Alec gets me up off the bench and forces me to walk through the party. We head to the refreshment table first. It’s adorned with fruit baskets, more flowers, and a sculptured centerpiece of Goddess Hecate, a touch I’m sure Rose is responsible for. I try to ignore Johnny as he replaces an empty tray of fresh strawberries before disappearing into the crowd.
When we get to the end of the long table, Alec grabs two wine glasses and fills them with fruit punch from a three-tiered cement-textured fountain.
I take the drink with a grateful smile. “I’ve been dreading this day—” My confession catches him off guard, and his face becomes bright with confusion, but a smile still lingers on his face. “Until now.”
As expected, Alec relaxes again and even smiles. “Well then, good. I’m glad I came. Even if I did have to crash.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you did.”
“I’m glad you said that because…” He pulls something from behind his back. It’s shiny, red, and wrapped with a bow.
“You didn’t need to get me anything,” I say with surprise, unable to take my eyes from it.
I start to reach for it, then Rose approaches, startling us both. “Alec, I’m surprised to see you here.”
He doesn’t miss a beat. “I wanted to wish Katrina a happy birthday and to clear up a little misunderstanding we had.” He wraps an arm around my waist and guides me closer. “I think we’re square now, aren’t we?”
He winks at me, and I know I’m blushing furiously. “We are. We’re good.”
Rose raises a brow before a hint of a smile plays across her face. “Good. Then that means I’m forgiven too. I was getting quite tired of the cold shoulder, dear.”
Alec and I laugh while Rose spots the red box. “Oh, a gift. I’ll put that with your other things.” After snatching it from his hand, Rose leans in so only I can hear. “You feeling okay?”
What a strange question. I nod, wondering if I appear to be pale or sick. “I feel great.” It’s the truth.
“Good, good.” She darts a look up at the clock then back to me. “Meet me on the beach at noon.” Then she walks away like as if that wasn’t a strange request.
“What’s next, birthday girl?”
My eyes find the floor-to-ceiling windows of the great room, and instantly, I want nothing more than to escape to the outside. I don’t even think twice about reaching for Alec’s hand and dragging him through the patio entryway.
We stop near the pool, and I release his arm. “Sit with me?”
Before he’s even responded, I kick off my heels and sit at the pool’s edge. I slide my feet into the water, letting them fall against the wall. Alec has to remove his shoes and roll up his jeans first, but he follows my lead.
“So where are your better halves today?” I tease.
He chuckles. “If you’re talking about the dynamic duo that is Iris and Ava, they’re shopping.”
“And they didn’t need you to hold their bags?” I bat my lashes at him jokingly.
“Oh, they did,” he teases back. “But I told them I had more important things to do, like get the Summer Girl to forgive me so we can finish what we started during our last swim.”
A flashback of our kiss sends a blast of heat through me. “You actually told them that?”
He squishes his face and shakes his head. “No, I left out the details, but this is a small town. They’ll figure out who I spent the day with eventually.”
I groan. “And then I’m in for it.”
Alec chuckles. “No, you won’t be ‘in for it.’ I know those two can be a little much, but they’re harmless. They just don’t take to new people well, I guess.”
I tilt my head. “Didn’t you say you moved here not too long ago?”
“Yeah, but I’m a guy. It’s different.” When I roll my eyes, he gives me a sideways grin. “Besides, they glare at all pretty girls. You should take it as a compliment.”
I bite down on my lip. “So you think they’ll warm up to me?”
He makes a face. “I hope so, but I was just trying to tell you that I think you’re pretty—in case you missed that part.”
The comment catches me off guard. I let out a nervous laugh as my pulse quickens. I can’t remember the last time a guy called me pretty—especially by anyone as attractive as Alec.
His smile melts me to my toes. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m bad at flirting.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “No, I guess I’m just bad at realizing when someone is flirting.” The embarrassment lingers. My cheeks are hot, and I know I’m red all over for the millionth time today.
I look in every other direction except at Alec, afraid that if I look into his eyes one more time, he’ll see the girl I was back in Silver Lake. The loner. The loser. The weirdo. Up until now, I’ve done a good job of leading a semblance of a normal life. Maybe it won’t be so bad here after all.
He starts to move in, and my breath hitches in my throat. I don’t know why I’m a thousand times more nervous than I was before our first kiss, but my heart is hammering, my pulse feels like it’s zooming a million miles a minute, and everything feels hot. Too hot.
His fingers twist through mine, then he’s pulling me closer and closer, until his lips are nearly touching mine.
A flash of something above catches my eye, and I glance up at my balcony to find whatever was just there is gone. That was strange. But I don’t have time to think about it long.
“Kat.”
My name is just a faint sound, even though I know it’s coming from Alec beside me. I shake my head, trying to rid my mind of the strange sensation percolating through my body.
“What time is it?” It’s all I can think to ask.
“It’s noon,” the faint sound responds.
And that’s when it happens. It’s like I’m not even in control of my own body when my chin lifts. My eyes look up, directly at the sun. I’ve learned enough about the summer solstice to know that noon on this day is when the sun reaches its highest point. But why does it feel like its rays are pouring through my body, filling me with enough energy to light an entire city?
The sun is too bright. I attempt to look away, but I’m blinded by a brighter, familiar light. It takes over my sight like it did that first day on the beach.
I jam my eyelids together, squeezing them, expecting to drown the bright light with darkness, but it lingers. Just as panic sets in, an electric shock jolts my insides, like a spark igniting every nerve in my body. It’s… exhilarating… I think. There’s nothing painful about it this time. Nor is there a headache that accompanies the light. All I can feel is the sun infusing me with a heat that reaches my bones.
I try again, slowly opening and closing my eyes as dizziness overcomes me. My head feels foggy, and it’s too much to hold on anymore. And then I’m plummeting forward into a deep white cloud of nothingness.
The world is moving in slow motion. I open my eyes, but the blinding white light persists, sending me into a panic. My breathing becomes shallow as I try to make sense of my surroundings.