Page 15 of Stolen Summer

Bang. Bang. Bang.

I whirled toward the sudden and unexpected disruption, my heart in my throat, and I swore I lost a second of my life. My fingers dropped away from the tee as I gaped at the window. A storm shutter thumped against the side of the house. The wind must have knocked it loose.

I let out a curse before quickly changing out of my uniform into a hoodie and jeans. Tugging on a pair of socks, rain boots, and a waterproof jacket, I snatched Cole’s shirt from the pile and left. Sadie’s chatty voice carried lightly down the hall from Dad’s bedroom. Not wanting to disturb them, I slipped through the kitchen and out the back door.

In angry waves, the ocean churned with turmoil, a blanket of eerie darkness settling in the sky above. The winds were wicked, pushing me around as I moved to the side of the house where my bedroom was. I kept the shirt tucked under my hoodie while I secured the hurricane shutter back in place. This was a stupid idea, but I knew if I wanted to forget about Cole, I had to remove all traces of him. He wasn’t someone I wanted to get mixed up with.

Darkness shrouded the house next door, making it look abandoned as it had been for months. The SUV was nowhere in sight. Perhaps Cole had evacuated after dropping me off. It would be a smart move, and I wondered if we should have done the same, but a glance at the ocean made it clear the window to leave was closed.

The choppy waters were terrifying as my boots sank into the drenched grass. I ran across the yard, going straight for the iron gate next door. I’d been through dozens of hurricanes in my life, and the size of the waves looked as if Poseidon himself raged beneath the waters.

Unlatching the gate, I went to the double glass doors and punched in the security code. This wasn’t my first time sneaking inside the Rileys’ house, but the other day in the pool had been the first time I’d been caught. I didn’t plan on having a repeat today.

I couldn’t say exactly why I started breaking into my neighbor’s house. It gave me an escape I needed and still needed if I was honest. Cole staying here for the summer put a huge wrench into my ritual staycations. I wasn’t some master criminal or hacker. The Rileys just made it too damn easy using their zip code as a key. Rich people were far too fucking trusting.

The amount of shit I could have stolen during my visits would probably get me out of debt, and yet, that wasn’t why I retreated to a house only yards from mine. Inside, the gorgeous mansion made me feel like I lived in another world, one where I didn’t have to count every cent in my pocket.

A dream.

Escaping here for a few hours allowed me to wish and strive for something better. It made me want to bust my ass, finish school, and land a job that would allow me to be comfortable.

I didn’t have designs to be filthy rich.

Just a life with financial ease.

Yes, I broke the law. Yes, I invaded someone else’s space, but I never hurt anyone and never took what wasn’t mine. I didn’t think it made me a bad person.

Perhaps a sad one, even pathetic.

Leaving my boots under the covered porch, I stepped cautiously inside the lightless kitchen. The floors were smooth and glossy, my socks sliding over the surface as I took a few more steps, listening for any sounds of movement.

The Rileys had spared no expense when building. All the appliances were top-notch, commercial-grade quality. Once a month, a maid came in to keep the place spotless. My reflection gleamed in the stainless-steel fridge as I tiptoed past.

The plan was simple.

Sneak inside, deposit the shirt, and let myself back out before anyone knew I was there. Avoidance seemed the best route. Cole would figure it out if or when he came home to find the shirt I’d borrowed from him folded on the kitchen table, but that was part of the fun.

I wanted him to know I’d been inside his house.

This could all backfire on me if he chose to call the cops and report me, but my hunch told me Cole liked to play games. I refused to admit I sort of enjoyed this weird thing between us. Also, I could be reading more into it than there was. It had been too long since a guy piqued my interest.

I got plenty of attention from all the wrong men. Married men. Old men. Too young men. General assholes. It turned me off from dating. Or it could be I refused to settle.

Frankie loved to tell me that if I kept waiting for Mister Right I’d miss out on some potentially great sex. How else were you supposed to know what you liked if you didn’t test the merchandise first? Her words, not mine.

And so Frankie.

I ran my finger along the island’s gleaming marble countertop, bigger than all the counter space at my house. What would it be like to brave a hurricane inside here? I imagined the walls were far sturdier than the frame holding mine together. They probably had some high-tech protection.

Removing the shirt stuffed under my hoodie, I shook it out before neatly placing it on the table.

See you never, Cole.

And yet as I thought the words, a pang of sadness struck my heart.

You’re being ridiculous.

I turned to retrace my steps, eager to get back home and hunker down until the hurricane passed. I’m sure Sadie could use help chopping onions for dinner, a task she detested but I oddly enjoyed. I also ate raw onions as snacks, one of my many weird quirks.

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