“El.”His voice was low but soft, like saying her name was the apology itself.
“That’s not an apology.”She bit the words as they grated on her palate.
“I know.”He exhaled a deep rumble.“I—I’m sorry, Ellery.You’re right.I haven’t been making it easy.I want you to stay.If you want to stay.”
She sniffed away the tears and turned to him with a flip of her hair.“Then what was all this?All this sullen, adolescent bullshit?”
He ran his hands through his hair.“I don’t know.Me and Casper…it’s just weird sometimes.”His face had changed since the last time she had seen him, grown sharper, more angular, more tanned.His cheeks were grazed with soft stubble.She raised a hand, tentative, even if she was never tentative.
“May I?”She thought she said it, but it could have just been the intention to speak.His gaze met hers, his hazel eyes warm.That might as well be an invitation.
She brushed the backs of her knuckles across the stubble on his cheeks.She felt the sharp intake of his breath as her skin met his.“You didn’t have this the last time I saw you.”
His cheek warmed beneath her hand.“I’ve been growing it out.”
“You look really good.”She left her palm there for an extra minute, reluctant to shorten the moment, then dropped her hand and stepped away.
Casper was standing several feet away, pretending not to watch them while engrossed in something on his phone.
“So what was this?”she asked.
Dante’s gaze fixed on her, which only served to make her nerves tingle.
“I’m sorry,” Dante repeated.“It’s probably ridiculous.I— I didn’t expect Casper to be here.”
“But he’s your brother.Your twin, by the way.”She shook her head.“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that.”
He toed the ground with the edge of his sneaker.“I know.I’ve just always been compared to Casper my whole life.He’s all gleeful mystery, and I’m…just me.My family’s always been supportive, but it’s—I don’t know.I didn’t like how the two of you were flirting.”
Ellery laughed, the relief flooding through her.It wasn’t that Dante didn’t want her there.He just misinterpreted the situation.“Flirting?Was the cruise ship secretly some cheesy movie set where people only talk in innuendo?”
The terse set of his shoulders lightened.A win was a win.“Not exactly.”
“Casper!”Ellery called.Clearly Dante needed reassurance.His brother raised his head from his phone.“Were we flirting?”
Casper’s eyes widened and his jaw stiffened, his gaze on Dante.“Nope.No offense, Ellery, but no.”He stuffed his phone into his back pocket and yawned theatrically.“I’ve got to go.I’m pretty tired.My rideshare will be here soon.”He walked away from them, holding a hand in the air.“See you.Have fun.”
When Ellery turned back to Dante, he was shaking his head.“He’s not subtle.”
“Nope.”But she didn’t care.Not about that.Not tonight.She laced her fingers with his and pulled him down the street.“Come on.Let’s have fun.”
“Wait.”Dante squeezed her hand, and his expression left her shivering.He suddenly looked so serious, so much older.“Wait.Please.Can we talk?Somewhere private.I—I really need to tell you something.”
“Are you finally going to admit that Adam Lambert is way superior to Freddie Mercury?”
He didn’t laugh.“Please, El.”
She slid her fingers through his and squeezed.“Of course.Let’s go.”
* * *
Dante
Dante’s heart beat a thousand times a minute.Seriously, it was probably a dangerous palpitation.Maybe he should go to the hospital instead of talking to her…
“Dante?You okay?”Ellery looked up at him, her face open and waiting.
They had walked down to a beachside park by the Embarcadero Marina.In the distance, he could see the lights on at Padres Park.There must be a game tonight, but he didn’t really follow baseball.
