“Summer, language,” I chide to tease her. We begin to walk back toward the shore, and I nudge her shoulder with mine. “Come on, we have a window of a few hours.”
And we take advantage of it. A few hours later, I’m looking in the mirror as I run my fingers through my hair. It’s apparent by my flushed look that I’ve just had sex, and asmall smirk of pride hits the corner of my mouth as I slide back into my boxer briefs.
It’s a little crazy that I’m back in my family home, but my parents are gone to their house in North Carolina. I have plenty of money to get my own place for the summer, but I just want downtime and the familiar, away from city life. And this room has memories. A first kiss with Summer, and now a few years later, I step back into the room to see her sitting up in bed with her feet on the floor as she attempts to clasp her bra closed.
I dive on top of the bed on my side and take over to help her, then I gently kiss the curve of her shoulder.
An unusual silence fills the room until she breaks it. “Nash, I feel something strong. I know that I’m in?—”
I cut her off instantly and plant my finger on her mouth, not wanting to hear the words. “I feel it, too.”
She twists her body to glance down to me. “You have me. Every part, and don’t you dare break it.” Her lips skim my bottom lip.
She means her heart.
5
SUMMER
Iadjust the few flowers that I just set on the grave.
“I know, I know. I’m being a complete, well…” I ponder to myself and even roll my eyes. “A bitch, if I’m being really honest. But your brother is returning it in full.”
Speaking to Zac’s grave seems to be a weekly occurrence for me. But it’s never tears, no. Oh no, he would never have that.
“Every time, I want to lay it on the table. And I know I should, but… I’m scared of his reaction.”
The truth is too easy.
“It’s the same as you, I guess. You never told me you loved me until you were sick. Before then you chickened out, and I didn’t feel I needed to press. Anyhow, Bo will be excited to have Nash here. He also thinks O-shaped cereal is the greatest thing on earth, so perhaps his standards are low. You know, Bo still loves to look at the photo on the mantle of you, Nash, and me. We were so young and naïve then, weren’t we? Oh, and did I tell you that we had a guest at the Dizzy Duck who screamed to her husband that she wanted adivorce? We all know, because it happened in the restaurant… where the husband and his mistress were having dinner. These are the kinds of things that keep me moving.”
My eyes draw a line up to the sky, admiring the clear blue, then I return to the gray stone. “I wonder if you’re mad at me up there for never telling you about me and Nash before you died. You probably get all of the best secrets up there, don’t you? I have a feeling I should brace myself. What are you up to?”
I trace my fingers over the lettering on the stone. “Until next time.” I smile to myself.
Leaving the graveyard, I take a deep breath. It’s odd, but I always feel calm after visiting. It’s quiet here. I don’t follow any religion, but if there is something in our afterlife, then I would like to think everyone here has found solace.
Deciding to take the long walk, I wander along the lake and then up Main Street. A freshly brewed coffee is in order, and when I walk through the door of Jolly Joe’s, with the bell dinging, I inhale the smell of the place as my eyes take in the 50s-style diner and hope someone picked a good song on the jukebox.
It’s still early enough in the day, which means the smell of coffee and cinnamon rolls runs strong. It’s so silly, but they place little jellybeans in every single cup of coffee because apparently it brings luck.
“The usual?” Mary, behind the counter, asks. She’s worked here for as long as I can remember.
“Yes, please. No cinnamon roll today.” I smile.
“Sure thing, kiddo. By the way,” she begins as she holds up a mug, and I know where this is going. Now is the time to plaster on a fake smile. “I heard Nash was back in town.”
Yep, there it is.
“He is.” My smile is strained.
“Hmm.” That’s how she manages to respond? I would say I got off easy, but she seems to be examining me and forming an internal theory.
Ignoring her, I slide into a booth and remove my scarf. I texted Lexi on my way here to see if she was in town, but I didn’t hear back.
I have to smile to myself as I sit here. It’s nostalgic, and you always know what you’ll get. I thank Mary when she places the coffee in front of me and look up in pleasant surprise when I see Harlow, another friend, stepping through the door.
“Hey there, can I join you?”
