Mira shakes her head. “You specifically said swim on your list. Not put your feet in.”
I shake my head and rub my hands up and down my arms, missing my hoodie. I would have worn it down here, but I didn’t want to chance getting it even a little wet. “No way. It’s too cold out here now.”
“You should have been more specific then,” she says with a sly smile. “Put feet in ocean at night. But you said swim.” She pumps her fist in the air, yelling, “Swim, swim, swim,” over and over.
“Maybe we can do a rain check? When it’s warmer?”
“Oregon will never be warmer. It’s summer already!” She glances at something behind me and her eyes grow wide before she grins.
Almost at once, I’m scooped off my feet as Jack carries me toward the ocean, his arms beneath my shoulders and knees.
“Don’t you dare!” I yell. “It’s too cold!”
He laughs as I struggle to get out of his grasp, but man, his grip is tight. There’s nothing I can do but wrap my arms around his neck as he heads deeper in the water.
“You are in so much trouble!” I scream as the cold water hits my legs. “It’s too cold! You are so going down!”
He doesn’t say anything, but he does cringe, which is satisfying. I can tell it’s too cold for him, too. “You ready?”
“What? For what? Don’t you—”
He falls backward, taking me with him, and cold water rushes around me, making my whole body tense. I pop back up, gasping as my face hits the surface, and then stand. The water is about waist-high on him and it’s up to my chest.
“What did I ever do to you?” I push him in the chest, but of course he doesn’t move. “Why would you turn on me like that?”
He laughs at that. “You said you wanted to swim, so I thought I’d help you along!” He grins, then floats on his back for a moment before standing back up, waiting for me to join him.
I sigh. “Fine. I’m wet anyway.” I take a breath and brace myself for the cold again as I dive under the water next to him. We’re not far out, so I don’t dive deep, just enough to submerge my whole body. I do a few strokes when I hit the surface and run right into him. He’s laughing as he grabs my wrists to pull me up and, after I get my balance, I realize he’s still holding onto me.
“Just so you know, this means war,” I say.
“Oh, I’m ready.” He lets go of one of my wrists and a wave hits me, sending me forward. I set my hand on his chest to steady myself and look up, his eyes on mine.
“We ready to go yet?”
Jack clears his throat and drops my hand. “Yep.”
Freezing and a little annoyed at Summer’s interruption, I make my eyes leave Jack’s chest and I scramble back to the beach, trying to run through the waves. My progress is slow and I hear Jack laughing behind me.
“Stop making fun of me!” I yell back at him. “Just because you have long legs and can run through the water faster doesn’t give you the right to laugh at me!”
“Yes, it does!”
“Seriously, he is so going down.”
Mira hands me a towel when I reach her, a knowing look on her face. She grins, then looks back at Jack, then at me again.
“What?” I ask, wringing out my hair.
“Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.” She starts back up the beach, and I struggle to keep up with her as I wrap my towel around myself.
“You’re in big trouble, you know that?” I tell her.
“You should be thanking me right now.”
“Why?”
She shrugs but shoots me a wicked smile.
“I didn’t realize you were really going swimming,” Summer says to Jack as she reaches him.
He breathes in the salty sea air and glances at me. “Nothing like a late-night swim on a night like this, huh, Lucy?”
“I’m starting to regret that decision.” It’s cold. And I’m wet. Not a good combo.
Summer doesn’t say anything, just follows us to the cars where everyone else is waiting.
A breeze hits me, and I shiver as I grab my hoodie and bag off the beach. I run to catch up with Mira. I need heat, stat.
“Shotgun!” Ashton yells when we reach the top of the hill.
No one protests. Everyone is either too exhausted or freezing to death. I am the latter.
As we approach the car, Summer climbs in the left side. I know she wants to sit by Jack, so I wait for him to get in first.
He appears next to me. “I can’t do the middle. I have to be able to look out the window or I’ll get carsick.”
Before Summer can object or scoot over, he nudges me into the middle seat. I can feel her eyes on me as I buckle my seatbelt, but I don’t look at her. I glance at Jack, who looks content, and he smiles down at me before he climbs in.
He’s so close to me. But of course he is. We’re crammed in the back of a little car. But I can feel the heat from his body next to mine. Goosebumps cover my arms and legs. I rub at my arms, trying to warm them up. Jack’s leg touches mine, and I can’t really scoot anywhere, but he doesn’t seem to mind. His long legs barely have anywhere to go. He should really be the one sitting in the front.
I don’t mind, though. Not at all.
“Ready?” Mira asks.
“Let’s go,” Jack says. He leans toward me. “You’re cold.”
“I’m fine.” I shiver. “Okay, maybe a little.”
He nods and rolls his window up. Then he hands me his towel and slips a shirt over his head. “Wrap that around you.”
“I can just put my hoodie on.”
“You’re wet. You’ll just get your hoodie wet. And that seems like a priceless hoodie.”
I roll my eyes but laugh anyway. Summer shifts next to me.
I look up and meet Mira’s eyes in the rearview. She smiles knowingly. I give her a look before she rolls her window down and yells at the car next to us. “We’ll follow you this time!”
Brody lets out a whoop from the other car and takes off. Mira follows him.
“So, how long are you planning on living here?” Summer asks. “Are you just here to finish high school? Then you’ll go off to college somewhere?”
Her question is innocent enough. “I’m planning on college, yes. Probably somewhere close, since my mom will still be living here and I don’t want her to be by herself all the time.”
“Cool.” She nods then stares out the window.
She doesn’t sound like she thinks it’s cool at all.
The drive home is quiet. Mira and Ashton talk up front as Summer stares out one window, and Jack the other.
I feel like I’ve unintentionally ruined something between them.
Even though I don’t want to, I do feel bad about it. From the way Summer has acted all day, I know she likes Jack. I don’t know about him liking her, but still. I feel like I need to trade one of them seats.
“You warmer now?” Jack asks quietly.
I shift, moving my legs a little to keep them from aching or falling asleep. “Yes. Thanks for letting me use your towel.”
“You’re welcome. Anytime.”
I lean my head against the seat and close my eyes. Exhausted. Driving at night always makes me tired. Being at the beach all day has doubled my tiredness.
Jack bumps my shoulder softly and I look at him. “You can lean on me. I mean, if you’re tired.” He swallows. “If you want.”
If it’s possible, we’ve already navigated closer to one another. “You’re so nice.”
“I try.” He laughs, deep but quiet. “Honestly, I get that a lot. Always the nice guy.”
“Which is not a bad thing.” At all.
He runs a hand through his hair and sinks a little lower in his seat. He’s still leaning toward me, and I can’t help but be drawn to him. I don’t know what it is, but he’s like a magnet. I lean away just a little. Summer is sitting right next to me, and I’m sure listening to our entire conversation.
“Girls always go after the bad boys,” he says, hi
s lips in a half smile.
“Bad boys are overrated. And a bad example. They’re not my type. Anymore, I guess.”
He smiles at that, looking a little more confident. “What is your type?”
I shrug. “The nice type. Caring, good listeners, not in it for just one thing.” My cheeks heat and I sink lower in my seat, too. What the heck am I saying?
Shut it, Lucy.
He nods, still smiling, but looks straight ahead. I glance at his profile. He has small, complementary features. Small ears, nose, thin lips. His eyelashes are longer than mine, I realize, which makes me jealous. I can barely see mine, even with mascara on, I swear.
“How far away are we from home?” Summer asks, still staring out the window.
“About thirty minutes,” Mira answers.
Ashton says something I can’t hear to her and she swats at him. They both laugh.
“They do like each other,” I whisper to Jack.
“Yeah. They’re stupid, though, and won’t do anything about it.”
“We’ll have to help them along then.”
He chuckles. “I’ve tried.”
“You didn’t have me as a partner in crime before now.”
“True.”
Summer sighs next to me, and I lean away from Jack and close my eyes again, resting my head on the headrest.
The car grows quiet and my exhaustion creeps in again.
The next thing I know, a light is shining in my face. I’m disoriented and blink a few times as my eyes adjust. I look up and see Jack grinning at me. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” he says.
The car has stopped and one of the doors are open. Everyone’s still inside, though.
I realize my head is on his shoulder and sit up so fast, my head spins. “I’m . . . oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”
Then I feel moisture on my cheek.
“Oh my gosh, I drooled on you!” I wipe off my cheek, see the little wet spot on his shoulder, and bury my face in my hands.
Jack’s laughing so hard he can barely breathe, as are Mira and Ashton.
I’m mortified.
“I promise, it’s fine,” Jack says. He puts an arm around me, giving me an awkward hug, since I’m bent over on the seat.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Nope. Girls don’t drool.” I let out a small cry. “Girls don’t drool!” I shake my head, crack a tiny smile since Jack is still laughing, then sigh. “I’m disgusting.”
“You’re not. I drool all the time.”
Mira pipes in then. “One time, I was supposed to be taking a test in chemistry, and I fell asleep on my paper. When I woke up, there was a huge drool puddle on my test. I rushed and finished it, then walked up to the teacher’s desk and quickly put it in the middle of the test pile so no one would see it.”
Jack laughs. “See? Girls drool, too.”
“Yeah, it’s cool!” Mira says, laughing.
“Really. A little drool never hurt anyone,” he says, nudging my shoulder with his.
I groan again. “This is just the worst.”
“Come on, let’s get your stuff,” Jack says, still laughing.
I hear Summer let out a frustrated breath and get out of the car.
“Great,” I whisper. I’ve already blown it with one potential friend. Because of a boy.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asks, opening his door.
I don’t want to talk about Summer with him, so I shake my head. “Nothing.” I grab my bag and climb out after him.
“I can take you home,” Jack says, gesturing toward his truck.
Summer stands next to the other car, not looking at either one of us. “Why don’t you take Summer home? I’ll catch a ride with Mira. I need to talk to her anyway.”
Summer turns around and looks at me then, her expression curious.
“Nonsense,” Mira says, coming up behind me. “I need to take Ashton home, and Summer is right on the way. Jack can take you so you don’t have to wait any longer.”
I hesitate but finally give in. “Okay.”
Everyone gets into their own cars, and Ashton and Summer get back into Mira’s, and they all shout goodbyes as they drive away.
“Ready?” Jack asks.
I nod and follow him to his truck.
It’s not that I don’t want to go with him. I actually think I might like him. Not think. I do like him. But I don’t want to cause problems.
And I just drooled on his freaking shirt. How romantic.
Why do I have to be so . . . me?
Jack opens the door for me, of course. I climb in and set my bag on my lap. I look at my phone. Still dead. Hopefully Mom will be cool about it, since it’s later than I thought.
“Thanks for taking me today. I mean, letting me come with you,” I say as he starts down the road. “It’s nice to have some friends.”
“They’re fun. And they seemed to get along with you just fine.”
“I hope so.”
He pulls into my driveway and I stare out into the darkness of the trees. We reach the house, and he puts the truck in park.
“Thanks for bringing me home.”
“It was my pleasure.”
The air is thick with some kind of tension and my heart has picked up speed. I have to remind myself this wasn’t a date. He’s not like other guys. He’s not going to try anything. And he doesn’t. He waits patiently, a small smile on his face, while I grab my stuff and open the door.
I jump out and am about to shut the door, when he says, “Wait.”
I look up at him and he’s just about to say something when Mom opens the front door.
“Lucy!” she yells. She is not happy. “Inside. Now.”
I glance at Jack, embarrassed at Mom’s tone. I’m obviously in trouble. And Jack heard it.
“I’ll see you later,” I say as he gives me a sympathetic smile.
He backs out of the driveway and I meet Mom at the door.
She folds her arms. “Where have you been?”
“The beach? You already knew that.”
“It’s eleven-thirty. I thought you’d be home hours ago.”
“I’m sorry. My phone died and I couldn’t text you.”
“You could have used someone else’s phone to let me know what was going on! You’re smarter than that!”
“Sorry . . . I didn’t think of it. We weren’t planning on being gone all day.”
“Why are you so late then? Were you on the beach at night? Was it dark?”
I stare at her, confused at why she would care. “Well, yeah, but—”
“Do you have any idea how dangerous the water is at night? And how come you were only with that boy? You said you were with friends.”
“Mom! Why would I lie to you? We were with a whole group. He just brought me home. We rode there with Mira and a bunch of her friends.”
She rubs at her temples. “Just . . . go to bed. I’ve been worried sick about you. I was waiting for a call from the police that you . . . just . . .” Her eyes are watering and instead of talking back to her, I wrap her in a hug, remembering how many times Dad would leave and wouldn’t call. How many sleepless nights we had, especially Mom, wondering if he was okay.
She hugs me back.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to scare you. We were fine. Safe. I promise.”
She strokes my hair. “I just worry about you. I’ve already lost . . .” she trails off. “I can’t lose you. Please let me know if you’re going to be late next time? And promise me, never go swimming in the ocean that late again. Promise me. There are no lifeguards or anything. What if you got sucked underwater?”
I sigh. “I’m fine, Mom. But I promise.”
She pulls me into a fierce hug. Like she won’t ever let me go. I don’t know what’s gotten into her. She’s never been like this. I mean, she worries, but not like this. The pain on her face and haunted look in her eyes.
I realize right then how stupid I’ve been. I won’t ever make her worr
y like this again. Not after what Dad did to us. I know she’s remembering things and being extra overprotective of me because of him. And why wouldn’t she be? I’m all she has left. Just me and her. If something happened to me, I don’t know what she would do. She’d never get over it, just like I’d never get over losing her. I feel awful making her worry so much.
I give her one last squeeze before letting her go. “I’m going to go to bed. Sorry again.”
“It’s okay. Get some sleep.” She kisses the top of my head, her hand lingering on my cheek, before her arm falls to her side. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Mom.” I walk upstairs, our exchange running through my head.
Once I get to my room, I plop down on my bed and plug in my phone.
After a few minutes, it restarts and I see a bunch of missed texts from Mom and Ashley and a few from Oakley, as well. It’s too late to answer them now, so I put my phone down and pull out my summer list. I cross off swimming in the ocean at night and look at the rest of the items.
My eyes stop at number ten.
10. Find out who Susan is and visit her grave.
Susan. Could this all have to do with Susan too? Mom’s paranoia, her freak-out tonight, how she’s been so protective of me. I know it’s partly Dad’s fault, but I wonder if Susan is involved somehow.
They were obviously best friends and something happened between them.
How did Susan die?
I pick up my phone again and search Susan, obviously, but since I don’t know her name, I search Salem, Oregon, death.
Salem comes up. A lot of articles about deaths in Salem, Oregon, obituaries, accidents, but they’re all recent. No old records. I search for about fifteen minutes, clicking on a bunch of links, but come up with nothing.
How could there be nothing?
Maybe the library would have old newspapers or something. Or I could still check the cemetery.
But I still don’t have Susan’s last name, and I know Mom won’t give it to me. I’m going to have to do a lot of old-school digging to figure this one out on my own.
CHAPTER 16
“If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.”
—Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
There are two things I truly hate.
The Summer of Lost Things Page 11