I look at him with wide, innocent eyes. I might have repaired it when he wasn’t looking. “You thought what?”
He shakes his head and takes a step back. “Nothing. It’s all good.” He makes it all the way to his van then swivels around. “You sure you don’t need a ride somewhere? I’m not asking to be nice. I just have some time before my next event.”
My heart kicks in my chest at the second semi-kind reaction he’s had during our encounter. “No, I’m—” I start to tell him I’m going to Island Grille to beg Roy for a second chance, but I think better of it. If I tell Johnny that, his knee-jerk asshole tendencies might find a way to stop me. “Just heading to the library.”
He makes a face to tell me I’m weirder than he initially thought, then he swings open his door, jumps inside, and starts the engine. I’m already riding off when I hear the van start up then drive away.
Using my strength, I pedal as fast as my legs will carry me in a desperate need to release the pent-up energy that my encounters with Johnny Pierce seem to create. He’s impossible, but I’m not going to let him get to me the way I did before.
As I clear the winding drive and enter the main road that circles the island, I take in the ancient Greek-structured buildings that spread over the land. Everything one could possibly need exists here. It’s no wonder the residents of the entire town of Apollo Beach can be found here on summer days like today.
A recreational spread sits at the center of the island, with basketball courts, a football field, a track, tennis courts, and four baseball diamonds. An oversized waterfall cascades into a narrow lazy river that winds around a hidden alcove then empties into a large beachfront pool.
I do a double take when I see the lifeguard at the main pool. He’s perched high above the water, wearing long orange swim trunks, a whistle dangling from his neck.
Alec. There’s a flip-flop sensation in my chest when I recognize him. As he rolls his neck, his messy auburn hair glistens in the sun. His chest muscles move slightly, catching a partial ray of light. Even though his eyes are hidden behind sunglasses, I would recognize him from a mile away.
Just thinking about the last time I saw him makes my throat tighten. A week has passed since the fateful night that almost killed Iris and me. The flames of the bonfire still blaze through my mind daily, and my near drowning haunts my nights before I drift off to sleep. Luckily, my nightmares have ended. The green emerald necklace protects my mind from the unpleasant dreams I was prone to prior to my Enchanting.
Evading Alec over the week has been like trying to pull a rock from cement, but there was no way I could face him until I came to grips with all the new information I learned after that night. I needed to focus on my new responsibility as a Solstice. I would never hurt Alec intentionally, but after seeing firsthand what my powers can and cannot do, I’m more afraid of what I cannot control—Erebus and his Equinox Followers. I couldn’t afford to put anyone else in danger. So I made up excuse after excuse to distance myself for a while—until Alec stopped calling.
Guilt pulses through my veins, but I shake it away and cycle off toward my destination. I park in front of Island Grille and take the steps two at a time. Trisha is at the podium near the entrance, with her head down, doodling on a dry-erase board. She must hear me coming, because her head snaps up.
Her eyes grow wide at the sight of me. “Kat, hi. Where have you been? Alec said he’s tried calling.”
I smile, happy to see her too. “I’ve just been laying low after everything went down, but I’m here now.” With my hands on my hips, I tilt at my waist in a playful pose.
“Well, perfect timing, because we’re all hanging out tomorrow for Alec’s birthday.”
A pang hits my chest. “It’s his birthday tomorrow?” I had no idea.
“Yup. After what happened on the Fourth, he didn’t want to make a big deal about it. We don’t have any concrete plans yet, but you’re invited, and I’m pretty sure you owe us all for disappearing.”
I let out an uncomfortable laugh. “I probably do owe you, but I don’t know, Trisha. Who else will be there?”
“Alec, Brett, me, and—” She cringes, and it makes my stomach churn. “Ava, but she’s different now that Iris is pretty much grounded for life. She’s less… Ava.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “Let me get back to you on that.”
Trisha sighs, but relents, then she tilts her head. “What are you doing here? Grabbing some breakfast?”
I let my eyes dart around in an attempt to spot the owner. “Yeah, I was hoping to speak with Roy and see if he’s willing to give me another shot. I just don’t think there’s another job on the island I want.”
“Oh,” Trisha says with a shrug. “Well, that’s easy. Roy put me in charge of hiring for the summer since he’ll be so busy, and Johnny can be so unpleasant. Roy doesn’t want to deal with it. So—” She grins and reaches out her hand. “Welcome to the team. You start in two days.”
I take her hand, and we shake, a cheesy grin lifting my cheeks. “And here I was, terrified to come back by. If this didn’t work out, I was going to try the marina next.”
Trisha gives a vigorous shake of her head. “Don’t you dare work at that creepy marina. It’s beautiful during the day, but I wouldn’t want to go anywhere near that place at night. You’ll fit in just fine here. And it’s not Roy you need to be terrified of.”
I pout, already knowing what she’s going to say, then we say the words together, “It’s Johnny.”
When I get back to the house, Charlotte is in my room—in my closet, to be more precise. She’s flipping through my clothes, examining one item at a time.
“I’m not snooping,” she says before swiveling around. A giant smile is plastered on her face.
I take a seat on the ottoman in the middle of my bedroom-sized closet. I still haven’t managed to fill it up yet, but given the size of it, I hope I never do. “Then what are you doing? Don’t tell me Rose wants you to take me shopping again.”
Rose is overly generous with her money, and the discomfort of being on the receiving end of that generosity lingers with me. I doubt that feeling will go away anytime soon.
Charlotte’s eyes twinkle. “No, silly. I want the dress I sew to feel like it’s still you.”
“Why don’t I just wear something I already own?” The nonchalance in my answer must be funny, because Charlotte laughs.
“Come with me, and I’ll show you.” She pulls out the knee length emerald-green dress I wore for my Enchantment and a sparkly silver polka-dotted chiffon scarf. Then she plops a pair of wedges on top of the pile and exits the closet.
I follow Charlotte down the hall to the other corner of the house, to her craft room, which I’ve never stepped foot in until now. In awe, my eyes take in everything around the room. Apparently, Charlotte really does have a thing for arts and crafts. Fabrics of all colors and sizes hang on rolling rods bolted into the wall. There are clear plastic bins of pins and needles. I see containers with chalkboard labels like “scissors,” “buttons,” “magazines,” and “pens.” There are fabric boards with drawings all over the wall. Charlotte is talented.