Ella laughed. Tyler’s eyes took on a twinkle, but he still didn’t smile.
“Glad to be of assistance,” he said, then untangled himself from Ella. “Okay, see you later.” He nodded to Ashley. “Take it easy, Patches.”
He strode down the hall without looking back.
“I’m really sorry you had a run-in with Kaylee,” Ella said.
“Yeah, me too.” Ashley shook her head. “Of all the people to run into…” The halls had thinned to a handful of students. “Tyler was sweet to interrupt when he did.”
Ella’s brows disappeared into her thick fringe of bangs. “I don’t think anyone would call Tyler ‘sweet,’ but okay. He’s usually the remote, hands-off type.” She tilted her head, gave Ashley a considering look. “Why don’t you sit with us at lunch today, Ash?”
Ashley’s stomach fluttered. She was so bad at meeting new people. So unaccustomed to making new friends after having the same ones for so long. If it took being threatened to wear an indecent shirt by Kaylee Fisher to break in to a new group of friends, she’d happily endure the encounter again. “Thanks,” she said, happier than she’d dare let show. “I’d like that.”
Ashley did her best to not stare at Tyler Fitzsimmons’s profile in physics, which was her second period class. She failed miserably at that. The boy was just there for the looking, and the lessons in Mr. Bain’s physics class was material she’d learned last year. She sketched shoe designs, pretended to take notes, and stole glances at Tyler, because why not? So he had a girlfriend. She wasn’t doing anything wrong by looking.
At lunch, Ashley had a moment of nerves while carrying her tray toward Ella’s table. What if Ella had changed her mind? Or maybe Ashley had misinterpreted the invitation? But no, the other girl beckoned Ashley over with a quick wave and a smile. Ashley set her tray down and Ella introduced her to the five kids sitting there. Art kids. Bright paint smeared at the hems of shirts and ink-stained cuticles. The smell of darkroom chemicals was strong on one boy. So some people still used film. Ashley settled into the conversations with surprising ease. It was fun to talk about her interest in sewing and weird fashion. She wasn’t part of this group––not yet. This was fun, for a trial run.
Tyler sat down on the other side of Ella near the end of lunch, when everyone else was finishing up. He mumbled something about tutoring math to a sophomore, then noticed Ashley. “Hey, Patches.”
“Hi.” Ashley said, a little too brightly, and waved, of all things. She wanted to crawl under the table and die.
But Tyler had already dug into his turkey sandwich like he hadn’t eaten in a week. Well, he did only have seven minutes left to eat it before the bell rang.
As trays were being cleared away, Ella leaned toward her. “You should come out this Friday night. We’re going to see some bands play.”
That had Ashley’s interest. “Where?” Her dad had been encouraging her to go out and see more of Serenity Harbor. He probably wouldn’t object if she didn’t stay out too late.
“Mister Moon’s––it’s a coffee bar that hosts local bands and stuff on the weekends. His band is playing,” she said, elbowing Tyler next to her, who grunted.
“Really?” Naturally, he was a musician, too.
“Yeah. They’re pretty good,” she said, earning an eye roll from Tyler. “C’mon, Ash. You should go.”
Ashley hesitated. “Will everyone from school be there?”
“Everyone, as in Kaylee?” Ella snorted. “I seriously doubt it. She and Tyler broke up last summer and she’s avoided him ever since.”
If Ashley had anything in her mouth, it would have been displayed in her open, gaping mouth.
“What the hell, Ella?” Tyler sent her a dark scowl, scooped up the remains of his sandwich and stalked out.
Ashley watched him go. “Ouch. Sensitive subject?”
“Apparently,” Ella replied with a surprised expression. “I didn’t realize talking about the Kaylee thing with you would upset him.”
Ashley shook her head. “I can’t believe Tyler dated her.”
“Yeah.” Ella slid her tongue over her teeth. “That wasn’t a good match.”
“You guys have…known each other a long time?”
“Our whole lives,” Ella said cheerfully. “We live on the same street. Played together as kids for a while until, well. For a while.”
…And they eventually started dating. No big deviation from the classic storyline here. “Got it.”
“So are you in?” Ella pressed. “We always hang out with the guys afterward. It’s fun.”
That changed things. The idea of hanging out with Ella sounded good, but the “hanging out with the guys” part made her break out in a sweat. “I don’t know. I don’t think Tyler and I hit it off.”
“What? He was totally fine with you.” Ella frowned. “Why do you think that?”
Ashley ran a hand over her messenger bag. “He calls me Patches, because of my bag, I guess, but he knows my name.”
“Oh, that.” Ella chuckled. “You’ve got it backward. He gives dumb nicknames to people he thinks are cool. If he didn’t like you, he would be calling you Ashley. He called me Scribble until I made him stop a few years ago.”
“Scribble? That’s pretty bad.”
“I know, right? It was because I was lousy at coloring in the lines as a little kid. It wasn’t so bad when we were seven, but by the time we hit high school, Scribble had to go.” Ella cocked her head. “So. Where should I pick you up?”
Mind made up, Ashley texted Ella her address. “I have to check with my dad first. I just started living with him and we’re still figuring things out.” She was nervous. A little part of her hoped her dad would say no. “I’ll text you if I can’t go.”
“That’s cool. I get it.” Ella looked at the address and let out a low whistle. “Wow. Fancy neighborhood. Are they going to let my old beater car down your street?”
“I don’t know,” Ashley replied with a grin. “The neighbors give dirty looks to my clunker.”
“No Lexus for the oceanfront girl?”
“Nope. Dad’s rules. We start with scrap-heap rescues and work toward something with power windows.”
“Your dad sounds cool.”
“Yeah,” she said. “He is.”
Ella stuck Ashley’s address in her purse and headed to her next class with a wave. “See you at seven.”
Chapter 2
Tyler
Nothing in this world was quite like playing music. Whether it was practicing with the guys, or playing a gig, or fiddling around at home in his room, music was Tyler’s bliss. He and his band, Glass Houses, played at Mister Moon’s every other Friday night with a handful of other local bands. It was low-key and intimate. There was no actual stage, but an alcove with a poorly painted mural of a laughing moon in a starry night sky on the wall behind them. He loved it.
This Friday night, Mister Moon’s Coffee Bar was pretty full. Empty chairs were few. The cappuccino makers hissed nonstop and the smell of freshly ground coffee beans added a warm zing to the air. The bakery case was rapidly emptying. Glass Houses had just begun their six-song set.
Benny Jacobs did his thing at microphone, grinding out words Tyler had written to a song they’d composed together. As lead singer, Benny was a force of nature. Whether they were at a coffee house or playing a festival, all eyes were glued to Benny. Didn’t hurt that they had some damn good songs. With Sarah on drums, Dave on rhythm guitar, and Tyler himself on the bass, the sets were coming together well. Lately, Glass Houses had started booking gigs farther out from Serenity Harbor. They’d done two shows in Boston over the summer. Five down in Portland. They were growing a fan base.
Tyler leaned forward and sang his backup vocals. He stood back from Benny, who commanded the room with a natural flair for which some would sell an organ. Tyler was no slouch in the vocal department, but he firmly believed that people should stick to what they were good at and he was better on bass, backup vocals and song
writing. It hardly mattered anyway. Benny was destined for bigger stages than Mister Moon’s, and was already talking of moving to New York after graduation. But Tyler wouldn’t be leaving Serenity Harbor, no matter how much Benny begged him. There would be no touring, no college. He wasn’t bitter about it. Well, not much. Even if money wasn’t as tight as it was, he couldn’t imagine leaving his mom alone with his abusive father still floating around. If only the old, mean bastard would just leave. Then, he and his mom could move on with their lives without double, triple checking the locks at night.
He scanned the audience, looking for Ella, but she hadn’t arrived, yet. She’d be here, especially since she and Benny were a thing these days. But even before, Ella never missed a show. And he owed her an apology for storming out of lunch the other day. It was ridiculous of him. He’d been embarrassed beyond words when Ella told Patches that he’d dated Kaylee. When he and Kaylee had started dating––her idea, not his, not that it mattered at this point––he’d thought her attitude was a screen. He figured because she grew up under similar economic circumstances as he, a good person lay under the tough girl attitude. He’d been wrong. They’d broken up. He’d been just as surprised as Ella clearly had been, that he cared what the new girl from Boston thought of his past love life. But whenever Ashley Sloane-Whittaker was in the room, Tyler was acutely aware of her. Other guys in school had noticed her too––how could they not? She was absurdly pretty, with all that honey-gold hair and bright, dimpled smile, but it was her calm, almost baffled, resilience to Kaylee’s harassment the other day that changed his interest from generalized to focused. She made it damn hard to concentrate in physics, where she sat at the edge of his peripheral vision. He could feel her gaze on him in class, and he wondered about that.
From the corner of Tyler’s eye, he caught purple-streaked, brown hair. Ah, Ella was finally here. He glanced at her through the shaggy curtain of his hair, spied that patchwork messenger bag, and almost missed a chord change. She was here. Patches. With Ella. Her hair was pulled up in two little buns up on her head, like bear ears, and she was wearing purple jeans with a loose-necked sweater that dipped over a shoulder. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes bright with happiness. Ella leaned in and pointed toward the coffee bar. She nodded and they moved through the tables to order something to drink. His heart beat faster.
Tyler trained his gaze on the floor, made a show of fiddling with one of the pedals at his feet. His head raced. The apology to Ella would be waiting until sometime Patches wasn’t around. Interesting that these two were becoming fast friends, and if Ella liked her, Patches had to be okay. Of course, he gave her a wide berth in school, steering clear but keenly observing. Patches was out of his league. She oozed class, despite the dump of a car she drove, but still…
He looked up. A thrilling jolt went through him. Ashley leaned against the counter, so close. Her head moved to the beat. A small smile curved her lips. Maybe it was the music––a thumping drum with Benny’s singing about how much he’d like to say how he was feelin’––or maybe it was knowing that this was not a school hallway and they were just people here, not students, but he didn’t drop his gaze when hers lifted and their eyes met. It felt like a collision. His equilibrium shifted. An unsettling, but exciting, current ran between them. Tyler nodded at her and was rewarded with a smile that rendered him light-headed. A blush crept up her neck. Tyler’s head began to spin. The room was in rapid danger of fading away as more and more of his awareness focused on her.
Act normal! He scolded himself, but what was that, exactly? Ashley finally dropped her gaze and bit her lip. Her expression folded into a frown. She looked clearly upset. What was that about? Had he freaked her out? A thought jolted through him––maybe she had a boyfriend back in Boston. It twisted his gut. He lost his spot in the song and, the music briefly went out of synch.
Crap, crap, crap––he missed one of Benny’s chord changes. He turned his attention back to the bass and ignored the questioning glance Benny shot him. There would be no looking at Patches until this goddamn song was over––until their whole set was over––or he’d disgrace himself and his band.
When the song ended, Benny leaned toward him and whispered. “Dude, what was that?”
“Sorry,” Tyler mumbled, tweaking the tuning on a string. “Lost my spot.”
Benny scanned the audience, who was taking the brief break between songs to talk. “Were you checking out Ella’s new friend? I forgot her name.”
“Ashley.” Tyler saw little point in lying. “And yeah, I was.”
“I get it, but save it for after the set.” Benny changed guitars, pulling the strap over his shoulder. He treated the thing better than some people treated their children. “As a rule, I don’t look at Ella at all when I’m playing. Can’t concentrate.”
It was sound advice. The music started again and Tyler kept his attention anywhere but where Ella and Ashley were sitting, at the high top bar by the windows. Glass Houses finished up without another dropped note or bad chord change. After Benny thanked the audience and told them where they could download some tunes, the band immediately set about breaking down their equipment so the next group could set up. There wasn’t much to it in this small space, and they were done in less than ten minutes with Benny’s van loaded up and locked. They said goodbye to Dave and Sarah, who had to leave, and Benny headed straight back inside to find Ella.
Tyler trailed behind, feeling a bit like he was walking into a swarm of bees. He had no idea how to act around Ashley. Meeting girls wasn’t a problem for him. They approached him after shows with clear interest, but rarely returned the attention. He had nothing to offer anyone. Behind the sheen of being a musician, he was a high school kid and part-time dishwasher at a local restaurant where his mother also worked. It was one of her jobs, anyway. He was drawn to Ashley something fierce, but he also felt out of his depth with her. Wading into her waters could sweep him into rip currents he couldn’t swim against. Could make him want things completely out of his reach. He didn’t want to drown and he was certain he would.
“Hey man.” Benny turned back. “What’s with you?”
They were just inside the rear door of Mister Moon’s. Tyler hadn’t even realized he’d stopped in his tracks. “I don’t know.” Tyler scratched his head, glanced longingly back at his car, sitting in the lot next to Benny’s van. “Not sure about this tonight.”
“No, no, no.” Benny was a few inches shorter than Tyler’s six-foot, but made up for it in confidence. “You screwed up a song over this girl. Now you’re going to talk to her, and she’s going to fall all over you like every other girl you talk to.”
Every girl he talked to did not fall all over him, but it wasn’t worth arguing over. Tyler pulled in a deep breath, followed him inside, and waded into the rip current.
Chapter 3
Ashley
Ashley peeked over the top of her gigantic mug of mint hot chocolate. With whipped cream.
They were coming her way. The boys, that is. The gorgeous lead singer of Tyler’s band, who looked like he sprung from the womb with swagger and tight jeans, and Tyler.
Ella poked Ashley with her elbow. “That’s Benny,” she said wiggling her eyebrows. “Took this guy three years to ask me––oh!” she was cut off as Benny scooped Ella into his arms and captured her mouth in a smoldering kiss.
Ashley stared in confusion as Ella wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with a giggle. She skated a glance to Tyler, who rolled his eyes at them.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Benny said to Ella with a wide grin. “As always.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Ella said. “Hey, this is Ashley. She’s new at school. I’m introducing her to the local culture.”
Benny unwound himself from Ella enough to take Ashley’s hand. “Hello, Ashley. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Benny eyed her with polite, but critical interest. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
Ashley stared back at him, unsure w
hat to make of him. “Same here.”
“Are you sure?” Benny asked, raising one mobile brow. “You look like you just swallowed your gum.”
“No. I’m totally fine. I just…” Ashley let out a nervous laugh. “I’m surprised. When Ella said we were meeting up with her boyfriend, I assumed it was…” She slid her gaze to Tyler, then to the floor.
A corner of Tyler’s mouth pulled upward as Benny hooked a thumb over his shoulder to Tyler. “You thought she was with this guy?” He sighed dramatically. “I live down the street from them, but my house lies just over the town line so I have to go to Pearl Haven High. It’s so wrong that Ty gets to see my girl during the day and I don’t.”
Ella laughed. “Yeah. Somehow, you survive. Tyler, you know Ash.”
“I do.” Tyler nodded. “Hey, Patches. Thanks for coming out.”
“That was great.” Ashley didn’t fake her enthusiasm. “You guys sound amazing.”
“Thanks.” He looked cautious. Nothing like the smoldering gaze she held when they’d first arrived. “We have fun.”
“Look––they’re putting Yellow Bruises on after us,” Benny said with a snort. “Poor bastards.”
They stayed at Mister Moon’s through Yellow Bruises’ set, which wasn’t very good, then headed to the parking lot. Ashley watched as Ella and Benny shared a quiet conversation. How fascinating that when he was just with her, the showman was gone. He was just a boy out here, letting Ella pick cookie icing off his shirt. Ashley and Tyler stood in the cool autumn air. A moment of awkward silence squeezed the oxygen from the night.
“Want to go for a walk through town?” The question was abrupt. Tyler was looking at the sky when he asked it. “It’s a nice night. Unless you’re ready to go home…”
“I’m not.” Her pulse jumped. “A walk sounds nice.”
With word to Ella and Benny, they headed off. Ashley buttoned her coat.
His hand brushed her back. It was so brief, it may have been the breeze. “You really thought Ella and me…”
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