better study my face. “Is there some reason you don’t want me looking at a woman’s boobs?”
My insides twist. Is there?
Something between us changes. He doesn’t release my hands, and I don’t want him to. I stare at his lips, wanting him to kiss me. In the back of my mind, a little voice is saying, “Corey who?”
He leans in. I close my eyes.
But I don’t feel his lips. He drops my hands and returns to the beach towel. He puts his guitar away, then he rakes his fingers through his hair.
I feel all kinds of awkward. “How did you get interested in playing guitar?”
He doesn’t look at me. “You sure do ask a lot of questions.” When I don’t say anything, he gathers up our stuff and starts for the van.
I don’t follow. I’m frozen to the ground, wondering what happened. How did things go from perfect to disastrous in a second?
He turns and blows out a long breath. “Ella, I promise you don’t want to hear my answers.”
Chapter Seventeen
Liam
Thirteen years ago
“Colleen, don’t coddle him,” Dad says. “He needs to suck it up and take it like a man. It doesn’t hurt that bad, does it, son?” He turns to Mom. “I have half a mind to sue the ball field for having a damn hole in the outfield.”
Luke hobbles on crutches to the car.
“It sucks you’ll miss the rest of baseball season,” I say, feeling guilty because I’ll still be able to play. “Will you still come to my games?”
“Sure.”
I hold my hand out, wanting him to give me our secret handshake. He rarely does it anymore. I guess going to high school makes such things not cool. He glances at Dad, who’s gone on ahead, and quickly does the handshake. I smile.
When we get home, Dad gets something out of the trunk. He follows us inside and waits for Luke to sit down, then hands him a huge box.
Luke looks at it. “What’s this?” His leg must really hurt, because he doesn’t seem happy to be getting a surprise.
“Go on, open it,” Dad says. “When you were getting your cast on, I made a quick trip to the music store. I thought you should have something to do while you can’t play ball.”
I think I’m more excited to see what’s in the box than Luke is. We’re lucky. Dad is always giving us stuff, unlike most of my friends, who only get things on birthdays and Christmas.
Mom helps Luke open the gift. They pull out a large black case. I’ve seen something like this before. He opens it. “You got me a guitar?”
“I had to think of something you could do sitting down. They had keyboards, too, but I think they’re more for girls. Guitars are for manly men like us.”
Luke cringes when he says that. Maybe his leg is throbbing. “Thanks,” he says, setting it aside.
Mom wraps her arms around Dad. “I’m sure he’ll play it later, when he feels up to it. What a thoughtful gift, Donny.”
“Only the best for my family.”
Luke gets up and grabs his crutches. “I’m going to lie down. Today kind of took it out of me.”
I follow him to his bedroom, which is across the hall from mine. “Luke?”
“What?” he snaps.
I back off. He usually doesn’t talk to me that way.
Luke relents. “Sorry. My leg hurts, is all. What were you going to ask me?”
“I know Dad gave the guitar to you, but do you think I could try it? It’s okay if you want me to wait until you’ve had a chance.”
“You can play it. Maybe I’ll give it a try later.” He turns. “Or maybe not,” he mumbles and closes the door.
I run to the living room, eager to get my hands on it.
While I’m strumming, Mom makes all of Luke’s favorites for dinner, then heads off to work. She was lucky to get half a shift off to meet us at the Emergency Room. “Put the leftovers in the fridge. I’ll eat when I get home. Love you guys.”
The three of us eat together, like we always do when Mom’s at work—in front of the television. She never allows it when she’s home, but Dad lets us get away with a lot when she’s not around. As long as we don’t tell her, that is.
Luke conks out early after taking the pain medication the doctor gave him. When I go to my bedroom, there’s a new magazine on my bed. I close the door, even though I