I rubbed my forehead. “Would you? If someone dumped you and a year later you saw them pretending to be somebody else … would you be nice about it?”
Kenzie grinned. “Probably not. But that’s just me. Noah might not have a problem with it.”
“I don’t know.”
“Look, let’s just get through lunch. If everything goes okay, then great. We’re good. And if the worst happens and he tells everyone, then we’ll make a joke of it. I’ll tell everybody I put you up to it.”
“You did.”
She could’ve said because you asked for a challenge, but she didn’t. Instead, Kenzie came over and gave me a little shake. “See? You’re getting your sense of humor back. I swear, if this works and you make it through the week, I will bow to you.” She laughed. “Greatest actress ever.”
“Right.”
“No, I mean it. I will so talk you up to Mr. Cavazos.”
“I probably won’t be in theater class, remember?”
She scowled.
Better get back to the current problem. “Besides, I’m not sure I can spend a whole week wondering when he’s gonna drop a bomb on me.”
“Stop. You’re jumping ahead. Lunch first. Then we’ll regroup. Remember, I’m on your side. I want you to succeed at this.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I know.”
“Now, come on. Let’s change out of our airplane clothes.” She headed toward her suitcase. “It’s warm out. I’m going for shorts.”
Shorts? Maybe not. At drama camp, Noah and I were always in shorts. I could still remember the tickle of his leg hair against my calf as we sat watching skits. Better keep the jeans on.
“Get moving,” Kenzie said. “I want to help Aunt Jenny with lunch.”
I stood. “I’m ready.”
Kenzie glanced at me, and then went back to rifling through her bag. “Okay. Just thought you’d want to change.”
“Maybe later.” But probably not. Wearing shorts felt too vulnerable. It was almost like the jeans were battle armor. No, that was stupid. Noah wasn’t the enemy. Was he?
Noah
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to make it stay down, but it sprang back up. I’d towel-dried it after my shower but had been too distracted by seeing Gabby again to remember to fix it.
I frowned at my reflection in the bedroom mirror. Why was I even worried? No one would care what my hair looked like. Especially not Gabby.
Geoff opened the door and stuck his head in. “Let’s go. I’m hungry.”
With a grunt, I switched off the light and followed Geoff. That’s all I could do. Follow Geoff’s lead. Maybe things would get clearer as the day went on. Because the more I thought about Gabby, the more I wanted to put my fist through a wall.
She had dumped me. After promising to call and text. She’d disappeared.
I shouldn’t be surprised that when I did finally see her, she was pretending to be someone else. Unless, this new identity was the real one. I paused at the top of the steps. Could that be—no. She spoke English way too well back then.
I shook myself and headed downstairs after Geoff. Gabby was a complete and total liar. The girl from Spain was an identity she was trying on. I just couldn’t figure out why. Or what I was going to do about it. If anything.
We walked into the kitchen and found Mrs. Bryson, Molly, Kenzie, and Gabriela eating brisket sandwiches at the long rectangular table. My stomach growled, but nobody acted like they heard.
Geoff rested his hands on Molly’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “Did y’all leave anything for us?”
Molly smiled up at him.
“No,” Kenzie said, just as his mom said, “Yes.” They looked at each other and laughed.
“Very funny,” Geoff said.
“Brisket on the stove,” his mom said.
We got our food and headed to the table. My pulse pounded in my temple. Relax. She’s not going to bite you. But I kept my focus on Geoff all the same. He sank into the chair next to Molly, forcing me to choose between the head of the table or the seat across from him, next to his cousin Kenzie. No way was I going to sit at the head of the table opposite Geoff’s mom at the other end. Especially because Gabby was right beside her. It would make me too visible. I slid into the seat beside Kenzie, who smiled hugely at me before going back to her food.
I drank some soda. Okay, everything was okay. Don’t say anything. Just eat. I bit into my brisket sandwich, barely registering the spicy flavor. An urge to look at Gabby tugged at me, but I fought it. I stared at my fingers gripping the sandwich. Thankfully, Geoff started talking.
“How was sketching?” he asked Molly.
When there wasn’t any answer, I looked up. Crap. Molly was frowning at me. Bad news. I liked Molly. I really did. But the quirkiness that made Geoff laugh all the time made me nervous. I never knew what she might say.
She brushed a strand of purple hair off her forehead. “What’s up with your hair?”
Geoff and Kenzie busted out laughing. I couldn’t stop myself from touching the top of my head. Yup, still sticking up everywhere. What else did I expect? It’s not like it could just suddenly lie flat.
Molly looked from Kenzie to Geoff. “What?”
Geoff stopped chuckling. “Nothing. It’s just funny.”
“Why? I just wanted to know why his hair is like that. It looks like he’s copying one of those guys in a boy band.”
Crap. “I didn’t do it on purpose, Mol. I just dried it and forgot—”
“Well, I think it looks really cute,” Mrs. Bryson said.
“Me too,” Kenzie said.
“Me three,” Geoff said, which made everyone laugh.
“Um, thanks,” I said. I looked down the table, my gaze sliding over Gabby. She had a small smile on her face as she stared at Geoff’s mom. At least she wasn’t laughing. “Any chance we could talk about something else?”
Molly finally answered Geoff’s question. “I wasn’t sketching. I was working on that watercolor of the mountains.”
“Yeah?” Geoff asked. “I want to see that one.”
Molly elbowed him, and Geoff smiled at her. I really did not get their relationship. They did a lot of silent communicating, but that was probably because they’d been together for over a year. And they were so different—Geoff, athletic and loud; Molly, artsy and quiet. But whatever. Relationships were weird. Mine always had been. Well, my one relationship.
I took a swig of Coke and chanced another look at Gabby. She was staring at Kenzie who was describing the nearby town and things to do. Gabby’s dark brown hair hung around her shoulders in loose curls. I could still remember how it felt to wrap one of those silky curls around my finger, and then let it slide free.
The conversation went on, but I wasn’t listening anymore. What would it be like to run my hands through Gabby’s hair again, to have her look only at me? And, as if she heard my thoughts, she made eye contact. Her smile fell away. There was a weird look in her dark brown eyes. One I’d never seen before. And then it sank in. Fear.
Gabby was afraid of me.
I turned back to my plate, but it was empty. I couldn’t remember finishing the sandwich. A pasty taste filled my mouth, so I chugged the rest of my soda. What did she have to be afraid of? I almost laughed out loud. Stupid question. I knew who she was. I could ruin her little game. The Spanish girl. Anger surged back through me.
The girl from Spain, who was really the girl from Austin, who was the girl who’d dumped me, who was the girl I’d been in love with. It had hurt. It was embarrassing how much it had hurt. Had she cared at all? I doubted it.
But she was afraid. The opportunity for revenge appeared as easily as if I’d asked someone at the table to pass it to me.
Hey, Geoff, pass the revenge.
Sure. Mind if I take some first?
Not at all. Help yourself.
Everything inside me settled into determination. No way was I going home early. Not when I could spend a week
getting back at Gabby Vega. I smiled. She was scared of what I might do? Good. Because I was just getting started.
Gabby
Pandemonium reigned in the kitchen. Kenzie and her cousin Geoff tossed things to each other—paper towels, bags of rolls, and even a container of apple juice. Kenzie’s uncle had returned from the grocery store with Geoff’s lanky younger sister, Amanda, her much shorter, blond-headed friend Haley, and great-grandmother Gamma, who’d wisely retreated to her room for an afternoon nap.
I hovered by the kitchen counter, trying to decide how to help. Maybe unpacking groceries? No. Too many people were already doing that. Only Geoff’s mom seemed to be cleaning up the mess from lunch. I slipped past Amanda to the woman at the sink. “May I help?” I asked.
“Oh, no thank you, dear.” Mrs. Bryson smiled, deepening the lines at the corners of her eyes. “And that reminds me …” She faced the crowd and raised her arms. “Attention! Two announcements.”
“Shh,” Kenzie said, slugging Geoff in the arm.
“Ow,” he said.
The others laughed but stopped talking. Mrs. Bryson lowered her arms. “Announcement number one. For those of you who are guests for the first time, you have two days where you must relax and not do any work. After that, you’re part of the family, and you have to pitch in. So that means Gabriela, Noah, and Haley should leave the kitchen.”
Haley adjusted her red-framed glasses before moving off to sit on a stool at the counter.
“You’re making Molly work?” Geoff asked.
Mrs. Bryson pulled a strand of auburn hair away from her eyes. “Not her first rodeo, cowboy.”
Geoff’s eyebrows flew up. “I cannot believe you just said that.”
“Second, all seven of you have to do something as a group this afternoon. Preferably outdoors.”
“Really?” Geoff asked, scorn dripping from his voice. “We’re still doing that?”
“Of course you’re still doing that,” Geoff’s dad called from the stairs as he made his way down and into the kitchen. Everyone turned to look at him. His shaggy brown hair hung below his collar. “Just the first afternoon. We do it this way every year. Gives people a chance to get to know each other.”
“Right,” Mrs. Bryson said. “So, guests, please leave the work area.” She tried to shoo us out.
“We’ve got this, Aunt Jenny,” Kenzie said. “There’s not enough room in here for all of us anyway.”
Mrs. Bryson wiped her hands on a dish towel. “All right. I’ll leave you in charge, Kenz.”
Geoff’s parents strolled out of the room, saying something about Gamma, and heading for the back of the house. Molly slid down from a high stool at the kitchen counter and made her way to Geoff’s side. He put an arm around her.
“Come on, lovebirds,” Kenzie said. “Work before play.”
Amanda held up a bakery box. “Look, Noah, we got your favorite!” She smiled, just a hint of braces showing between her lips.
Double-fudge brownies, I thought just as Noah asked, “Double-fudge brownies?”
“Yup,” Amanda said. An adoring look lit up her freckled face.
Something weird burned in my chest. I needed to get away. But if I went upstairs, I’d miss what was said. And I couldn’t do that, not when Noah might tell everyone what he knew about me. Instead, I wandered into the living room where I could still see and hear everything.
Plush chairs, a worn leather couch, and a loveseat fronted the stone fireplace. That, and the golden wood floors and walls made the whole house seem like a ski lodge. I could picture how cozy it would be in the winter with snow on the ground, a fire in the fireplace, and someone to cuddle with. Yeah, as if I had a lot of those running around.
I turned away and went to the window overlooking the circular driveway and a huge lawn that ended in a line of evergreen trees. Cuddling with Noah last summer had always been so good. I could still remember the warmth of his skin, the smell of his minty breath. He was forever popping Altoids, only stopping when I complained about the burning on my tongue. But that was just like him—always considerate.
A person appeared in my peripheral vision, and I tensed. I didn’t have to turn to know who it was. Noah. I could sense him. I just knew.
My pulse sped up. Stay calm, stay calm.
I leaned against the window frame and gazed up at him. He watched me steadily, his face a blank mask. I hoped mine was too.
Finally, he hooked his thumbs in the belt loops of his shorts. “So, Gabriela,” he said, exaggerating the name. “It’s been a long time. How’ve you been?”
Keep it light, friendly. “Okay. How about you?”
He lifted one shoulder in a quick shrug. “Not too bad. Been an interesting year.”
Had he just stressed the word year? I couldn’t tell. An awkward pause lingered, and I scrambled for some topic of conversation. “You still doing theater?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to smash them back in. Reminding him of drama camp was probably not the smartest move.
His expression turned dark. He stared out the window. “No. I decided to play basketball instead.”
I cleared my throat. “Oh, right.”
“Looks like you are, though.”
“What?”
He met my gaze. “Still doing theater. I mean, that’s what this whole Spanish thing is about, right?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. I really needed to get off the topic of drama and theater. “Sort of. It’s a long story.” Laughter echoed from the kitchen, but I couldn’t look away from Noah’s piercing blue eyes. Even though we stood three feet away from each other, his body heat radiated toward me.
“And you don’t want to tell me about it, do you?” He spoke quietly, but the words were heavy with an emotion I couldn’t identify.
“It’s not—”
“Don’t bother. I don’t really want to know.”
A sharp sting pricked my heart. He was angry. I probably deserved it, but still.
Noah folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall. “And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”
That was a surprise. “You won’t?” I hated the hopeful lilt in my voice.
“Nah. Not as long as you do whatever I say.”
I straightened. “What?”
“Hey, Noah,” Amanda called from the kitchen. “You want a brownie now or should I put them away?”
“Just put them away,” her brother said with a bossy tone.
“Okay, okay, I was just asking,” Amanda said.
Noah glanced at them before gracing me with a bitter smile. “I’ve always wanted to be waited on. You know, have someone get whatever I need, like something to drink or a pillow for my feet. Or even provide entertainment like a song or a joke. You can do all that, right?”
“You’re blackmailing me?”
He twisted his mouth. “You could call it that, I guess.”
“That’s exactly what it is.”
He let out a quiet laugh. “Maybe. I like to think of it as you volunteering to be at my beck and call.”
“I’m not doing that.”
“Oh, really?” He stared at me for a long moment, then turned toward the kitchen and cleared his throat like he was about to make a big announcement.
Gabby
“Stop,” I said through my teeth.
A smug look grew on Noah’s face. I wanted to punch it off. Why was he acting like such a jerk? This wasn’t the Noah I remembered. “I never knew you had such a mean streak.”
He laughed, but then his features hardened like they were chiseled out of rock. “Nope.” He shook his head. “You do not get to go there. You really don’t.”
Of course. Because I dumped him. Guilt slashed through me. Walking to one of the overstuffed chairs, I forced myself to keep my pace casual, slow, steady. I would ignore him completely. It was the best way out of this mess. I sank into the cushy upholstery, picking up and flipping through the first magazine my eyes landed on as my hands trembled
on the shiny pages.
“National Geographic?” Noah asked from the chair opposite me.
He’d followed. Why couldn’t he just leave me alone? I stared down at the magazine that I wasn’t really seeing. “It has good articles.”
“Right.”
I didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say to the guy blackmailing me, trying to make me hurt.
“So what’ve you decided?” he asked. He put his feet up on the coffee table, crossing them at the ankle. “Don’t tell me you’re going to run home. That would spoil all the fun.”
Something inside me snapped at the snarky tone in his voice. He did not get to treat me like this. He was not going to dictate what I did or didn’t do. What happened last summer didn’t matter anymore. I tossed the magazine aside and stood. “I’ll let you know.”
A brief look of surprise passed over his features. He opened his mouth, but Geoff’s voice interrupted whatever he was about to say. “Hey, Noah, Gabriela. Come here. We need to talk about this afternoon.”
I headed for the kitchen, trying to distance myself from Noah. But it didn’t work. He stopped right behind me at the counter, his warm breath ruffling the hair on top of my head. As if he was deliberately trying to bug me. Great. I wasn’t going to be able to pay attention. From near the refrigerator, Kenzie sent me a questioning look. I mouthed the word later, but couldn’t tell if she understood.
To my eternal gratitude, Geoff started talking while twirling a dish towel in the air. “Okay, let’s talk options. My personal favorite is hanging out in the living room.” He smiled. “Anyone else?”
“How about going into town?” Amanda asked. “Ruidoso has lots of cool shops and—”
“No shopping,” Geoff said, still swinging the towel. “Especially with my little sister.” He shuddered.
Molly laughed, and he grinned at her.
“We could still go check out the town,” Amanda said, shooting him a peeved look.
About Last Summer Page 3