma of a hungry animal.
SIX
Cornered
Penn was the closest to Gemma, but the other two girls stood right behind her. Gemma had never been this near to Penn before, and her beauty was even more intimidating up close. Penn was flawless. She looked like an airbrushed model on the cover of Maxim.
“Did you need help?” Penn asked more clearly, as if she thought Gemma were deaf since she hadn’t done anything except gape at her.
“No, I’m okay. ” Gemma shook her head.
“Suit yourself. ” Penn shrugged and moved back so Gemma could climb up.
Gemma had hoped for something mo
re graceful since she’d declined help, but with the top rung on the ladder missing, all she managed was a flop onto the dock. Gemma was acutely aware that she probably looked like a fish flapping about, and she got to her feet as quickly as she could.
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“We’ve seen you swimming out there a lot,” Penn said.
Gemma had heard her speak once before, and it still surprised her how Penn sounded. Her voice was that sexy baby-talk that usually drove Gemma nuts, but something silky underneath it made Penn’s words strangely beautiful and enticing.
In fact, just hearing Penn talk washed away some of the negative feelings Gemma had about the three girls. They still freaked her out, but her fear had lessened.
“I’m sorry. ” Penn smiled at her, revealing bright white teeth that seemed abnormally sharp. “You probably have no idea who we are. I’m Penn, and these are my friends, Lexi and Thea. ”
“Hi. ” Lexi wagged her fingers at Gemma. Her blond hair glinted like gold in the sunlight, and her eyes were the same aqua shade as the ocean.
“Hey,” Thea said. Even though she smiled, she seemed annoyed even to be talking to Gemma. She stared off at the ocean and ran her hand through her red waves of hair.
“And you’re Gemma, right?” Penn asked when Gemma didn’t say anything.
“Yep, I am. ” Gemma nodded.
“We’ve seen you around, and we like your style,” Penn went on.
“Thanks?” Gemma questioned, uncertain what to make of that.
She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling naked around the three girls. Gemma knew she was pretty, and sometimes when she was dolled up she thought she was downright hot. But standing next to Penn, Lexi, and Thea, she felt clumsy and unattractive.
Water dripped off her body and onto the wooden planks beneath her feet, and all she could think about was getting to her clothes and putting them on.
“We love going swimming out in the ocean at night,” Penn said. “There’s something truly exhilarating about it. ”
“It’s amazing,” Lexi chimed in, sounding a little too enthusiastic about it. Penn shot Lexi a look, and Lexi lowered her eyes.
“Um … yeah. ” Even though Gemma agreed with them, she was afraid to admit it. It felt like Penn was setting some sort of trap she didn’t understand.
“We’d love it if you joined us for a swim,” Penn said, smiling wider.
“I … I don’t think so. Sorry. ” Gemma couldn’t really think of an excuse to give them, but there was no way she would accept an invitation to join them doing anything.
“How about an afternoon swim, then?” Penn asked. “We were thinking of taking a dive right now. Weren’t we?”
“I’ve got my bikini under my dress,” Lexi said and gestured to the slinky sundress she wore.
“Well, I just got out,” Gemma said. “And I’m about to get dressed. ”
She pointed to her bike, and then, seeing her chance to escape, walked over to it. Gemma had expected them to give up once she’d turned them down, but apparently that was wishful thinking. Penn followed her down the dock.
“I know you to love swim, and I’d really love it if you joined us,” Penn said. “If today doesn’t work, then let me know when you can. ”
“I don’t know. ” Gemma fumbled with her bike lock. Penn stood behind her, casting a shadow over her as Gemma crouched next to the bike. “I’ve got a lot of training to do. ”
“You can’t train all the time,” Penn said. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. ”
“I play,” Gemma insisted.
Finally managing to unlock her bag, she grabbed it and stood up. Her urge to get dressed had gone away, though. All she wanted to do was throw the bag over her shoulder, hop on the bike, and ride far away from Penn and her hungry smile.
“You really need to go swimming with us. ” Penn’s voice was like silk, but it was clearly a command. Her dark eyes locked on Gemma’s, burning with an intensity that took her breath away.
A splash from behind them momentarily broke Penn’s concentration, but the distraction was long enough for Gemma to catch her breath and look away.
Daniel stood on the dock a little way down from them, water dripping down his bare chest and long swim trunks. Gemma knew him from when she visited her father on the docks, but she hadn’t found a reason to resent him the way Harper had.
“Is there something wrong?” Daniel asked, wiping the water from his face. Without waiting for them to answer, he started walking to where Penn, Lexi, and Thea had Gemma surrounded.
“Everything’s just fine,” Lexi said brightly and smiled at him. “You can go about your business. ”
“I don’t think so. ” Daniel kept walking, ignoring Lexi. When he got close enough, he shouldered Lexi out of the way and looked down at Gemma. “Are you okay?”
“We said she was fine,” Penn said icily.
“I didn’t ask you. ” Daniel cast her a glare before he turned back to Gemma and softened his gaze. Gemma stood dripping wet, clutching her bag to her chest. “Come on. Why don’t you come on my boat and dry off?”
“Go about your business,” Lexi said again, but she sounded more confused than angry. Like she didn’t understand how he could ignore her.
Daniel gestured for Gemma to come with him. As Gemma hurried over to him, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Penn wanted to rip Daniel’s head off, in a very literal sense. Once they slipped away from the girls, Daniel put his arm around her. Not a romantic gesture, but like he meant to protect her.
As they walked over to his boat, Gemma felt Penn’s eyes burning into her back. Lexi called after her, saying that they’d see her again, and something about her voice felt like a song.
Gemma almost turned around to go back to them after she heard Lexi, but Daniel’s arm around her kept her from it.
Once they got to the boat, Daniel helped Gemma onto it. Since Penn, Lexi, and Thea were still standing on the dock watching them, he suggested they go down into the cabin. Gemma didn’t normally get onto boats with older guys she barely knew, but given the circumstances, she felt like he was the safer bet.
His boat was rather small, so the living quarters were pretty cramped. A twin bed across from a small table with cushioned benches on either side. A kitchenette with a mini-fridge and tiny sink. A bathroom and some storage nooks at the other end, and that was about it.
The bed was unmade, and clothes were strewn over it. Dirty dishes were in the sink, and a few empty soda cans and beer bottles were sitting on the counter and table. A stack of books and magazines rested next to the bed.
“Have a seat. ” Daniel gestured to the bed, since the benches next to the table were mostly covered in clothes and books.
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“Are you sure?” Gemma asked. “I’m wet. ”
“Nah, it’s fine. It’s a boat. Everything’s always wet. ” He grabbed a couple of towels and tossed one to her. “There you go. ”
“Thank you. ” She ran the towel through her hair and sat back on his bed. “And I don’t mean just for this. Thank you for … well, rescuing me, I guess. ”
“It was no problem. ” Daniel shrugged and leaned against his kitchen table. He wiped a towel over his chest, then ran a hand through his short hair, messing it up and spraying salt water. “You looked so terrified. ”
“I wasn’t terrified,” Gemma said defensively.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you were. ” He leaned farther back, looking out one of the cabin windows behind him. “Those girls give me the creeps. ”
“That’s what I said!” Gemma shouted, excited to hear someone agree with her. “My sister told me that I was being mean. ”
“Harper?” Daniel looked back at Gemma. “She likes those girls?”
“I don’t think she likes them, exactly. ” Gemma shook her head. “She thinks I should be respectful of everyone. ”
“We
ll, that is a good philosophy. ” He reached over and opened the mini-fridge. “Want a soda?”
“Sure. ”
After Daniel grabbed two cans of grape soda, he handed one to Gemma and kept one for himself. He sat on the table and crossed his legs underneath him. Gemma wrapped her towel around her shoulders and opened the soda.
She looked around the cabin, checking out his bare furnishings. “How long have you lived here?”
“Too long,” he said after taking a long swallow of his soda.
“I think I’d like to live on a boat someday. But like a houseboat. ”
“I would definitely recommend living on something larger, if you can. ” Daniel gestured to the tight space. “And it can be a bit rough staying out here when the sea gets choppy. I’ve been out here so long, though, I doubt I could even sleep on land. I need the water to rock me to sleep. ”
“That would be nice. ” She smiled wistfully as she imagined sleeping on the bay. “Did you always love the ocean?”
“Uh … I don’t know. ” Daniel crinkled his brow as if he hadn’t thought of it before. “I guess I’ve always liked it. ”
“How did you end up living on a boat, then?”
“It’s not very romantic,” he warned her. “My grandpa died and left me this boat. I got evicted from my apartment and needed a place to crash. And here we are. ”
“Gemma!” Someone shouted from outside the boat, and Daniel and Gemma exchanged a confused look. “Gemma!”
“Is that your sister?” Daniel asked.
“I think so. ” Gemma set down her can and headed out to the deck to see what Harper was carrying on about.
Harper stood on the dock next to Gemma’s bike holding the bike chain in her hand. Her dark hair was in a ponytail, which swung back and forth as she looked around frantically.
“Gemma!” Harper yelled again, the tremor in her voice betraying her fear.
Gemma went over to the railing and looked down at her sister. “Harper?”
“Gemma!” Harper turned to face her, relief washing over her until she saw Daniel standing on the boat behind her. “Gemma! What are you doing?”
“I was just drying off,” Gemma said. “Why are you freaking out so bad?”
“I came to see if you were coming home for lunch, and I found your bike chain unhooked on the dock, like something happened when you were locking it up, and I couldn’t find you, and now you’re on his boat!” Harper stomped toward Daniel’s boat, clenching the bike chain in her fist. “What were you doing?”
“Drying off,” Gemma repeated, growing annoyed with her sister for making a scene.
“Why?” Harper demanded and pointed at Daniel. “He is bad news!”
“Thanks,” Daniel said wryly, and Harper glared at him.
“Look, I’ll get on my bike, and we’ll go home, and you can be a total spaz there,” Gemma said.
“I am not being a spaz!” Harper shouted, then stopped and took a deep breath. “But you’re right. We will talk about this at home. ”
“Yay. ” Gemma sighed. She took the towel from around her shoulders and handed it back to Daniel. “Thanks. ”
“No problem. And sorry if I got you in trouble. ”
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