What the hell is she doing here? Why did she do it? Why the bowling alley?
“Do you know Mika or something? She literally wouldn’t speak to anyone after seeing you, and she barely even came out on opening night after you left. She refused to come in the next day, and she’s been incredibly excited about this. Why do I get the feeling there’s something going on between you two? Oh, I know why. Because you both acted shocked to see each other. As though you knew each other in a past life or some shit.”
It feels like a past life. That’s for damn sure.
“I think she used to vacation here in the summers or something. Look, Whit, I just hate that bowling alley. I’ve told you this before.”
“Yeah, but you’ve never told me why. And that doesn’t explain why Mika freaked when she saw you.”
Forcing a smirk, I motion up and down my body. “Tends to intimidate most people.”
She rolls her eyes, but a slow smile starts to curve her lips as she calms down.
“Why do you hate that place?” she asks.
Not answering that.
“Have my reasons. So why did Mika buy the place? She living here or something?” I’ve been trying not to think about her, and now I’m asking questions. Questions I shouldn’t be asking the girl I’m dating. Questions I shouldn’t be asking at all.
“Yeah. She bought her dad’s house or something. She’s a murder/mystery author, but she said she’s been sick of the city for a while. Why are you asking about her if you don’t know her?”
Shrugging, I point my attention back at my beer and ignore the hot sensation on the back of my neck. Fuck. She’s staying here? Living here? Please let it just be for the summer.
“Chase,” Whit says softly, “what’s going on with you?”
Looking up at her, I decide to be completely honest. Well, completely honest without the details.
“I fucking hate summer.”
Chapter 7
CHASE
11 years ago…
Last summer was the best one yet. This summer is the last time we’ll have to wait. By next summer, she’ll be graduating and moving out here. I’d move there if I could, but she knows I can’t leave my mother. She’d be dead if I wasn’t constantly here to save her life.
Most people don’t consider her life to be a life worth saving, but she’s still my mother. She did what she could until life got too hard and she started drowning it out. Now it’s my turn to take care of her.
It sucks, but it’s the way it is. I’d love nothing more than to get out of Hayden, but I’ll be stuck here for the rest of my life or until Mom finally manages to get herself killed when I’m not in time to save her.
Besides, Hayden has one silver lining. It’s our fucking nest. And Mika will make this place shine once she’s here.
Annoyed with the fact it’s been four days past the normal time she shows up, I decide to finally head over to her dad’s place. Mika’s parents split up this past winter, which isn’t surprising. I think Jessica hated Milton most days, and he looked more exhausted every time I saw him.
Mika is nothing like her mother, thankfully.
Dad’s truck is gone, which isn’t a surprise. He’s probably off getting loaded at the bar in town, blowing what little bit of money we have on booze and poker. I have a decent paying job during the off season. I’m saving every fucking dime of it too. That way we’ll be one step closer to having that bowling alley next summer. Then… Then we’ll have endless summers.
Grabbing my skateboard, I jog down the dirt road until I hit pavement. As soon as there’s a smooth patch of road, I toss the board down, and start kicking my way to Mika’s much faster. It seems to take forever, but I finally get there.
Confusion and excitement hit me at once when I see the BMW inside the open garage. She’s here, which is perfect, but she didn’t come to me, which is the confusing part.
As soon as I step onto the porch, the door swings open before I get a chance to knock, and Milton gives me a grim, pitying expression. If Mika isn’t answering the door, then she’s probably in trouble for something. Normal kids get into trouble.
“What?” I ask him. “Is Mika grounded or something?”
I don’t know what it’s like to be grounded. If I piss my parents off they just throw shit at me or hurl insults my way. So I’m not sure what the protocol for being grounded is.
“Mika can’t come this summer. Her mother is being stubborn and irrational.”
My entire stomach slams into my toes, and my legs turn to rubber. By some miracle, I manage to stay upright.
“You’re sure?” I ask in a whisper that betrays the fact I’m trying not to act like he just punched me.
His pitying expression becomes more pronounced. It never once crossed my mind that she wouldn’t get to come. She never wrote anything like that in any of her letters.
“Look, Chase, I like you, kid. You know I do, but can I ask you an honest question?”