“Will, really. You don’t have to apologize.”
“I’m not used to going out on dates with girls.”
I was floored, but I smiled, convinced that he was joking.
“I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true, June. Even if it might be better to keep that to myself.” He bit the inside of his cheek, then we both burst out laughing, maybe to lighten the awkwardness.
“Does that mean that you’ve never had a long-term relationship?” I guessed.
“It means that I don’t get into relationships at all,” he admitted, staring at his hands.
“Something about you scares them all away, huh,” I exclaimed, laughing. But this time he didn’t laugh with me.Okay, calm down, June. He looks sensitive, and you’re clearly not.
He stared out, and I cursed myself for my umpteenth screwup of the night.
“I just—I want to be with someone like me. Who sees past people’s looks.”
Of course, Will looked like he’d just stepped off the runway, but the fact that he was particularly attractive didn’t mean he couldn’t want to build a deeper relationship.
“Call me stupid, but as soon as I met you, you gave me that impression, June.” Call me stupid if I ever missed an opportunity like this. I let my instincts take over and closed my eyes. I felt our mouths graze against each other. I licked my lips to moisten them, and all I needed was a fraction of a second. One. And then his damn telephone started to ring.
My eyes widened, and I looked up into the clouds.
William was already holding his phone. His face fell.
“It’s James.”
I wanted to reach out, grab the phone, and throw it over the cliff.
“James, what the fuck? Okay, chill out. Yeah, I get it. Yeah.”
I felt a wave of relief and victory wash over me when, after a few seconds, I saw him hang up. But I wasn’t as lucky as I thought I was because William slid down from the roof and held out his hand.
“Will you come with me?”
“Where?”
“No time to explain everything.”
11
Blaze
It was 11:18. I was waiting for Amelia and Poppy while I tried to order an iced tea at the Tropical counter. I couldn’t stand being alone in the middle of so many people. I started breathing faster, involuntarily. I tried to make eye contact with the barista, but he was too busy serving a group of scantily clad girls.
I felt someone push my shoulder. “Oh, sorry, didn’t see you there.” Idiotic chuckles followed. It was Marvin and Jackson.
Looking at Jackson’s lips was like getting elbowed in the stomach.
“What’s your deal?” I asked, rubbing my back as a stoned Marvin giggled.
Jackson smiled in a familiar way. His mouth stretched back to reveal perfect teeth as he played with his lip piercing with his tongue. Then he put his big, warm hand on my bicep. “Don’t have too much fun alone, Blaze.”
He licked his pierced lip and left me stunned. All I could do was watch him walk away from me.
I promised myself that I wasn’t here to torture myself. Jackson could be here with whomever he wanted. It wasn’t my business. I pulled my phone, which had been vibrating like crazy, out of my jeans pocket.
