chest at the thought of a renegotiation. Those windows had to close.
“It must have been the new bed,” Blaire said absently, interrupting Kate’s silent plea with her dad. She turned around and looked at her daughter, glancing at the mug in Kate’s hands. “And you shouldn’t be drinking coffee at your age,” she said before turning back around, ending the conversation.
Kate sighed and looked back down, defeated. She didn’t much like the taste of coffee anyway. So she stood up, pushed the steaming mug away, and stomped out of the room without another word. Her silent protest caused her mom to look over at her, her eyes wide in surprise. But a moment later, she was back to flipping pancakes. It was almost like the argument hadn’t taken place at all.
Upstairs, Kate flopped down on her bed, tears burning in the back of her throat. Her mom was making her favorite breakfast food, and even though Kate was angry, she couldn’t erase the feeling of guilt she had for storming out. She lay there for a minute, relishing in her suffering, and then shifted so that she could look out the window. Kate sat up quickly, noticing a figure dressed in dark colors walking across their private beach. He stopped in the middle of their property and bent to look at something in the sand. Kate stood up, moved closer to the window, and leaned outside, curious to see what he was doing. When the dark figure rose, holding Kate’s glass and ice cream wrapper, Kate smacked her forehead, chastising herself for leaving trash on the beach; she could have gotten herself in a lot of trouble. Without hesitation, Kate rushed out of the her room and back down the stairs, ignoring the fact that all she had on was a sports bra and striped, silky shorts.
Outside, the air was already hot, and it smothered Kate as she made her way across the beach. She walked quickly, eager to explain the misunderstanding; she didn’t want to get fined or something worse. When she got closer to the figure, though, she realized that the guy didn’t look much older than she was. His raven hair was long and shaggy and curled out at the edges. He was tall, with lean muscles that pressed against his slightly tight shirt. He turned to watch Kate as she moved closer to him.
“I accidentally left my glass and wrapper out here this morning. I’m sorry about that. I swear I was going to pick it up,” Kate said as she looked up into the guy’s eyes, noticing their bright, intense color. His eyes were an icy shade of cobalt, an impossible shade of blue that shimmered like icicles. They were framed by dark, long lashes that touched the smooth skin of his cheeks each time he blinked.
The guy responded by handing Kate her belongings without saying anything. His blue eyes just stared into hers, searching. Kate stood there, slightly annoyed with this guy’s lack of words. He should at least acknowledge her apology, even if it wasn’t warranted; however, his silence hung in the air like the summer humidity. They stood there for a moment, staring at each other while the silence consumed them both.
Kate decided that she would be the one to take the high road. She stuck her hand out toward him. “I’m Kate,” she said.
The boy hesitated before taking her hand in his own. His skin was rough and warm, his grip firm. His handshake, though brief, spoke volumes about his character, and Kate could sense his quiet confidence. “My name is Rico,” he said at last, startling Kate.
Kate smiled up at him politely and nodded in acknowledgement. She had thought, for a second, that he would never talk, that they would end up in an awkward battle of eternal silence, but she had been wrong. His voice was deep like her dad’s, soft like warm butter sliding across a fresh pancake. The flutter made her blink. She had to stay focused on their conversation so that she wouldn’t fade into Rico’s eyes.
“You know,” she said warningly, “this is a private beach. You shouldn’t be hanging around here. You could get caught, and I don’t know what the consequences are, but they probably won’t be too good.”
Rico nodded once. “I was unaware, and I apologize for being rude. I’m not from around here, you see. I’m visiting family this summer and thought the beaches had public access points. I can see that this wasn’t one.”
“That’s fine,” Kate replied. Her voice, though steady, sounded weak to her own ears. She shook her head to steady herself. “I’m not from here either. I actually just moved in yesterday. My parents and I are renting this house for the summer, maybe longer. You know, though, the people who live here year-round might not be as nice about you being on their land and stuff.” Kate’s voice trailed off. She silently rolled her eyes. She sounded ridiculous.
A mischievous grin crawled across Rico’s perfect mouth. “I understand completely, and I thank you for your concern. I think I’ll be okay, though, Kate. I can handle an old man yelling at me from his deck.” He winked, making Kate feel self-conscious.
Kate squinted and took a minute to observe Rico. He was dressed in dark colors: dark jeans and a faded black shirt. Kate thought that he could handle a great deal more than an old man just yelling at him from the other side of the beach. He could probably handle a young man yelling and chasing him across the sand. Anyone could tell that he liked to cause trouble by his appearance, and his lazy smile didn’t take away from that bad-boy charm, so why did he feel the need to make fun of Kate for her “concern”?
A faint flush of embarrassment colored Kate’s cheeks a pale pink, and she crossed her arms across her chest in an attempt to gain some form of dignity; she was far too proud to walk away now. “I just assumed that I would help you out since you aren’t from here, Rico,” she snapped, losing her patience.
“And I thought you said that you weren’t from her either,” Rico retorted, that same lazy smile crossing his features. He looked down at Kate, his own arms crossed over his chest as he leaned away from her.
Kate threw her hands in the air, not knowing what else to do. This guy had a way of getting under her skin, much like the heat of this small town, and she hoped that her gesture conveyed her annoyance, and what she hoped was indifference. The last thing she wanted was for Rico to think that she cared about anything he said or did.
Rico glanced at her, a quizzical look on his brow. His smirk faded, but his bright eyes still watched Kate. He seemed to be trying to figure her out, the way his eyes moved back and forth between her grey ones.
Frustrated, and annoyed at her own spark of anger, Kate spoke up. “What?” she demanded. Her voice was stronger this time, but her desperation seeped through, clinging to her question like syrup.
Rico just smiled and shook his head back and forth. His long, raven hair fell across his eyes, and he pushed it away with his hand. When Kate stared up at him, he just shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. There he was, at a loss for words again. Kate’s frustration peaked, igniting a flame of anger in her soul. “Will you just leave my property, Rico?” she asked, her voice low. She couldn’t understand why Rico made her feel so much anger, but she knew she couldn’t let it get the best of her; Kate was at least reasonable enough to see that.
Naturally, Rico didn’t say anything. He turned and left, glancing behind once to see her watching him leave. He offered a devilish smirk before turning away and disappearing over the slope of the sandy expanse.
Kate shook her head and headed back into her new home.
“Who was that boy?” Blaire asked when Kate stepped inside. She glanced at the glass and sandy ice cream wrapper, confusion etched on her face.
“Some kid named Rico that liked taking inventory of the things I accidentally left on the beach. I was going to get them later,” Kate replied as she held up the objects.
“Your father and I are about to leave,” Blaire interjected without really listening. “Please eat something; I left a few pancakes in the microwave for you. We should be back before dinner so don’t eat a late lunch. We plan on going out to eat at the seafood place down the street. It’ll be our housewarming dinner. Sound good?” Blaire picked up her work bag and swung it over her shoulder while she watched Kate put her things up.
Kate nodded absently, still too annoyed with both her mom a
nd Rico to pay attention. She walked over to the microwave, took out the blueberry pancakes, and grabbed some orange juice before sitting in front of the TV. Finding a dramatic reality show about crazy teen parties, Kate settled in to eat her late breakfast. She could feel her mom watching her and felt guilty about being mean. She turned around to say something, but Blaire was gone, and the distant sound of the front door shutting announced her departure. Kate sighed and pressed her back against the cushions of the cream couch, content with losing herself in the pointless drama of rich, rebellious teenagers. It would at least drown out the memories of her first morning in Dolphin Bay, Florida.
2
Kate’s day passed fairly quickly. She spent most of it lounging beside the edge of the water, alternating between reading a good vampire book and taking naps. After realizing that she couldn’t stay outside any longer without burning, she walked upstairs to finish putting her belongings away. She listened to the soft, acoustic guitar of John Mayer while she found homes for her manatee figurines and perfume bottles. By the time her parents came home, at around five o’clock, Kate felt much better. Her long chestnut curls were pulled into a loose fishtail braid and a few loose tendrils framed her