“I tried to hook up with him a bunch of times, but he just wasn’t interested. I didn’t tell you because I thought you’d be annoyed that he was all hung up on you. I mean, you had Travis.” She glanced at Celeste nervously.
“It was weird… . I felt like I was cheating with him or something.”
“No! Of course you weren’t,” Celeste said automatically. Nick was hung up on her … but he’d ruined the party. And he’d gotten Travis drunk just to make trouble. Celeste shook her head. “He was probably just saying all that to mess with your mind,” she told Devon.
“Maybe,” Devon said doubtfully. She was quiet for a minute. “So, is everything cool with you and Travis now?”
“Mostly.” Celeste shrugged as she pulled into
Devon’s driveway. “Honestly, I’ve barely seen him since the whole mess at the festival. Just a couple of texts.
We’re still driving to Tempe tomorrow though. Maybe we just need some time alone together. By the way, he and the guys are having a barbecue over at Kevin’s later.
You want to go over with me?”
“Sure! Let me jump in the shower.”
When the girls arrived several hours later, the guys were already ensconced on the back deck. The sun was just going down over the desert horizon. Kevin was anxiously hovering over some hamburger patties and skewers of onion and peppers sizzling on a DCS Professional grill, which stretched almost the entire back length of the deck. The rest of the guys were immersed in what looked like an intense game of water polo in the pool. As Celeste and Devon approached, Travis scored a goal and let out a wild yell of triumph, raising both fists in the air.
“Hey, guys!” Devon caroled. Everyone looked up.
“Hey there,” Travis greeted them, his eyes on Celeste.
She gave him a small smile but couldn’t muster up more than that. She was starting to feel tired of the guys. You just need to get away, she told herself. You’ve been trapped here all summer.
The girls dropped their bags on one of the deck chairs and stripped off their sundresses. Celeste adjusted her black bikini top and climbed onto another chair. She sighed and lay back. The evening sun felt wonderful.
Then a shadow blocked the sunlight and cold drips of water fell on her bare stomach. She opened her eyes.
Travis was standing over her, panting and grinning. All of other guys had climbed from the pool too and were wiping themselves with towels and digging around in the little portable fridge on the deck for beers.
“So, what’s up with you, Devon?” Brent asked, emptying half his beer at one gulp. “Weren’t you in Ireland or something?”
“Scotland,” Devon corrected. “It was awesome. I
missed home though.”
“Well, don’t worry. You didn’t miss anything here,”
Brent said. “This summer has been completely lame as far as excitement.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Kevin said lazily, leaning his head back and draining his beer. “We had some pretty good fun at the resort the other night.”
Celeste lifted her head. Fun? What was he talking about?
Kevin chortled. “I can’t believe that rich little prick took all the blame.” He got up to dig for another beer.
Celeste froze. She heard Travis’s breath catch, but her eyes refused to focus on anything.
“Yeah, that was crazy,” Brent agreed. “But hell, if he wanted to say he did it, I’ve got no problem with Travis keeping his mouth shut.”
Celeste sat straight up in her chair. She grabbed the sides with both hands, almost scorching her palms on the hot metal. All the guys turned toward her. Devon was also sitting up, her eyes wide as she stared at her friend.
Celeste tried to control her pounding heart. “Hey, Travis,” she said in a horrible approximation of noncha-lance. “Um, I’m feeling kind of slow right now. What are they talking about?”
Travis shot a warning look at his buddies. “Nothing, babe.”
Kevin was leaning over the beer cooler and didn’t catch Travis’s glare. “It’s just weird that dude Nick said that he put the pepper in the old lady’s food.”
“Why was it weird?” Celeste asked in a strangled voice.
Travis looked at her warily.
Celeste shot up from her chair, knocking it sideways onto the deck. “You did it!” she screeched, pointing at Travis. Brett sat motionless and Kevin’s mouth dropped open. “You did it! You put the pepper in Mila’s food!
You—”
Her words were cut off as a pair of slim arms wrapped around her waist.
“Sorry, guys! Phew! It’s hot out here. Celeste, let’s get some ice,” Devon caroled as she half carried, half dragged Celeste through the sliding glass doors and into the kitchen.
Once inside, she deposited Celeste in a heap on the floor and pulled the doors shut behind them. She snapped the blind down as Travis’s anxious face
appeared at the window and knelt beside her friend.
Celeste lay curled up on the linoleum.
Devon stroked her hair back from her forehead.
“Travis pulled the prank,” Celeste finally said in a muffled voice.
“Yeah.”
“Travis screwed up the whole evening.”
“It looks that way.” Devon got up and ran a glass of water. She sat back down on the floor. Celeste sat up and took a sip.
“Then Nick …”
“Yeah?” Devon said encouragingly.
“Nick … didn’t do it. Then why did he say he did?”
Celeste’s mouth felt very slow.
“Celeste.” Devon propped her friend up against the cabinets. “You’re being very dense, chick. Nick was trying to bail you out! He knew that your dad would be furious if he thought it was Travis who pulled all that stuff. So he just took the blame.”
Celeste shook her head. “But Nick got in all sorts of trouble. Why would he do that to himself if he didn’t do anything?”
Devon grabbed Celeste by the upper arms and shook her. “Has the sun fried your brain? He was trying to keep you from getting in trouble! He was, like—sacrificing himself.”
“Whoa,” Celeste said slowly. “And Travis—”
“Just sat there and let him do it,” Devon finished.
“Oh my God,” Celeste said. “Oh my God! But
