by Rachel Jonas
I needed to talk to her. However, after the rude way I dismissed her, I doubted she’d even listen. While, no, I couldn’t readily answer any of her questions, I could at least see if any of what my parents mentioned fit things she’d heard and seen.
My thoughts were suddenly jarred when a tall, bronzy beauty came my way. Her smile was there, but I saw that something else as well. She stopped right in front of me and nearly every male eye was focused on her. It felt like their stares were coming from all angles. I didn’t mind them looking, but if one of them touched, friend or not, it wouldn’t end well.
Deep down, I knew I had no right to lay claim to her. We hadn’t declared ourselves as anything, but there was just this feeling in the center of my chest that surged whenever she was close. A feeling that sometimes tricked me into believing she was mine already, even if I hadn’t been given permission to think that way.
She blinked up at me and gestured toward the falls with her head. “Can you take me closer?” Her lashes fluttered again.
I could hardly answer quickly enough. “Of course.”
I didn’t bother saying anything to Lucas or Chris before walking off. Evie followed close behind as I led the way. When the urge to take her hand became overwhelming, I shoved mine in the pockets of my cargo shorts.
We stepped through overgrown grass and over large stones that jutted out from the soil like bizarre statues. From here, the falls roared like endless rainfall as water crashed onto the rocks below. Just across the river, the abandoned hydraulic plant—a beast of a structure, built into the side of the hill. With overgrown ivy slinking up the aged brick, it looked as though it’d been there since the beginning of time.
Evie stood beside me, eyes alight, taking in our town’s most notable feature. The rolling hills and dense, green forest made Seaton Falls a beautiful place to live, too, but the falls never ceased to fascinate even those of us who’d been staring at it all our lives.
“Now you’re officially a resident of Seaton Falls,” I said with a smile.
She mirrored the gesture when she glanced at me for a moment. “I swear I could stay right here, in this exact spot, for the rest of my life. This view is… amazing.”
I stepped up, nearly brushing her shoulder with my arm as we stood beneath the sun. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the second the smile began to fade from her lips and I couldn’t help but to wonder what kept taking hold of her.
What kept pulling her down from all the high moments today?
I found myself wondering if she brought me over here alone, away from everyone else, for a reason. Maybe she needed to talk or maybe just wanted a second away from all the music and chatter to clear her head. When she let out a deep breath, it looked like that was exactly the issue.
A moment of bravery, like the one that came over me in the truck, spurred me to pull my hand from my pocket and reach for hers. It was too soon for that; too soon to be thinking and feeling any of this, but rationalizing didn’t change the facts. And, lucky for me, she didn’t pull away.
I took her closer to the edge and helped her down onto a section of rock with a smooth surface. When she was settled, I sat beside her, catching a scent of the smoldering ashes I’d come to realize was just… hers.
When I arrived at her house a little while ago, I half expected the whole place to smell like an ashtray; however, that wasn’t at all the case. In fact, I didn’t even notice it until Evie reached the foyer.
My parents’ argument came to mind again, the vague suggestions that something was wrong with Evie. Stealing a look at her now, I knew they couldn’t have been more wrong.
While I sat thinking of her, Evie drifted again. This time taking longer to come back to me. At the risk of her blowing up if she didn’t think it was my business, I made up my mind to ask a question:
“Everything okay? You seem kind of… I don’t know… distracted today.”
Or, sad maybe. But I didn’t say that part.
Beside me, Evie blew out an exhausted breath, letting the last remnants of the mask she’d been wearing fall away.
“It’s that obvious, huh?” she said with a chuckle.
I nodded, staring at her hand still resting in mine as I answered. “Maybe just a little.”
She took a breath, not readily sharing her thoughts as she watched the falls.
“You don’t have to tell me what’s going on if you don’t want to,” I interjected, breaking the silence. “I just wanted you to know I’m here to listen if you… you know… if there’s anything you need to talk about.”
A rogue breeze swept hot, damp air over our skin, causing the few curls that hung down the back of her neck to quiver when she lowered her head.
“It’s not really anything I can explain,” she answered. “Things have just been kind of weird for me lately. All around.”
I compared that to my own situation and completely understood. In fact, I don’t think anyone understood that better than me right now. My fingers squeezed hers just a bit.
“And I’m sure part of what you’re sensing is just me being tired. Haven’t slept much,” she shared.
Last night wasn’t the first time I’d tossed and turned lately either.
“Is it something at school?” What I meant was someone at school, messing with her or causing her problems. If that was the case, it wouldn’t take me long to straighten it out.
She shook her head. “No. Surprisingly enough, school’s been pretty cool lately.”
That meant the stress was probably something at home. That also meant my prying had to stop here. Her family issues were out of my jurisdiction unless she offered up that info on her own.
“Well, whatever it is, if you ever need to talk, I’m only a phone call away.” And I meant that. Wherever I was, whatever time it was, I hoped she knew she could call and I’d drop everything to listen.
Her eyes found mine and a soft smile touched her lips. “Thank you.”
I nodded, finding it hard to look at her now for some reason. It was like staring into the sun too long—overwhelming.
She glanced back toward the crowd that had gathered and so did I. It looked like, since we left maybe fifteen minutes ago, the party had doubled in size. You could see another row of cars had formed and there were too many bodies in the water to count.
“We should probably head back,” Evie suggested. “I don’t want your friends to think I’m trying to steal you away.”
Turning toward her again, my eyes wandered the smooth line of her jaw, her slender neck, and continued down her shoulders to the rest of her. There wasn’t a single inch that wasn’t perfect to me.
Feeling brave—a sensation she awakens in me often—I smiled at her comment before replying. “You say that like I’d mind. Like I wouldn’t let you.”
Her cheeks burned red and, for once, I didn’t want to take back my words. For once, I didn’t think I said too much.
It told me I hadn’t when she smiled back and countered with a bit of a challenge. “I might just take you up on that sometime.”
Compared to my one-on-one time with Evie, the rest of the party could never measure up. It was fun and incredibly thoughtful of my friends to put this together for me, so I wasn’t being ungrateful. However, there was just something I loved about connecting with her, something I craved from those stolen moments when it was just us.
Several hours passed and our group began to thin. We stayed so long the sun started to set. I stuck around to help clean up the mess we made. A few of the kids’ parents were on the police force, so we knew they’d know exactly who left it if we didn’t get it straight.
A headache had started setting in about an hour ago and I’d done my best to hide it, but it wasn’t so easy anymore. Holding the bridge of my nose, I leaned against the side of a nearby tree, squeezing my eyes shut. It came on suddenly and got worse by the minute. My guess was it had something to do with the heat and not drinking enough water, but I’d never felt anything like it bef
ore.
Nice way to close out my birthday.
Someone’s footsteps disturbed the branches and leaves on the ground, so it gave me enough warning to wipe the pained look off my face and fake a smile. Chris stopped beside me, drink in hand, wrapping the other arm loosely around my neck before speaking.
“Happy birthday, man. Just keep in mind that I have one coming up in a few months, so, you know… I wouldn’t be mad at a party.”
Shaking my head, I laughed.
“Mom made that cake for you, so I put it in your truck already.”
Hearing that made me feel marginally better. His mom’s 7-up cakes always did.
“Sweet. Thank her for me if I forget to call later and tell her myself.” I didn’t add that I might forget because I felt terrible, but the look on his face let me know he already noticed.
“You good? Need one of us to give you a ride home?” he offered.
I shook my head, letting him know that wasn’t necessary. “I’ll be fine.”
He smiled a bit. “Too much to drink?”
Again, I shook my head. Honestly, I’d only had one and that was hours ago when we first arrived, so that had nothing to do with it. “It’s just a headache,” I shared, and he didn’t seem as concerned.
“Well, hit me up later if you decide to get into anything tonight.”
I told him I would and then he walked off. I spotted Evie saying her goodbyes to Beth and a few other girls she made friends with today. Among them… Roz. As I massaged my right temple, she glared at me, which let me know she was still mad at how I dismissed her the other day. Just like I figured she would be. I wouldn’t make a scene apologizing today, but I did kind of feel like I owed her that.
Especially seeing as how I now had the sinking suspicion she was right about a few things.
Evie came my way, looking a bit happier, a bit lighter overall than she did a while ago. Hopefully, hanging out here helped clear her head a little.
She stood by while I loaded a few bags of trash into the bed of Richie’s truck so I could dump them later, and smiled when I held the passenger-side door open for her.
A sweet, “Thank you,” was offered and I responded with a smile.
Then, we were on the road again, headed back home.
“Did you have a nice time?” I asked, thinking I already knew the answer.
She gave an enthusiastic nod like a kid who’d just left Disney World. It made me laugh.
“I did,” she replied. “And did you have a good birthday?”
“The best,” I answered, and that was the truth. It wasn’t just because this one was a milestone, or because my friends thought enough of me to throw a party. It was because this was the first I got to spend with her.
She faced straight ahead again, watching the road, unable to hide the smile that danced across her lips.
I liked this girl. More than I even think she realized. With her, every other seemed to fade into the background.
Both our houses were lit when I pulled into her driveway. I kept the engine running as I walked her to the door, secretly wishing it didn’t have to end here. With my hands in the pockets of my shorts, I stood facing the prettiest girl I ever laid eyes on.
“Thanks for inviting me,” she grinned. Seemed like she couldn’t stop.
“Thanks for being there.”
She nodded and, for a moment, she seemed nervous about something. But then, the very next second I understood what that something was. Soft lips pressed to my cheek. So close to my lips, I started to turn and catch hers. But I didn’t. I didn’t because what she gave me was perfect and it was enough for now. While she made me feel impatient and greedy, I knew there was no real reason to rush anything.
When she pulled away, a shimmer of light was in her eyes before she quickly looked away, biting the side of her lip to hide yet another big smile.
“I’ll, um… I’ll see you Monday morning.”
The statement had me calculating the hours left until then in my head.
“See you Monday,” I echoed, watching in silence as she climbed the steps of her porch.
What I said before was true—about this being the best birthday by far. Evie hadn’t been living next door all that long, but since she’d been here, since that day we walked home in the rain, I hadn’t been able to focus on much else.
Somehow, I accidentally let myself fall for her and, whether I liked it or not, she had me wrapped around her finger already.
—
Chapter Fourteen —
Nick
The most off-key rendition of ‘The Birthday Song’ I’d ever heard finally ended. My family bombarded me the second I walked through the door, thoughts of Evie still fresh in my head. They broke into song before I could even get my shoes off, barely letting me set my things down before ushering me toward the kitchen where a cake with a big, one-eight candle burning bright in the center waited on the counter. I’d gotten all my gifts and an envelope full of cash first thing this morning, so I didn’t expect to be made a fuss over tonight, too.
I ignored the pounding in my head, bracing myself for the customary, downpour of punches landing on my arms, chest, and back—courtesy of my brothers. They made jumping me on my birthday into a tradition.
“So, the kid’s finally eighteen,” Kyle announced, slamming his large hand right into the center of my back.
“Feel any different yet? You’re pretty much an adult.” Ben quickly amended his statement when a sharp look from Mom darted his way, reminding him she was in no rush for me to fly the coop like the others had. “Well… kind of,” he added quietly.
“Feels the same,” I finally answered. “Just another year older.”
Richie tossed back the last of his beer, catching a few drops on his t-shirt before speaking. “Twenty will be the real gamechanger.”
My brothers all shared a laugh, passing sly grins each other’s way when Dad cleared his throat.
“That’s enough. How about you four have a seat in the dining room while your mom and I cut the cake.”
I walked toward the table and sat in the chair near the window. As soon as I got comfortable, another sharp pain stabbed into the side of my head. I pressed my hand there. It was almost bad enough that I thought about mentioning it to my parents, but it seemed to come and go, so I didn’t. Instead, choosing to silently breathe through it until it passed again.
“What’s the matter?”
I didn’t open my eyes to see which of my brothers was asking, but I knew Ben’s voice.
“I’m good. It’s just a headache. Been battling it for a few hours.” I opened one eye and then the other, letting light in slowly as the throbbing lifted away again.
All three of them were unusually quiet and I caught the tail end of a look being exchanged between Richie and Kyle. The seriousness of it made me laugh.
“I said I’m good. Nothing to get emotional over.”
Richie’s eyes shifted and he scanned me like I was a science experiment. He had a fresh drink in hand, water this time. After sipping, he asked a question. “Is it just the headache?”
My brow tensed and drew inward as I stared at him, wondering why he’d even ask. I’d been playing football practically all my life, so I had my share of injuries over the years—broken collar bone, two concussions that I knew of, and once I was trampled by an entire team.
And this—a headache—concerned them?
“My shoulders and neck are a little stiff,” I answered, trying not to crack a smile. “Why? You giving out massages today?” The laugh slipped out. “Not gonna lie… it’ll be kind of weird until we get into it, but I’m willing to give it a go if you are.”
Lifting my back away from the chair, I proceeded to remove my shirt, only getting one arm out when a fist slammed into my shoulder.
Richie’s, or course.
“How was that? Feel better?” he asked, grinning while I rubbed the spot he just pummeled. Apparently, whatever worry he had a second ago was go
ne now and things were back to normal. Like they should’ve been.
“Special delivery.” Mom handed one slice of cake to me and the other to Kyle. Dad followed with Ben and Richie’s pieces.
“There’s a slight chance I was a little heavy-handed with the baking powder,” she warned, “so, if you don’t like it, just keep the comments to yourselves. Mm-kay?”
In response, Kyle’s eyes went to his slice, making faces that earned him a slap to the back of the head. Proud of her excellent timing, Mom smiled as she settled in beside him.
She seemed like herself again, free of all the tension I’d seen her carrying the night before. Even she and Dad seemed to be okay again. This morning, they cooked breakfast together and kept to their usual Saturday morning routine. While I was happy they were back on good terms, I still hadn’t forgotten the things I overheard, leading me to suspect this was all nothing more than an elaborate front.
My father dropped down into his seat at the head of the table, the one none of us ever even attempted to sit in because we knew better. I was only on my second bite when the questions about my day started.
“How was the outing with your friends?” Mom asked, trying to sound casual. I already knew she didn’t like the idea of me hanging out with Evie, so it was just a matter of time before she actually admitted it.
There was a fake smile plastered on her face.
“It was fine,” was the only answer I gave.
She decided to dig for more information. “And… your friend, Evie? She had a good time as well.”
Kyle, shaking his head, laughed to himself just before ditching his fork and lifting his entire slice to his mouth.
“She had fun. It was her first time seeing the falls.”
Mom nodded when I answered. She lowered her eyes to her plate for a second when she brought another bite to her mouth and then asked, “Are you two… serious? I only ask because yesterday was the first your father and I even heard you mention her.”
“That’s because I’ve never really been in the habit of running it past you two when I’m dating a girl.” I regretted two things immediately. One: the cold tone I just addressed my mother in. Two: using the word ‘dating’.
