Page 12 of Surfside Sisters

“I don’t have time to be,” Keely answered. “I’m either working or writing.”

“You don’t have to be so pleased with yourself. Come on, let’s go to your house so you can show me some of your fabulouswriting.”

—

Keely was babysitting for the Cronins’ kids when someone knocked on the front door. She hesitated. Both children, Katrina and Kit, were already tucked away, asleep. But she was wary about opening the door even though it was late August and still light. She pulled back a pinch of curtain and peeked out.

Sebastian!

All at once she was so nervous she wasn’t sure she could force herself to move. But she opened the door.

“Hey, Sebastian.” She was good, so calm, so blasé.

“Hey yourself, Keely. Can I come in?”

“No. Sorry. The Cronins don’t want me having friends in the house. How did you know I was here?”

“It was really hard. I called your parents to ask where you were.”

Sebastian had called her parents? What would they think? Keely didn’t even know what she thought!

“I just wanted to see you before I take off for Amherst.”

Keely couldn’t get her breath. “Um…”

“I didn’t bring you anything from Italy.”

Her gift for sarcasm surfaced just in time. “Yeah, because Sherry would love it if you gave me a present.”

“I’m not seeing Sherry anymore.”

“Because you’re going off to college?”

“Yeah. She’s going to Tufts, not so far away. But we both want to take a break.”

“Um…okay.”What did this mean?Keely’s hopes spiraled upward.

“Look. I’d like to talk with you. Just the two of us. I really like you, Keely.”

Her heart stopped beating. Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes met his and for a moment they were the only people in the world.

A car passed by. The spell broke.

“I’d like to talk to you, too,” Keely admitted, her voice faint.

“I have to leave tomorrow. But I’ll come back to the island a lot. Can I text you?”

“Um, I’ve got an old phone…” She almost burst into tears.

“I’ll email you then, okay?”

Had she entered an alternate universe? Her heart galloped like a racehorse. “Sure.”

“I’ll get your address from Izzy.”

“No, don’t. She’d kill me. I’ll tell you. It’s easy. Keely90 at gmail.”

“So I’ll see you at Thanksgiving.”

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