Free Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel Page A

But he doesn’t seem to mind my questions, so I keep going.
    “I guess it’s inevitable,” I agree. “But what about the kids who are just passing through—the tourists? Do you ever get to know them?” Just because Pete never met my brothers doesn’t mean that Matt didn’t. Maybe he was down here some morning when Pete was sleeping late.
    But before Matt can answer, I feel the heat of someone’s body sitting down close on my other side.
    “What are you two chatting about?” Pete asks, and I swivel around to face him. The goose bumps vanish from my skin.
    “Nothing important,” Matt answers before I can say anything, standing up and brushing the sand from his shorts. He gives Pete a short little nod and a small grin, ceding his spot beside me.
    “He didn’t have to get up,” I protest.
    “He was just being polite,” Pete says. His hazel eyes study my face intently, the crinkles of a smile playing at their corners.
    I shake my head, trying to avoid his gaze. I don’t want Pete to get the wrong idea, even though sitting this close to him reminds me of our night on the cliffs, of the way his arms felt around me. Those are the last things I want to be thinking about right now.
    “So,” Pete says, “did you have fun tonight?”
    “You mean did I have fun robbing the house of a family of innocent strangers?” I say, trying to make my voice sound steady, harsh, disapproving. Trying to mask that fact that I did, in fact, have fun.
    “Well,” Pete says, “you certainly won the boys over, that’s for sure. Hughie over there can’t stop singing your praises.”
    “It wasn’t a big deal,” I say, but I’m smiling. What a strange thing to be so proud of. “Anyway,” I add, “I don’t think it helped me earn any extra points with Belle.”
    “Give her some time,” Pete says, shrugging. “Pretty soon she’ll love you just as much as the rest of us do.”
    I laugh. “I think it’s a little early to say that anybody loves me,” I say.
    Pete cocks his head to the side. “All right, maybe,” he agrees. “But it’s not too early for a pretty serious crush.”
    “Oh really?” I say, gesturing at the crew around us. “The whole gang has a crush on me?”
    “Well,” Pete says, pausing as though he’s thinking hard. “Maybe not the whole gang.”
    I look at my lap. I don’t want Pete to see the smile overtaking my face, no matter how hard I try to will my mouth into a straight line. You’re not here for him , I remind myself.
    But before I have a chance to look up, Pete’s lips brush gently across my cheek, warm and soft as morning sunshine through the fog. Without saying anything, he gets up and heads over toward the cooler they filled with beer, even though there’s no ice to keep it cold.
    I stand up and inch a few steps closer to the fire, reaching my hands out in front of me until they feel hot. Just a few more millimeters and I’d be burning myself, but I don’t back away. On the other side of the flames, Belle is doing the same thing. Suddenly, she takes off her necklace and throws it into the center of the fire, sending sparks flying everywhere. Instinctively, I take a few steps hurriedly back, but Belle holds her ground. She’s laughing, but I’m not smiling anymore.

14
    It’s still dark when I wake up in the morning, too early for even Pete and Belle to be on the water yet. I tiptoe down the stairs, shivering in my bikini, walk out the front door, and get one of my brothers’ boards from my car.
    The board I grab this morning is John’s; it’s the smaller of the two, dark blue with bright yellow stripes running up the sides. I carry it down to the beach like I think it might break, careful not to let it bang against the wooden railing along the stairs. By the time I reach the water the sun has made its first appearance on the horizon, casting a gentle pink light on the ocean. I breathe in deeply, watching the waves crash against the sand one after another. Each time one