Page 62 of Catch the Sun

It’s her own rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon,” and I think she’s really trying to be annoying. Voice cracking, lyrics jumbled, Ella leans over, crooning right into my ear, giving me the performance of a lifetime. Goose bumps pucker my skin as her breath tickles my earlobe with every bum note.

She snorts a laugh. “Is it working?”

My head tilts, our faces inches apart. I memorize her smile because it’s such a rare, fleeting thing. All I say is, “I’m definitely awake.”

“Good. I’m just getting started.” When she forgets the rest of the lyrics, she moves on. “Did you know there’s a species of fungus known asOphiocordyceps unilateralisthat infects ants, takes over their bodies, and turns them into zombie ants? You should Google it.”

I shudder. “No, thanks.”

“Google it, Max. The ant clamps onto plant foliage using its mandibles and then it dies. The fungus erupts from the back of its head, growing into a stalk that releases spores to infect the other ants below.”

“Jesus. I’m never Googling that.” She does it for me, tapping away at her cell phone and shoving horrifying pictures in my face. “What the hell, Ella?”

“I’m trying to keep you awake. You’ll never want to go to sleep again.”

“Correct. You’ve made sure of that,” I grumble, swatting at the phone still waving in front of my eyes. “The irony is I’ll be up every night with nothing to do, so I’ll be forced to climb through your window. And, in turn, I’ll be keepingyouawake.”

“You know what else is ironic?” she chirps.“Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia means the fear of long words.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh, soaking up that revelation. Then a burst of laughter falls out of me and my head falls back to the headboard. I wince. “Where do you learn these things?”

She shrugs. “Never minimize the power of being a loner and a nerd.”

“Well, no need to be a loner anymore. You have me.”

“True. Oh, we could arm wrestle. I’ve been practicing with my left arm.”

I chuckle. “Nah. I’m not bored.”

“That’s valid. You’re far too annoyed to be bored right now.” She does a little hand maneuver like a makeshift bow. “I’ll be here all night.”

My chest fills with gentle warmth as I inhale a deep breath, almost like I’m drinking in the air of a sun-kissed morning. I send her a sideways glance, my tone softening. “I’m really grateful for that.”

I don’t fall asleep that night but Ella does.

She drifts away, her head lolling onto my shoulder as the night presses on and the hours tick by. The only thing that moves is my heart. My muscles are stiff and tight, but my heartstrings are pliable, the beats skipping and alive. The sensation is as rare as her smile.

When the sun crests, I slip away from her, carefully inching myself off the mattress. She doesn’t rouse. Doesn’t wake. She looks like an angel as she sleeps, haloed by the rising sun. I climb back out the window the moment first blush spills into her bedroom, coloring her orange walls with splashes of gold.

Before I turn to leave, I peer through the glass, glancing at her dream-stolen face as she lies propped up against the headboard, her head tilted slightly to one side where my shoulder once was. The smallest smile paints her lips and I wonder where she is.

Fishing on the Great Lakes and cooking pink salmon over a firepit.

Watching a sunrise from the open fields of her very own horse farm.

Lying underneath the stars as the northern lights dance across the sky.

Riding her favorite horse.

She’s galloping free with the wind in her hair and the sun on her skin, that smile beaming, burdenless, and bright.

One day, maybe…we can ride together.

Warmed by the thought, I traipse back home and sneak in through the patio door, feeling utterly restored.

Chapter 15

Ella

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