sexy, and in that instant, I come to life. My entire body warms.
“Hi, Claire,” he says softly. “I’m Harlin.” I can still feel the tingling in my fingers, and I have to wonder if anyone has ever felt this way after first meeting someone. It’s like I’ve just dropped from the top of a roller coaster. Harlin motions to my hair. “That shade of red is really pretty on you.”
I inspect the ends of my hair, mostly to fidget. After thinking about him all day, it’s surreal that the new guy is hitting on me. I should tell him I have a boyfriend, should go back to Soleil. Instead I thank him, opting to stay a little longer.
Near the fire, Kyle Rampert takes out his guitar and starts strumming, and I know that it’s only a matter of minutes before Ebony Campolla will join him, singing in her raspy voice. When she does, the entire night takes on a romantic quality. I’ve lost track of Ezra, who’s walking around the party with Lucy like he’s her tour guide. But in this moment, I don’t feel like I’m here with Ezra. Not anymore.
“Why did you really come here?” I ask Harlin, braver with each passing moment. “This doesn’t seem like your scene.”
“It’s not,” he replies. “Will it embarrass you if I’m honest?”
I laugh. “Probably.”
“I hoped you’d be here.” A shiver races down my back. “I wanted to meet you.”
“Oh.” I look down, putting my fingers on my lips to disguise the smile I can’t hold back. “Well . . . that is embarrassing.” We both laugh, awkward even though the flirting is exhilarating at the same time.
I’m about to ask him if he wants a drink when I hear a splash from the water. At first I think it’s a fish, but there’s a nagging in the back of my mind. Ebony is still singing, but underneath that is a hum I can’t seem to make out. I turn, facing the dark water and studying it, waiting for something to surface. Anxiety begins to twist around my gut. It’s not right—the feeling in the air is not right.
“Someone’s in the water,” I say to myself at first. And then louder: “Someone’s in the water!” I can’t see anything, but I know. I know that someone’s drowning right now.
I rush past Harlin toward the water, my sandals flipping off as I dig my toes in the sand to get traction. I hear the pounding of footsteps behind me and then Ezra is crashing into the waves with River right behind him. They’ve both been lifeguards, and I clasp my hands in front of me as they bob in and out of the water, calling to each other.
The party has stopped, everyone looking on in confused curiosity. But I feel dread winding through me, much like earlier with Tanner. Oh no. Is it happening again? A splash of cold water runs between my toes and startles me. Suddenly my anxiety is replaced with a steady calm.
“What’s going on?” Lucy appears next to me and loops her arm through mine like we’ve been friends forever. “Is someone in the water?”
“I think so,” I murmur, and lean into Lucy as we watch River and Ezra search the ocean.
“It’s dark out there,” Lucy says. “We should grab flashlights for them.”
I turn to her, waking slightly as I think that she’s right. “That’s a really good idea,” I say, and we dash back toward the coolers. There’s always a pile of flashlights for the walks back to the cars. I grab one and then toss another to Lucy. A small crowd has started to gather at the water, a frenzy running through the party as everyone tries to determine who exactly is missing.
Ezra emerges from the water with a loud splash, and I steady the light on him. “I’ve got her,” he coughs out, his arm wrapped around the neck of a girl as he begins to wade toward shore. River goes over to meet him, and then together they drag the girl to land, her black hair hanging over her face, her toes dragging in the sand. They set her down, and Ezra listens for her breath before starting chest compressions. My brother gives me a dire look, like he’s afraid she’s already dead.
It’s Francesca Roberts, the new girl—the old new girl. Soleil comes over, and we’re both terrified. Next to me, Lucy shakes her head in disbelief. Just then Francesca sputters up some of the ocean and convulses before turning on her side to gag.
“Jesus,” Ezra says, running his fingers roughly through his hair. River covers his face, relieved, before getting to his knees to help Francesca sit up. I’m so glad he was here to help.
The crackling of the bonfire is the only sound besides Francesca, who continues to struggle to get a clear breath. When she finally does, my brother can barely contain his anger.
“What were you thinking?” he asks, shivering in his wet clothes. “Why would you go out in the water?”
Francesca glances around at us, her eyes black orbs of smeared mascara. “I don’t know. I just . . . walked out there.” She shudders in a breath and starts to cry. “I don’t know why I did it. I almost drowned.”
River puts his arms around her and then helps her to her feet. Soleil grabs a blanket from the sand, shaking it out before wrapping it over Francesca’s shoulders.
I turn to Lucy, ready to say that nothing like this has ever happened before around here, but I see she’s not looking at Francesca at all. She’s staring across the sand to where Harlin is standing, glaring at her. I look between them, confused, but then Ezra takes my arm, startling me. His fingers are like ice, and his teeth chatter. My worry spikes, and I hug myself to him.
“You’re freezing,” I say. I rub my hands over his arms to warm him, but his clothes are dripping with seawater, his entire body shivering. “Let’s go,” I tell him, taking his elbow to pull him toward the cars. He’s not talking, his blue eyes wide and slightly dazed.
“See you around,” Lucy says as we pass her. Ezra stammers out a good-bye. “I’ll stop by the bakery sometime,” she adds when I look at her. I feel bad just leaving her behind, but it’s obvious that Ezra needs to get home. I tell my brother I’ll catch up with him later.
On the way out, I shoot a glance at Harlin. He watches me lead Ezra toward the car, and I’m not imagining the hurt in his expression. I think he just realized I have a boyfriend.
At the car, I hug Ezra once again, thinking that he’s not just cold—he’s in shock. I help him into the passenger side and then take his keys to drive. I get a little perspective on things again. I’ll forget about Harlin, who I hardly know anyway. I’ll ignore what happened at the bakery with Tanner, what happened just now at the beach. I don’t want to know things I shouldn’t. I just want to be Claire.
I’ve almost convinced myself that everything is back to the way it should be when I hear Ezra murmuring absently, like he’s repeating a song stuck in his head. It’s when I catch what he’s saying that the dread returns. “Go for a swim in the ocean.”
Chapter 4
It’s Saturday afternoon, and I’m stuck at work, sitting behind the counter at the bakery. It’s completely deserted, but I’m keeping myself busy checking Facebook and other updates on Francesca. There’ve been a few stories circulating about her near-drowning, ranging from a drunken party foul to a suicide attempt. But my friends and I have known Francesca for a long time, and I just don’t believe she would walk out into the ocean at night and let herself get swept away.
The bell on the door jingles. “Welcome to—” My heart jumps, and I have to bite back my smile. Harlin looks genuinely surprised to see me and quickly combs his fingers through his hair. The small gesture is adorable, and I twist the end of my ponytail as he approaches.
“Well, hello,” I say with a little laugh. “How did you know where I work?”
Harlin lifts his eyebrows. “Would you believe this is a coincidence?” I shrug, hoping it’s not. Hoping he’s here for me. “Honestly”—he flashes that knockout smile—“I’m just here for a coffee. But seeing you—that’s definitely a plus.”
“Charmer,” I tease, even though I am, in fact, completely charmed. For a moment, the rest of the world is just a blur around us. There’s only me and Harlin. But then the phone rings, snapping me back to reality. “Hold on,” I say, and cross to the end of the counter.
“Costas Bakery,” I say into the phone, glancing over my shoulder at Harlin. He’s staring up at the menu like he’s contemplating his order, but I’m still not totally sure this is a coincidence. Then again, I could be reading too much into it.
“Hey, Claire,” Ezra says on the line. I turn quickly around, guilt crawling over me. “How’s work?”
