But I haven’t really thought this through. There’s too much for me to carry alone. I put the food down. I can feel Luke waiting for me to ask him for help. No thanks. Thankfully someone else calls my name.
“Sera!” Maddy comes rushing up and wraps me in a rib-crushing hug.
“Maddy! You made it,” I say, my mood lifting instantly as I squeeze her back.
“Of course. You bought me coffee before work. You’re an angel.” Maddy’s family runs Waterviews. It’s mostly a traditional American diner, but since Maddy’s mom is Brazilian, theyhave some South American dishes on the menu too. It’s the best restaurant in town, in my opinion.
“Want to go to Frappie’s after your shift?”
“They closed,” Maddy says with a pout.
“Really? They had the best ice cream on the Cape.”
“We’ll find you a new favorite,” Maddy says as she straightens her oversized wire-frame glasses. “But I can’t go out tonight. I have to watch Marissa,” she grumbles.
“We have all summer,” I remind her.
“Yes, we do!” she sings, and I laugh in relief with how easy it is to be myself with her again. Maddy picks up her coffee and turns to Luke.
“Hey. Are you at the marina or the shop today?” she asks him.
“The marina,” he says, his eyes still on me.
“Cool. Remind Georgie he needs to let you off tomorrow night,” she says.
Luke smiles and says he already did. Maddy grins, and I feel a slight pang at the ease between them.
Maddy turns back to me. “I’m working tomorrow too, but we’ll catch up at the bonfire. You’re still coming, right?”
“At Thirds Beach? Yes,” I confirm. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
“You’re coming to the bonfire?” Luke shifts on his feet, and Maddy’s terrible at hiding the grin she flashes between the two of us. She and Luke have been friends since kindergarten, and she’s been trying to get me to mend our friendship so she’s not stuck in the middle anymore, but I haven’t budged.
“Duh, Sera’s a townie at heart. We couldn’t have our senior bonfire without her.”
Luke is quiet. Obviously I’m not wanted.
“Unless I’m not allowed, for some reason?” I challenge him, not sure why he’s acting like he’s the one who’s hurt.
Luke flushes, stammers that of course I can come. “Just didn’t think you cared about Northport stuff anymore.”
“Of course I do,” I say defensively.
“I gotta run,” Maddy says before we can get into it. “I can help you out with these.” She grabs a drink tray from a pile I didn’t see and fills it for me.
“Thanks. Abbi’s at the bookshop,” I say, picking the food back up and turning toward the door.
“Bye, Luke,” Maddy says as she leaves ahead of me.
I look at him quick, not sure what else to say. Luke stands there staring at me for another beat before he finally goes back to his table, where a familiar paperback sits, spine up, waiting for him to return to a battle we both know front to back. Maddy shoots me anAre you okay?look over her shoulder, and I shrug before following her outside.
We find Abbi blowing a kiss to Cam on FaceTime outside of the bookstore. She swoops in to take the drinks from Maddy, who shouts bye to us both and rushes to her car.
“That was not the way I wanted to start this summer,” I say, speed-walking back toward home.
“What happened?” Abbi says. “Wait up, your legs are longer than mine!”
I slow down just enough for her to catch up.
