Page 101 of Burn for You

chapter thirty-six

MAY

I walkalong the rock wall that separates Main Street from the turquoise ocean as I make my way towards Nora’s art gallery.

The air is starting to feel a little warmer lately. It’s not warm by any means, but being the start of February, the frosty chill that was floating off the top of the water has eased. The trees are starting to form buds as winter slowly starts to make its exit. I’ve learned the cooler months tend to be a bit shorter in Ruby Cove, like this place kicks the cold weather out, like it doesn't belong here.

The seasons in New York were always such a dramatic change. From sunny days by the beach to ice skating rinks in Central Park and everyone wearing scarves, gloves, and beanies for a month.

Here in Ruby Cove, I’ve noticed it’s a bit more subtle. It’s in the small things. Like the sea breeze carrying a bit of a bite to it, there being a few more leaves in the road gutters, the daisies that start to spring out of the cracks in the pavement when the sun sits a bit higher in the sky again.

Today is one of those days. The sun warms my bare shoulders as I balance my way across the wall, before I jump off once I’m across the road from Nora’s gallery.

I look up and see a handsome figure leaning against the wallof the building. I shake my head as I cross the road. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, did you think I would pass up the opportunity to get something of my own creation into your collection?”

I scoff. “As if.”

He grips my waist and pulls me to him, capturing my lips in a tender kiss. “My mug better be in that collection. I don’t care if it sits in the back of a drawer in your kitchen. It’s in the collection.”

I pat him on the shoulder. “We’ll see how it turns out, shall we?”

I turn around and he smacks me on the ass. I squeal, spinning back around to scowl at him.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t like that. Now get in there, or we’re going to be late.”

I fold my arms. “I didn’t think you were such a stickler for the rules.”

He grabs a hold of my face. “Trust me, I’m not, but if we’re going to be late, it’s going to be for a better reason than us bickering on the street.”

He trails his fingers down my arm and intertwines his fingers with mine, leading me into the studio. Those butterflies kick in again, all because he’s simply holding my hand. It feels so comfortable, so normal, like it’s something that we’ve been doing forever. It feels right.

I don’t know exactly what we are doing here, or what we are to each other. All I know is that I like it.

When we walk into the studio, we’re greeted by Vanessa and Nora, who are standing by the window, staring at us with wide eyes. Rafael’s fingers tighten around mine and it’s just now that I realize they just saw the entire exchange between the two of us through the front window.

Vanessa whips her phone out of her purse and takes a photo of us.

“Vanessa!” Rafael whisper shouts. He moves towards her in what I assume is an attempt to snatch that phone from her hands.

She deposits her phone back in her purse and shrugs. “No one would believe me if I didn’t have proof.” I’m not sure that she’s wrong.

“We would,” two voices speak in unison, and as I look over to where they came from, I see Isla and Caio sitting in front of two pottery wheels. Isla gives us a little wave. Her smile beaming at seeing the two of us together, while Caio just smirks at his best friend.

Rafael inhales to respond, but then Nora is hushing us and pushing us to our spots in front of our own pottery wheels across from Isla and Caio as the instructor begins introducing herself.

Rafael leans over from his spot beside me. “Have you seen the movie,Ghost?” He whispers.

I roll my eyes. “If you try to pull a Patrick Swayze at any point during this class, I’m out.”

He snickers and the instructor casts a stern glare over at us, as if we’re the naughty kids in class. I’m not sure I have a good feeling about this.

“So,” she claps her hands together, “I’d love us all to go around the room and introduce ourselves.”

What is this? A school icebreaker exercise?

Vanessa starts. “Ciao a tutti,hi everyone. My name is Vanessa. I own The Sugared Plum, and I want to make some new cake stands for the shop.”

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