“Let’s go claim a firepit before it gets too packed,” Liam suggests, gesturing to the back doors.
“Sounds great,” Josh agrees.
Sophie and I follow the men outside. Late June brings plenty of tourists to Cape May and tonight is no exception. We grab the last fire pit before the wildflower field behind us, each taking a seat in an Adirondack chair.
“Oh! You guys didn’t get drinks,” Sophie chirps.
“That’s okay,” I say, eyeing Josh cautiously. He has already taken out his guitar and begun idly strumming a tune. “We can wait.”
“Suit yourself, missy.” She leans back in her chair and takes a long sip from the black cocktail straw.
“So, Josh, have you written anything new since you’ve been here?” Liam asks, leaning back and propping a hand behind his head.
“Well,” Josh drawls slowly. “Not yet. But Mel and I have been revisiting some of our old tunes trying to see if they could work.” He tosses a smile in my direction, and my heart does a little flip-flop.
“Yeah? You are playing again, Mel?” Liam raises an eyebrow at me.
I roll my eyes. “I’m always playing, Liam. I just don’t play forpeople.”
At this Josh huffs a laugh. “Until now. I’m pretty sure I’ve convinced her to play at this memorial for Cara.”
“Speaking of which,” Liam says, scratching his chin, “I talked to Miles about it—his dad’s a councilman. Miles suggested Rotary Park because of the stage. He warned it might be tough to get a date mid-summer, but Labor Day weekend was still open if we moved fast. And, well… Miles went ahead and called. Locked it in, actually. Will you be sticking around that long?”
I’m not mistaken when I feel Josh’s gaze burning into me, his expression unreadable. “I can stick around for however long is necessary. Let’s do it,” Josh says to Liam, but he’s still looking at me.
“Geez, that was fast,” I mutter, glancing at Josh who hasn’t taken his eyes off me. He looks excited though, and something familiar blossoms in my chest. When we were younger, Josh and Cara were excited abouteverything. Even if it was something that I might’ve been uneasy about, their excitement was contagious.Maybe it’s that. Maybe I’m excited because he’s excited. Nothing more.
Sophie rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “You know Miles. When he gets an idea in his mind, he runs with it.”
“So, we’ll just advertise it as a benefit concert?” I furrow my brow. “It’s outside at a park so how will we stop people from just coming in without a ticket?”
“I was thinking about that,” Liam says slowly. “I don’t think we should charge for tickets. I think we should just collect donations.” He pushes his lips together and glances at Sophie.
“Yeah,” Sophie agrees with an enthusiastic nod. “We can create flyers with QR codes, and everyone can donate leading up to the event. The QR code can take them to a website that shares Cara’s story and a place to donate.” She looks back and forth between Josh and me.
“You have definitely thought about this,” I tease.
Josh turns to meet my gaze. “I think it’s a great idea,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “I just wish I could have helped you come up with it.”
“You just worry about the music,” Liam says, nodding at Josh’s guitar.
Josh laughs. “That I can do.”
12
JOSH
For the first time in the two weeks since I’ve been back, I’ve been able to breathe. When we left town all those years ago, I didn’t say goodbye to anyone—not Liam, not Melanie, not my buddies. We had the funeral, and the day after, there was a For Sale sign in the yard. We moved out before it sold, renting a condo on the coast of South Carolina. I started at a new high school the following week—my old life left behind like footprints in the sand at the water’s edge, washed away by the tide.
But tonight, sitting around the fire pit with Melanie, Liam, and Sophie, talking about a memorial for Cara, I finally feel like I am whole again. The only thing missing from this beautiful night is Cara herself. I’m ready to fix things—to make things right with the people I hurt when I was sixteen. Starting with Melanie.
“You okay?” she asks on our drive back to her condo.
I’ve been quiet, concentrating on the dark road ahead. “I’m okay,” I say slowly. “I’m just lost in my memories.”
“I know what you mean,” Melanie murmurs. I glance over at her and she’s gazing out the window. “Time is funny, isn’t it? It feels like it was just yesterday that we were two kids in love.” Her voice is thick with nostalgia, and when I glance at her again, she’s giving me a wistful smile, head resting on the back of the seat.
We were in love.That crazy first love that makes you feel invincible. My chest tightens and my throat runs dry. I let out a breath and swallow. “It does,” I say, my voice thick. I swallow the knot in my throat and turn onto her street.
