Coming Home to Seashell Harbor (Seashell Harbor #1) - Miranda Liasson Page 0,33

his brain was a bowl of oatmeal. “Altair, Deneb, and Vega.”

She rolled her eyes. “I only remember the Big Dipper, and I don’t even see it.”

“Sure you do.” He looked down at her and smiled. “There’s the dipper.”

“Still don’t see it.”

He moved behind her, resting his arm lightly on her shoulder, and pointed high above their heads. Big mistake, touching her. It reminded him of sweet old times, and set his every nerve on edge. “It’s right there. See?” Her brief glance at him looked troubled. Like she was feeling the same conflict he was. And maybe all the same desires too—but neither of them wanted them.

“When you get lost, you just look for the North Star,” he said quietly. “You follow the two stars on the handle of the Dipper and that leads you right to it. Never fails.”

“You make it sound easy.” She stopped studying the sky and met his gaze. She was so close that he could reach out and touch her cheek. Or curl his hand lightly around her neck and pull her to him. Kiss her on those full lips. Take her into his arms.

“Maybe it’s not so complicated,” he said with a shrug.

He was pretty sure he wasn’t talking about stars.

And he was also pretty sure he was making a big mistake. Especially when Hadley suddenly stepped back and crossed her arms, bringing him back to reality.

What was he doing, reminding her of the past? Wanting her to like him. Wanting her period. All things he’d have to stop doing if he wanted his life back.

* * *

Running into Bowie on the beach and getting such an enthusiastic welcome was awesome. But running into Cam was what really threw Hadley. With his swagger and his easygoing humor, he reduced her immediately into…well, into her teenage self.

And even if he was trying to remind her of the sweet times, drawing her to him like a magnet, looking like the boy she once loved, she couldn’t let the lethal combination of moonlight and ocean get to her. Even if seeing him like this again really did shake her. And even if he did know how to fix her grandmother’s light switches.

She needed to move, to break the spell of the moonlight, but her legs refused to take her away.

Her hand fell, and the cool, smooth surface of Darla’s ring skimmed her leg, reminding her of her friends. Of her commitment to being honest. And of being her real self. “Explain the idiot comment,” she blurted.

“Idiot comment?” Before he could properly answer, Bowie and Jagger, who were running in and out of the water chasing the waves, had caught his attention. A young couple holding hands walked by, and both dogs trotted up to say hi. Cam stepped forward to call them back, but the woman laughed and told them how sweet they were.

Hadley took advantage of the time to try not to hyperventilate. “You said you were an idiot for breaking up with me. What did you mean by that?”

Cam pointed to a small dune nearby that was clear of grass. “You have a minute to sit?”

They sat side by side on the sand, which was still radiating warmth from the sunny day, watching the dogs sniff and frolic until Cam finally spoke. “The differences between us suddenly seemed so huge. I…couldn’t handle it.”

“What differences?” she asked. “We barely fought.”

“You were so bright—you scored the highest in every subject. And you were dying to bust out of here and experience the world. I knew you were headed for greatness.”

She shook her head vehemently. “You were the shining star of the school. You broke every record and stole every girl’s heart.”

He turned his sea-blue gaze on her. “The only heart I wanted was yours.”

Hadley turned to the sea with its familiar rhythms, sure and steady. Funny how the water looked like it was going to come and bowl you over, only to turn back at the last minute, every single time. She could use a little of that reassurance, because this conversation was threatening to do the same thing.

She pushed down the wild fluttering of her heart and made herself face him. “Then why? Why did you break it off? We were in love. At least, I loved you. I would’ve done anything for you, given you anything.”

I gave you everything. My heart, my body, my soul.

High school relationships rarely lasted. It was naïve to think that they’d been headed for forever. Nevertheless, what he said mattered.