what I would’ve
ended up like. But that didn’t mean I wanted pity.
Especially not his.
“They’re nuts,” I acknowledged. “But you have
to keep it in perspective. I mean, I’m not. Baylie’s not. I’m
fairly certain you and most of the rest of the world aren’t…”
I gave him a hopeful grin.
Noah hesitated, his lip twitching. “Last time
I checked. I’m not sure about the rest of the world, though.”
My grin broadened. “Regardless, it’s still
perspective.”
He gave a slow nod, and then turned back to
the water. A heartbeat passed.
“You’re amazing, you know,” he said
quietly.
My grin faltered, and a blush raced up my
neck. I dropped my gaze to the smoothie melting in my hand. “I-I’m
not–”
He looked back to me. “Really.”
I swallowed. My face could probably have
masqueraded as a stoplight for how red it felt. “Thanks,” I
managed, returning my gaze to the smoothie. “You, um… you too.”
He paused.
“Hey,” Baylie called, jogging up to us. “You
guys want to head toward the pier? Daisy’s done about all the
damage she can to the heart rates of the bird population here.”
“Yeah, sure,” Noah said, and to my ears, his
voice sounded a bit tight.
Though it might have just been my
imagination.
He took a breath and pushed to his feet. I
followed, glancing back to see Daisy racing off after another
seagull that had foolishly landed in a hundred-yard proximity.
The boy from the ocean stood at the edge of
the park.
I froze. In the early afternoon light, his
black hair glistened. Slender, but in the way a steel cable was
slender, he was paused with one hand resting on the trunk of a palm
tree.
And his eyes were locked right on me.
“Chloe?” Noah said.
Gasping, I glanced to him and Baylie. “Do you
see–”
The boy was gone when I looked back.
My gaze darted around the park, landing on
tourists and volleyball players and people in rollerblades and not
finding him anywhere.
But I’d seen him. I had.
Or else I’d been really hasty in
telling Noah I wasn’t insane.
“Chloe?” Noah tried again. “What is it?”
My heart pounding, I looked back at him.
“Sorry, I, um… nothing. Just thought I saw someone.”
I plastered a grin on my face, though I could
feel how tense it was, and I was fairly certain he could see it
too.
“Okay,” he allowed. He gave Baylie a small
glance, and then continued to me, “The pier sound alright to
you?”
“Sure.”
The grin was going to crack. I started
walking, my gaze twitching to the place where the boy had been
standing.
No one was there.
Noah’s cell phone buzzed.
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Noah stared at me as I turned back. “Are you
okay?” he pressed.
Still clinging to my swiftly fracturing grin,
I nodded.
His phone buzzed again. He didn’t take his
eyes off me as he pulled it from his pocket.
“Yeah?” he answered. A moment passed, and
when he spoke again, disbelief filled his voice. “Already?”
My heart sank.
“Okay,” he sighed. “Be there soon.”
He returned the phone to his pocket.
“They’re here,” I said.
“Just pulled up.”
I looked away.
“I’m sorry, Chloe,” Baylie said.
I nodded.
Noah glanced to Baylie. Reluctantly, they
started back toward the house, bringing Daisy in tow. Closing my
eyes, I took a breath and then followed.
Mom and Dad’s green sedan was parked out
front when we arrived.
I paused at the edge of the driveway,
half-expecting them to be in their vehicle ready to go. But nothing
moved behind the smoked windows and after a moment, I drew a
steadying breath, making myself head inside.
The silence was worse than anything, like the
calm before the storm that tears your house down. By the door, my
backpack was already waiting. As I walked to the kitchen, I found
Mom and Dad sitting on barstools next to the island, stiff as
sculptures with glasses of ice tea untouched beside them. By the
counter, Diane and Peter looked past me to Noah and
ended up like. But that didn’t mean I wanted pity.
Especially not his.
“They’re nuts,” I acknowledged. “But you have
to keep it in perspective. I mean, I’m not. Baylie’s not. I’m
fairly certain you and most of the rest of the world aren’t…”
I gave him a hopeful grin.
Noah hesitated, his lip twitching. “Last time
I checked. I’m not sure about the rest of the world, though.”
My grin broadened. “Regardless, it’s still
perspective.”
He gave a slow nod, and then turned back to
the water. A heartbeat passed.
“You’re amazing, you know,” he said
quietly.
My grin faltered, and a blush raced up my
neck. I dropped my gaze to the smoothie melting in my hand. “I-I’m
not–”
He looked back to me. “Really.”
I swallowed. My face could probably have
masqueraded as a stoplight for how red it felt. “Thanks,” I
managed, returning my gaze to the smoothie. “You, um… you too.”
He paused.
“Hey,” Baylie called, jogging up to us. “You
guys want to head toward the pier? Daisy’s done about all the
damage she can to the heart rates of the bird population here.”
“Yeah, sure,” Noah said, and to my ears, his
voice sounded a bit tight.
Though it might have just been my
imagination.
He took a breath and pushed to his feet. I
followed, glancing back to see Daisy racing off after another
seagull that had foolishly landed in a hundred-yard proximity.
The boy from the ocean stood at the edge of
the park.
I froze. In the early afternoon light, his
black hair glistened. Slender, but in the way a steel cable was
slender, he was paused with one hand resting on the trunk of a palm
tree.
And his eyes were locked right on me.
“Chloe?” Noah said.
Gasping, I glanced to him and Baylie. “Do you
see–”
The boy was gone when I looked back.
My gaze darted around the park, landing on
tourists and volleyball players and people in rollerblades and not
finding him anywhere.
But I’d seen him. I had.
Or else I’d been really hasty in
telling Noah I wasn’t insane.
“Chloe?” Noah tried again. “What is it?”
My heart pounding, I looked back at him.
“Sorry, I, um… nothing. Just thought I saw someone.”
I plastered a grin on my face, though I could
feel how tense it was, and I was fairly certain he could see it
too.
“Okay,” he allowed. He gave Baylie a small
glance, and then continued to me, “The pier sound alright to
you?”
“Sure.”
The grin was going to crack. I started
walking, my gaze twitching to the place where the boy had been
standing.
No one was there.
Noah’s cell phone buzzed.
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Noah stared at me as I turned back. “Are you
okay?” he pressed.
Still clinging to my swiftly fracturing grin,
I nodded.
His phone buzzed again. He didn’t take his
eyes off me as he pulled it from his pocket.
“Yeah?” he answered. A moment passed, and
when he spoke again, disbelief filled his voice. “Already?”
My heart sank.
“Okay,” he sighed. “Be there soon.”
He returned the phone to his pocket.
“They’re here,” I said.
“Just pulled up.”
I looked away.
“I’m sorry, Chloe,” Baylie said.
I nodded.
Noah glanced to Baylie. Reluctantly, they
started back toward the house, bringing Daisy in tow. Closing my
eyes, I took a breath and then followed.
Mom and Dad’s green sedan was parked out
front when we arrived.
I paused at the edge of the driveway,
half-expecting them to be in their vehicle ready to go. But nothing
moved behind the smoked windows and after a moment, I drew a
steadying breath, making myself head inside.
The silence was worse than anything, like the
calm before the storm that tears your house down. By the door, my
backpack was already waiting. As I walked to the kitchen, I found
Mom and Dad sitting on barstools next to the island, stiff as
sculptures with glasses of ice tea untouched beside them. By the
counter, Diane and Peter looked past me to Noah and
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