Chasing the Sun

by Melanie Hooyenga

  26

  Neb

  Sage is quiet as we approach the Rose Garden, but she doesn’t let go of my hand so I take that as a good sign. The tension that gripped her at VooDoo seems to have gone away. When we finally reach the hill that marks the start of the park, Naomi groans.

  “Yanno, a doughnut would’ve really helped in this situation.”

  Sage pokes her with her other hand. “Do you need us to drag you up the hill?”

  “No, but maybe we could take a break over there.” She points to a row of seesaws in a clearing of trees.

  “Maybe on the way back down,” Sage says, looping her arm through Naomi’s and tugging her along the path. “Come on.”

  The paved path winds through a park-like stretch of grass and trees, and gets wider as we climb higher. When we crest the hill, we’re greeted with rows and rows of roses in dozens of combinations of pink, red, yellow, orange, and white.

  Sage gasps. “We could spend a year here.”

  “This is only the entrance,” Naomi says. This time she’s the one pulling Sage to the center of the garden.

  Sage’s eyes widen, her head swiveling left and right and back again. “How can we even see it all?”

  I’ve been wondering the same thing. Grass walkways cut through rows of rose bushes that would put any personal garden to shame. And they go on forever.

  Naomi bites her lip. “If it’s okay with you, can we check out my favorite spot first?”

  I can’t imagine Sage would tell her no, and I honestly don’t know where to start. “Lead the way.”

  She moves through people as if on a mission, weaving around people posing for photos in front of flowers as big as my head. At one point I swear I see Tara and Ariana’s matching long hair at the far end of a row of orange roses, but when I look back, they’re gone.

  We come to an abrupt stop in front of an archway made of vines and wooden lattice. Tiny buds mingle with green leaves and it looks like something out of a fairy tale. “This is it,” she whispers.

  Sage and I exchange glances. I’m eager to see what’s got Naomi so excited, but it feels like we should let her go first.

  But she doesn’t move.

  “Are you gonna go in?” Sage asks with another glance my way. Her raised eyebrows indicate she’s not sure what’s going on.

  “What if—” Naomi starts, kicking her toe against the grass. “What if it’s different than I remembered? I’ve daydreamed about this place for years but I was just a kid the last time we were here.”

  Sage lets go of my hand. She slips her arm around Naomi’s waist and they lean their heads against each other and whisper too low for me to hear. I try not to fidget as I wait for them, and let my gaze wander. Several couples stroll not far from us, and everywhere I look someone’s got their nose pressed close to a flower. Roses have never been my thing—they’re too obvious on the romance front and the scent is too sickly sweet—but seeing so many all together is a bit magical.

  After another moment, Naomi nods and together they step through the archway. Naomi’s hand covers her mouth, then she bolts forward. “Yes, yes. This is it.” She trails her fingers over the delicate petals before turning to face us. “Isn’t this like something out of a movie?”

  Sage steps past Naomi and I join them. Wooden beams sit atop vine-covered posts, and the flowers that cover the archway stretch to the ground, creating an enclosed space that seems cut off from the rest of the world. The orderly rows we passed earlier are replaced with a haphazard pattern that fills the room without making it feel too crowded.

  “I can’t believe more people aren’t in here,” Sage says. “This would be the first place I’d come.” She spins in a slow circle as if trying to take it all in. “You’ve gone up a notch in my book.”

  At first I think she means me, but I have nothing to do with this moment. She and Naomi share a smile, seeming to communicate without saying a word, and for the first time today, I feel like I’m intruding. I linger near the entrance, trying not to inhale too deeply, when a familiar voice speaks behind me.

  “We knew we’d find you here,” Theo says.

  “You came!” Naomi rushes to his side and he pulls her into a hug.

  “I know how much this place means to you.”

  “But what about your fancy-pants record store?”

  Kit holds up a bag that looks as heavy as mine. “Done and done. Theo felt bad not being here with you, so we skipped VooDoo to make it here.”

  “Noooooo!” Naomi wails. “I mean, yay, that’s very sweet of you. But we were hoping to eat some of yours.”

  I brace myself for a dirty joke from Kit, but he lets the moment pass.

  Theo’s mouth falls open. “You didn’t go either?”

  Sage waves from behind a bush of pink roses. “That would be my fault.”

  Naomi gives her a stern look and Sage responds with her own scowl.

  “So, what do we do here?” Kit whispers to me. “Just, like, stop and smell the roses?”

  A laugh escapes me. He’s really not a bad guy when he’s not trying to impress people. “Something like that.”

  “Sage, come here!” Naomi waves Sage to her side and pulls out her phone. “We’ve got to get pictures in here.” They pose against one of the vine walls and I’m relieved that they don’t make ridiculous faces to try to look sexy, they just smile.

  Then Sage turns her smile on me. “Do you want to—I mean…”

  Naomi waggles her phone and I realize Sage wants a photo with me. My heart rate picks up as I smile back. “Only if Kit’s in it too.”

  Sage’s brows furrow for a split second, then her smile is back. “Naturally.”

  “Wait, what?” Kit asks.

  “Group photo!” Naomi sings. “Everyone over here. Neb, as the owner of the longest arms, you’re in charge.” She shoves her phone in my hand and they clump around me. I’m hyperaware of one particular person. Sage slides her hand over my back and grips my side, the length of her body pressed tightly against mine. Her touch feels intimate, even with the others packed in around us.

  “Ready?” My voice cracks and I clear my throat. My arm wraps around her, holding her close. The heat from her body makes it hard to focus on anything else, but I manage to take a dozen pictures before Theo and Kit bail.

  “That’s enough,” Kit says, heading for the archway. “If we’re gonna spend the rest of our time here, I at least want to walk around.”

  Theo hurries to follow. “You coming?” he asks Naomi from beneath the archway.

  “One more minute.” She meanders around the circumference of the room, trailing her hand over the flowers. When she reaches the entrance, she touches Theo’s cheek. “Thanks for coming.”

  Something unspoken passes between them, then she smiles at me and Sage. “Meet by the seesaws in half an hour?”

  “You don’t have to go,” Sage says, letting go of my side. Since the others left our affection feels more in your face, but I miss the feel of her immediately.

  Naomi raises a brow. “Oh yes, we do. Have fun!” She turns and waves a hand over her shoulder.

  “That was subtle,” Sage says, but I don’t care what the others think. My hand drifts up her throat to the side of her face and I lift her chin so she’s looking at me. When her eyes focus on mine, my mouth covers hers. The heady scent of roses combines with the light scent coming from Sage and my head spins. All I feel is her.

  She sighs, her chest pressing against me, and I pull her closer. My fingers tangle in her ponytail and I want to pick her up and wrap her legs around my waist, but awareness of where we are holds me back. But she doesn’t seem to care. Her hands roam over my back, clinging to me as tightly as I am to her. Her lips part and our tongues tangle, sending heat through me like a comet. My hand moves over her shoulder, down her side, grazing the edge of her breast, and the kiss intensifies. My senses jump into overdrive, overwhelmed by her scent, the way she tastes, the little noises coming from her as we explore each
other.

  I tug her farther into the corner of the room when someone clears their throat. A family stands in the entrance, the parents scowling while their daughters laugh. Sage rests her forehead against my chest. We’re both breathing heavily and while I know I should apologize or something to the family, I want to hang onto this moment a little longer.

  “I know why Naomi loves this place, but I think I love it more,” she whispers. A piece of hair fell from her ponytail while we kissed, and I tuck it behind her ear. My fingers trail over her ear to her throat, and her eyes flutter closed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  My lips brush her closed eyes. “I do.”

  She gives me a gentle smile. “Okay, it’s an excellent idea.” She tilts her face to mine and before she can say another word, I kiss her. We keep it close-mouthed, but she still pulls away too quickly. “That dad’s going to murder us.”

  He’s glaring with his arms crossed over his chest, but the girls have moved on to the wall of roses.

  “Ready to go?” I ask.

  She pushes to her toes and presses her lips to mine. “Now I am.” The sparkle in her eye and the mischievous smile that spreads over her face fill me with a lightness that I’ve never felt with a girl. We hurry out of the enchanted room, avoiding the angry dad, and stumble into the open grass with a burst of laughter.

  I grab her hand. “What do you say we speed walk the rest of the gardens?”

  “Let’s start with the giant roses we passed on the way in.”

  We beeline toward the entrance, then loop through rows and rows and rows of flowers. The cloying scent is worth every smile and laugh that comes from Sage. She never lets go of my hand, her touch becoming familiar the farther we walk. When she comes to an abrupt stop in front of a bush with striped roses, I think she’s going to kiss me again, but she twists around me to nod at my butt.

  “Can I help you with something?”

  Her cheeks redden and she straightens. “I wanted to take a picture but my phone…” she trails off and looks pointedly at my back pocket, which holds my unbroken phone.

  I drop the Powell’s bag so I don’t have to let go of her hand. “What do you want a picture of?”

  She blushes harder, the pink in her cheeks reminding me of how she looked after we kissed.

  Without thinking, I skim the back of my hand over the pinkest spot.

  “You open to a selfie?” she asks. “I know we like just started hanging out so if you’re not into that it’s totally cool, but it’s so pretty here and I’m not really a solo selfie girl and I thought…” Her gaze drops. “I’ll shut up now.”

  I swipe the camera open. “Which flowers do you like best?”

  She drops my hand and stands in front of a bush filled with orange and white striped roses. “This one,” she says, her voice a little breathless.

  I take a picture before she turns around, then move to her side, kiss the top of her head, and wrap my arm around her waist. “Standard coupley pose?” I hold the phone high above our heads—I’ve taken enough pictures with girls to know they prefer this angle—and we smile nicely for the camera. Her smile is sweet and unassuming, and when I lower the phone, we both exhale. It feels like she’s been a part of my life forever and I secretly hope this never changes.

  “Okay, now a silly one.” She squats, lowering until her face is right next to a flower, and opens her mouth like she’s about to scream.

  “Killer flowers. Got it.” I snap a couple more pics then slide my phone into my pocket. “I gotta tell you, I wasn’t sure about this whole rose garden thing, but this is pretty cool.” I tilt my head back as we walk and the sky stretches for miles above me. “This would be a great place to watch the eclipse.”

  “Aren’t they taking us to a football field or something?”

  I sigh. “Probably.” The liability of taking a group of teenagers into the city when huge crowds descend makes sense, but we’re practically adults. “The sign at the entrance said the park closes at night, so I wonder if people will camp out to get a spot.”

  “People do that? For the eclipse?”

  My hand covers my chest. “I’m hurt.”

  “So this is a bigger deal than I realize.”

  “Very big deal.” Or maybe it’s just me. Dad’s talked about this date for so long that it’s possible I’ve transferred my anticipation onto the general public. Maybe people are excited because it’s something to be excited about.

  “How are we on time?”

  “If you want to check out my butt again, you don’t have to ask.”

  “Ohmigod.” She smacks my arm, rolling her eyes. A light blush colors her cheeks. “And I’ve looked at least a dozen times since we’ve been here.”

  Now I’m blushing. I love that just when I think she’s going to shrink inside herself, she tells me exactly what she’s thinking. “We should hurry if we’re going to meet them on time.”

  She points across an expanse of grass that slopes down a hill, rows of roses filling every imaginable space. “Isn’t that Kit?” He’s sitting on a bench, playing on his phone. Naomi and Theo are nowhere to be seen.

  “Did they ditch him?” I ask.

  “Naomi may complain about him, but she’d never do that. I’m sure they’re nearby.”

  We make our way over to him and he looks up as we approach. “Done making out?”

  “Kit, could you not just once?” Sage says, her grip on my hand tightening.

  “You sure about that?” I whisper.

  Kit sets his phone on his leg facedown and gives her a smug look. “Were you making out?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  I keep my gaze on Kit, but if I had to guess, I’d bet her cheeks give her away.

  “Where are Theo and Naomi?” she asks.

  He waves a hand behind us. “Somewhere that way. Flowers aren’t really my thing.”

  “Maybe if they were you’d have better luck with girls.” Sage snaps her mouth closed but it’s already out there.

  Kit’s jaw hardens and he picks up his phone.

  “I shouldn’t have said that,” she says.

  “Nah, it’s cool,” he says, eyes down. “I didn’t say anything when you were with that loser, but by all means, rip on me now.”

  She swears under her breath and walks away. I look between her retreating back and Kit’s scowl, not sure what to do.

  “You can chase after her,” he says. “I get it.”

  “Did something happen?” I ask. Kit may not be the deepest person I’ve ever met, but he’s a person and everyone gets their feelings hurt sometimes. Maybe he’s not here because he doesn’t like flowers.

  He swipes up on his phone, over and over, too fast to see anything in his feed.

  I take a step back. “I can leave you alone.” I turn to leave but he stops me.

  “Nah, it’s cool. I’ve got some shit going on and I pissed off Naomi.” He nods toward Sage, who’s sniffing a rosebush with her back to us. “I know she didn’t mean anything, but sometimes you can only take so much, you know?” He finally looks up at me and I’m startled by the emotion in his eyes. As far as I knew, Kit doesn’t have emotions, at least not the kind that would make him almost teary-eyed in a rose garden.

  “I do.”

  He slides over on the bench and I sit next to him.

  “I get it if you don’t want to talk, but I’m here if you do.”

  He cocks his head. “Why?”

  The countless ways he’s included me over the years roll through my mind. “You didn’t have to be nice to me when we were kids, but you were. And now…” A lump catches in my throat and I swallow hard. “Going to a new school after my dad died, when making new friends is the last thing I want to worry about. You basically gave me a group of insta-friends.” My gaze drifts to Sage, and our eyes meet. “And I might not have met Sage without you.”

  He laughs softly. “Based on the way she looks at you, I think you would’ve still gotten toget
her.”

  I bump my elbow against his. “I’m just saying. Friendships are two-sided, and I’m your friend. Even if you don’t always say the right thing.” My lip catches in my teeth as I wait for his reaction to my attempt to lighten the mood.

  He smiles at me. “It’s part of my charm.” His smile falls, and I follow his gaze across the grass. Theo and Naomi are heading toward Sage, all smiles and laughter.

  “So what happened?”

  Kit stands and tucks his phone in his pocket. “A difference of opinion.”

  We approach the others, and by the time we reach them, Kit is his usual confident self. He and Theo exchange head nods, but when he tries to make eye contact with Naomi she looks away.

  Just then, all our phones buzz. We pull them out at the same time while Sage drops her empty hands to her side.

  “It’s Mr. Mauro,” Naomi tells her. “Reminding us to be back at the station by three.”

  “What time is it now?” Sage asks.

  “Two-thirty,” Theo says.

  “So time to go.” Sage reaches for my hand. “Sorry we didn’t get to see more of this.”

  “I think I got the gist.”

  Kit laughs. Naomi rolls her eyes, but I’m glad he’s shaken off whatever was bothering him. We meander toward the exit, Naomi stopping to take selfies with half a dozen different types of roses.

  Theo jumps in one of the pics and shouts, “Smellfie!”

  Naomi bursts out laughing and they shove their face in a flower as she takes another picture.

  “Is a smellfie a thing?” I ask Sage.

  She smiles. “It is with them.”

  When we pass the seesaws, Kit and Theo run toward them like a couple of kids.

  “Am I missing something?” I ask Naomi.

  “They’re just weird.”

  By the time we reach the playground equipment, Theo and Kit are taking turns pushing off the ground as hard as they can, making the other slam into the ground. Kit pushes up, and when he reaches the top, the momentum lifts his body higher than the seat and only his death-grip on the handle keeps him from falling off. Theo laughs when Kit crashes back onto the seat, then the same thing happens to him. My balls reflexively crawl higher and higher each time one of them hits the seat, but they don’t stop.