Page 50 of Again, In Autumn

David claps his hands after guiding Grayson into the car. “All right, everyone in. The neighbors haven’t left yet but there’s only three of them, so they’re bound to get ahead of us.”

I say, “Calling them ‘the neighbors’ sounds like they’re the ominous stalker family in a horror movie.”

He thinks on that. “Well, we don’t actually know them that well.”

Francesca says, “According to Vienna, we’re all strangers ready to push someone off a cliff.”

“So, watch your back,” I reply.

Caroline and Kate climb in after Grayson, and Francesca buckles up in the passenger seat. I stand on the outside of the open van door, looking at the blank space beside Alice’s car seat. A bucket seat should go there. It’s missing. Everyone else is settled in the back.

I gesture to the opening. “It looks like I’m staying here after all.”

Francesca turns around. “Ah, shoot, I forgot we took that out to fit the cooler.”

“Go grab a ride next door,” David suggests, turning the car on.

“I’ll go!” Kate announces.

“No,” Francesca snaps. “The way you came on to him yesterday – no way. You’re practically a predator.” She rolls her eyes. “Vee, go next door.”

I say, “Really, I’m happy to stay.”

“This is a family vacation,” she urges. “I’m asking you for this one thing. I never ask you for anything. Come hiking with us. It means so much to the kids. Right guys? You want Auntie Vee to come hiking, right?”

Crickets from the back row.

She waves her hand dismissively. “Anywho, you’re not getting out of this.”

Too late, anyways. David’s already standing half out of the van, hands cupped around his mouth, calling across the yard, “Hey! Can we send someone to ride with you?”

I listen to Diego’s agreement, keys jingling, doors opening.

Fran ducks her head and asks me, “What’s the big deal?”

The thought of being in a confined space with Adam makes my stomach hurt.

We once took his old red truck out for a drive in the middle of the night. He didn’t have to sneak out from his parents, but Heddy had a strict curfew, so we went up the street with the lights off at a crawling speed, more for the thrill of the secret than anything.

He’d slid me tightly to him when I sat too far away in the passenger seat, no gears or levers to get in the way.

“Smooth move,” I joked. His right arm curled around my shoulder.

“One of the perks of this hunk of junk.”

The truck rolled quietly down the silent street until we reached a stop sign.

Adam turned his head and tilted his chin toward me. “God, you’re pretty in the moonlight,” he whispered.

“There’s no moonlight,” I whispered back with a half-smile. “It’s a new moon.”

“I’m bad at science,” he said. “But you’re definitely glowing.”

“Layers of sunscreen.”

He smiled. “Maybe it’s my luminous reflection bouncing off of you.” His warm hand reached around for my chin and drew me in for a kiss.

When we pulled back, I murmured, “So, you’re the sun and I’m the moon?”

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