Page 83 of Catch the Sun

He’s not afraid of the answer because the answer is clear as day, despite what my audible response might be. It’s written into my glassy gaze and the flush of desire on my cheeks. It’s in my shaky limbs and quivering lips. He knows exactly what I wanted it to be and that’s why I’m running.

He also knows I’ll never admit it.

I cross my arms over my chest and look down at the concrete before glancing back up. “I think…I think I want you to take me home.”

Max blinks once, then nods. “Okay. I’ll text McKay that we’re leaving.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

I send a text to Brynn! at the same time and she responds instantly.

Me:I have a stomachache. Too many slushies. Max and I are taking off if that’s okay. Tell your dads I appreciate the invitation for snacks later tonight, but I’m going to head home.

Brynn!:No problem! Is this code for sexy, naked shenanigans? *shifty eyes*

Me:Negative.

Brynn!:Only a matter of time according to EVERYONE in the crowd tonight ;) Text me later!!

Now I have an actual stomachache.

I slip my phone in my pocket and follow Max out to the parking lot a few seconds later. We don’t say much during the hour-plus drive home. He doesn’t hold my hand. Only the playlist he made for me serenades my tumultuous inner thoughts as I stare out the window and watch the sun sink behind the horizon for good.

When I fall asleep that night, Max is there.

Haunting my dreams. Altering my dreams.

We’re riding horses, side by side, galloping down a trail beneath a sky of clouds and blue. He turns to me, the brim of his hat shadowing two crystal-like eyes. “The sun is extra bright today, Sunny. We should try to catch it.”

I glance at the yellow-orange ball of fire in the sky and shake my head. “I don’t know how.”

“Easy,” he says. “Prepare your net and begin at dawn.”

That doesn’t make any sense.

I don’t answer him and look off to the horizon as horse hooves clap against the dusty terrain. There’s where I see Jonah, standing at the edge of a ravine, his mouth moving with words I can’t make out. His copper hair catches the light and a smile shines back at me.

I want to hug him. I want to race toward him, hold him in my arms, and never let him go. But he’s too far away, too out of reach. I’ll never make it before the sun sets and darkness paints the world black. Fighting back tears, I squintmy eyes and stare into the sun before glancing back to where Jonah once stood.

He’s gone.

Some things are too hard to catch, even for me.

Chapter 20

Max

I’ve lost my mind.

Madness has taken over, infecting me with the absurd idea of bringing this shitty house back to life. I’m not entirely sure what came over me in the days since the concert, but I woke up one morning with the burning desire to finish what Dad and I had started years ago. Maybe it’s Ella. She’s allowed me to believe that broken things don’t always need to stay in ruins.

My heart, for one.

And now…this house.

In a passing conversation with my neighbor, Chevy, I mentioned the blossoming idea, thinking he’d look at me like I’d grown a second head. But he didn’t. All he said was, “When do we start?”

I’ve quickly realized that restoration is no joke. It’s hard, grueling, and time-consuming. It’s easier to let something rot away than to restore it.

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