We ended up tumbled on the floor of the rowboat. I sprawled out on top of him and he smoothed the shirt I wore to cover me as we drifted on the water in the early morning light. It was serene and another first for me. I tried to shape the words in my mouth to declare my feelings. It felt right, but a motor coming to life on the lake had us scrambling to sit upright and he rowed us back to shore.

We spent the rest of the day exploring his property, from the woods to the endless fields behind it. He held my hand and I didn’t want to let go.

That night I offered to cook for him. It was one thing Mom had taught me. According to him, the house was stocked by a crew that came in to clean, and to open and close the house when it was in and out of use. But after checking, I didn’t have everything I needed. So he drove me into town to a cute store run by the locals that had everything else I needed to make Coq au Vin with lightly grilled vegetables—at least my version. I wasn’t a master chef, but Mom and I had watched enough cooking shows to be pretty good cooks.

We spent a blissful four days by the lake. Dad had kept his word and Mom hadn’t called.

Back at campus, I stood on the shore with the rest of the onlookers waiting for the first race to begin.

“You don’t think you can keep him, do you?”

I turned to see Jenny standing there with a smug look on her face.

“If you’re referring to Tade, he’s not a pet.”

“And you’d be stupid to catch feelings for him. He told me he was headed to Cambridge after he graduated and didn’t want a girlfriend.”

We hadn’t talked about that, but I did my best not to look shocked.

“He didn’t tell you, did he? Not surprising, a guy like that can’t be tied down.”

Megan showed up to rescue me. “Stop being a bitch,” she said to Jenny. Then she faced me. “Ignore her; she’s just jealous.” She’d moved to step between us, but then turned back to Jenny. “You should know they spent spring break together. And where were you?” When Jenny didn’t answer, only scowled, she said, “Besides, have you heard the news?”

Megan lifted up her screen to show me the headline.

“She’s been found,” I said.

She gave a little shrug. “They think it’s her. She was found only twenty miles from here and has blonde hair. But her face is too messed up, they can’t be sure.”

A hot ball of fear grew in my chest. I glanced at my phone, expecting a call from my mother any second. Then again, maybe she would just show up.

“Hey.”

I tipped my head to meet blazing green eyes laser focused on me.

“Hey.”

My reply came a little too hesitantly and Tade noticed. Then again, he seemed to be able to read my moods as easily as words on a page.

“Are you all right?”

He looked around and didn’t so much as acknowledge Jenny.

“Shouldn’t you be out there?” I deflected.

I didn’t want him to worry about me, so I didn’t tell him the news. It wasn’t like he could do anything about it or me.

He cupped my face and kissed me. “I needed that.”

Heat burned in my cheeks. “For what?”

“Good luck.”

He was cut off from saying anything else when he was flagged down by Gavin.

“Dude, the race is starting. Get your sappy ass over here.”

Tade flashed him a grin, but didn’t move.

“They can’t start without me,” he muttered.

He brushed my hair over my shoulder and stared into my eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Nibbling at the corner of my mouth, I didn’t want to lie. “Go.”

“Good luck, Tade,” Jenny said.

He glanced at her. “Thanks.”

His reply was quick because his focus shifted back to me. “Are you going to wish me luck?”

“Good luck.” I got to my toes and brushed my lips over his. “Hurry.”

I felt the grin he flashed me all the way to my toes.

“Later.”

We watched the guys jog off before Megan laid into Jenny again.

“Now that’s why you should let things go. Clearly he just wasn’t that into you.”

Megan pursed her lips and shook her head until Jenny stomped off.

“That was mean,” I said, trying not to laugh.

“But it’s the truth.”

“Speaking of truth. Where did you and Gavin go over spring break?”

“We went to Ocean City.”

She clamped her mouth shut and I pointed at her.

“I knew it.”

“There’s more than one Gavin in the world. How do you know I was talking about him?”

I tossed my head back and laughed, momentarily forgetting the things Jenny said about Tade and the news about our fellow classmate.

“Why can’t you just admit it was him?”

“Because he’s a total jerk.”

“And you like him.” I waved my pointed finger at her.

“I don’t want to.”

I patted her shoulder. “It’s okay. I don’t think he’s a bad guy.”

“You don’t know his kind. He’s got more secrets than Fort Knox has gold. He’s the kind of guy my mom warned me about.” Humor died in my throat thinking of my own mom. “No, Tade is a good one.”

“Is he? You heard Jenny,” I said.

“She’s jealous. And so what if he was a bad boy?” She held up fingers to mime air quotes. “He’s not anymore. He’s like all into you.”

I wanted to believe her.

“Are you listening to yourself? Gavin is the same.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Gavin’s nothing like Tade. He drives a beat-up truck and hangs out in seedy places. He tells me he’s not good enough for me one day and then he’s like punching some guy for talking to me the next.” Her head swayed side to side. “No. He’s not Tade.”

Then the announcer sounded before the race began and I turned my attention to the water.