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dims as I make eye contact with him. He doesn’t
have the ‘happy-to-see-you’ expression he once had when he looked at me. A lot
has changed in the short time we’ve been apart. I may not be responsible for
our physical distance, but our loss of friendship is what hurts the most. He
was my only friend in this strange town.
    Alec tilts his head as though encouraging
me to speak first. I don’t know what to say. His eyelids flutter, and I suspect
that it’s a failed attempt at an eye roll. He shrugs in defeat. “Well this is a
surprise,” he says.
    My lips are tight, but the corners lift
as I shrug back. “It’s nice to see you.”
    “Really?” His disbelief stabs me.
    My smile is gone and I sigh. “Yes, Alec.”
I search desperately for the right words, but he is too quick.
    “Where have you been, Kat?” The odd tone
to his voice and crease in his brow tell me I’ve hurt him. There’s a pounding
in my chest as I recall his lips on mine, just minutes before the wild bonfire…
    “I’ve tried calling and texting,” he
continues. “You just completely disappeared. I wanted to make sure you were
okay after everything…” He pauses just seconds before his voice lowers. “I
wanted to see you again.”
    A dark imaginary hole opens beneath my
feet and swallows me. This conversation isn’t starting off well. “I know. I’m
sorry.” I search deep for any possible excuse that can explain my distance. He
didn’t deserve it, but I can’t tell him the truth.
    “You know how Rose can be,” I finally
say. “She freaked out after that party—after I almost—you know.” I
shake my head and stare down as I kick my right toe into the ground, not liking
my partial lie.
    To my surprise Alec reaches for my arm
and squeezes gently. “Hey.” His soft tone draws my eyes toward his. I take a
sharp intake of breath at his touch. He’s a beautiful specimen of a boy. My heart
rate quickens, and suddenly I’m embarrassed with the direction of my thoughts.
    “I should be mad at you,” he finally
says. “But I’m not. I’m just glad you’re here now.” He smiles at me revealing
his perfect set of white teeth and an automatic smile appears on my face.
    I pull myself up taller, thankful to him
for not giving me a hard time. “Thank you.”
    I look over his wardrobe now, recognizing
his orange shorts. “Did you just get off work?”
    He looks down at his attire, then back up
at me. “Yeah, long day.”
    More than happy that we’ve changed
subjects, I remember an earlier discussion of ours. “I thought you said you
worked at the marina.”
    Alec nods. “Yeah, this gig is only a
couple of days a week. I really just do it for the discount. Work on the Island
you get forty percent off purchases.” He raises his arms as if he’s just sold
me a prize.
    With a grin, I remember playful Alec. I
like him. “Wow, that’s quite the deal. What do you plan to buy next?” I humor
him.
    He gets a mischievous grin and I almost
regret asking. “How about I buy you dinner?”
    A flashback of the last time we hung out
plays on my mind and triggers an image of Iris, hair burnt, scalp red with flesh. The
image is not a welcome one. I frown at the memory. “Hey, how’s Iris anyway?”
    His expression darkens and I can feel him
distancing himself from me. “How does me asking you on a date remind you of
what happened to Iris?”
    My chest puffs out with an intake of
breath. “Alec,” I plead. Although I’m forcing him to tell me this, I already
know that Iris is doing great. Rose made sure of it. I guess I just want to
hear it from him, and I’m curious if he’s paid her any visits recently.
    He sighs. “She’s great, actually, never
been better. Her hair is growing back fast. Some treatment the doctors gave her
or something.”
    I hold back a smile, knowing that the
treatment was something from Rose.
    “But she’s home and feeling a lot
better,” Alec continues. “Actually, she seems to have turned a new