Page 93 of Surfside Sisters

“Well,” Keely said softly, struggling to keep any bitterness from her voice, “it’s not exactlyherisland, is it?”

Sebastian turned and burrowed his head into his pillow. “God, Keely, let’s not fight. I wish you and Izzy were friends again. It doesn’t feel right having you estranged. You don’t hate her because of Tommy, right?”

“Of course not. I don’t hate her at all.”

“I don’t think she hates you, either, Keely. I think she’s jealous of you, because you’re a novelist now. She hasn’t gotten anything published yet. I think she’s given up trying. I know she’s happy with Tommy and she’s crazy mad in love with Brittany. But I don’t think her life is complete without you.”

Keely ran her hand over his back, his beautiful, long, broad-shouldered, muscular back. “Okay,” Keely said softly. “Okay. I’ll think about what I can do…” She lay there quietly a moment, gathering her courage. “Sebastian?” She kept her hand on his back, keeping a physical connection between them. “We’ve all been so worried about your father, so I didn’t tell you, because really, it’s not worth bothering about, but Gray Anderpohl came here for a few days. I didn’t invite him. He came on his own. He had some leave from the hospital. He didn’t stay with me, he stayed at the White Elephant. I took him to a Maria Mitchell gala one night, and he took me and my mother to dinner at Topper’s one night.”

She felt Sebastian’s muscles tense as she spoke, but he didn’t say anything.

“I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. I told him it couldn’t happen between us. He went back to New York the next day.”

Sebastian didn’t speak. He lay so still that Keely was afraid he’d fallen asleep. Could he really be so indifferent to her?

“Sebastian…say something.”

Sebastian turned toward Keely, pulling her against him so that her face nestled against his shoulder. He held her tightly, as a man would who was about to jump from a burning building. “I know you needed to tell me. But no more talk of Gray, okay? I can’t get through this summer without you. I can’t get through my life without you, Keely. I love you.”

Keely smiled and hugged him tightly. “I have been waiting all my life to hear you say that.”

“And what about you?”

“What? Oh, Sebastian, you know I love you.”

“Still, it’s nice to hear.” He took her face in his hands. He kissed her slowly, firmly, for a long time.

“Okay,” Keely whispered. She felt in Sebastian’s body how he was struggling to control his breathing. She sensed his alarm, and she recognized how he calmed himself as he held on to her, not speaking, preserving his pride, not moving but lying pressed against her, making her his, making the two of them one. She held back her own tears. Oh, how she loved this man, and she respected his confession and his need. She would never betray him.

Keely returned home early in the morning. By noon, she’d written so much and so quickly her back ached and she had a twinge in her neck.

She stood up and stretched. At that moment, her phone buzzed.

Juan Polenski. Her editor.

“Keely, how are you?” he asked.

“I’m good. Well, pretty good. Life has gotten complicated here—”

“Sorry to hear that, but I don’t have much time. Listen, I’ve read your first three chapters, and I love them. How soon will you have the revised book finished?”

Keely laughed. “Wait, Juan, give me a moment. Wow, I’m so glad you like the book!”

“So how close are you to the end?”

“Um, I’ve still got a long way to go, Juan. I mean, I only started revising this spring. I’m working on it, but I can’t see finishing it before January.”

“How about November?”

“What?”

“If you get it in by November first, we can rush production through and have it ready for next summer.”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure I can do that.”

“I know you can do it, Keely.Poor Girlcomes out in July. We needSun Musicfor next summer. Readers want more of your books.”

“Good to know! It makes me want to get back to work.”

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