Page 75 of Songs of Summer

She hugged him goodbye. He hugged her back. As he broke away, she held him a little tighter.

“Bye,” he said, the single word caught in his throat.

“Bye,” she said, barely audibly.

Even though every second away from Jason waiting alone in the room felt cruel, she took a beat to watch Matt descend the stairs. Her stomach dropped as he left her sight, and it plummeted further when she realized she might never see him again.

Jason, who could read her better than anyone, sensed her melancholy on her return. Maggie, as she reminded herself, would never do anything to hurt him, and she doubled down on making sure they were good before explaining everything that had happened. She told him the basics, including a very G-rated version of the bakery scene. She responded to his uneasy look, promising, “It was nothing, Jason, absolutely nothing.”

Who am I trying to convince, him or me?

“OK, but how would you feel if the tables were reversed here?” Jason asked, employing his trademark calm and logical debating tactics.

“Awful”—she touched his cheek with the back of her hand—“but luckily you are not me.”

Jason was the most cool-headed, pragmatic person she’d ever known. Even so, it was a lot to take in. He quickly dismissed the whole fake-dating thing as a means to an end and homed in on his greatest concern after hearing the goings-on over the past few days, which was:

“No offense, Maggie, but your family is fucked up beyond comprehension.”

She laughed. It was better than crying.

“You must be starving,” she said.

“I am.”

“Let’s get out of here. There’s a place with good fish tacos down the block.”

“You’re sure you don’t want to try something new?”

They exchanged a knowing smile.

She never wanted to try something new. She had miso soup and a California roll from the Japanese restaurant next to the record shop nearly every day for lunch. Maggie was a creature of habit.

For the first time, as they walked to the Salty Pelican, she questioned why that was.

Track 34

Ocean Eyes

The Lifeguard

It only tooka few seconds after the dark-haired girl with his blue eyes had left the bar with Matthew Tucker, two nights earlier, for Chase to realize the missed opportunity. He’d only needed to ask to see her ID, and date of birth, to have the proof he needed. He had never been one to think on his feet, unless there was a surfboard under them, but he was really kicking himself for missing that one.

And asking Beatrix Silver about her only confused him more. It was as if she didn’t know their daughter was on the island. He was beginning to think he had imagined the whole thing until she walked in again, with another guy.

This girl takes after me in more ways than just eye color, he thought, laughing to himself.

“Two menus, please, and two tequila and sodas with lime,” the guy ordered for them both.

“ID?” he asked, as he placed two menus in front of them.

They both complied. He barely looked at the guy’s, but studied the woman’s.

“Date of birth?” he quizzed her, as he did when someonelooked underage. This time he was just stalling, committing it all to memory.

“Really,” she laughed. “I’m thirty, and I was here the other night, drinking.”

He raised his eyes at her in an “Answer the question, please” way.

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