If there was one thing about him that gave her pause, it was this: She didnt know why he liked her. She wasnt anything like the girls shed seen him with the night of the carnivaland in all honesty, she wasnt even sure hed want to see her again after today. She watched him jog back to the service line, then glance in her direction, obviously pleased shed come. He moved easily through the sand, and when he got ready to serve the ball, he signaled something to Scott, who seemed to play the game as though his life depended on it. As soon as Scott turned toward the net, Will rolled his eyes, making it plain that he found his friends intensity a bit over the top.
Its only a game, he seemed to say, and she found that heartening. Then, after tossing the ball in the air and serving hard, he raced toward the side of the court to keep the volley going. When he sacrificed his body by diving for the ball and sending a plume of sand in the air, she wondered whether what shed seen a moment earlier had been only an illusionbut after his shot went wide and Scott threw up his hands in frustration with an angry glare, Will ignored him. After winking at Ronnie, he readied himself for the next shot.
You and Will, huh?
Mesmerized, Ronnie hadnt realized someone had taken a seat beside her. Turning, she recognized the blonde who had been hanging out with Will and Scott on the night of the carnival.
Excuse me?
The blonde ran a hand through her hair and flashed her perfect teeth. You and Will. I saw the two of you walk up.
Oh, Ronnie said. Her instincts told her that it was best not to say much.
If the blonde took notice of Ronnies wary reaction, she didnt show it. Tossing her head with practiced skill, she flashed those teeth again. She definitely had to be a bleacher, Ronnie decided. Im Ashley. And youre
Ronnie.
Ashley continued to stare at her. And youre on vacation? When Ronnie glanced at her, she smiled again. I would have known if you were from around here. Ive known Will since we were kids.
Uh-huh, Ronnie said again, trying to sound noncommittal.
I guess you two met when he made you spill your soda, huh? Knowing him, he probably did it on purpose.
Ronnie blinked. What?
Its not the first time Ive seen him do it. And let me guess. He just took you fishing, right?
On that little dock on the other side of the island?
This time, Ronnie couldnt mask her surprise.
Thats what he always does when he starts getting to know a girl. Well, either that or he brings her to the aquarium.
As Ashley went on, Ronnie stared at her in disbelief, feeling the world around her suddenly begin to narrow.
What are you talking about? she croaked out, her voice deserting her.
Ashley roped her arms around her legs. New girl, new conquest? Dont be mad at him,
she said. Its just the way he is. He cant help it.
Ronnie felt the blood drain from her face. She told herself not to listen, not to believe it, that Will wasnt that way. But the words kept echoing in her mind
Let me guess. He took you fishing, right?
Either that or he brings her to the aquarium
Had she really misjudged him? It seemed like she was wrong about everyone shed met down here. Which made sense, considering shed never wanted to come down here at all. When she drew a long breath, she noticed that Ashley was studying her.
Are you okay? she asked, her perfectly shaped eyebrows knitted together in concern.
Did I say something to upset you?
Im fine.
Because you looked like you were about to get sick.
I said Im fine, Ronnie snapped.
Ashleys mouth opened and closed before her expression softened. Oh, no. Dont tell me you were actually falling for it?
New girl, new conquest? Its just the way he is
The words kept ringing through her head, and Ronnie still didnt answercouldnt answer.
In the silence, Ashley went on, her voice sympathetic. Well, dont feel too bad, because hes pretty much the most charming guy in the world when he wants to be. Trust me, I know, because I fell for it, too. She nodded at the crowd. And so have half the other girls you see around here.
Ronnie instinctively surveyed the crowd, taking in the sight of half a dozen pretty girls in bikinis, all of their gazes fixed on Will. She felt incapable of speech. Meanwhile, Ashley was going on.
I just figured youd be able to see through it I mean, you seem a little more sophisticated than the other girls around here. I guess I thought
Ive got to go, Ronnie announced, her tone steadier than her nerves. She felt her legs shaking slightly as she stood. On the court, Will must have seen her stand because he turned toward her, smiling, acting
Like the most charming guy in the world
She turned away, angry at him, but even angrier at herself for being so stupid. She wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of this place.
In her bedroom, she tossed the suitcase on the bed and was shoving clothes inside when the door opened behind her. Over her shoulder, she saw her dad standing in the doorway. She hesitated only briefly before crossing to the dresser and grabbing more of her things.
Tough day? her dad asked. His voice was soft, but he didnt wait for an answer. I was in the workshop with Jonah when I saw you come up the beach. You looked pretty mad.
I dont want to talk about it.
Her dad stayed in place, keeping his distance. Going somewhere?
She drew a furious breath as she continued to pack. Im out of here, okay? Im calling Mom and Im going home.
That bad, huh?
She turned toward him. Please dont make me stay. I dont like it here. I dont like the people here. I dont fit in here. I dont belong here. I want to go home.
Her dad said nothing, but she saw the disappointment in his face.
Im sorry, she added. And its not you, okay? If you call, Ill talk to you. And you can come see me in New York and well spend time together, okay?
Her dad continued to watch her in silence, which made her feel even worse. She surveyed the contents of her suitcase before adding the rest of her things.
Im not sure I can let you go.
She knew this was coming, and inwardly she tensed. Dad
He raised his hands. Its not for the reason you think. Id let you go if I could. Id call your mom right now. But given what happened the other day at the music store
With Blaze, she heard herself answer. And the arrest
Her shoulders sagged. In her anger, shed forgotten about the stolen goods.
Of course shed forgotten about them. She hadnt stolen them in the first place! Her energy suddenly evaporated and she turned around, plopping down on the bed. This wasnt fair. None of this was fair.
Her dad still hadnt moved into the room.
I can try to reach PeteOfficer Johnsonand see if it would be okay. I might not be able to reach him until tomorrow, though, and I dont want you to get into any more trouble. But if he says its okay and you still want to go, I wont make you stay.
Do you promise?
Yeah, he said. Even though Id rather you stay, I promise.
She nodded, pressing her lips together. Will you come to New York to see me?
If I can, he said.
What does that mean?
Before her dad could answer, there was a sudden knocking on the door, loud and insistent.
Her dad glanced over his shoulder. I think thats probably the boy you were with today. She wondered how he knew, and reading her expression, he added, I saw him heading this way when I came in the house to find you. Do you want me to handle it?
Dont be mad at him. Its just the way he is. He cant help it.
No, she said. Ill handle it.
Her dad smiled, and for an instant, she thought he looked older than he had just the day before. As though her request had somehow aged him.
But even so, she didnt belong here. This was his place, not hers.
The knocking at the door sounded again.
Hey, Dad?
Yeah?
Thanks, she said. I know you really want me to stay, but I cant.
Its okay, sweetheart. Though he smiled, the words came out wounded. I understand.
She tugged at the seam on her jeans before rising from the bed. As she reached the door, he placed a hand on her back and she paused. Then, steeling herself, she went to the door and pulled it open, noting that Wills hand was hanging in the air. He seemed surprised that shed opened it.
She stared at him, wondering how she could have been so stupid to trust him. She should have listened to her instincts.
Oh, hey, he said, lowering his hand. Youre here. For a second there
She slammed the door, only to hear him immediately begin knocking again, his voice pleading.
Cmon, Ronnie! Wait! I just want to know what happened! Whyd you leave?
Go away! she shouted back.
What did I do?
She swung the door open again. Im not going to play your game!
What game? What are you talking about?
Im not stupid. And I dont have anything to say to you.
Again, she slammed the door. Will began pounding on it.
Im not leaving until you talk to me!
Her dad motioned to the door. Trouble in paradise?
Its not paradise.
So it seems, he said. Do you want me to take care of it? he offered again.
The pounding started up again.
He wont stay long. Its better to just ignore him.
After a moment, he seemed to accept that and motioned to the kitchen. Are you hungry?
No, she said automatically. Then, putting her hands on her stomach, she changed her mind. Well, maybe a little.
I found another good recipe online. This one has onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes cooked in olive oil, served over pasta, and tossed with Parmesan cheese. Does that sound okay?
I dont think Jonah will like it.
He wanted a hot dog.
Now theres a surprise.
He smiled just as the knocking sounded again. When it continued, he must have seen something in her face because he opened his arms.
Without thinking, Ronnie walked toward him and felt him hold her close. There was something gentle and forgiving in his embrace, something shed missed for years. It was all she could do to stop the tears from coming before she pulled back.
How about I give you a hand with dinner?
Ronnie tried once again to absorb the contents of the page shed just read. The sun had set an hour ago, and after surfing restlessly through a handful of channels on her dads TV, she had shut it off and picked up her book. But try as she might, she couldnt seem to make it through a single chapter, because Jonah had been standing near the window for almost an hour which forced her to think about what was outside the window, or rather who was outside.
Will. It had been four hours, and the guy still hadnt left. Hed stopped knocking a long time ago and simply perched himself just beyond the crest of the dune, his back to the house.
Technically, he was on the public beach, so neither she nor her father could do anything except ignore him. Which was what she and her dadwho, oddly, was reading the Bible againwere trying to do.
Jonah, on the other hand, simply couldnt ignore him. He seemed to find Wills vigil transfixing, like a UFO landing near the pier or Bigfoot trudging through the sand. Though he was wearing his Transformers pajamas and should have gone to bed half an hour earlier, hed begged his dad to let him stay up for a little while, because, in his words, if I go to bed too early, I might wet the bed.
Right.
He hadnt wet his bed since he was a toddler, and she knew her dad didnt believe a word of it. His acquiescence probably had to do with the fact that it was the first full evening theyd all spent together since shed arrived anddepending on what Officer Johnson told them tomorrowmaybe their last. She figured her dad simply wanted to prolong the experience.
Which was understandable, of course, and sort of made her feel bad about the whole wanting-to-leave thing. Making dinner with him had been more fun than shed thought it would be, since he hadnt laced his questions with insinuations the way her mom did lately. Still, she had no intention of staying any longer than she had to, even if it was hard on her dad. The least she could do was try to make tonight enjoyable.
Which was impossible, of course.
How long do you think hes going to sit out there? Jonah mumbled. By her reckoning, hed asked the same question at least five times, even though neither she nor her dad had answered. This time, however, her dad set aside his Bible.
Why dont you go ask him, he suggested.
Yeah, right, Jonah snorted. Hes not my boyfriend.
Hes not my boyfriend, either, Ronnie added.
Hes acting like your boyfriend.
Hes not, okay? She flipped to a new page.
Then why is he sitting out there? He cocked his head, trying to solve the riddle. I mean, its just weird, dont you think? Sitting out there for hours, waiting for you to talk to him. I mean, were talking about my sister. My sister.
I can hear you, Ronnie said. In the last twenty minutes, she figured she had reread the same paragraph six times.
Im just saying its weird, Jonah mused, sounding like a baffled scientist. Why would he wait outside for my sister?
Ronnie glanced up, watching as her dad tried and failed to stifle a smile.
She returned to her book and began working through the same paragraph with renewed determination, and for the next couple of minutes there was silence in the room.