And I didn’t think I’d wonder; I thought it would be easy to forget about both interactions.
It hasn’t been easy—but I shove all thoughts of her away as I order a large iced coffee and leave the coffee shop. This is the one weekend I’ll have all summer to not worry about football or have to work. The last way I want to spend it is thinking about a girl from Alleghany.
Three hours later, I park in a clamshell driveway behind a shiny Audi. It’s close to ten, even later than I hoped to arrive. Traffic coming here was terrible, which I should have anticipated, with it being a holiday weekend and all. I grab my duffel from the backseat and climb out, stretching after the long drive.
I can’t see the beach, but I can smell it. A cool, damp breeze is blowing off the water, carrying a salty tinge that I can taste on my tongue.
The porch stairs creak as I walk up them and reach the screen door. The paint on the white frame is faded and chipped in spots, contrasting with the gray wood shingles covering the side of the cottage.
I knock once, absorbing the sound of laughter and chatter echoing inside. Parker told me his cousin was coming and inviting a friend, but aside from that, it would just be me and him staying here over the long weekend. It sounds like there’s a minimum of thirty people inside.
Another knock goes unanswered.
I pull the screen open. It creaks, but the sound is mostly muffled by the noise inside. The entryway is small. I cross it in a couple steps and walk inside what appears to be a living room. It’s crammed with at least twenty strangers. I push my way through the crowd and head into the kitchen.
It’s a long, narrow room with appliances at one end and an eating nook on the opposite end. There’s a sliding door on the far wall that leads out to an attached deck, which is just as packed as the living room was.
The kitchen has more breathing room. Enough to look around and spot Parker leaning against the wall talking to two girls. One has shoulder-length, dark brown hair. I’ve never seen her before.
I’m expecting to think the same about the blonde standing next to her…but I don’t.
I thinkFuckinstead.
Natalie Jacobs spots me a few seconds after I see her. She strikes me as the type of person who’s good at schooling her emotions, but I catch the shock and annoyance flash across her face before she returns to looking casual and collected.
It’s a strange sort of irony, how I was thinking about her earlier and now here she is. At least atDaily Grind, I was prepared to see her again. I haveno ideawhat she’s doing here. I guess it’s possible her family has a summer place on the Cape. I’ve heard some families in Alleghany do. And based on my online research, she’s rich.
I haven’t seen Parker since freshman year ended about six weeks ago. As I approach Parker, it’s surprisingly difficult to look away from Natalie and focus on the reason I’m here.
“Liam!” Parker greets me enthusiastically before pulling me in for a hug. “You made it! I was getting worried.”
“Yeah, sorry. Traffic was terrible.”
“I figured. I was going to call you but got distracted.”
“No kidding.” I glance out at the deck, which is also packed with people, ignoring the two girls standing close by.
Parker grins. “Called a couple of friends. They called a dozen people. You know how it goes.”
“Yeah, sure.”
I don’t. I’ve never thrown a party in my life.
“This is my cousin, Tessa. Tessa, this is Liam.”
The brunette gives me a small wave with her free hand. The other palm is holding a bottle of beer. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from Parker.” She smiles.
I smile back, the prickling sensation of eyes on me crawling up and down my back.
Tessa glances at the blonde standing next to her, and it’s a strange relief to let my gaze follow hers. To let my eyes look where they want to land. “Liam was Parker’s roommate at Arlington,” she tells the blonde.
“Yep. I knowexactlywho Liam is,” Natalie says. “Glad I haven’t had the chance to grab a drink yet.”
My eyes narrow. It’s at the tip of my tongue to ask her if she’s visited the local police station yet. But before I can decide if I want to escalate things, Parker asks, “You guys know each other?”
Natalie and I say “No” at the same time.
Parker’s forehead wrinkles with confusion. “Okay…but you do?”