A Shore Thing Page 6

  I shook my head. "That's nothing. Mouse just wanted me to come out and see the Island. That's all it was. And I thought you and Lexie were still together. I thought you wouldn't care."

  Ethan looked me in the eyes. "I care," he whispered.

  I felt like I was melting. I couldn't believe what he was telling me.

  "But..." he paused.

  There it was. But... I knew things seemed too good to be true. "But what?" I asked carefully?

  "But I have to come clean about something." He hesitated a moment. "The other day when you left your phone at work...I read some of your texts."

  "You did?" I asked, surprised.

  He looked down and nodded. I didn't mean to, but your phone buzzed and a message from Becca popped up, asking how things went with 'that guy'. I couldn't help but wonder if I was that guy... so I opened the text and read the other messages from her...about Alex waiting for you and the party at your house. And well... I realized you just didn't feel the same about me. I was just a ...what did you call it? A shore thing?” He sighed. "So, I backed off...and gave you some space." He paused. "But I'm okay with it, though. It's cool if you just want to be friends."

  I looked at him in disbelief. I was quiet for a minute, trying to wrap my brain around this whole thing. "Ok, first of all...not cool to read someone's texts," I said, smiling.

  He shook his head and laughed. "I know, and I'm really sorry."

  "And second of all...forget everything you read. I was so upset when I saw you with Lexie. That's the only reason I said that. And Alex means nothing. I don't even really know him. It was just another one of Becca's schemes, and believe me I'm not following her lead anymore. " I took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "And I don't want to just be your friend."

  Ethan smiled, "You sure?"

  I nodded.

  He leaned closer and whispered, "Well that's good, because I don't want to be just your friend either." He kissed me softly. My heart beat so fast, I thought it might burst. He held my face in his hands and smiled. "So, what do you say? Should we give it another try? Can I take you out tonight?"

  I bit my lip and nodded. I was falling hard. And I knew there was no turning back.

  Lighthouse

  Ethan picked me up at seven that night. I had no idea where we were going, but he told me to wear sneakers.

  He had on khaki shorts and a blue v-neck tee-shirt and his hair was slicked back. He looked so cute, I felt myself blushing when he came in the house to pick me up.

  I smiled. "Hi."

  "Hey, Cappuccino, are you ready to explore the Island? "

  I nodded. "Can you at least give me a hint about where we're going?" I asked.

  He shook his head and laughed. "No hints, I don't want to ruin the surprise. And you're so smart you'd figure it out," he said, grinning.

  "You two have fun," Gran called from the porch, as we climbed into Ethan's car.

  Windows down and warm summer breeze blowing, it was the perfect night. As we were driving down Main Street, he reached for my hand, lacing his fingers through mine.

  We drove for about ten minutes and I knew we had to be almost there, since the whole island is only 18 miles long.

  "Are you taking me all the way to the end of the Island?" I asked.

  He squeezed my hand. "As a matter of fact, I am," he said, grinning mysteriously.

  I laughed. "Should I be afraid? Is this related to your pirate obsession. You're not tossing me overboard are you?"

  He shook his head. "No, you're in very good hands," he said giving me a look.

  I felt myself blushing again and turned to look out the window. That's when I saw the lighthouse.

  "Wow, check it out. That's pretty cool," I said pointing to it.

  "That's exactly what we're going to do," he said, pulling into the parking lot.

  "Welcome to Barnegat Lighthouse, also known as 'Old Barney'. I'm glad you wore your sneakers because it's 217 steps to the top."

  "217 steps? I said, laughing. "No problem."

  "Alright, hot shot, well let's go," he said, reaching for my hand and leading me to the old lighthouse. "Did you know this is the 2nd biggest lighthouse in the United States?"

  I shook my head. "I didn't know that. But I am impressed with all of your information. You're like a fountain of knowledge about this place."

  "It's from all the trips I took here when I was a kid. Every year my Boy Scout troupe came here on a field trip. I thought it was just the coolest place. Wait till you see the view from the top. Come on let's go."

  We started climbing. The old metal steps wound around in a tight circular pattern. We stopped half way up to peek out the window. Ethan stood behind me, his head resting on my shoulder. "Look over there," he said pointing toward the water. "See that fin? That's a dolphin out there."

  I felt his cheek against mine and was filled with a warm sensation. "It's beautiful," I said.

  He grabbed my arm. "Come on let's keep climbing. Wait till you see the view from the top."

  When we reached the top, there was a little walkway and a rail, overlooking the ocean. I stood there amazed by the beauty. The sun was just setting below the water casting a pink glow in the sky. Ethan stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

  "What do you think?" He asked, holding me tight.

  "I think it's amazing," I whispered.

  "Yeah, me too. I'm glad you’re here to see it with me."

  We stood there for a while, just looking out at the water, but then a family with three little boys came bustling up the stairs. The littlest one started running around the rail and the panicked mom was trying to capture him. The older two were arguing and the dad was yelling at them.

  "And that's our cue to leave," Ethan whispered in my ear.

  I looked at him and we both cracked up.

  After we climbed all the way back down to the bottom, I was out of breath.

  "I need a drink," I said, breathing hard.

  Ethan smiled. "217 steps are even worse than they sound," he said. "He led me to a bench overlooking the ocean. "Wait right here. I'll just be a minute," he said, mysteriously disappearing.

  When he came back, he was carrying a basket. "I made us dinner," he said smiling.

  We sat on a blanket that he laid on the sand near the water. Then he pulled out 2 plastic champagne glasses and a bottle from the basket.

  "Sparkling cider for the lady?" He asked, holding up the bottle.

  "Yes, please," I said, holding out my glass.

  "And now for the main course..." He took 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the basket, handing one to me.

  I laughed and took a bite. "You are quite a chef. Thank you."

  Ethan looked down. "Well, I guess you could call this a cheap date," he said laughing.

  I shook my head. "No... I'd say it's a pretty great date."

  He leaned in and kissed me and everything was just right.

  After that he brought me home and when he walked me to the door, he said, "So...uh... do you think we can go out again sometime soon?"

  I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

  He put his hands around my waist and leaned his head close to mine. "Awesome, well what are you doing tomorrow night?"

  "I don't have anything planned," I said looking into his big brown eyes.

  He moved his face closer. "Great, because there's a lot to see on this island, so it looks like you and I are going to have to spend a lot of time together ...if you want a proper tour."

  I nodded, pretending to be serious. "Yes, looks like we have a lot of busy nights ahead of us."

  "We sure do." He kissed me and I felt like I could float away. I just hoped everything could stay this way.

  Fantasy Island

  The next few weeks were a blur. Things were good... really good.

  Ethan and I were inseparable. When we weren’t working at the coffee shop, we were hanging out at the beach or at Gran’s house. He showed me how to surf, at least he tried. I wasn't very good at it, but I sure had fun learning. I showed him how to paint. His painting looked a little like a kindergarten finger painting, but I thought it was sweet how he framed it and gave it to me. And he came to Gran's for dinner. I even tried to cook, but I ended up burning the spaghetti. Ethan didn't complain, though. He just laughed and said, "It takes special talent to burn spaghetti."

  Gran smiled and winked at me. "I agree, special talent indeed."

  That night we decided to go to Fantasy Island Amusement park. I had only been there once before, and I was really looking forward to going with Ethan. We parked on a side street near the bay and before we got out of the car, he grabbed my hand. "Hey, Colby, I just wanted to tell you...these last few weeks have been really great. And I'm so happy you're here."

  I smiled. "Me too."

  On the way in the park, we stopped at the arcade. We were walking by the crane machine, when he stopped suddenly.

  "Hey, look at that," he said, pointing to the stuffed animals piled high behind the glass. Wedged between stuffed bears, zebras, and monkeys, was a little hedgehog holding a heart.

  "Aww... a hedgehog," I said.

  He smiled at me and pulled some coins from his pocket. He must have tried to win that stuffed animal at least 20 times. When he ran out of coins, he got more change from the attendant.

  "It's okay. I don't need it... really." I said, trying to make him feel better. "Those machines are rigged anyway."

  "Let me give it one more shot, " he said, depositing his last coin.

  The claw grabbed the hedgehog, which was dangling by its tail. We both held our breath as the claw slowly dragged it towards the chute. It started to slip too soon, but tipped over the edge and dropped out of the machine.

  I jumped up and down. "You did it," I said, hugging him.

  He grabbed it from the machine and handed it to me. "Anything for you."

  My heart melted.

  We strolled through the park, hand in hand. The soft electric glow of the rides lit up the night sky and a warm wind blew. It was magical.

  The last time I had been here with Darryl, and that was a whole different experience.

  We rode a few rides and saved the Ferris wheel for last, where we got stuck at the top for a moment. I laid my head on Ethan's shoulder, his arm wrapped around me. Atop the ride, we had a perfect view of the ocean.

  "It's so beautiful," I said, staring out at the water."

  Ethan tucked my hair behind my ear. "So are you."

  I smiled and kissed him.

  "Colby, I have to tell you something," he said, staring at me, a serious look on his face.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  "Well... I've only known you for a few weeks... and I know this sounds crazy, but I think I'm falling in love with you."

  I looked into his eyes and whispered, "Me too."

  He kissed me, as the Ferris wheel slowly started moving again.

  I wished I could freeze that moment in time. Everything seemed absolutely perfect, but then we got off the ride.

  That's when we saw them. Lexie and Darryl, waiting in line. What a perfect pair. Darryl still had two black eyes, thanks to a broken nose he received compliments of Ethan.

  "Well, look who it is... the lovebirds," Lexie sneered.

  Ethan put his arm around me, his eyes narrowed. "Lexie and Darryl... you're here ... together. How interesting."

  Lexie scowled. "Yeah, Ethan. Last I checked, the park was open to the public."

  Ethan glared at Darryl. "Yep...even to morons."

  "Look Dude, we don't want any trouble. Let's leave the past in the past," he said, touching his nose.

  Lexie wrapped her arms around Darryl's waist. "Yeah... I mean obviously we've all moved on. There's no need to be childish and hold a grudge. You've made your choices," she looked me up and down disdainfully. Then she smiled at Darryl, "and I've made mine." She kissed Darryl and then glanced back at Ethan. I could tell she was trying to gauge his reaction.

  Ethan laughed. "Well, Lexie... looks like you've found your match," he said, turning to leave.

  "Wait... before you go..." Lexie whipped out her phone. "Since we're all on good terms now... let me get a quick pic of the happy couple." Before we knew what she was doing, she took a picture of us.

  "What the heck, Lexie?" Ethan said. "Put that thing away."

  Lexie looked at him, eyes wide open. "What? Can't I take a picture of my friends?"

  "Yeah... whatever." Ethan shook his head. "We have to get going now. See ya," he said, turning to walk away.

  "Bye, Colby'," Lexie said, smiling a little too sweetly.

  "Uhh ...bye," I said, following Ethan.

  Ethan was grumbling under his breath. "I swear she's following me."

  "Hey, can I ask you something?" I said, as we walked to the car.

  "Sure, what is it?"

  "Did it bother you to see them... you know... together?" I asked, not certain that I wanted to hear the answer.

  He stopped walking and turned towards me. "It bothered me to see both of them... because of how they treated you. I could care less that they are together. They deserve each other."

  "Yeah, you're right. They do," I laughed. "I know Lexie's acting all innocent now, but I can't help but feeling that she's up to something."

  "Yep." He nodded. "Me too."

  We soon found out that we had good reason to be suspicious.

  Snapshot

  At work the next morning, Mouse didn't seem like herself. She had a worried look on her face and was acting kind of strange around me. When we had a break between customers she said, "Sweetie, I have to tell you something."

  "What's wrong?" I asked, growing concerned.

  "Well ...did you and Ethan see Lexie when you were out recently?"

  "Yeah, we just saw Darryl and her at the park last night. Why?" I asked. I was filled with a sudden sense of dread. I knew that if Lexie was involved, it wouldn't be good.

  "And did she take a picture of you guys?" she asked, hesitantly.

  "Yeah...why, Mouse? You're scaring me."

  Mouse slowly took her phone out of her apron pocket and showed me the screen. There was a picture of Ethan and me, his arm around my shoulder and a surprised expression on his face from Lexie's sudden photo assault.

  She had used an app to decorate me. She superimposed my head on top of a lady wearing a skimpy red bikini. She gave me devil horns and a tail and added a pitchfork. Above the photo she added the caption:

  Why is Ethan so surprised? He just found out his new girlfriend is no angel. She's forked more than her share of fellows at LBI.

  I blinked. "Where...where did you get that picture?" I stammered, fighting back tears.

  "Buzz sent it to me today. He wanted me to warn you about what Lexie is saying. I guess she sent it out to a bunch of people." She rubbed my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie. I just don't know what's wrong with that girl."

  I wondered how many people she had sent that picture to and if they believed the awful things she was saying about me. I felt like such a fool.

  When Ethan came in, I could tell by looking at him that he'd already seen the picture.

  "Did she send it to you, too?" I asked, blinking back tears.

  He shook his head. "Even worse...she sent it to my parents."

  I collapsed in a chair, my head in my hands. "Why does that girl hate me so much? I've never done a single thing to her."

  Ethan sat next to me and put his head close to mine. "It's because you're everything that she's not," he said. "You're smart, you're funny, you're kind... and she can't stand it."

  I looked up at him. "What did your parents say when they got the photo?"

  "They asked me if it's true and I told them no way. I told them how Lexie is being so awful to you."

  I sniffed and wiped my eyes. "And did they believe you?"

  He nodded. "Of course." Stroking my hair, he whispered, "Don't let her bring you down, Colby. Don't give her the satisfaction. Anyone who knows you, can see that she's lying."

  Mouse came over. "I never liked that girl. She's such a phony." She paused for a moment, then asked, "You want me to take care of her?"

  I smiled and shook my head.

  "Well, honey. Don't waste one minute of your time on that girl."

  Just then the bell rang, and Buzz walked in the shop. He was holding a single rose that he held out to Mouse. He smiled and said, "How's my favorite birthday girl?"

  "Aww... Buzz, you big lug. Don't go getting all mushy on me," she said, giving him a hug. "Thanks."

  "Birthday?" I sniffed. "I didn't know it was your birthday today. Why didn't you say something?"

  "It's no big deal," she said smiling.

  Buzz said, "Sure it is. It's not every day my favorite little lady turns... uh..."

  Mouse hit him in the shoulder. "Seventeen, Buzz."

  "Right... seventeen." He smiled. "And to celebrate we're taking you out on the town." He nodded to Ethan and me. "Are you guys in?"

  Ethan nodded. "Yep."

  I wiped my nose and smiled at Mouse. "We wouldn't miss it for the world." I just hoped that Lexie was not involved in this night out.

  Then, like he read my mind, Buzz turned to me and said, "Don't worry kid, Lexie won't be there." He winked at me and said, "We've got your back. Any friend of Mouse's is a friend of mine."

  "Good boy, Buzz," Mouse said smiling. "See, I trained him well. That's what happens when you're friends since first grade."

  Buzz smiled. "You bet, kid. So, what do you guys say we meet at Island Pizza at seven?"

  "Yeah, we'll be there," said Ethan.

  When I got home that afternoon, I saw a familiar car parked in front of Gran's house. I swallowed hard.

  My parents.

  I wondered why they were here. They hadn't said anything about coming for a visit. When I walked in, my mom jumped up from the kitchen table and embraced me. "Colby, look at you. You've changed so much in a few short weeks. You look so grown up. We've missed you so much."