Page 65 of The Rebound
“Dad told me he passed your name onto someone?” he asks.
“He did. It was really good of him.”
“He has a soft spot for you. I think he was even prouder than your parents when you left. You hear from anywhere else yet?”
I shake my head. “I did get rejection number ten last night though.”
“Ten’s not that many.”
“Those are just the people who got back to me.”
He grimaces as we lower the bag onto the sand. The others are busy adding to the bonfire and besides a lone dog walker in the distance, we have the place to ourselves.
“When does your course finish?” I ask to change the subject. “It must be soon.”
“Soon enough. I have my final exams in July. Another placement before that. Then that’s it. I’m hoping it will all be worth it.”
“It will be,” I say automatically. “Hard work pays off.”
“A bit of that American confidence shining through there.”
“Sorry.”
“No, it’s good,” he says with a laugh. “I need it. Sometimes it feels like I’m a step behind everyone. I’m the oldest person on the course by about six years.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Ah, I know. But this is the time when I’m supposed to be settling down, right? Not catching up with everyone else. It’s…” He trails off, almost like he remembers who he’s talking to.
“What?” I ask, teasing. “Sad? Pathetic?”
“I didn’t mean—”
“It’s okay. We’ll be pathetic together.”
“You’re not pathetic.”
“Just you then.”
He laughs as a cheer goes up around the bonfire and we turn to see flames spark in the air.
“You weren’t bad,” he says, as Sinead arranges Rory for a picture. “Out on the water today.”
“For an amateur, you mean?”
“I’ve seen a lot worse.”
“Because you teach seven-year-olds.” I reach down to unzip the bag, grabbing a bottle of water. “I didn’t know you were watching me.”
“The currents were strong today.”
“Is that the only reason?”
He meets my gaze, clearly surprised, but I don’t wait for his answer, already walking away. It’s not exactly the sexy move I envisioned, seeing as I have to lurch my way through the sand, but still, shot taken.
“Finally,” Rory says as we join them at the bonfire. “And there I was thinking no one would bring warm, bottled water to the party.”
I settle next to Beth as we start distributing the food and for the next hour we eat and drink as the sun sinks lower in the sky. Afterward, Harry and Sean go for a walk while it’s still light and Rory entertains Luke and Sinead with some very dramatic story. Or at least it least looks that way from his hand gestures.
