by K. K. Allen
He grins like he’s accepting a challenge, then we start walking. A group of Alec’s friends are already standing around one of the pool tables. I recognize some of them from the beach volleyball game. Iris and Ava are there, their eyes on us—specifically on where Alec’s hand is releasing mine.
“Kat, hey!” Trisha’s arms are around my neck before I’ve even looked at her. “I’m so glad you’re here. What did you decide? Are you coming in on Monday or what?”
I open my mouth to respond then catch Johnny stepping behind the bar, tossing a towel over his shoulder. Does he ever smile? Annoyance shakes through me. “I haven’t decided yet,” I finally tell her.
The corners of her mouth push down in a dramatic pout. “Anything I can do to change your mind?”
I laugh. “I need to give it to everyone in this town. You all are a persistent bunch.”
Before Trisha can respond, Alec tugs me away and introduces me to Brett, along with a bunch of others whose names I know I won’t remember tomorrow.
“We’re about to play a game,” Brett says with an uptick of his head. “You two want in? We need a fourth.” He’s standing beside Iris when he says it.
“Yeah, we’ll play. Right, Kat? This can be practice for when we play each other later.”
He winks, and I make a cringe face at Alec, suddenly feeling put on the spot. “I’ve never played pool before.”
Iris rolls her eyes. “Perfect.” She leans her pool stick toward Alec. “You brought her here. She’s on your team.”
That fiery sensation that never leads to anything good is already building deep in my chest.
“Sounds like a good plan,” Alec answers easily, then he’s pulling me to the wall to help me find my own stick. “Don’t worry. I’ll teach you everything you need to know. We’ll beat ’em.” He chuckles, cooling the sparks that came alive moments ago.
When we walk back over to the table, Brent is racking the balls in a triangular shape while Iris and Ava huddle together, looking annoyed. The whole mean-girl act is already getting old, so I have no problem ignoring it for as long as I have to.
Alec insists I go first. He helps me position the cue in my hands. His body is close to mine. His warm breath floats over my shoulder, creating a wave of goosebumps on my skin. Once I have the positioning right, he takes a step back. “Now pull back a little and then tap the white ball so that it hits that solid blue ball. That’s your best shot.”
I do as he says, pulling back the stick then pushing it forward to hit the white ball. The white ball flies toward the blue one and smacks it dead in the center. I must have pushed too hard, though, because the blue ball leaps off the table, soars across the room, and lands somewhere on the floor.
Humiliated, I clutch my hot cheek with one hand and look toward Alec. He’s doubled over in a fit of laughter, and he’s not the only one. I don’t know whether to join them or cry from embarrassment.
“What an idiot,” Ava mutters to Iris.
Meanwhile, Trisha is cheering me on, and Alec is jogging across the room in search of the ball. When he comes back, he’s still laughing. He wraps his arms around me in a giant hug and squeezes. “Now, let’s just work on your control.”
I don’t have to see myself in the mirror to know my face is beet red with a blush. But we continue the game, watching as Iris and Brett pull ahead a few balls, leaving it up to Alec to save our game. Then it’s my turn again.
“Okay, Kat. You’re up. Keep the ball on the table this time.” Alec flashes a smile at me, and the heat rises in my face.
I eye the table, planning my next move, and notice a solid ball near the middle pocket. To get to it, I’ll have to somehow get the white ball around from behind a striped one. If I hit its side, it could bounce off it and hit the yellow solid right into the pocket. I position myself, eyes focused, figuring I have nothing to lose.
“Whoa, getting fancy,” Alec says when he sees what I’m about to do.
“Oh great,” Ava says dryly. “Everybody duck.”
As I pull back on the stick, I look directly at Ava and glare. My eyes aren’t even back on the ball when I push the stick forward, this time with much less force. The tip of my cue hits the white ball perfectly, pushing the white ball to the side wall so it moves around the striped ball, smacks directly into the yellow one, and sends the yellow ball into the pocket.
Alec cheers loudly from the opposite end of the table while Brett stands there with his mouth wide open. Iris and Ava stand off to the side, wearing incredulous expressions. I’m so shocked and elated, I yank the pool stick back from the table, not paying attention to what’s behind me. When the stick connects with something hard and all momentum stops, a shooting pain fires from my hands to my forearms. Horrified, I turn to see what I struck.
Johnny stands there, leaning over slightly, his red-faced expression filled with pain, and he’s clutching his stomach. I jolt toward him and place my hand on his shoulder without thinking. His arm stiffens before he shakes me off, but not before I can feel the strength beneath the fabric.
“I’m so sorry. I was excited, and I wasn’t paying attention.”
“You’re trouble.” He growls the words so low that only I can hear, and I hear his warning loud and clear. “Do yourself a favor and stay the hell away from me.”
With a glare, he leaves me completely shaken to the core.
As soon as my feet hit the sand the next morning, I feel free. I take off on a jog along the shore, breathing in the salty air from the bay as my legs ease into their natural cadence. After my mother’s death, I was in no mood to exercise, but after weeks of feeling like I’ve been locked in one place, my energy is practically bursting to break free.
I’m surprised by how quickly I find my rhythm. It’s like riding a bike, and it’s all coming back to me. At times, I feel like I can jog for hours. I get lost in my thoughts and let my feet take me where they lead. This feels like one of those times. Still, I try to pace my steps so I don’t overexert myself.
I continue past the neighboring homes until I reach the public beach just outside of Summer Estate. To the left, I stare down a strip of rock that juts into the bay and instinctively move toward it. I climb over the jagged rocks, one by one, taking cautious steps as water slaps over the rocks on either side of me. Once I’m at the end of the rock pier, I take a seat on one of the taller rocks and let my feet dangle over it. Water crashes the rocks around me, a melody fitting to such a turbulent past few weeks. This is the first time in a while I’ve felt anything close to peaceful. I can breathe.
“There you are.” Alec sits beside me, a smile on his handsome face and a twinkle of curiosity in his eyes. “Living on the edge, I see.”
I let out a light laugh and look back out over the water. “Hardly. I was going for a run and got distracted by this—” I search for a word unsuccessfully. “Anyway, why does everything in this town seem so different?”
Alec shrugs. “Ask your grandmother. But my guess is that a lot of heart went into developing this town. Everywhere you turn, there’s a piece of history embedded in what you see.”
I frown. “It sounds like my grandparents have done a lot for this town. I mean, Rose clearly loves it here.”
Alec cocks his head to the side. “Why wouldn’t she?”
Heat rises in my cheeks. “I just mean that I don’t understand why there are people in this town who don’t approve of the work Rose is doing. Bettering the environment, enriching the businesses and services already local to this place, and minimizing the overcrowding that comes with tourism. I feel like I’m missing something.”
Alec stares at me for a long time before finally speaking. “I don’t think it’s you who’s missing something, Kat. Some people in this town are…” He releases a smile as he looks down at the rock and runs his finger along a small crack in its surface. “Greedy, neglectful, selfish. I could go on.”
He lifts his brows at me, and I smile. “Rose says the same thing.”
“So, Summer Girl, what do you plan on doing this summer, besides contemplating the fortress your family built?”
I don’t miss the abrupt change in conversation, but part of me is grateful for it.
“School,” I say. “Virtual school, to be exact. I still have a few classes to finish up so I can graduate. Rose insists I get it over with.”
“Ah, that’s a bummer if that’s how you’re going to spend your first summer here. You’ll have to find some time to get away and hang out with us.”
I nod then look back at Alec, realizing I have no idea how old he is. “What about you?”
“I just graduated. I’ll be starting at the private college in the fall.”
“The School of Gaia?”
Alec nods. “The one and only. You’ll be going there in the fall, right? I figured with you being a Summer and all…”
When I was bored last night, I looked up the School of Gaia just to see what it’s all about. From what I read, its focus is on environmental science, engineering, and medicine, but there are arts programs as well. While it’s all fascinating, I haven’t put much thought into what I would study in college. I don’t think I would have ever considered something like oceanography, atmospheric chemistry, or any of the topics of study found on the long list I looked over.
“I don’t think I’ll be attending. I might not even be in Apollo Beach for much longer.”
I hate how my heart grows heavy when I see the disappointment on Alec’s face.
“What? Really?”
I shrug as a strange feeling of guilt snakes through me. I’m not sure why. It’s not like I have any sort of connection to this town, but even as I think that, I know it’s not totally true. “I don’t know. If I left, I don’t even know where I would go.”
“Stay.” It’s a simple word, but the force behind it hits me straight in the gut. I look up to see Alec’s gaze grip hold of mine. “You have to stay.”
I want to ask him why, but deep down, I already know, so I suck in a deep breath instead. “I should get back to my run.”
He helps me stand, and I can’t help but stare at his dimpled smile one more time. “Can I join? I need to see if you’re as good at running as you are at pool.”
I laugh. “Okay, fine. Just do your best to keep up.”
He chuckles, and we take the rocky pathway carefully before landing back on the beach. I let Alec set our pace—a light jog farther along the coastline.
I’m fully aware of the fact that he seems to be holding back. “You can go faster, you know? I can handle it.”
He meets my gaze with a challenge then nods before taking off with more force. We zoom in and out of the small neighborhoods around the own. It’s as if our path is tracing out the shape of a star. When we’re turning around at the marina, I realize just how amazing I feel. My legs feel stronger than ever. Every muscle, large and small, expands and contracts with each motion. The deep breaths I’m able to pull in as I run is as impressive as my need to go faster.
The only thing that slows me down is the view of the seemingly abandoned area of town as we approach it. It’s as if Apollo Beach is split into two—north and south, new and old. Even the sand in the volleyball area appears to be abandoned as weeds grow between its grains in the shallow spots. All that’s left are crumbling exteriors and overgrown lawns the color of dried mustard. A strange feeling takes hold in my chest, like there’s a history here I’ll never understand.
When we get close to the start of a wooden walkway with a sign that points to a “Nature Trail,” I slow alongside him and look over for the first time since we started our run. He’s sweating and breathing heavily. I assume I should be just as tired, but my energy isn’t exhausted.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he says while sucking in sips of air. “How do you have so much energy?”
I twist my lips into a hesitant smile. “I don’t know, honestly. I haven’t run in weeks. It must be all that built-up energy from staying in so much lately.”
Alec shakes his head. “That would make it harder, not easier. We just ran five miles, and you haven’t even broken a sweat. You are a superhuman, woman.”
I laugh at his strange compliment then step forward onto a concrete path that eventually turns to dirt and rocks. We walk the rest of the way, and tropical wildlife begins to spring from the ground on either side of us. As the walkway narrows, exotic leaves and flowers on either side brush my arms.
Alec is apparently a wealth of knowledge. He describes what I’m seeing around me—tidal creeks where the mangroves grow, providing a habitat for large coastal birds, oysters, crabs, and fish. We move up a small hill, round a corner, then travel back down to an empty semi-enclosed beachfront. I look up to find a large building with the same smokestacks I remember seeing upon my arrival to Apollo Beach.
When we finally reach a clearing at the top of the trail, I get a better view of the energy plant as it looms before me. Tall cylinder structures attached to a rectangular building overlook the water, with a fenced-in yard of gravel surrounding all sides of the facility.
My mom once mentioned that my father worked at an energy plant after high school. This must be the one. The thought creates a heaviness in my chest—an unwelcome weight that I’ve always tried to avoid. Being here, at the birthplace of my father, the place where my parents fell in love, it feels impossible to escape.
Sadness tries to dominate my memories of her, but this time, I won't allow it. I’ll never stop missing my mother, but I refuse to cry every time I think of her. Instead, I focus on the good times we shared. A smile plays across my face as I immerse myself in a nostalgic place where time no longer exists.
Time passes, but I remain still as memories of my mom flash through my mind like a moving picture book. Her bright smile as I came through the door after playing basketball. Her quick-paced walk everywhere she went, always in a hurry. Our bicycle races. The warm hugs she gave me when I occasionally revealed my insecurities to her. The silly faces she would make when I asked her about a date. No one was good enough for her. I’ll never forget the sight of her reading the newspaper every morning as she sat on the couch, holding a fresh cup of coffee. Her scent after her nightly shower was always fresh from the baby powder she sprinkled all over her body.
By the time we step back onto the private beach in front of our homes, I’m exhausted. Not physically, though. I could run another ten miles. Mentally, I’m just done.
It’s like Alec reads my mind. “Come on.”
He pulls me toward the shore and kicks off his shoes, then he slides off his shirt and tosses it onto the sand. I quickly avert my gaze but not before catching sight of a well-sculpted chest and abs. Geez, he’s got a good body. I saw him shirtless that first night on the beach, but this is somehow different. We’re alone now, and daylight leaves nothing to the imagination.
I hesitate for a second before following his lead, stripping out of my tank top and shoes, leaving my sports bra and my shorts on. He grins then grips my hand again before pulling me to the water.
We both take a running dive and come up when only our faces and necks clear the water. We’re both laughing as our eyes connect, and I swear there’s a crackling and sizzling from our connection like there are electrically charged particles lighting up the air. And in that strange but electrifying moment, I imagine he might kiss me. I want him to kiss me. I want it so badly that I almost miss the way he’s wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer.
A shiver races through my body, and even while my nerves are lighting off like fireworks, I’m shocked by how comfortable I am in his hold. It’s all so natural with Alec. So easy. So right. I don’t even flinch when he brings his face closer to mine, and my lips start to tingle in anticipation of his kiss.
My first kiss.
My thoughts are racing. Fear of the unknown wreaks havoc, causing my heart to gallop so loud in my chest I’m certain Alec can hear it. Then his mouth presses to mine, tasting of saltwater,
while his hold around my waist tightens. I move my lips back against his, testing the way they feel matched with mine, familiarizing myself with their shape, their taste, and their firmness. We’ve only started to find our rhythm when the moment is ruined with a few sprinkles, followed by a heavy downpour of rain.
A hungry rumble tears through the sky, startling us and causing us to jump slightly, enough to separate us. A bolt of lightning follows with a deafening crack.
As if reading each other’s mind, we take off for the shore and stumble away from the water. Alec runs ahead and scrambles to grab our things, then we trip along the shore’s edge toward our homes.
“Thanks for the run!” I shout. The wind whips my hair around my head, smacking me hard in the face.
He squeezes my hand like he never wants to let go. “Want to do it again tomorrow?”
My hesitation has nothing to do with how much I like Alec. Liking him is the easy part. It’s the leaving him part that I’m starting to fear. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
He frowns. “Why not? We have fun together, don’t we? And your grandmother loves me.”
I laugh as an uneasy feeling whips through me. “My grandmother loves you? How would you even know that?”
Something flickers in his eyes, and the playful smile falls from his face, triggering a warning in my gut. “I mean… I-I think she does. She was quick to let you come out with me last night, wasn’t she?”
Something feels wrong. He’s lying. My intuition is strong on this one. Tiny puzzle pieces begin to click together in my brain. How insistent Rose was that I stay in Apollo Beach. How she seemed to already know who was at the door when Alec picked me up last night.
My jaw drops as it all hits me like a barrel being dropped on my dreams. I should have known it was all a lie. “Rose asked you to invite me out last night.” My voice is shaking, I’m so angry.
Alec’s face completely crumbles, illuminating his truth brighter than the lightning that strikes the water behind him. “Yes, but—”
