Pretty much
I’ll pick you up at 3:45
Thanks!
I’d expected Noah to text when he arrived, but instead, the doorbell rang at quarter of four the next day. I looked up from my seat at the kitchen island as Ellie Mae darted to the door, tail wagging. Mrs. Henderson opened it.
“Hi, Mrs. Henderson.” Noah smiled at her, then bent to ruffle Ellie Mae’s ears. She barked, delighted. “How are you?”
“Noah, how lovely to see you. How are your parents?”
“They’re great. Dad’s managing to be here most weekends.”
“How nice. I ran into your grandmother at Bartlett’s a few weeks ago, and she says you’re going to Harvard.”
“I am, yes.”
“You must be excited.”
He smiled politely and murmured something noncommittal, letting go of Ellie Mae, who promptly decided to run herself in circles until she collapsed in a puddle of exhaustion.
We said goodbye to Mrs. Henderson and ducked out the door. I slid him a look as we walked down the porch steps. “Everyone seems to like you.”
“I’m very likable.”
“Really?”
“Don’tyoulike me?”
I looked straight ahead, gathering my hair on the top of my head and knotting it into a messy bun. Was he mocking me? Baiting me? “You’re all right.”
We climbed into his car, one of the off-roaders popular on the island. The windows were already rolled down, and we cranked up themusic as we set off across the island. The rain last night had broken the relentless heat, and the temperature was a perfect midseventies, the sky blue and cloudless. I turned my face out the window to avoid revealing my deadly embarrassment. “Sorry if I was weird the other night. About the whole...” I waved a hand.
“The what?” I could hear a hint of a smile in his voice.
He was going to make me say it? “Never mind.” I hung my arm out the window. “Is this how you expected to spend your summer? Carting a random girl around the island?”
He glanced at me briefly, before redirecting his attention to the road. “I don’t hate it.”
“But you must have had plans.You know. To uproot spotted knapweed, and all.”
“Mostly I just wanted to be outside.” He was silent for a moment. “Nantucket’s my time to be free. To visit the marshes. To be out on the water. I like being the only person you can see in any direction.”
I was silent a minute, too. “Not very like New York.”
“It’s why I like coming here so much.”
“If you love nature so much, isn’t it a bad idea to go to college in a city?”
“Boston’s small. And you can go rowing early in the morning, or get out of the city pretty quick. But yeah.” He paused. “Sometimes I feel like I need to soak up all the nature here, when I can. Like it’s a recharge. I get three months, and then it’s back to real life.”
“It sounds relaxing,” I agreed. “Except for the whole stressing yourself out to make sure your family doesn’t get stressed.”
“Someone has to do it.”
I glanced over at him, at this boy who acted like he was some knight sworn to protect his liege lord. The old nursery rhyme ranthrough my head.All the king’s horses and all the king’s men... “And you think you can?”
His fingers tightened on the wheel, though he kept his voice light. “I guess we’ll find out.”
