A Desire So Deadly

  “Where’s your boyfriend?” Soleil asks. “This party’s a bust. I need something pretty to stare at.”

  I laugh. “You know Ezra. He’s probably making plans for an after-party already.”

  “Always liked that guy.”

  Across the sand, I notice a darkened figure coming toward the fire. I lean forward to see who it is. The silhouette is long and tall, and I don’t recognize her at first. When the amber light hits her face, I’m surprised to see the girl I gave a ride to this morning. But I’m even more surprised when Ezra walks up to her and starts talking like they’ve known each other forever.

  “Who’s she?” Soleil asks, tipping her cup toward Lucy.

  “A new girl in town. I gave her a lift to the Cordova Apartments today. I’ll be right back.” I start toward Ezra and Lucy, the cold sand sifting through my sandals. The air is crisper the farther from the fire I get. Neither seems to notice me, but then Lucy turns suddenly like she expected me to be there. I stop. A chill runs over my skin.

  “Hey, Claire,” she says. At the sound of my name, Ezra looks over, all smiles. “This is a really cool spot,” Lucy continues. “Hope you don’t mind if I crash.”

  “Of course not,” I say. “I’m sorry I didn’t mention it earlier. Surfing concussion.” I look between her and Ezra. “Do you guys know each other already?”

  Ezra grins. “Nope. I like meeting new people, though.” Ezra has always been kind of flirtatious, but not in a way that makes me jealous. He really is just friendly.

  “Lucy, this is my boyfriend, Ezra. Ezra, this is Lucy—she moved here from . . .” I pause, forgetting what we’d talked about earlier.

  “Thistle, Arizona,” she says. “Shitty little town. But it’s full of some great people. Anyway”—she shoves her hands in her pockets—“mind if I grab a drink?”

  “I’ll walk you over,” I reply. Ezra says he’ll catch up with us later and returns to his buddies, who immediately eye and whisper about Lucy. I can tell Ezra’s proud to return with information. He and Soleil are similar in that way.

  “Your boyfriend seems nice,” Lucy says as we head to the Gatorade cooler filled with juice and vodka. “Been together long?”

  “About eight months.” I pull a plastic cup from the sleeve and hand it to her. I don’t feel like drinking tonight. “My friend Soleil and I were at the beach one day, and Ezra hit me with a Frisbee.” I smile, watching as Lucy fills her cup. “He came over to get it, and once we started talking . . . I don’t know; we clicked. Became inseparable.”

  “You’re lucky,” she says, taking a sip and wincing at the taste. “I haven’t met a decent guy in ages. Just think, if that Frisbee had been a little off course, he might have ended up with your friend.”

  I furrow my brow, never having thought of it that way. I glance back at Soleil, who’s staring at the ocean, looking bored to tears. “Hey, want to meet her?” I ask Lucy.

  “Maybe in a few? I think I’m going to have Ezra introduce me to a couple of his guys.” She pauses. “If you don’t mind.”

  I laugh. “I’ve never been the possessive type,” I tell her. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Lucy bites on her lip like she’s nervous and then turns to walk over to where Ezra is standing. It’s only a minute before Luke and Kevin are laughing at something she said, clearly impressed with Lucy. I’ll admit I am too. I expect Ezra to look over at me, but he doesn’t. He seems content in playing matchmaker.

  “Friend of yours?” a soft voice asks. I spin, startled, and see the new guy from my philosophy class standing a few feet away. He nods in Lucy’s direction.

  “Uh.” I glance at Lucy but then shake my head. “Not really. Just met her today, actually. You?” It hadn’t occurred to me that they may know each other, but now I have a sudden dread that she’s his girlfriend (or ex-girlfriend). Two strangers in one day is pretty odd.

  Harlin brushes a strand of hair behind his ear, studying my reaction. “Nope,” he replies.

  His voice is tender, like a song whispered in my ear. His black leather jacket is worn, a bright white T-shirt underneath. When he runs his hazel stare over me, I think he might be the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. I dare to take a step closer. “How—” I clear my throat, anxious in a way I didn’t expect. “How did you know about the bonfire?”

  “Your friend Sarah told me.”

  “Who?”

  Harlin pauses, then chuckles quietly to himself. “Sorry. I meant Soleil. She invited me before class.”

  I can’t believe Soleil asked him and didn’t tell me. She obviously left out some important details from our chat. I wonder what else they talked about. Lucy’s laugh echoes, and I turn to watch her. Harlin comes to stand next to me, his shoulder nearly against mine. I have a sudden and irrational wish to touch him, and my stomach flutters at the thought. He smells like leather, like comfort, and I can barely catch my breath as I look at him.

  “I’m Claire,” I say. Harlin offers his hand, polite and genuine. I slide my palm into his, and when we touch, a shock of electricity shoots up my arm, making me jerk back.

  Harlin freezes, staring down at his still-outstretched hand, his lips slightly parted. Even in the firelight, I can see the blush rising on his cheeks. He doesn’t say anything at first, but then he lifts his gaze. He smiles, slow and sexy, and in that instant, I come to life. My entire body warms.

  “Hi, Claire,” he says softly. “I’m Harlin.” I can still feel the tingling in my fingers, and I have to wonder if anyone has ever felt this way after first meeting someone. It’s like I’ve just dropped from the top of a roller coaster. Harlin motions to my hair. “That shade of red is really pretty on you.”

  I inspect the ends of my hair, mostly to fidget. After thinking about him all day, it’s surreal that the new guy is hitting on me. I should tell him I have a boyfriend, should go back to Soleil. Instead I thank him, opting to stay a little longer.

  Near the fire, Kyle Rampert takes out his guitar and starts strumming, and I know that it’s only a matter of minutes before Ebony Campolla will join him, singing in her raspy voice. When she does, the entire night takes on a romantic quality. I’ve lost track of Ezra, who’s walking around the party with Lucy like he’s her tour guide. But in this moment, I don’t feel like I’m here with Ezra. Not anymore.

  “Why did you really come here?” I ask Harlin, braver with each passing moment. “This doesn’t seem like your scene.”

  “It’s not,” he replies. “Will it embarrass you if I’m honest?”

  I laugh. “Probably.”

  “I hoped you’d be here.” A shiver races down my back. “I wanted to meet you.”

  “Oh.” I look down, putting my fingers on my lips to disguise the smile I can’t hold back. “Well . . . that is embarrassing.” We both laugh, awkward even though the flirting is exhilarating at the same time.

  I’m about to ask him if he wants a drink when I hear a splash from the water. At first I think it’s a fish, but there’s a nagging in the back of my mind. Ebony is still singing, but underneath that is a hum I can’t seem to make out. I turn, facing the dark water and studying it, waiting for something to surface. Anxiety begins to twist around my gut. It’s not right—the feeling in the air is not right.

  “Someone’s in the water,” I say to myself at first. And then louder: “Someone’s in the water!” I can’t see anything, but I know. I know that someone’s drowning right now.

  I rush past Harlin toward the water, my sandals flipping off as I dig my toes in the sand to get traction. I hear the pounding of footsteps behind me and then Ezra is crashing into the waves with River right behind him. They’ve both been lifeguards, and I clasp my hands in front of me as they bob in and out of the water, calling to each other.

  The party has stopped, everyone looking on in confused curiosity. But I feel dread winding through me, much like earlier with Tanner. Oh no. Is it happening again? A splash of cold water runs between my toes and startles me. Suddenly my an
xiety is replaced with a steady calm.

  “What’s going on?” Lucy appears next to me and loops her arm through mine like we’ve been friends forever. “Is someone in the water?”

  “I think so,” I murmur, and lean into Lucy as we watch River and Ezra search the ocean.

  “It’s dark out there,” Lucy says. “We should grab flashlights for them.”

  I turn to her, waking slightly as I think that she’s right. “That’s a really good idea,” I say, and we dash back toward the coolers. There’s always a pile of flashlights for the walks back to the cars. I grab one and then toss another to Lucy. A small crowd has started to gather at the water, a frenzy running through the party as everyone tries to determine who exactly is missing.

  Ezra emerges from the water with a loud splash, and I steady the light on him. “I’ve got her,” he coughs out, his arm wrapped around the neck of a girl as he begins to wade toward shore. River goes over to meet him, and then together they drag the girl to land, her black hair hanging over her face, her toes dragging in the sand. They set her down, and Ezra listens for her breath before starting chest compressions. My brother gives me a dire look, like he’s afraid she’s already dead.

  It’s Francesca Roberts, the new girl—the old new girl. Soleil comes over, and we’re both terrified. Next to me, Lucy shakes her head in disbelief. Just then Francesca sputters up some of the ocean and convulses before turning on her side to gag.

  “Jesus,” Ezra says, running his fingers roughly through his hair. River covers his face, relieved, before getting to his knees to help Francesca sit up. I’m so glad he was here to help.

  The crackling of the bonfire is the only sound besides Francesca, who continues to struggle to get a clear breath. When she finally does, my brother can barely contain his anger.

  “What were you thinking?” he asks, shivering in his wet clothes. “Why would you go out in the water?”

  Francesca glances around at us, her eyes black orbs of smeared mascara. “I don’t know. I just . . . walked out there.” She shudders in a breath and starts to cry. “I don’t know why I did it. I almost drowned.”

  River puts his arms around her and then helps her to her feet. Soleil grabs a blanket from the sand, shaking it out before wrapping it over Francesca’s shoulders.

  I turn to Lucy, ready to say that nothing like this has ever happened before around here, but I see she’s not looking at Francesca at all. She’s staring across the sand to where Harlin is standing, glaring at her. I look between them, confused, but then Ezra takes my arm, startling me. His fingers are like ice, and his teeth chatter. My worry spikes, and I hug myself to him.

  “You’re freezing,” I say. I rub my hands over his arms to warm him, but his clothes are dripping with seawater, his entire body shivering. “Let’s go,” I tell him, taking his elbow to pull him toward the cars. He’s not talking, his blue eyes wide and slightly dazed.

  “See you around,” Lucy says as we pass her. Ezra stammers out a good-bye. “I’ll stop by the bakery sometime,” she adds when I look at her. I feel bad just leaving her behind, but it’s obvious that Ezra needs to get home. I tell my brother I’ll catch up with him later.

  On the way out, I shoot a glance at Harlin. He watches me lead Ezra toward the car, and I’m not imagining the hurt in his expression. I think he just realized I have a boyfriend.

  At the car, I hug Ezra once again, thinking that he’s not just cold—he’s in shock. I help him into the passenger side and then take his keys to drive. I get a little perspective on things again. I’ll forget about Harlin, who I hardly know anyway. I’ll ignore what happened at the bakery with Tanner, what happened just now at the beach. I don’t want to know things I shouldn’t. I just want to be Claire.

  I’ve almost convinced myself that everything is back to the way it should be when I hear Ezra murmuring absently, like he’s repeating a song stuck in his head. It’s when I catch what he’s saying that the dread returns. “Go for a swim in the ocean.”

  Chapter 4

  It’s Saturday afternoon, and I’m stuck at work, sitting behind the counter at the bakery. It’s completely deserted, but I’m keeping myself busy checking Facebook and other updates on Francesca. There’ve been a few stories circulating about her near-drowning, ranging from a drunken party foul to a suicide attempt. But my friends and I have known Francesca for a long time, and I just don’t believe she would walk out into the ocean at night and let herself get swept away.

  The bell on the door jingles. “Welcome to—” My heart jumps, and I have to bite back my smile. Harlin looks genuinely surprised to see me and quickly combs his fingers through his hair. The small gesture is adorable, and I twist the end of my ponytail as he approaches.

  “Well, hello,” I say with a little laugh. “How did you know where I work?”

  Harlin lifts his eyebrows. “Would you believe this is a coincidence?” I shrug, hoping it’s not. Hoping he’s here for me. “Honestly”—he flashes that knockout smile—“I’m just here for a coffee. But seeing you—that’s definitely a plus.”

  “Charmer,” I tease, even though I am, in fact, completely charmed. For a moment, the rest of the world is just a blur around us. There’s only me and Harlin. But then the phone rings, snapping me back to reality. “Hold on,” I say, and cross to the end of the counter.

  “Costas Bakery,” I say into the phone, glancing over my shoulder at Harlin. He’s staring up at the menu like he’s contemplating his order, but I’m still not totally sure this is a coincidence. Then again, I could be reading too much into it.

  “Hey, Claire,” Ezra says on the line. I turn quickly around, guilt crawling over me. “How’s work?”

  “Good,” I say, lowering my voice. “How’s home?”

  “Boring. Are you almost done?”

  “Uh . . . yeah. My mom’s at the store, but I can leave when she gets back. I’ll come see you after my shift?” Harlin’s presence on the other side of the counter is a magnetic pull, something I can’t seem to ignore. I pivot slightly and see him scrolling through his phone. As if sensing me, he lifts his eyes to mine. We both smile.

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you then,” Ezra says, drawing me back. I murmur a good-bye and hang up, but for an instant I stand there, wondering what’s wrong with me. I haven’t actually done anything wrong . . . but it sure feels like I’m about to.

  “I’ll just have a black coffee,” Harlin says to my back. Does he know I was talking to my boyfriend? Is he jealous? Does he have a right to be?

  “Sure.” I pour Harlin’s drink in a to-go cup even though he didn’t ask for one. The longer I’m around him, the more comfortable I feel. The more I like him. I should probably squash this flirtation right now.

  “I really didn’t know you worked here,” Harlin says, taking the cup from my hand. “I wanted a coffee, and when I rode by . . . I had to stop.” He takes a tentative sip.

  I wait to hear if the coffee’s okay and use the moment to look Harlin over. He should probably shave. I bet he’d be stunning all cleaned up, although this rough-around-the-edges thing works too.

  “Do you want a cupcake?” I ask, my urge to rush him out fading.

  “You wouldn’t happen to have a bacon maple bar, would you?”

  I scrunch my nose. “What? No. That sounds disgusting.”

  “It’s good. I’ll have to take you for one sometime.”

  Butterflies. “Where?”

  Harlin grins. “Portland.”

  “Pretty long day trip.”

  “We could stay the night.”

  I laugh, taking a step back because it feels like my face is about to catch fire. I quickly tap the keys of the cash register as Harlin relaxes against the counter, studying my reaction. I didn’t say no.

  “Dollar fifty,” I say, trying to steer us to polite-strangers conversation. It doesn’t work, though, not when he’s watching me like that. And since we’re both back to grinning like idiots, I decide I have to be clearer. “I can??
?t run away with you.”

  Harlin pauses to pull out his wallet, handing me a few bills. When he looks at me again, he seems amused by my directness. “Sure you can.”

  The bakery door flies open as my brother strolls in for his shift, Soleil talking animatedly beside him. I’m suddenly nervous they’ll be able to see the attraction between me and Harlin, which in itself isn’t a huge deal. But it will mean torture later when my brother has a new way to embarrass me. Harlin glances over his shoulder, and River stops short, quickly looking between us.

  “Where’s Mom?”

  “Store.”

  “Interesting. And who’s this?”

  “That’s Harlin,” Soleil answers for me. She takes a seat at the nearest table and makes a kissy face to Harlin’s back. I laugh and shake my head for her to stop.

  “Right,” River says. “I saw you at the bonfire last night.” He looks at me. “And I believe the two of you were together then, too. Hm . . .” He presses his lips in mock suspicion. Kill me now, please.

  I turn to Harlin, nonchalant as possible. “I’ll see you at school on Monday,” I say, swiping a white rag over the counter even though it’s not dirty. I try not to stare, I honestly do, but when Harlin’s eyes meet mine, I’m once again swept up in the feeling I have when I’m around him.

  “I can’t wait,” he murmurs, and lifts his coffee in thanks before turning and heading toward the door. My heart sinks. I really don’t want him to leave. Which is exactly why he has to.

  River tsks, shaking his head slowly. “What would Ken think about you flirting with one of the Outsiders?”

  “I wasn’t flirting,” I say. “But even if I was, Ezra would understand that talking with an attractive guy isn’t the same as running away with him on his motorcycle.”

  “He has a motorcycle?” Soleil asks.

  I pause, furrowing my brow. Does he? “I don’t know,” I murmur. “I’m not sure why I said that.”

  “Uh, maybe you’re fantasizing a little much here, Claire,” River responds. He exchanges a playful look with Soleil.