Babe? My stomach drops again.
Alec sighs, nods, then lifts his eyebrows at me. “Do you want to join us? We’re just grabbing some lunch.”
I shake my head. “Thanks, but I’m meeting up with Charlotte.”
Alec flashes me a final smile, his gaze lingering on mine for a few seconds longer. “See you around, Kat.”
My smile falters when I realize he’s not the last of them to look away. My eyes catch on Iris, her lids narrowing into daggers aimed straight for me. Then with a quick toss of her hair, she whips her head around and links arms with Alec—a possessive move if I ever saw one.
As I watch the three of them walk off toward the parking lot, there’s a sinking feeling in my gut. I may not be planning to stay in Apollo Beach for long, but it’s people like Iris and Ava who remind me why I planned to maintain a low profile while I’m here. I’ll get a job, save some money, keep to myself, and then maybe—just maybe—I’ll escape this town without throwing anyone else out of a window.
I walk through the parking lot of Island Grille and meet Charlotte inside the front doors to wait for our seats. The bay-front restaurant is a circular building with pillars surrounding it, reminding me of a temple, with faux crumbling, gold-capped columns, but the seating areas, inside and out, have more of an island oasis feel. The inside bar especially has more of a tiki vibe than anything else.
We’re so close to the water that the breeze blows freely through the open spaces. The outer tables, which face the bay front, are decorated with white and navy umbrellas. There’s a circular bar on one end of the room, with TV screens placed throughout. Beer and alcohol brands are posted all over the walls of the bar, and tattered nautical items are scattered on the supporting wood pillars. Looking around more, I see pool tables, dartboards, a Ping-Pong table, and even a stack of board games on the opposite side of the room.
The hostess smiles at us, her curious eyes lingering on me before she turns to Charlotte. “Hey, Charlotte. You want your usual spot in the back?”
Charlotte shakes her head. “Not today, Trisha. This is Kat’s first time here. Do you have a water-view available?”
Trisha flashes a bright smile at me then looks down at her sheet before marking something off. “For you two, I can make something available.” She winks, grabs a couple of menus, then gestures for us to follow her.
The bounce in her step makes her long, curly blond hair sway in her ponytail. She looks to be my age, and I can’t help but wonder if she knows Alec, Iris, and Ava. This town seems to be small enough for everyone to know everyone else.
My wandering eyes spot the happy threesome already sitting in the section where we’re headed. Speak of the devils.
Alec’s back faces me, but Iris sees me. I smile and raise my arm in a wave, just to be friendly, and am rewarded with a smirk. She looks away and continues her conversation.
Rude. It’s like that girl had me pegged as an enemy since the moment she spotted me on the beach. Was it something I did? Was it the attention of Alec? Either way, it just feels like the beginning of everything I dealt with back home. I can’t go through that again.
“So, what did you get at the library?” Charlotte’s eyes are already on the books.
Discomfort shakes through me. I don’t know why. Maybe because of what Alec mentioned about Wicca. “Just a few books.” I run my hand along the top cover. “Something about being here makes me want to understand more about my heritage, I guess. You mentioned something about the summer solstice, so I figured I could start there.” I sit up straighter, remembering something. “And there’s a statue of a woman in the library, right in the center on the bottom floor. The librarian there said no one knew who the woman was. Do you?”
Charlotte rests her hands on the table and leans in slightly. “Yes, I do. Her name is Astina Summer.”
I let out a laugh. “Summer? It’s not enough that my grandparents named an island and a housing development after themselves, but they had to take it a step further and name a statue after themselves too?”
Charlotte bites down on her lip appearing amused. “They didn’t name the statue after themselves, Kat. What on earth makes you think that?”
I squint at her, trying to determine just how delusional this woman is. “The librarian said the woman was some sort of goddess from ancient Greece.” I stifle another laugh that bubbles over my discomfort.
“Astina is an ancestor of yours from thousands of years ago, and that statue is as old as she is. It’s quite remarkable that it’s still standing.”
My eyes widen when I realize Charlotte completely believes what she’s telling me. “What makes her so important that she gets a statue? I’ve never even heard of her.”
Charlotte presses her lips together like she’s trying to keep from laughing again. “She’s quite important to your lineage. I wouldn’t be so quick to brush her off.”
“Why do you think I’m asking you about her? I want to understand.”
I expect Charlotte to scold me for my growing impatience and frustration, but her expression only softens.
“Astina’s existence is a mystery, and is rumored to have come about rather spontaneously, much like that of other primordial gods.”
I have to bite down on my lip to keep from bursting out with a laugh. “Interesting.”
Charlotte tilts her head at me and rolls her eyes. “I can see you’re taking this seriously.”
Heat swarms my chest. “You expect me to believe all of this? You’re talking about immaculate conception.”
Charlotte chuckles. “I suppose I am. I thought you said you wanted to understand.”
I scoff. “I was just asking about the importance of a statue.”
Charlotte nods. “Perhaps Rose can elaborate for you when you speak with her.” She pushes her chair back. “I’m heading to the restroom. Be right back. Order an appetizer if you like.”
As she walks off, I look down at the menu angrily. There are times when I’m so in awe of this town, I can barely keep my jaw shut. Then there are times like now, when I wonder why I ever came here. Surely, I could have let the state place me somewhere until I turned eighteen. But then what? My mom had nothing but debt and bills she could barely pay. I would have been homeless. And without any education or employment references, who knows if I would have found a job? Coming here felt like my only real choice at the time, but I’m really starting to question that decision.
A figure approaches. I notice his black shoes first, his tanned muscular legs next, then his black shorts. The sleeves of his black button-down dress shirt are rolled and pushed up his arms. It’s him.
A shiver shakes through me as I make the connection before I even look up to see his face. Up close, he’s even more intimidating than he was last night when he glared at me from beneath his cap. He’s got to be over six feet tall, with bold blue eyes and scruff around his jaw. If I had to guess, I would think he was somewhere in his midtwenties, but I don’t know why I’m thinking that hard about it. That’s when I notice something I somehow missed the first couple of times I saw him. A jagged scar extends from just below his brow to his cheek.
His intense stare narrows as he just stands there and says nothing while holding a notepad and a pen poised in his hand. “Well, are you going to order or what?” His gruff voice is even darker than his glare.