Page 170 of Come Break My Heart Again

“She hooked up with you outside a bar last night, Ryder. Unless the sex was bad—which it wasn’t, based on your face—it’s not too late.”

“I thought she didn’t tell you what happened?”

Keira smirks. “Lucky guess. Her hair was down when you two disappeared and up when she came back.”

I shake my head. “Okay. Uh, thanks.”

“If you could not mention this chat to Tuck, that would be great. I kinda promised him I’d stay out of it.”

“What chat?”

She smiles. “Thanks.”

I nod, then continue toward the office where I’m staying now to retrieve the football I brought.

When I get back downstairs, the kitchen is crowded, and the deck is empty. Everyone’s grabbing plates or serving food. My eyes find Elle, standing by the fridge, talking to Juliet.

No matter how long I stare, she doesn’t look this way. Her focus seems purposeful, and I start to second-guess some of what Keira just said.

She couldn’t get away from me fast enough after we had sex. Shut down during the drive to and from the pharmacy, then barely looked at me during dinner.

And she hasn’t mentioned my letter, which is starting to give me a complex. I know she got it. Did she not read it? Burn it? Hate it?

I eat breakfast standing up by the sink since there’s a shortage of chairs. Ophelia comes over to say hi, but Reese and Knox are the only other people who talk to me. Tuck is busy cooking, and Elle continues to pretend I don’t exist.

As soon as I finish eating, Knox asks if we can play football on the beach. I can’t say no to his excited expression, and Reese approves the outing.

Knox and I head toward the deck doors, the football I brought tucked under one of Knox’s skinny biceps. Scout’s been prowling the kitchen floor for scraps, but he follows me over to the door and whines when I reach for the handle.

Elle’s sitting on one of the island stools, five feet away, laughing at something Avery said.

“Elle.”

Her eyes flash to my face the second I say her name, not as oblivious as she was acting. Elle says nothing, just raises one eyebrow expectantly.

“Can Scout go outside?” I ask.

She glances at Knox, holding a football, then the dog at my feet. Nods.

Then looks away again.

We head to the nearby lighthouse, mid-afternoon. It’s a beautiful day, sunny and hot, and it’s a scenic walk along the dunes, dotted with waving beach grass. Barely any traffic passes by, and the salty air smells like freshly cut grass and sunscreen and barbecue smoke.

It feels like summer.

I walk with Mario and Bowen. We talk at the jobsite, but usually about lunch orders or potential drywall problems. During the twenty-minute trip, I learn Mario is saving up to move to California and start his own vegetable farm. Bowen has a girlfriend in New York he’s planning to propose to soon.

The lighthouse turns out to be a popular tourist attraction. Swarms of people fill the grass surrounding the tall, straight structure. I’ve seen the lighthouse before, from the ferry and from driving around the island. It’s much, much bigger up close, towering over us.

Which is the whole point, I suppose. You’re supposed to be able to see it.

The top half is painted red, the bottom half white. Against the blue backdrop of the clear sky, it appears as purposefully decorated for today as Keira’s house.

Signs are scattered along the path that winds to a door at the lighthouse’s base. I pause to read a couple of them, skimming paragraphs about the construction and the upkeep and the lost souls saved at sea by the sight of the structure’s lights.

The door opens into a small gift shop. Juliet is standing right inside the opening, spinning the carousel of postcards. Sheglances up at me and offers a small smile, which I return. Of Elle’s two best friends, I’ve gotten to know Keira better. Mostly because of her relationship with Tuck.

There’s a display of flashing keychains by the register. And one simple metal one that’s shaped like a lighthouse. I buy it impulsively.

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