“Now?” Nick answered, seemingly surprised. “What about your headache?”
“Oh, I’m sure it’ll stick around.” Sage shrugged. “But we can’t miss these stars, Nicholas.”
Her fiancé broke into a grin that rivaled tonight’s dazzling celestial display before leaping up from his Adirondack chair to loop his arm around Sage’s waist. “Marry me, Morgan,” I heard him whisper.
She laughed. “I’d be careful,” she teased. “If you keep asking me, I might change my mind…”
Something tightened in my chest once they stepped off the deck and set off across the lawn hand in hand, toward the beach, to do whatever it was they were going to do.
If I had to wager a guess, I’d say skinny-dipping.
I squinted to see Nick scoop Sage up in the darkness, then I blinked hard and rose from my seat. “Good night,” I said, softly and to no one in particular.
Blood pumped through my ears as I all but ran through the house, the last of my chocolate coating my thickening throat. I vaguely registered Swede, Greta, and Posey tailing me, sensing excitement, but when I reached Summer Camp, I opened and closed the door before they could slip inside too.
All was still in the bunk room; all was silent.
He’s out on the porch, I surmised, and sure enough, I found Connor standing in the lamplight; he was trying to stay as close to the house as possible—or, in other words, as close to theWi-Fi routeras possible.
Because God forbid his call dropped.
“Can we rewind?” I blurted, too keyed up to hold back. “Back to last night?”
Connor raised an eyebrow, but the voice I heard wasn’t his. “Rewind?” I heard a girl squawk, and when no one responded, she pressed on. “Back to last night?”
“Sweet dreams, Madeline,” Connor said smoothly, but I wasmortified. “Please don’t forget to give Arthur and Francine my best…”
“Wait!” Mads tried to put up a fight, but Connor mercifully ended the call and tossed his phone on the couch.
Then looked at me.
My heart flared.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I missed what you said.”
Liar,I thought, able to tell from the slight tilt of his head. But I indulged him, with a deep sigh. “I said, ‘Can we rewind to last night?’”
A nod. “To which part?”
My voice came out as a croak. “You know.”
“I’m not sure I do.”
“Connor.”
“What?” He held up his hands, as if I’d caught him in my flashlight beam. “I need some clarification.” He took a step toward me. “Are we backtracking to when you made fun of my sunglasses?” A second step. “To someone almost nailing me with a water gun?” Third step. “Which was when you were dancing with—”
“After the sun set!” I cut in. “Specifically, after the sunset, on the roof, and during the fireworks, but before the finale.”
Connor stopped in front of me, one of the porch’s wood planks creaking under his feet. I could feel the shift, very aware that his fingertips were dangling only inches from mine. Sweat beaded on the back of my neck.
“It’s been tormenting me all day,” I added. “I keep thinking about it.”
“Join the club,” he said lightly, then cleared his throat. “I really like you, Olivia, but I’m not sure what you want. I don’t want to be pushed away every other day.”
“You won’t.” I quickly shook my head. “I promise.”
Because I’m not going to let you get that close.
