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“That woman singlehandedly kept me breathing.” Summer’s eyes glisten, but I can’t tell if it’s because of tears or champagne fizz, tickling her nose. “Not saying I wouldn’t be here without her, but I might not. First friend I made when I came here. First real friend I’ve ever had, to be honest, though I’ve collected a few more along the way.”
I dare to shuffle a little closer to Summer on the stone bench we’re sharing. “I can’t picture you as a loner.”
“You can’t?” She laughs, but it’s tight in her throat. “You should’ve met me a few years ago.”
“That might’ve made things less complicated.” The fizz in my veins is making me too bold. I can hear the sirens going off in the back of my head, but I can’t stop the words from coming out.
But, to my intrigue, she smiles. “I guess it would.”
“We ever going to talk about… the incident?”
“Not if I can keep avoiding it. I tend not to look at the elephant in the room. It’s minding its own business, so why shouldn’t I?”
True to her word, she’s not looking at me as she speaks. She’s gazing over at the fountain opposite.
“I never heard from you,” I persevere.
“No, you didn’t.”
“You didn’t want to speak to me again, huh?”
She shrugs. “No, that’s not it.”
“It’s not?”
“I… was scared to,” she admits, after a pause. “You scare me, Rowan.”
I don’t know what I was expecting to hear, butthatwasn’t it.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt out. “I’m not sure anyone has ever described me as scary before. When I jump out at Grace, she just laughs.”
Summerlaughs. “Not that kind of scary.” Her hand drifts absently to her chest, her palm pressing against tanned skin. “It’s… hard to explain. Even harder now, thanks to Ms. T and her stolen champagne.”
“It was too soon. I get it.” I don’t know if I need to smooth things over, but I attempt to anyway. “You’re still hurting. It’s… it’s fine, honestly. If you don’t want to mention the pachyderm in the corner, I’ll pretend I don’t see it, either.”
She finally turns and meets my eyes. “And if I can’t ignore it?” she says softly, her body turning, too, until her thigh brushes mine. “It’s pretty big, and it keeps… trumpeting for my attention.”
“Trumpeting?” I stifle a chuckle, not wanting to shatter whatever this mood is.
She nods. “That’s what elephants do. They trumpet.”
“Well, if it’s beingreallypersistent, I suppose we could—”
Footsteps clack along the flagstones, and a shadow stretches across us, putting my invite to a second, proper date on hold. When I glance up, I see a man I somehow recognize. He’s swaying, clutching his own pilfered bottle of champagne in one hand, his shirt buttons open, his tie askew, his entire appearance disheveled.
“How’s my favorite backstabbing bitch?” the man says, smirking at Summer.
She’s frozen at my side, her eyes widening to the whites, one hand gripping the edge of the bench so tightly that her knuckles are poking through. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that she’s terrified: a visceral fear, instant and immobilizing.
“Found yourself a new rich guy to feed on, huh?” the man continues to slur, when Summer says nothing. “Knew it wouldn’t be too long. Leopards don’t change their spots. White trash doesn’t, either.”
I’m out of my seat before my brain has time to catch up. “‘Scuse me?”
“No need to thank me.” The drunken idiot claps me on the back so hard I feel it in my teeth. “Just saved you a whole heap of heartache. See, this chick will butter you up real good, get a ring on her finger, cut your brake lines and pretend it was an accident when you—”
I grab him by the collar, yanking him forward until he’s nose-to-nose with me. “Beverycareful about your next words. Right now, you keeping your mouth shut is the only thing between you and a black eye, at least.”
“She’s gotten under your skin already, huh?” the man sneers. “Suppose I should’ve known she had you, hook, line and sinker when I saw you all cozy together. You do know her last husband is dead, right? She told you that, yet?”
