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I’m not sure how to categorize last night. If it was a moment of weakness or a bout of rebellion. No matter the many things Liam and I diverge on, when it comes to the Glenmont-Alleghany rivalry, we’re consistent. It may be a stupid force, but it’s a solid one. He grew up playing for Glenmont. I grew up cheering for Alleghany. If you look up impasse in the dictionary, that’s what the definition will show. A no-go zone.
None of the girls staring at me know what happened between us last night, yet they’re all staring intently at me. Looking like the wall between us is a boundary that can be breached.
“He doesn’t have a thing for me. I officially met him for the first time yesterday, and I spent all of high school celebrating when he got knocked on his ass. Trust me, there’s nothing there.”
Ifnothingis scorching kisses under a thundering sky.
I keep that definition to myself.
Layla chuckles before taking a sip of her beer. “If you say so.”
I’m used to gossiping with girls about guys. But it’s never been under these sorts of conditions. I met Layla and Audrey today. Tessa and I are close, but we don’t go out and party together. We’re more friends who go to the library together and go on brunch dates.
“You should flirt with him, A,” Layla suggests, then laughs at whatever expression is on my face. “You know, as an experiment. You’re into him, right?”
Audrey’s face is red. “Layla! All I said is he’s cute.”
“Hot, if you ask Natalie,” Tessa interjects, grinning.
I roll my eyes.
“He’s single, right?” Audrey asks me.
“As far as I know,” I answer. Which I don’t actually—know. Gossip in Alleghany about Liam Stevens has mostly centered around football. Guys talk about how over-the-top he is. I’ve heard girls compliment aspects of his appearance I have a fresh appreciation for myself. But I’ve never heard anything about his love life. I know he went to senior prom with Brooke Jenkins—the head cheerleader of Glenmont’s squad—because she’s friends with Maeve and was tagged in a bunch of photos with Weston in them. I have no idea if they ever dated.
And rather than default to my typical thought—I shouldn’t care—I want to ask him.
Audrey shrugs. “Okay, sure.” She glances at me. “As long as you don’t mind.”
“Of course not,” I tell her.
The girls move on to other topics, gossiping about people I’ve never met. I keep my gaze out on the water, watching the lights from other boats refract across the wavy surface.
Music begins playing. The chords drift across the ocean, carried by the wind. My stomach is still uneasy, but it feels a little more settled.
“Want some, Natalie?” I glance to see Layla pouring pink liquid into cups.
“What is it?”
“My special Folk Fest concoction.”
Apparently, that’s what we’re attending—a Folk Fest. It fits with the slower melody of the music.
Layla holds a plastic cup out. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” I grasp it and take a cautious sip. It’s sweet with a lime aftertaste.
“Boys are back,” Tessa says.
I glance out at the water. Despite the sun’s disappearance, there are enough boats around to illuminate the dinghy steadily approaching and the figure in the water, swimming alongside.
They’re all back onboard a few minutes later.
I push away the relief I feel—watching Liam grab a towel, safely aboard—before it can fully register. I don’t move as my gaze lingers. He dries off and pulls his shirt back on. Shakes his head at something Parker says and fishes through one of the bags they brought back. His eyes land on me—or somewhere near me—and I hope it’s dark enough he can’t tell where mine are.
Audrey approaches him. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but I see her laugh and touch his arm. I look away, toward the lights of the stage on shore. Something similar to regret swirls in my stomach. A useless emotion that definitely shouldn’t be aimed at anything involving a guy from Glenmont. Audrey’s flirting should be a welcome reminder Liam has as little interest in me as I’m pretending to have in him.
I sip my drink and listen to the music. It’s a relaxed, upbeat melody. The sort that sweeps you away and runs through your blood. I never thought I’d attend a concert by boat. After the experience sailing here, I’m not sure if I’ll ever voluntarily get onto a boat again, but there’s something magical about it—listening to music in the darkness while bobbing on the ocean.
