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The wind kept up, pulling sand and debris into the air, tossing it into the fire to sizzle and spark. Girls fought to keep sand out of their clothes, tucking themselves against guys and gesturing toward the house.
“They’re clearing the beach,” said Chris.
Tyler and Seth? Or the twins? No one seemed to be doing anything except the people streaming toward the house.
Chris glanced down at her. He stood close, and his voice was rich in the night air. “Nick said you warned him. About Tyler being here.”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Gusts were spraying water now, sending the flames sideways from the drums. Another wave soaked her jeans above the knees and she shivered violently. She’d never seen the tide roll in this quickly.
All of the party kids had abandoned the beach. Seth and Tyler were standing at the edge of the water now, staring out into the darkness. Tyler seemed to be staring straight at them, but the wind had to be stinging his eyes.
“I know you’re out there!” he called.
She shifted closer to Chris, as if that would help. She wanted to duck behind him, to hide, to bolt for the shore. She couldn’t stand immobile in the frigid water much longer. She started to pull free of Chris’s hand.
He held fast, and his voice came low and ironic. “So. You’re here with the new guy.”
Becca whipped her head around, feeling the choppy water swirl around her thighs. “You want to talk about this now?”
“Shh.” He gave a warning glance at the shoreline.
She froze, but Tyler didn’t seem to have heard.
“As I was saying.” Chris gave a low whistle. “Dude works fast.”
“Shut up.”
“Would you rather talk about our History project?”
He was so infuriating. She wanted to punch him—but then she realized she wasn’t shivering. The water actually felt ... warm.
She trailed her fingers through the waves licking at her waist. “I think I’m getting hypothermia,” she said. “I’m not cold anymore.”
“Yeah, it takes me a while.”
Infuriating and cryptic. She glared up at him. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on with you, Chris?”
That derailed his amusement. His expression went dark.
She shoved him with the hand he was holding. “Come on!” she whisper-shouted. “I’m standing in water up to my ass because of you.”
He looked away, out across the water, then inhaled to speak.
But a gunshot split the air.
Her body reacted before her brain could. She’d dropped to her knees in the water, her breath shaking in the wind. The water swelled around her neck now, but she didn’t care. Her fingers were crushing his and she couldn’t convince her body to stop shaking.
That shot was the loudest thing she’d ever heard.
Then she heard it again. A bullet hit the water three feet to her left. She’d never seen a gun fired; she’d never touched a bullet. But the sound of the lead round entering the water was unmistakable.
As was the sight of Tyler, his feet in the surf now, firing in their direction.
“A gun. Tyler has a gun,” she babbled. “He has a gun. Chris. He—he has—he has—”
The fire drums exploded.
It was nothing like the grill. This was a full burst of flame, as if someone had poured gasoline on the drums. Wind grabbed fistfuls of fire, sending it dancing down the beach. The entire stretch of sand burned. She lost sight of Tyler and Seth.
