What are clicks?
Waves that experienced surfers sense instinctively before they can be seen or heard. Winners trust their clicks and get in position, dropping in on the beginning swell and taking even the biggest monsters on a ride. Then there are the rest of us. We wait; jump on at the wrong time. Best case, we hang on. Worst, we’re sent crashing to the ocean floor trying desperately not to drown.
The ocean never clicked for me. Not like it did for my brother, or my grandmother, or the many ancestors who’d come before. Still, they expected me to commit for life, guarding the ocean and the land, just because I was first born. I wanted none of it. But I let them train me so that I could win the Surf Carnival and get the heck out of town.
So I begged the universe for clicks, and when they came, fast, furious, I couldn’t catch them fast enough. These waves weren’t tricks to be tamed. They were warnings from the universe that everything would change. But I didn’t listen with my heart or trust the messaging to stop the disasters before they came.
And even when I wasn’t in the water, it felt like I had drowned.
<<>>
One
When I walked out of my house, Blake whistled.
“Lookin’ good,” he said with a wink of his turquoise eye. The other, his right one, was half that same startling blue and half grayish silver, like my own.
Ours was a small island with a shallow gene pool. Endless summers gave everyone the same sun-kissed, tanned glow, even before you factored in the many sets of identical twins that comprised an unusually high portion of our population.
Blake was the poster child for life here on Pinhold. Literally. A blond, tan, sixteen-year-old swimming god featured in the ad campaign for this year’s Surf Carnival, the competitive swimming and surfing event drew international pros from both sports to our tiny town.
Blake’s twin, Kaleb, had left Pinhold when we were all thirteen. He’d been my best friend, just as Blake was my twin brother Mica’s.
Blake and Kaleb were mirror twins—identical polar opposites. Blake’s right eye matched Kaleb’s left, Kaleb’s nose hooked the tiniest bit right, while Blake’s had the same angle going the other way. They had corresponding crescent birthmarks in exactly the same place on their left and right knees.
Like all magnetic objects going in the same direction, they repelled each other. Blake dove in head first into island life while Kaleb rejected almost everything, especially The Guard. He hated how Blake and Mica got serious about joining, and blamed them for dragging me along. He never understood my reasons were my own.
We’d all fought badly and Kaleb went in search of trouble bad enough to get him sent off for good. He snuck over to the tiny island to see Pinhold’s secret symbol for himself. The ancient pin supposedly stood straight up on a tiny tip, balanced magnetically on a rock in the middle of our archipelago.
Only members of the island elite had seen it, only those in The Guard, and Kaleb, who resented them tremendously, didn’t believe in the pin’s existence, and had attempted to see it for himself. Tonight, I’d see it for the first time, so of course, Kaleb was on my mind.
For Blake, Mica and I, this was the beginning of everything – the annual summer kick off called First Night. We went to have fun, eventually, but our attendance was symbolic.
We’d pledge our interest The Guard and spend the next few months competing for a few limited openings. First Night also kicked off the new season of the Surf Carnival, a two-month competition in extreme surf rescuing. I didn’t plan to join The Guard but I needed to win enough contests to be able to leave the island for good.
Unlike every girl for a hundred miles, I usually ignored the flirtatious compliments that rolled so easily off Blake’s tongue. I was well aware that he was gorgeous, technically. Be he didn’t attract me at all.
Still, tonight I’d worked hard on getting the right look. I’d skipped my basic racing tank and board shorts, pairing a white bikini and red tank with a denim skirt that looked nearly too tight in just the right way.
“You did not look like that when I came home for Spring Break. No one’s gonna mistake you for Mica again,” said Blake’s big brother, Billy, as he came down their driveway pushing a keg. My face reddened more as the older boy called attention to the fact that with his longish surfer boy hair and my complete lack of girlish curves, Mica and I had passed for identical twins, until only very, very recently.
“Missed you too, Billy,” I grumbled, accepting a huge bear hug. Mica and I had adopted Billy as our surrogate big brother ages ago and I’d missed him when he left for college. He’d come back to do his medical residency and he’d brought his girlfriend, Celeste. “When did you get here?” I asked.
“A couple hours ago. I went up to see Kaleb after I took my boards. “He wanted me to wish you good luck for tonight,” Billy said.
“Sure he did.” Mica snorted, echoing my own sentiments. As Nippers, Kaleb and I had vowed that we’d never join The Guard. I planned to keep that promise, although Kaleb didn’t know it. No one did.
Billy looked at the pink of the sky, picked up the keg and plopped it into the passenger seat of the small electric vehicle. Proper cars and gas engines of any kind were banned on Pinhold, for environmental reasons. So we got around in dune buggies and golf carts. Billy had borrowed a golf cart with the back of a small truck to transport the keg to the party spot.
“That puts you lot in back,” he said, gesturing to the small flatbed.
I attempted to climb up into the truck and came up against the limits of my short skirt, falling backwards into Blake. He caught me before we both tumbled to the ground, his large, square hands stayed on my hips, holding me up. I jumped away from him, quickly, like I always did when we wound up touching.
Mica put his hands on the rails and vaulted gracefully into the back. Which made me want to pound him with my something.
“Let me help,” Blake offered, lifting me into the back of the cart before climbing in myself. I crammed against Mica, attempting to sit down, but no matter how I wiggled, we couldn’t fit all three of us across.
“This worked a lot better last summer,” Blake said in that smooth, slow tone that made people lean in to hear him.
“Extra workouts paid off,” Mica said, giving Blake a high five.
I squirmed away from both of them, standing again.
“I’ll walk,” said Blake, getting up like a gentleman.
“Nah,” said Mica, squinting at the setting sun. “Can’t be late. Cami can sit on your lap.”
When the boys had satisfactorily arranged their legs, I settled on Blake, gingerly, trying not to keep some space. Then, Billy gunned the gas and the cart took off.
I flew sideways and back down on Blake. “I’ve got you,” he said locking his arms around me, holding on just tightly enough to keep me safe. Being this close to him made me slightly nauseas, like nails on the chalkboard. He disrupted my equilibrium, and not in a good way. I liked him plenty as a friend and appreciated him as eye candy, but I wasn’t attracted to him that way at all. Probably because I’d been hearing how perfect he was for me every day since birth.
Billy slowed down through the center of town to avoid the day-trippers who walked slowly back to the ferry, blissed out from their beach days.
“Mainer,” Mica muttered under his breath, when a cute guy with a surfboard locked eyes with me. I smiled back, only to get an elbow in the gut from my brother.
“Be nice,” Billy called from the front. “Those folks pay your salary this summer and make The Guard possible. Which you’ll appreciate, if you get in, of course.”
“Have you seen me swim lately? I’ve beat all the local records—even yours,” Mica said.
“Tonight’s not about speed. Swimming from the little island the main beach represents rebirth,” said Billy.
“Don’t go all zen surf nut on me, Bill,” laughed Mica. “This is Pinhold. It’s a race every time you get in the water.”
“For Nippers, yes. But The Guard’s about other things,” Billy warned, wrestling the golfie onto the beach path. Dune buggy wheels helped but it was still a bumpy ride.
“I’m more than ready for the big game,” Mica said.
His casual tone disguised his frustration at having to wait so many years. Those feelings sent to me—dark, angry thoughts that clicked directly from his brain to mine like telepathic text messages that I loved and hated. Our deepest secrets bounced between our brains, and I couldn’t hide anything. Mica was half of my heart; but I was never alone with my thoughts.
Right then, he knew I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin. Blake had me so itchy I couldn’t wait to get off of him. I jumped as soon as the truck got close to the bonfire spot, before we’d even stopped. I shed my skirt and tank and ran to the water’s edge where antique wooden watercrafts and Billy’s girlfriend, Celeste, waited for us.
“I’m so curious, even though I know I shouldn’t be,” Celeste whispered as she gave me a hug.
“They don’t really appreciate curiosity,” I said in agreement. Technically, The Guard was a surf rescue club. They existed in popular surfing spots around the world to supplement the beach lifeguards and they hosted surf carnivals. But here on Pinhold, they acted more like a secret society, with ceremonies and rituals for members only.
Celeste hadn’t been born on Island or descended from one of the original ten families who had landed here eons ago, so she would never get in. Blake, Mica and I at least had a chance.
Billy paddled to a little island that sat independent of the rest of Pinhold, broken off from the larger landmass with the eruption of an ancient volcano.
I jumped from the wooden craft and ran through the shallow surf. Thirty lava rocks swirled in a sacred spiral, with members of The Guard around them. Some held torches to provide fire and light, and others beat rhythms on stones that sounded like ocean waves, like the ancient conversation between sea and land.
I’d heard the drums from home over the years, but they never sounded like this before. It enveloped me, connecting me to the union of nature, time, and the many who’d come here before me. I breathed in, savoring the connection, when Blake caught my eye. He smiled, and I knew he felt the same.
His grandfather, Stoney and my grandmother, stood in the middle of the circle. Both were Elders in The Guard, revered for their wisdom, athletic prowess, and lifelong commitment.
The single most important thing drilled into us, year in and year out, was a responsibility to take care of the island and the ocean around us. Tonight’s ceremony renewed that commitment for all attendees. But my friends and I would take the pledge for the first time.
Can’t we just skip to the party? Mica clicked, disturbing me with his intense impatience. His average emotional temperature always burned higher and dipped lower than mine. His feelings influenced us more frequently, but I wanted to enjoy tonight.
Stop. Breathe. This is happening. Look around and enjoy it, ok? I clicked back, attempting to do the same.
Two sets of twins—me and Mica, and Andrew and Darwen. Blake stood by Shayla, mismatched because neither of their twins were there. Around us stood relatives; the combined generations of The Guard who’d prepared us for this since we were born.
“Welcome to First Night,” said Stoney. He was Blake’s grandfather and their rumbly voices were so much alike. “Please close your eyes.”
Following orders, I concentrated on the shadows and flashes in my mind and let my other senses capture the moment. Briny saltwater and honeysuckle hit my nose, the wind shivering with expectation.
“On this First Night, we rededicate ourselves to an ancient covenant symbolized by this pin which represents the balance in our world. You join those who’ve come before you and vow to protect the ocean from land, nature from man. You may now look.”
As head lifeguard, Stoney had top authority on our Island and the run of this ritual. Silver flashed through his long fingers, the famous pin. I recognized it without ever seeing it before. Stoney placed it on a central stone.
The pin needed to stand at a right angle to the ocean, representing the pivotal balance between ocean and land, animal, and man. When it did, our Island, our people, and the ocean stayed healthy. When it tilted, disease and disaster would come.
I held my breath, wondering how it looked for us this year. The pin wavered for just a moment, then landed perpendicular to the horizon line. A celebratory cheer went up all around us, and the music started again.
A combination of beats, claps, clicks, and hums were something I’d heard since birth, but never in a ceremony like this. Rhythm and music were a big part of Pinhold life. Visitors joined our weekly drum circles on the beach, and stayed to listen to the wave organ built into the cliffs that played a series of gongs at high tide. Tonight, they stirred that feeling of connection and continuity that had always eluded me before.
To the untrained ear, the clicks and whistles probably sounded like nothing more than rhythmic nonsense playing along with the beat. In reality they were imitations of the sounds made by the dolphins that lived in our bay—we were inviting them to join us and witness our commitment to protect their home.
“We call you to pledge yourself as the guardians of the sea. Witnessed by the sacred swirl, do you pledge to protect the ocean from land and the animals from man?” Stoney asked. His voice pulsed in time with the pounding drumbeats.
“Yes,” said six voices in unison, including mine.
“Now, it is time to answer in the language of the ancients.” Stony instructed, keeping his voice low. “When I touch you, repeat after me.”
Stony started with Mica. The strange sounds rolled from his tongue with ease. Instantly I heard the dolphins chattering over the kicked up breeze. My heart jumped along with their increased activity in the water. Legend said we needed them to witness our pledge, but they didn’t come for every ritual anymore.
As each of my friends took the vow, the dolphins’ talk faded, as if they headed the wrong way. The tension grew palpable until Blake spoke, when the noise got louder, but not closer. Finally, my turn came.
I inhaled deeply and shut my eyes, seeing the location of the dolphins clearly in my mind. They frolicked in the riptide off towards the open ocean. They heard us calling them but did not swim closer to watch. For maximum success, we needed them to join our swim. My heart churned as I realized now, that was all up to me.
I wondered how on earth I’d reach them with my low, scratchy voice. Speaking loudly never worked well for me. Then, I heard their noises change as they went under the surface to play and swim even further from us.
You can do this, clicked Mica, straight into my brain. Slow and low. He said the syllables silently, emphasizing all the proper points for inflection. With this info, I realized Stoney hadn’t repeated it perfectly. Somehow Mica had already learned which tones to pay attention to.
I repeated it silently then spoke it as loudly as possible. My voice lacked volume but I added energy by sending vibrations swirling through my bones, through the rocks and into the water, hoping to reach the dolphins below the surface.
They reacted instantly, repeating the clicks and whistles I made sound for sound. Quickly they moved towards me, churning through the thirty-foot sea waves that made Pinhold a famous surfing spot.
“Again!” Stoney said, insistently. I listened, repeating myself five more times, until the dolphins came right into the bay. The mood shifted and I opened my eyes to the pure joy of their arrival. As if sensing my attention, the huge pod began playing and showing off. They flipped, jumped and twisted in the air.
“Well done,” Stoney said, looking proud of us all. “Now, go join the guardians of the sea for the traditional swim.”
I took a second to appreciate their silvery grey bodies moving before I dove off the rocks, getting in the water first. While everyone in The Guard swam, only those of us pledging for the first time had anything to prove.
The inky-black water surrounding me hid silvery bodies darting around. They brushed against me, skin like neoprene, swimming in front, behind, churning the water to actually move me along. I stayed with them as long as I could, reluctant to give up my primo spot for something as ordinary as air. When I finally surfaced, a dolphin with skin brighter than the others stopped; raised her head and stared. It felt like she recognized me, but I knew I’d never seen her before.
I’d heard of her, of course. White dolphins played a large role in Pinhold mythology. Based on her size and age, she was the elusive albino born the month before me. I never believed she actually existed.
She dove back under the water and I followed without taking enough oxygen. Underwater, she nudged me forward, and as I picked up speed, she came alongside me. Her smooth movement created a slipstream, a pocket in the liquid that let me stay right against her. I focused on staying with her as we moved in front of the crowd and lost track of all the other dolphins, and people too.
Underwater, time passed differently. I didn’t realize that I had forgotten to breathe until I landed next to the dolphin on some jagged rocks, gasping for air. I couldn’t move my body, no matter what I tried.
A sharp fragment of rock dug into that soft indented space behind my ear. Blood—the dolphin's and mine—mixed in the water between us, and she looked wan, instead of pearly white. I got worried. She flopped her tail a few times, unable to get off of the rock. When I moaned in pain, she stopped doing that and looked right at me with one eye. I blinked for a second, breaking the stare when I felt her pulse. I knew it was there. It came through my skin and into my bones, right to the spot that hurt the worst. At once, the blood clotted and the pain stopped. But, I was still stranded too far away for anyone near the bonfire on the beach to see.
Then, Blake sprang from the ocean like a dolphin with wings, or at least that’s what it looked like to me. I tried to smile, but my lips wouldn’t move and since my eyes weren’t all the way open, he set up for mouth-to-mouth. If the situation were reversed, I would have too.
Gently he began to push on my chest, counting to thirty. Like the dolphin’s pulse, his touch went right through me. Once I could move again, I didn’t want to. Blake went forward with his plan, adjusting my throat carefully before touching his mouth on mine. At that moment, my attraction shifted from neutral to positive.
A magnetic reversal had reset my internal compass on a molecular level and I needed to kiss him for my very existence to make sense. I felt his shock, and then his interest as he shifted gears from rescue to romance, kissing me back until we heard Mica’s panicked yell and froze in place.
“Mica, stop, I’m fine. It’s a scratch,” I said, struggling to sit up on the rocks. I showed him the roughened skin on my shoulder that was nothing worse than a surfing thrash. Looking into his identical silver eyes, I clicked to convince him I wasn’t the one who needed help.
The dolphin wriggled on the rocks next to me, chirping, clicking and whistling in a very stressed-sounding tone. The dolphins who answered her calls followed her out of the water and on to the beach. Everyone who had completed the swim, as well as those waiting on land for the party, worked furiously to get them off the black lava sand that tended to scratch skin.
Getting each dolphin back in the water meant lifting at least four hundred pounds of struggling muscle, turning them around and carrying them until the bay was deep enough for them to swim. It was noisy and terrifying, but the other dolphins were getting the help they needed, so I gave all of my attention to the one beside me.
“Guys, help me with her, please!” I said to Blake and Mica, putting my arms around her in order to prevent her from hurting herself more. Though her skin felt like the sturdy rubber of a wet suit, I saw from the scrapes already on her that it was as sensitive as mine.
“On three,” Mica said. He and Blake had moved on either side of the dolphin and had wedged their arms underneath her body to protect her from the scraggy surface as we pushed her back into the sea.
We carried her until we were waist deep, releasing her as soon as it was possible. Then, we all collapsed in the water, reeling from the stress of so many dolphins beaching on the sand at once. She took a second to nuzzle us, showing gratitude. But we couldn’t stay in the happy moment for long. We needed to help the other dolphins, whose clicks and whistles had gone from playful to stressed; the ones safe in the water, as well as those stuck on the sand.
Now that I was practically on top of her, I realized she was a rare albino dolphin, not just a light-skinned one. The albino swam away from the rocks, calling the other dolphins towards her and out to sea. The ones who could turn, did so and followed, leaving twenty or so gray animals struggling in the shallows. Moving as quickly as possible, I ignored my own pain and ran to the others with Blake and Mica. We worked with everyone on the beach to turn the rest of the dolphins and get them back in to the ocean; happy when they finally moved to a deeper, safer part of the sea.
Before swimming from sight, the albino turned, eyeing me just like Mica had done, as if to check that I was okay. Seemingly satisfied, she turned and went to the open ocean with her pod. I trudged onto the beach, elated that we had managed to save them all, but exhausted and confused too.
Moments later, surrounded by concerned partygoers, I sat on a bench and bit my lip to keep from crying. The scrape on my shoulder didn’t hurt when it had happened, but it sure burned during a thorough cleaning with peroxide. Billy produced a first-aid kit and used the lights on the golfie to see the damage. When I could no longer hold back the tears, Celeste pushed her way in and applied the liquid bandage herself.
“Epic First Night, huh?” Mica joked, attempting to break the tension. He looked over at Billy for confirmation. I didn’t noticed when I first saw Billy that day, but Blake and Mica had both grown taller than him since the last time Billy had been home.
“I’d say. You have mad dolphin calling skills, Cami,” Billy said, giving me a gentle fist bump while Celeste continued to cover the scratches on my back.
“Well, yeah, as long as the dolphins—and Cami—are fine,” said Blake, eyes flashing to mine in the firelight.
“Not totally fine,” I said, flicking my red plastic cup to make the point.
“Boys, I think Cami needs another beer,” Celeste interrupted, “and so do I.” I giggled nervously. I wasn’t much of a beer drinker, and neither were the boys. But it was a bit of a tradition on first night, and after everything that had happened with Blake, I needed the liquid courage.
Mica and Blake fell over each other moving towards the keg with Billy, while they talked about the crazy speed and size of the pod that had joined us for the swim. Celeste finished bandaging and went from serious caretaker to giggly fangirl. “That was amazing!” she squealed, right into my ear.
With her russet curls bouncing with excitement, it was hard to remember Celeste was a serious research scientist.
“You mean embarrassing,” I said. “How am I ever going to make The Guard if some rocks and a foot of water almost made me drown?”
“Cami, that was hardly a drowning. What happened out there??”
“I’m not sure. As soon as I dove in, I got carried up in their wakes, or something that felt like it,” I guessed, remembering the feeling of the albino dolphin moving me through the waves.
“You were in a slipstream?” Celeste asked, giddy with impressed surprise.
I smiled. “I think so, if that’s what it’s called when they carry you along.”
“Wow, that’s how moms carry their calves in the water before they can swim fast enough to keep up. I can’t believe so many of them came—and then beached. And, then we got them all back in the water so fast! Why did you swim up on the rocks, anyway?” Celeste looked at me with concern.
I paused, furrowing my forehead, considering her question. “I guess I got turned in the wrong direction? I don’t remember much, except that I didn’t want to come up for air and leave the slip stream.”
“Maybe you passed out under water?” she asked, looking concerned. “Either way, that albino saved you. Isn’t that a sign of fortune, according to the Island legends?”
I nodded. Just spotting an albino was considered very good luck, but being rescued by one? I couldn’t begin to imagine what the Elders would interpret that to mean. Many of the Elders worshipped the sea, instead of one of the more typical American religions. If they couldn’t see it, they didn’t believe it. My grandparents were the opposite. Everything was a sign, a feeling; open to interpretation based on many silent factors that only they understood.
“Definitely a good omen for a great summer,” I said, feeling optimistic in spite of the pain.
“That made my summer and it’s only solstice,” Celeste said dreamily, sounding more like a little kid who’d spotted a unicorn than a research scientist.
“Seeing that dolphin? Don’t you work with them, like all day and every day?” I asked.
“Yes, but that one’s an anomaly. Some scientists can’t handle them, because they mess up statistics, but I love the unusual ones. And that’s the first albino I’ve ever seen. In case it’s the last, I want to enjoy it. Have you ever seen her before?”
I shrugged, thinking back to my childhood. “When I was little, an albino used to come up to our docks with her pod. I don't know if it's the same one or not, but when we were six, they passed a law to prevent people from feeding the dolphins. They felt like we were being mean and they didn’t understand, and they stopped coming.”
“There was some concern they were forgetting how to hunt and, instead, learning to beg for food, which wasn’t good for them,” Celeste explained. “Let’s chalk it up to a magical First Night that leads to a whole bunch of Surf Carnival wins. And that kiss with Blake,” she said, switching gears, “was beyond amazing!”
“You saw that?” I said, cringing. “He was going to give me mouth-to-mouth, and I kissed him. I’m such an idiot.” I pulled my knees up and covered my face in them to hide the blush on my skin.
“That may have been his, ‘I’m Blake, I’m so responsible’ plan. Or… what if the CPR thing was just an excuse?” Her eyes twinkled, but I felt confused.
“He would have done the same thing for anyone,” I said, still blushing.
“You’re kidding, right?” Celeste laughed, in the way older girls with boyfriends could—like they knew something we didn’t. “Cami, haven’t you noticed the way he stares at you?” she said, stroking my hair.
“No, you’re wrong,” I said, insistent. “He didn’t initiate it at all. He wouldn’t. That’s just not what we’re like. There’s zero attraction there,” I explained, the words sounding false even to my own ears. “He’s always with Mica…which makes him practically my brother…like our third twin. I doubt he even sees me as a girl. In any event, I’m not interested in someone my family decided I should be with before I was even a person. It’s a trap. He’s a trap. And someday I want to leave Pinhold, see a bit of the world.”
“A six-foot-four, blond trap that frequently practices chivalry,” she pointed out. “Sounds like a trap I would gladly fall in.”
“You have Billy, and you’re choosing to be here. As soon as I can, I’m going to choose to leave.”
“But wasn’t that ceremony about you joining The Guard?” she asked cautiously, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one heard her prying.
“Yes, well, family expectations are tricky things. Besides, that was mostly dedicating myself to the ocean. And I can say yes to that without joining anything officially. Yet.”
“Got it. Enough,” she whispered. And I heard the boys coming back. I wondered if my speech had convinced her because I hadn’t convinced myself. About Blake or The Guard. The Guard I could still take or leave, but there was nothing neutral about how I felt when I looked at Blake.
I flirted, laughed, danced, and drank until the beer didn’t taste terrible anymore. This was a night to forget about training and celebrate. I’d have the whole rest of the summer to make up for it. Even the Elders stayed and had a beer or two, but they’d left after a half hour or so. Everyone left was closer to my age, and they were in no hurry to leave. Blown away by the evening’s events, I needed to let the energy out too.
Since I’d never made it past a sip or two before, I’d been buzzed since the first cup of beer. After the second, I got dizzy, giggling and dancing around, passing out sticks and marshmallows. Blake watched me move around the circle. I saved him for last, because I felt embarrassed about what I’d done on the rocks, and I wasn’t sure what to say to him. I handed him the last stick and nudged him over to the fire.
“Um, Cami, isn’t this stick a bit short? Are you trying to set me on fire?” he asked, smiling and flashing dimples in the amber glow. My jaw dropped at his choice of words because they had a few very different meanings, given what just occurred.
I gave myself a mental whack in the head and though back to what Celeste had said. Blake was flirting with me, and I just stood there silently, frozen, and possibly drooling. I needed to get it together.
I smiled back, glad the night hid the blush on my cheeks from the thoughts he’d put into my head with just that one comment.
“Maaaybeeee,” I said, drawing out the word because let’s face it; I was so flustered I was lucky to come up with one. I took the stick back, pulled three marshmallows from the bag, and pushed them down one at a time.
I walked around to the other side of the bonfire, where only a couple of people sat. I reached my arm toward the flame, stumbling, and the marshmallows went directly into the fire, the flames way too close to my hand. Blake grabbed me immediately, and pulled me away, rescuing me again.
“Death wish tonight, Cami?” he asked, blowing out the charred treats. He ran his fingers over my arm to make sure it wasn’t burned and I held my breath until he finished. My skin was just a little warm from the brush with fire, but it had gotten positively hot by the time his inspection was done. I pouted and licked my lips., looking longingly at the stick. “Fine,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Let’s go get another.”
He turned back to the edge of the clearing. I recovered my beer and followed him to the tree line, still holding the short stick with the blackened marshmallows in my other hand. He’d pulled a thin sapling from a low hanging branch, and was stripping the leaves quickly, but not fast enough for me.
Too impatient to wait, I took a bite from what I had, pulling my lips away when they burned. To cool my mouth down, I sipped from the cup in my hand, and tried not to make a face at the comment. “Beer and burnt marshmallows? Two great things that aren’t great together.” He laughed, taking the cup from my hand.
“They are, actually,” I said, licking a bit of sticky white stuff off the right side of my mouth. He watched me intently, his look even sweeter than the candy.
“Try it,” I offered, stepping forward and putting the stick to his lips. He leaned in, closed his eyes, tilted his head, and touched his lips to the same exact place where mine had been.
I breathed in, smelling the smoke from the fire in between us and enjoying the moment. Until he squinted his eyes, pursed his mouth, shook his head, and totally broke my trance.
“Way too burnt,” he said, scratching his tongue on his teeth to get rid of the taste. I loved the way he touched my face as I leaned toward him. His eyes changed again, as he stared right at me, running his fingers down my cheek, then my neck. His thumb passed over my collarbone, and then slowly, so slowly, he gripped my neck, right under my ear where I’d gotten hurt a few hours before. I closed my eyes; hopeful he would kiss me again. Burning with anticipation, and buzzing from beer, I felt no pain. Then, he stroked the skin behind my ear.
“Ouch,” I protested, before I could stop myself.
Acting quickly, I leaned up and kissed him, distracting from the worry that had crossed his face. When our lips parted, he looked more shocked and concerned than turned on. Crisis averted, I sent a silent thank you to the Universe and hoped my cut would take care of itself
<<>>
Thank you for reading this sample of CLICKS and to Quinn Loftis for sharing it.
The sequel, ECHOES, comes out June 2014.