Page 64 of It's a Love Story

Ruby climbs into my lap and adjusts my bracelet with tiny fingers. “You have to wear it forever,” she says. “That’s how these things work.”

“I will,” I say and mean it.

*

AIDAN AND DANare back by nine, and I imagine they smell like sunscreen and salt. I turn around in my chair and see Aidan scavenging for food. Dan is standing at the open patio door. And I feel it, the ping, like a musical note you’d add in postproduction to emphasize how our eyes meet and how our hearts are about to explode. He smiles a little bit, and I can feel it all over my body. I love him. My heart is sending tiny bursts of energy into my body and out into the world. Centuries of songs and plays have been written about this moment. I feel strangely connected not just to Dan, but to everything. It’s happening now, over breakfast.

Reenie jumps to her feet. “Feeding time at the zoo,” she says to me. She walks into the kitchen and turns on burners and stirs pancake batter. Dan walks toward me and I get up. There would be nothing more natural in the world than to run into his arms at this moment, but I suddenly feel unsure about where we are in this relationship, and we have an audience a few yards away.

He takes my hand and entwines our fingers tightly. “Hi,” he says. There’s a huskiness to his voice that makes me feel sure again. “Did you run?”

“Nope. I ate pancakes and watched your mom read our brilliant script.”

He laughs and takes a step closer to me. “How’d she like it?”

“She didn’t say. How was surfing?”

He takes my other hand. “I thought about you the whole time while my brothers gave me shit.”

This makes me smile so big that I have to look away from his eyes. He squeezes my hands.

“I got a present,” I say and show him my bracelet. He runs his fingers over the beads, and there’s something in his expression that makes me feel like he’s as moved by it as I am.

“Romeo,” Aidan calls. “Bacon’s almost gone.”

We walk into the kitchen not touching. I can still feel where his hands were in mine, and my urge to reach out and press the palm of my hand onto the back of his T-shirt is fierce.

Paula comes out in her pajamas with Katie in her arms and helps herself to a plate of bacon. “You guys are so loud,” she says.

We sit around the table and the ride takes off. That’s how it feels, like we are on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, hands moving forks into mouths, plates being passed. Cormack is punctuating everyone’s gripes with“Let it go! Let it go!”and this makes Ruby laugh. Laughter bounces around and it’s impossible not to get hit by it. So I just strap in and feel it all around me. Dan’s sitting across from me and catches my eye.Ping. There it is again.

Aidan gets up from the table. “Okay, I’ve got to get to work for just a few hours. Finn’s going to text us if there’s any sign of Jack during the day, right?”

“Yes,” I say.

“Well, I’m reading the script,” Reenie says. “I think it’s lovely.”

I smile at her. “Thank you.”

“Are you two going to go to the beach today?” Cormack asks.

I look at Dan, who doesn’t meet my eye. “I’m sort of beached out,” he says. “I am going to need a nap first.”

*

WHEN WE’RE BACKin the room, I am pressed against the closed door with my hands in his hair. It is impossible to get adequately close to him as I press my hips into his. We are kissing so deeply that he lets out a sound that I’m sure the whole house has heard. “Shhhhh,” I say and he laughs into my mouth.

“Tomorrow we can get out of here and go back to civilization where we can be alone.”

“Yes,” I say. “I wish we could stay though. I know it’s a lot here, but.”

He rests his forehead on mine. “Yeah, it’s always a lot, but this time it’s perfect.”

He reaches behind me and locks the door.

*

THE SUN ISpouring into the room, but neither of us wants to get up to pull the shade. It might be two. I am lying with my head on Dan’s shoulder and my hand on his chest, pressing him in place. I’m not sure if he’s asleep or just quiet. He runs his hand up my back and I look up to find him watching me.

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