Ten Read Free

followed T.J. down the dock. At first Meg thought it was Gunner, but the figure was too tall, too lanky. Someone new.
    “I was afraid you guys had missed the ferry,” T.J. said, slightly out of breath. He wore a beanie cap pulled down low over his ears, covering his closely shaved head, and a peacoat buttoned up to his chin.
    “You knew we were coming?” Minnie threw her hands—shoes and all—around his neck and practically launched herself into his arms.
    T.J. gave Minnie a combination brosive chest bump and back pound, then sidestepped her entirely and moved to Meg’s side. “Of course I knew you’d be here.”
    Meg’s heart thumped so loudly she was convinced everyone within a two-mile radius could hear it. She dropped her eyes to the warped wooden dock to hide her confusion. “Yeah,” she said. “Um, you too.”
    “Hi.” The other guy stood right behind them. “You must be Minnie.”
    He was just as tall as T.J., but thin and lithe where T.J. was muscular and athletic. His vivid blue eyes sparkled as he grinned at Minnie, the ends just crinkling by his temples, which gave his face a puppyish expression. More striking, he had a shock of hair almost as white-blond as Minnie’s. Blonde and blonder.
    Minnie cocked her head. “How did you know who I was?”
    “I heard you’d be the pretty blonde one.” Blondie winked.
    Meg desperately fought the urge to roll her eyes at the nacho-cheesiness of his line, but it was like crack for Minnie.
    “Oh!” Minnie cooed. She glanced at T.J. “Did you tell him that?”
    “Um …” T.J.’s eyes darted to the retreating ferry. “Is it just the two of you?” he said, changing the subject.
    “Yep,” Meg said. “Were you expecting someone else?”
    T.J. shook his head. “We got a call from Mr. Lawrence earlier saying Jessica was going to try to make the last ferry. Apparently she and a bunch of friends got stuck at some school thing today, so they’ll join us tomorrow.”
    “Cheerleading,” Blondie piped in. “Last-minute practice.”
    Now he had Minnie’s full attention. “You’re friends with Jessica?”
    “Er,” he said, flashing a boyish smile. “Something like that.”
    So Blondie was Jessica’s new boy toy? Interesting.
    “Sorry,” T.J. said, slapping Blondie on the back. “I should have introduced you. This is Ben.”
    “No worries, dude.” Ben’s blue eyes landed on Meg. There was something kind of easy and comfortable about him that she immediately liked. “You must be Meg?”
    “Yep,” Meg said. She shifted her feet, suddenly conscious that a house full of strangers must have been discussing her if Ben knew who both she and Minnie were.
    “M and M?” Ben laughed. “That’s adorable.”
    Minnie grabbed Meg’s hand, her attention fixed on Ben. “Besties since we met in the seventh grade.”
    Ben continued to smile at Minnie. “Can I carry your bags?” he asked.
    “Ooh,” Minnie said, glancing at T.J. “A gentleman.”
    T.J. ignored her, and while Ben shouldered Minnie’s bags, T.J. gently tugged on the sleeve of Meg’s coat. “This way.”
    T.J. hurried down the dock, his long strides putting easy distance between them and Minnie and Ben. Meg scrambled to keep up with him. Part of her wanted to stay behind with Minnie, avoiding alone time with T.J. at all costs. But there was something else spurring her on. In that moment when she saw T.J. smile at her, Meg realized how much she’d missed him.
    They walked in silence, though Meg’s mind raced. Should she say something? Bring up what happened on Homecoming night? Try to explain why she bailed on him and beg forgiveness? She wanted to, desperately. But instead she didn’t say a word. As usual.
    She wished it was September and she was already at college in LA away from all this, from everyone who knew her. Somewhere she could start over and not feel like such an awkward spaz all the time.
    T.J. trudged steadily in front of her. As they approached the tree line, she caught