Free Seasons in the Sun by Kristen Strassel Page B

care about what we want.”
    That was the saddest thing I’d ever heard. Tristan was so full of life, how could people just dismiss him like that?
    “I’m your friend.”
    “I know. And it makes the rest of it that much worse, because we have so little time left together.”
    “Do you have to leave?”
    He nodded. “If I stay here, I’ll get in trouble just like I do everywhere else. Look what happened today. I can’t do that to you.” He cupped my face in his hands.
    I wanted to give him a thousand reasons why it would be different. To give him one reason to stay. But could it be enough for him here? Was he right?
    “I’ll never forget what you’ve given me this summer, Callie.”
    He leaned in to kiss me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me up on to his lap. He began working his way down my neck, making me moan as I raked my fingers through his hair and pulled him in closer. Eventually, he fell backwards so I was lying on top of him, his hands holding me tight around my waist under my shirt. I moved my faced down so our lips met again.
    I thought we might kiss until dawn. Tristan finally separated from me, looking into my eyes barely inches away. Then he eased me down, so my head rested on his chest.
    “Get some sleep, Callie.” He softly wound his fingers through my hair, playing with my curls until I drifted off.

Chapter Fourteen
    Even the sun didn’t want to get up that morning. A gray wall of fog and mist hugged the shoreline as we waited in the queue to board the boat. Morning came quick and catching the first boat back to my impending doom was nothing short of a shock to my system.
    I climbed out of the Jeep as soon as we parked and headed up to the top deck. Tristan followed wordlessly. He knew nothing could cut my nerves right now.
    “I got you some coffee,” Tristan had disappeared for a few minutes and handed me a Styrofoam cup with steam escaping from the top opening. Risking burning my tongue, I took a sip right away. It was bitter and watery, cut by non dairy creamer that comes in those little tubs. What is that stuff, anyway? Caffeine was a godsend, or else I would have dumped the coffee overboard.
    “Thanks,” I winced as I braced myself for another sip.
    “Cheers,” Tristan held his cup up for mine to tap. Okay, so that got a smile out of me.
    “It’s going to be all right, Callie.” He seemed to stomach his coffee better than I did, but he didn’t look me in the eye as he said it. He leaned on the railing and looked back at Woods Hole growing smaller in the distance.
    “I shouldn’t have done this,” the panic rose in me again.
    “Maybe not,” Tristan turned to me and smiled. “But I’m glad you did.”
    “I am too,” I slid under his arm and didn’t say anything else for a few minutes.
    “You know,” he finally broke the awkward silence. “I’ve never done that before.”
    “Done what?”
    “Spend the night with a girl and not … do anything.”
    “Oh.” I didn’t know how to react to that. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
    “Not that I didn’t want to,” he tipped my face up so I looked at him. I was glad I had the railing to lean against or else I would have fallen into the ocean for sure. “But it wouldn’t have been right.”
    Again I wasn’t sure what he meant, and I couldn’t form the words to ask him.
    “Someday.” He kissed my forehead sweetly, and pulled me in tighter. We stayed like that, with me still swaddled in his sweatshirt, breathing in his scent, until Vineyard Haven came in to view.
    Reality hit me like a car with no brakes. We had no choice but to deboard the boat. We returned to the car and rode back to our houses in silence. Work and my mother waited.
    Walking into The Magnolia Café was an out of body experience. My bones felt like they were made of rubber. I could barely breathe. Each step took effort. Tristan looked at me as we approached the kitchen door. He squeezed my hand and let go, letting me lead the