by K. K. Allen
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper while raising a shaky hand to my mouth.
Will Rose blame me for this? Clearly, she just lost control of her tea. But even as I try to comfort myself with the explanation, deep down, I know Rose isn’t to blame.
I expect her to be upset, to yell, and to kick me out of her home. I don’t expect the howling laughter. She’s doubled over, unable to contain herself, and tears spring from her eyes.
Charlotte walks in at that moment. Her eyes are wild as she stares between us then assesses Rose’s appearance. “What in the heavens?” She hurries over to Rose and attempts to clean her off, but Rose is still laughing. “What happened here?”
I just shake my head, too afraid to speak.
Rose pushes Charlotte’s hands away, insisting she’s fine. “It was just a little accident,” she tells Charlotte before standing and brushing away the wrinkles on her long white skirt. “Come, dear. We’ll talk more in my study.”
That’s all Rose says before she starts to walk. No anger. No resentment. No blame. She’s completely nonchalant, as if nothing at all happened. Charlotte gets my attention, breaking me out of my bewildered stare, and gestures for me to hurry and follow Rose. I do, because I can’t think of how else to proceed.
Speechless, I follow my grandmother down the hall to her study. Once inside, I take a quick glance around the room and nearly balk at the precious antiques that fill the space. A glittering glass chandelier hangs from the middle of the room, lighting up numerous statues, bookshelves, and glass cases displaying objects that appear too delicate to touch.
Rose sits behind a desk and gestures for me to take a seat on the opposite side.
My eyes catch on the mahogany built-in bookshelf behind Rose. “Are those photo albums?”
She turns to look over her shoulder then reaches for a stack of the books before turning around and dropping them on her desk. A cloud of dust poofs all around it. I wave it away then open the top album and start flipping through the pages. A young couple smiles back at me from the first yellowing black-and-white photograph.
“That’s George and me standing on the lot before this home was built. We were so excited to build our dream home here.”
“How old were you?”
“I was twenty-eight, your grandfather thirty-two. An older man,” she boasts. “Our parents were the best of friends and decided to move here to start the School of Gaia together when we were just kids. I was eighteen when we married, and we immediately started traveling the world. We spent a lot of time in Athens, where we were both born. But after ten years of travel, George and I decided to plant our roots in Apollo Beach to continue what our parents started.”
As she’s saying that, I flip to a beautiful landscape photo of houses on a hill overlooking the water, followed by other familiar Greek landmarks that I can’t name. I can only wish to visit them myself one day.
The next three albums Rose gives me are filled with photos of my mom’s teen years. I spend more time flipping through those as Rose tells me about my mom’s friends and what she did in her spare time. She was a cheerleader. My mom, a cheerleader? I never would have believed it, but I can see it for myself. My mom stands in front of the sign for Apollo Beach High School in her long green-and-black skirt and matching sweater.
Halfway through the photo album is when I start to recognize a face appearing in many of the photos, always next to my mother—hugging her, kissing her cheek, holding her hand, studying back-to-back, or chasing her into the water. I realize all too slowly that I’m staring at photos of my father. A pang hits my chest.
“Did your mom tell you how they met?”
My eyes flicker up to see that Rose has been watching me, then I nod. “It’s about all she told me.” I start to question why she never told me more—and why I never asked. Deep down, I already know the answer. I was afraid to know more, to worsen the feelings of rejection and abandonment that already weighed so heavily on my heart. No one wants to feel unwanted, so I saved myself the pain and rejected the conversation completely.
Rose gives me space for a moment then asks the question that’s been lingering in the air. “If you have questions about your father, Katrina, I can answer anything you want to know.”
I know she’s being sincere, but it’s been eighteen years. Of course there is a secret part of me that wondered why he didn’t show up after my mom passed away. It’s not like he’s dead too, but he might as well be. “Where is he?”
Rose frowns. “Now that, unfortunately, is not something I can answer. Not because I don’t want to tell you.” She’s quick to add that last bit. “I just don’t know.” She searches my eyes as if pleading with me to understand something I can’t possibly. “When your mom left, he was never the same. His heart was broken, and he filled his life with distractions I never agreed with. I haven’t seen him in quite some time.”
I’m tempted to ask about the distractions she’s referring to but change my mind quickly. The answer might hurt more than satisfy my hunger for the truth. I flip to the next page in the album and feel overwhelmed. I set the book down and take a few moments to calm myself, dismissing my questions for now.
Rose gestures for me to stand, then I follow her around the room as she shows me the purchases from her trips to Greece. My favorites are easy to pinpoint at first sight. Greek goddess Hera stands with a peacock below her golden skirt, a crown atop her head, and real gold wraps around her body. I remember learning about her in school, and the bronze nameplate on the stand below the marble figure confirms I’m correct.
Inside the glass cases are ancient artifacts, and Rose points out pendants one by one—the Greek owl, cross, horse, sun, and dozens more. All of them have stories, which Rose explains, but I’m barely listening. At this point, I’m too curious about her fascination with Greek culture.
“You have quite the collection. It’s like a museum here.”
Rose chuckles. “We couldn’t help ourselves. The more we traveled, the more we learned, and the more we collected.” Rose becomes more animated. “It’s amazing how many hidden meanings and stories there are in our history.”
“Like what?”
“Look at the meaning of your name, for instance. Katrina is a variant of the name Katherine, which is derived from the Greek name Aikaterine, which is derived from the Greek name Hecate.”
“Hecate, as in the Greek goddess of magic?”
“That’s right. Hecate was associated with witchcraft and other forms of the underworld. She was also known as a guardian, the protector of everything newly born. Unfortunately, Hecate’s reputation has been greatly misconstrued. If you do the research, you’ll discover that the only evil she ever inflicted was to save herself and her family from harm.”
“So, what does your name mean?”
“Kind.” Rose shrugs. “Not so fancy, I know, but I think it has a nice ring to it.” She winks at me. “Come, sit. There is more to discuss.”
“What is that?” My eyes are now locked on a glass case in the corner of the room. It sits on a circular platform near the window, rotating at a snail's pace, as the sunlight streams in on it, glinting off the facets of the bulky, odd-shaped crystals inside. If one of those rocks were plucked and shaped, it would look exactly like the necklace from my dream—a radiant pear-shaped gem with a honey-gold casing.
Rose hesitates as my eyes stay glued to the glass case in wonderment. “That is a very rare emerald crystal, dear.”
“What makes it so rare?”
She gestures to the stone as if it’s obvious. “The size, color, and clarity of it, to begin with. This particular crystal has been in our family for thousands of years. It’s a symbol for spiritual awareness, protection, unconditional love, and wisdom. Being gifted with this stone is said to strengthen our connection to the divine energies by opening our hearts and minds. The stone carries healing powers too. Rumor has it that it was a gift from Astina Summer’s good friend Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love.”
Rose tilts her head while raising her brows. “Why shouldn’t I?”
I scoff, completely baffled by how far Rose is taking all of this ancient Greek mythology madness. “I mean, maybe those people were real, but the stories are obviously embellished.”
She raises a brow. “What makes it so unbelievable to you, Katrina?”
I rack my mind, because while it all feels so outrageous to even be discussing, I’m not sure if I ever stopped to ask myself why. “I guess it’s all the talk of immortality and lightning bolts for weapons and driving chariots across the sky.”
Rose laughs and places a hand on my shoulder. “Well, I suppose I can see where you’re coming from, but you don’t need to believe in what I’m telling you right now. We have time.”
“Time for what?”
She sweeps her hand around the room. “For all of this to be yours.”
Her voice is hushed but filled with a passion that almost makes me feel guilty. “I told you, Rose. I can’t stay in Apollo Beach for long.” I look at her, hoping she can see the apology that comes from deep within. “I’ve already made up my mind.”
Rose takes in a deep breath then releases it slowly. “But you’ll stay at least until your birthday, yes?”
I blink, once again feeling like I’m missing something. “Of course.”
Rose smiles, a satisfied twinkle in her eyes. “Well, then I guess I have a couple of weeks to change your mind.”
Rose, Charlotte, and I are eating dinner the next night when someone knocks on the front door. Rose perks up like she’s expecting someone, but then she turns to me. “Do you mind getting that, dear?”
The way Rose’s eyes light up with a hint of a smirk makes me suspicious. “Um, okay.” I dart a look between her and Charlotte before setting my napkin on the table and leaving the room.
I don’t know why my nerves are all aflutter as I walk from the dining room, through the great room, and into the foyer. By the time I place my hand on the knob to pull open the door, my heart is working triple-time. When the door opens and I see who’s standing outside, I can’t believe my eyes.
“Alec? What are you doing here?”
He grins, and my knees weaken. He looks ridiculously gorgeous in a white shirt and dark jeans that are ripped at one knee. His thick hair is styled back with a classic side part that lifts high off his head. If Rose hadn’t gifted me the pretty pink off-the-shoulder dress I’m wearing now, then I would probably feel underdressed.
“I was heading to Island Grille to meet up with some friends and thought maybe you’d want to come with. I know I invited you to my Fourth of July party, but that’s still a few weeks out. It’s time to make some friends, Summer Girl.” He winks, causing my stomach to flip.
Summer Girl. No one has ever called me that before, but I guarantee I wouldn’t have found it half as flattering coming from anyone else. “I don’t know if I should.” Although my heart is screaming to say yes, my insecurities outweigh it. “Your friends don’t exactly like me. Your girlfriend, Iris, especially.”
He pinches his brows together. “Iris isn’t my girlfriend, and neither of them know you. The rest of my friends haven’t met you.”
His words are few and simple, but I can see the sincerity behind his eyes and hear the honesty in his tone. Alec Stone is a rare gem who just might change things for me if I give him a chance. He knows how his friends feel about me, yet he wants me to hang out anyway.
“True,” I say slowly, a smile creeping onto my face.
“You’re not going to make me beg, are you? Because you should know, I’m not above begging. In fact, I’m one of those guys who loves the chase. The more you turn me down, the more effort I’ll put in. And that’s the honest truth.”
I laugh, a real laugh that comes straight from my gut. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that. “Okay, fine.” I hold up my hand. “But you better not be setting me up for some kind of prank or new girl initiation or something.”
“I promise, no pranks, and the only initiation you might have to suffer through is a game of pool with me. I’m pretty good. The humiliation you might face from losing will set the tone for the rest of your life in this town.” He shrugs, a sparkle in his eyes. “No big deal.”
I bite down on my lip and step back from the entrance. “I’ll need to let Rose know.”
Not even a second passes. “It’s fine with me, dear. I heard.” Rose shouts her permission from the dining room. “Have a good time.”
My heart races when I realize Rose was listening the entire time. I roll my eyes while Alec laughs, then I step back across the threshold. “I guess that means I’m all yours.”
The way Alec looks at me next—with a lingering stare while his smile slips from his lips and desire lights up his eyes—it does dangerous things to my core. “Lucky me.”
He shoves his hands in his pockets, gives me a sideways grin, then leads me to his lifted white truck. It’s not until I’m strapped inside that I take my first deep breath since seeing Alec standing at my front door. This feels a lot like a date, but I know it would be crazy for me to even entertain the thought of Alec wanting more than friendship with me. He’s gorgeous, and I’m…
Alec opens his driver’s-side door before I can finish my own negative thought, then we’re rolling toward the gates of Summer Island with the windows down and the wind blowing through our hair. He blasts a rock song I’m vaguely familiar with, and I’m almost relieved the music is too loud for us to carry on a conversation. I’m still reeling from the fact that he showed up at my door, so I take the ride to Summer Island to steady my nerves.
It seems to work, until we park and I see just how packed the restaurant is. Lights dance from the inside stage, where a band is jamming out. Loud voices and laughter carry into the parking lot, and smoke rises from the chimney over the kitchen. It seems like the entire town is here.
“So, this is a crazy night out in Apollo Beach, huh?” I ask Alec after we meet at the front of his truck.
He leans against one of his headlights, indicating he’s in no rush to go inside. “This is it. Not such a boring old town, is it?”
I shake my head and stand beside him so we’re looking at the restaurant. “I definitely don’t think it’s a boring old town. The opposite, actually. I think it’s beautiful here. And I’m not just talking about the beach. This island alone is—” I struggle to find the right word. Unique. Mystical. Picturesque. Nothing quite fits how I feel.
“A little slice of heaven?” He peers sideways at me with hopeful eyes.
“Okay, sure. Let’s go with that. I still can’t get over that my family created all of this. I had no idea.”
Confusion spreads across his face. “Really? You didn’t know about the island or your family’s role in the development of this town?”
I shrug, knowing this is a big admission to someone I barely know. Something tells me I can trust Alec, though. “All of it. My mom never spoke with my grandparents. I never met my grandma, except for just after I was born. It’s like I woke up one morning and was transported into a whole new world.”
Sadness flickers in his eyes and guilt rushes through me. The last thing I want is Alec’s pity. “What about your dad?”
“He was never part of my life.”
Alec shakes his head. “Geez. I’m sorry, Kat.”
I push away from his truck, not wanting to continue down this dark, depressing road. “Don’t be. He’s the one missing out, right?”
Alec gives a firm nod. “Absolutely.” His gaze slips from my face, to my dress, and back up. “You’re a tough chick, aren’t you?”
His question makes me laugh. No one has ever called me that before. “Depends how you look at it, I guess.”
He tilts his head. “What does that mean?”
I bite down on my lip, not sure ho
w much I should tell him about my past. He’s clearly curious about me, even though I’m not sure why. But I don’t want that curiosity to turn into something else. Like fear or disappointment. There’s a twisting in my gut. “Not all things are what they appear to be, Alec. You may see a tough chick, but maybe that’s because I don’t want you to see the truth.”
“And what’s your truth, Kat Summer?”
Air pushes up my throat, resembling a laugh. “That I’m completely and utterly lost.”
The corners of his mouth tips up into a smile. “Aren’t we all?”
A gust of wind blows, wrapping me in his crisp, cool scent. He even smells perfect. I could salivate over this guy. From head to toe, he’s a dream. “I think you’re a charmer, Alec Stone.” The smile that reaches his eyes tells me he knows it’s true.
“Only when I want to be.” He winks again, causing my insides to heat, then he wraps his hand around mine and squeezes. “What do you say? Think we’ve stalled enough?”
My eyes go straight to where our hands connect, and I wonder what his friends will think when they see us like this. He must sense my nervousness because he gives a gentle squeeze. “Or we can stay here and talk.”
A loud crunch of gravel jerks my attention back to the parking lot, where a figure is crossing near us. Crunch, crunch, crunch. The man doesn’t look in our direction, but I know it’s Johnny. I get the odd sense that he’s already spotted us. Maybe it’s the tension in his broad back or the hard lock he holds on his jaw beneath the faint scruff. Or maybe it’s the way he’s walking so close to Alec’s truck rather than on the dirt pathway that leads directly to the restaurant, where he should be about to start his shift.
I swallow and watch him gain distance.
“Kat? What do you want to do?”
“Um.” I’m jostled back to my conversation with Alec, and I quickly try to remember the question. “We can go in. I need to know if you’re really as good at pool as you say you are.”