‘Sorry if some of us had other things to do than suntanning on the beach,’ muttered Noah drily. He unfolded a trestle table and started unpacking food and drinks on it.
‘You’re right, I should know better than to interrupt the maestro.’
‘I was studying, actually,’ said Noah, as he set down the silverware. ‘For my future career. Strange concept, I know.’
I blinked. There was a snippiness to their banter that I wasn’t used to. My ring crackled, catching my attention. I definitely hadn’t snagged it on anything this time. It was responding tosomething, but what?
‘So, who’s doing the honours?’ called Rosie, wrapping a shawl around herself. ‘It’s starting to get chilly, and I have a mountain of s’mores here.’
‘I can’t believe you’re even asking, Mom. All right, let’s … get lit,’ called Finn. Grabbing a rolled-up newspaper, hesnapped his fingers to light it, then held it against the bonfire pyre.
We all took a step back in anticipation of that initialwoosh. The bonfire didn’t disappoint: a collective gasp went up as the dry branches and twigs caught fire and the flames stretched high in the sky, trying to reach the moon. Tiff grabbed my hand, pulling me back further as she ducked a crackling ember. On her phone, Damien squawked.
‘Did you just catch fire? You’re upside down,’ he said, frowning in concern.
Tiff righted her phone, waving it at the bonfire. ‘We’re all alive. Finn was just showing off his bonfire-lighting prowess.’
‘Right,’ said Damien. ‘Well, I’ve got a good view of some pigeons here.’ He panned his phone to demonstrate the pigeons strutting around the brightly tiled plaza where he was enjoying an espresso.
‘You guys are so weird,’ I said, shaking my head. Weird, but cute. ‘Do you want me to describe the smell of the bonfire for you, Damien? So you can really immerse yourself in the moment?’
‘Ignore her,’ said Tiff, moving over to the other side of the bonfire. ‘That’s what I do.’
I made a face, then set to work helping Rosie and Noah finish setting out our dinner. We all helped ourselves to mountains of food – Finn’s bonfire nachos, giant salads, fire-roasted wursts and kebabs, and of course Mom’s ever-present cheese-and-cracker assortment.
We ate and drank until our stomachs groaned, then kicked back and watched the fire as it ebbed and flowed, casting a glow on the rolling ocean. A few night-time strollers wandered past, happily accepting the cookies and s’mores that Rosie insisted on gifting them. Finn looped us all into a game of charades, which we shouted and giggled our way through, giddy on sugar and punch.
After I’d finally managed to get Tiff to guess that I wasmiming being the Pink Power Ranger – she’d had to get Damien back on FaceTime to help – I slumped down on my striped chair, sipping my drink as I watched the bonfire dance and the moonlight sparkle on the lapping waves. The air was scented with woodsy smoke, and I could feel the heat of it against my hair and skin. The others were happily chatting away, Mom ranting about her latest beef with Shauna and Tiff chiming in with client horror stories that had everyone groaning. Finn had produced his guitar and was strumming impromptu serenades for evening beach-strollers, while Noah had a small Moleskine notebook in hand and was quietly sketching. He glanced up, catching me watching him, and I smiled, the cider I’d been sipping giving me the confidence to hold his gaze. He returned the smile, although only just – but that was still plenty where Noah was concerned.
Finn intercepted. Setting down his guitar, he got up to peek over Noah’s shoulder.
‘What’s old Noah doing over here? Molly, it’s you! He’s drawing you!’
Noah slammed his notebook closed.
‘You sly dog.’ Finn grinned. ‘But Molly’s much prettier in real life. Right, Amelia?’
Mom glanced up from her conversation with Rosie and Tiff. ‘What’s that, Finn?’
‘Nothing,’ said Noah. His tone was casual, but I could hear the annoyance in his voice. ‘Finn’s just being a brat.’
‘He’ll do that,’ said Rosie, toasting with her glass. ‘Gets it from Charlie.’
Noah stood. ‘I’m going to head back to the house for a bit. Headache.’
Hmm, two headaches in as many days. And both under similar circumstances.
‘Must be from all that concentrating on our lovely Mollyhere,’ teased Finn, as Noah made his way over the soft sand and up the steps to the back garden.
‘You’re cruel,’ I muttered, although my heart was light. I knew it was terrible of me, but with the attentions of both the Tucker boys on me, I felt somehowbeautiful.
What I would’ve given in that moment to pull Noah’s notebook from his pocket and turn to the page he’d been working on. To see what I looked like through his eyes, and how he’d committed that expression to paper.
‘Is your ring on fire over there?’ asked Finn, grabbing my hand.
He wasn’t far off: my ring was crackling so dramatically that I tried to yank it off.
But it wouldn’t budge.
