waiting, those hazel eyes swimming with something magical I only wish I could figure out. “What made you say it?”
He looks past me on both sides again, a knot moving down the center of his throat.
“I’ll tell you what,” he says as a small smile tugs the corners of his mouth, “if I tell you why I said it, will you give me your word that when you go back to San Diego you’ll at least think about spending more time with your camera?”
Surprised all around, at first I can’t do much but look at his tall height and hard shoulders and the perfectly sculpted bone structure of his face and wonder where he really came from and why he was sent to cross my path, because everything that comes out of his mouth manages to intrigue and excite me and make me feel like I need to stay here.
I think on his terms for a moment, pursing my lips in pretend contemplation.
“I give you my word,” I agree with a quick nod.
His smile lengthens.
“Good,” he says, and then draws his shoulders up, tightening his arms at his sides with his hands still buried in his pockets. He hesitates as he prepares the answer. “OK, being completely honest, what made me ask you to stay is because I know that if you get on that plane I’ll never see you again.”
I smile gently.
“Why do you think you’d never see me again?” I ask. And why are you worried about never seeing me again? My heart sings behind my ribs like a finch in a cage.
Maybe it’s to distract me, but instead of answering, Luke leans over and picks my beach towel up from the sand. He shakes it out and holds it out to me. Slowly I take it into my fingers, absently stuffing it inside my bag hanging from my shoulder.
He smiles and buries his hands inside his pockets again.
“Look, I really enjoyed hanging out with you today,” he says. “And if you’re ever on Oahu again, look me up.”
Oh no, is this good-bye? What about your phone number? Do I offer mine? Would that seem desperate?
My phone rings inside my bag, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“Well, I’ve gotta go,” Luke says and walks away, kicking up sand in front of him as he moves through it.
I just stand here, frozen, confused, and wanting to toss the distracting cell phone into the ocean so I can think! And Luke just gets farther and farther away. Then he stops and turns around. He points at me and shouts across the beach, “Remember what you promised me! You have to give it some real thought!”
I hesitate, but finally raise my hand and wave good-bye. “I promise!” I shout with a big bewildered smile.
And Luke keeps on walking.
When the numbness finally wears off, I leave the beach and go back to the hotel to pack.
NINE
Luke
That was probably the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done, even more embarrassing than waking up naked the morning after a party, on the front lawn of Seth’s parents’ house. The neighbors got an eyeful that day.
I smack my palm against my forehead, at first because of making an idiot out of myself in front of the first girl I’ve ever met that made me want to make an idiot out of myself. But then I realize I left the surfboards and my phone on the beach. Make that two stupid things I’ve done today, all because of a girl.
My brother would be so proud.
I turn on my heels and head back to the spot where I left them. Sienna is long gone; I look out at the beach toward the hotel and my shoulders slump with a heavy sigh. I run my hands over my face and then just fall against the sand in a sitting position.
Sitting between the surfboards, I gaze at the ocean, thinking about the girl who got away and the brother who went away. I think about China and then again about the girl who got away. I can’t get Sienna out of my head. I text Seth to see if he’s still hiking with Kendra even though I know he is—they probably won’t be back until this evening. I decide to just go into the shop and hang with Allan, and see if he has any appointments for me today after all.
When I get up and turn around, I freeze, seeing Sienna staring back at me.
“Aloha,” she says in the meekest,