Page 76 of The Infiniteness of Yesterday
“He said he got a call and had to leave,” Willa answers, looking at me with concern.
“Oh.” I smooth my hands down my shirt and find my way back to my seat. “That’s too bad,” are the words that come out of my mouth, but inside I’m glad he’s gone.
CHAPTER 23
SPENCER
EIGHT YEARS AGO
Whenever things become too much—feel too overwhelming—I come to the beach. Holding my board under my arm, the ocean water licks my ankles as I head for the shore. I stick my board in the sand and unzip my wetsuit, pulling it down to my waist before I plop down in the sand.
Normally, T.J. would be here with me, but I’m never going to have my best friend laughing at my side again. I keep going over and over in my head, those last days with him and how I wish I would’ve known it was the last time we’d play video games together, the last time he’d pick me up for school, the last time we’d skateboard. I would’ve cherished every moment so much more.
I keep thinking I’ll wake up from his nightmare, but I don’t.
Bringing my knees up, I rest my arms across them and gaze out at the ocean. The sun will be going down soon, and I know I should head home, but I can’t seem to get my legs to work.
I’ll watch the sunset and then I’ll go.
That’s when I see her, standing at the edge of the water dipping her toes in. She laughs as her hair blows in the wind and says something to one of her friends.
She’s so pretty and kind. Smart, too. Whenever I see her it’s like the sun is shining on me. She chases away my shadows and I bask in her warmth.
She spins and when she stops, she’s facing me. Even from the distance, she must feel my stare. She shields her eyes and squints, smiling when she realizes it’s me.
She says something to her friend before heading my way.
Oh, god.
She’s coming over here.
Panic surges through me. I’ve never been nervous around girls before.
Not until her.
“Hey.” She smiles and points to the sand beside me. “Want some company?”
My brain short circuits and all I do is stare at her.
With a laugh, she asks, “Are you okay?”
Shit.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. Yeah, you can sit there. It’s a free beach.”
Free beach? You sound ridiculous!
She sits down beside me and pulls her hair back, securing it with an elastic. A few strands still blow around her face.
“How are you?” The look she gives me—both somehow soft and concerned but also not at all judgmental puts me at ease.
“Not well,” I answer honestly.
“It can’t be easy,” she says, looking out at the water same as me. Closing her eyes, she inhales a breath. “I love the smell of the ocean.”
“Me too.”
She tucks loose strands behind her ear. “I don’t know if I should tell you this or not…” Her voice is soft as she trails off. Grabbing a handful of sand, she lets it sift through her fingers. “We don’t know for sure, but we think Willa’s transplant came from T.J.”
