When the final bell rang on Monday, I found myself hanging back to speak to Leslie. Her mother never called, and I wouldn't see her until tomorrow- by then it would be too late. But the strange, washed out girl gathered her things quickly, casting nervous glances in my direction, before scurrying through the door without speaking.

"Well that's odd," I muttered as I walked into the hallway.

"What's odd?" Tara appeared at my side. She wore a yellow silk scarf today, and her smile was a little less sturdy than usual.

"Leslie. I wanted to speak to her, and she ran out of here like the room was on fire."

"Maybe she had somewhere to be?"

"Sure, I suppose. But don't you think she would've at least acknowledged me? I was clearly waiting for her."

Tara looped her arm through mine as we went down the stairs and turned to go outside. Another sunny morning had morphed to a gray afternoon. The air was wet- I couldn't quite say it was raining. Water droplets hovered in the air, not falling so much as being carried about by the wind.

"Well not everyone is as enamored of you as we are," she joked and tossed me a wink. A wink followed by a nudge with her elbow. "Especially one of us in particular."

"Who?" I played dumb, but I found my eyes scouring the parking lot. He was leaning against my truck with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his dark jeans. I'd noticed earlier he hadn't bothered trying to tame his curls today, and they fell over his forehead with abandon.

The smirk pasted on his lips spread into a true grin when he spied us walking toward him, but the flutters building in my stomach faded as my attention was snagged by movement to his left. Leslie was in the car next to mine, and she was glaring at Kieran. When she noticed me, she jumped and threw her car into reverse.

"Wait!" I jogged after her with my hand raised in the air. "Leslie!"

"What do you want to talk to her for?" Kieran asked when I turned back after it was clear Leslie had no intention of stopping to speak to me.

"Because I need to talk to her mom."

"We have class with her tomorrow. Can't you talk to her then?"

Tara pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and hopped on the tailgate. I opened the cab and tossed my bag in before answering. "No, it's about a makeup assignment for blowing the lab we did with scales."

Kieran's expression didn't change, but his body language did. The lounging pose against the vehicle became more forced, as if he were trying to make steel relax. "What makeup assignment?"

"You turned in your work, right?" Tara asked. Her deep brown eyes darted to Kieran and back to me.

"Yes, but I didn't answer the bonus question." I zipped up my new jacket to try and conserve some body heat. Not wishing to stay on our current topic of conversation, I asked, "can't we chat at the coffee shop? It's freezing out here."

Tara laughed. "Are you daft? It's the perfect temperature out here."

"Maybe for y'all. This is winter weather back home."

Kieran pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. He looked sad when he spoke. "Is this not yer home now?"

I paused before answering. I missed Mississippi- no, I missed my friends there, my life- but the Island stirred something in my soul. It was becoming home far more quickly than I'd anticipated. But I wasn't ready to admit that, not out loud.

"It's just an expression," I said. My teeth were chattering together.

"Ach, let's get her inside before she turns to a block of ice out here."

"I'm afraid I can't go to the coffee shop today. Mum wants me back to help with the littles since Al is sick."

"I hope he feels better soon."

"Me too," Tara replied, "I swear it's a man cold, but he's Mum's little boy so she insisted he stay home today."

"You'll text me if he gets worse?" Kieran asked, concern lacing his tone. A lot more concern than I would expect for a friend with a cold, but it was refreshing to see such a deep friendship.

"Oh! That reminds me. I have a new phone." I handed the phone to Tara. "Put your number in there."

"Finally! Now I won't lose you at parties."

Kieran scowled and crossed his arms. But whatever he wanted to say died on his lips when he caught my eye. This was not a subject I was open to discussing.

"You just think you're going to get me to go again. I agreed to one. I went to one. I'm done. Now, if y'all want to have a small get together, then I'm down."

"Yer both lame," Tara fussed. She handed me the phone and blew a kiss before heading to her car.

I was now alone with Kieran for the first time since our declaration to remain friends. And only friends. But with him standing so close, his intoxicating scent overwhelming the air's briny tang and making my thinking cloudy, I was questioning that decision. From the twinkle in his eyes, he knew exactly what was going through my mind as I tried to look anywhere but at him.

"So off to the coffee shop? We've got that paper to write for English, and I don't even have a topic decided yet."

"Sure," I started to say before reading the text that came through to my phone. "Well, scratch that. I have to go home. My dad needs the truck."

"I could borrow my mum's car and come to pick you up. Maybe we could grab dinner afterwards? Mrs. Rose makes a mean bangers and mash."

I studied him. A refusal was on the tip of my tongue. After all, it wasn't a very efficient use of my time, but he looked so hopeful. "I can't guarantee dinner- depends on how far we get on these papers, but if you don't mind driving all the way out there, then sure."

"Excellent."

"Do you want me to drive you to your house to get your mom's car?"

"No, that's all right. I'll have to walk to her shop, and there's no use in driving a vehicle down through those narrow streets."

"Alright, then."

Neither of us made a move to leave until Kieran scrubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously. "I'll see you soon," he called as he walked away, his long legs carrying him to the main road quickly.

I waved and climbed into the truck, pausing to send off a quick reply to my dad. He'd already texted again asking if I'd received the first message. It reminded me that being without a phone had some perks.

Turning in the opposite direction Kieran had walked, I followed the long, winding road back to our home. To my left the sea lined the island, the blues and greens mostly muted beneath the blanketed sky. But here and there, the sun would slip through the cloud crack and strike the water, creating bursts of sparkles that competed with the road for my attention.

By the time I crested the hill, the sky had cleared across the horizon, and the sea glass along Shipwreck Cove became a rainbow blaze. On an impulse, I pulled the truck onto the shoulder and turned it off. Kieran would be at least an hour before reaching my house, and my father had responded to my last message advising there was no real rush for the vehicle.

Kieran said the cove would be covered in mermaid tears, and from the looks of the waves, it was a lower tide than before. I'd not returned since my near drowning, and there wouldn't be an opportunity to see it beneath the sunlight for another week. The weather app promised rain and gloom for at least that long. I could be down and back in thirty minutes.

My new coat kept me warm on the walk, but as I snuggled into its downy comfort, my mind turned to Ewan. We'd passed one another in the halls at school, but the questioning smile on his lips faded when he spied my companions. Cold contempt flooded his gaze, and he made a point to change direction every time our paths crossed the rest of the day.

Boys were idiots sometimes. I'd never promised Ewan anything but friendship. Sure, there'd been some light flirting, and if Kieran and I hadn't reconciled, I'm not sure I would've turned down an advance. Hell, if Ewan hadn't done such a one eighty, I might still consider exploring that avenue, but reciprocating flirtatious behavior didn't mark me as his. I hadn't kissed him or broken promises.

He reminded me of the boys in Mississippi. Carefree and cocky- more interested in a good time than in anything serious. Now that I had some space, I thought maybe that's what had drawn me to him in the first place. A chance to be at ease and feel like myself. Maybe that's what blinded me to some of the worrisome traits he'd revealed during his confrontation with the others? I shuddered as I remembered the indifference in his tone while discussing the fate of that poor girl. While such behavior wasn't damning, it did little to help his case.

"Ugh," I huffed, tugging on the ends of my hair. It would seem a girl could move a thousand miles from home- to another country no less- and still find trouble with the opposite sex.

When the rocky soil turned to sand beneath my boots, I slowed my pace and admired the sight before me. Beneath the sunlight, the water was mesmerizing. Jewel toned and clear, it lapped lazily at the shore. White, fizzy fingers on the waves caressed hundreds of bits of glass that spread out across the ground. They were like snowflakes, each different in shape and color. I could scoop them up by the handful, and with the tide so low, they were visible for yards, stretching out well beyond the rocky perch I'd fallen from.

A quick glance at my phone revealed I'd stayed longer than intended, but without thinking, my feet moved toward the rock. Digging my fingers into the craggy surface, I tried to climb, but I slid three times without Kieran to guide me to the best spots. By the time I scooted onto the ledge, my lungs were reminding me of my current state of fitness. Or the lack of fitness to be more exact.

Shielding my eyes from the glare off the water, I peered in the direction of the cliffs hoping to find an obvious opening, but there was none. No, wherever they'd gone it was well hidden, possibly no more than a slit and maybe hidden by some of the moss growing along the rock.

Determined, I climbed down, making sure to place each foot carefully. If I fell now, there would be no water to cushion my fall, and I remembered all too well the feeling of those sharp pieces of glass biting into my flesh.

My phone buzzed in my hand. My dad was calling, but I pressed ignore. It would only take a few minutes to get to the cliffs and find the ledge they'd used. Glass bits rolled underneath my shoes as I jogged, and the wind picked up, whipping my hair into my face. The first of this week's storms was rolling in, and if I didn't hurry, I'd be caught in it for sure.

But I didn't turn back. Now that I was here, I wasn't sure why this hadn't occurred to me before. Coming to the caves would settle whatever curiosities I had, and then I could forget about it- maybe even tease Kieran about being so secretive over something so silly.

Lightning flashed over the ocean, and the thunder that followed rumbled the ground, making the mermaid tears click together. The gentle swells now churned and frothed, smacking against the shore and rock with angry hisses.

How had the storm arrived so fast?

When I reached the cliff's base, the first, frigid drop of rain splatted on my face, making me pause. My phone buzzed again. My father demanding to know where I was.

Me: Hey dad- I stopped to look at the sea glass before coming home. I was on my wayback to the car when Kieran spotted me. He picked me up for a study session. It's just a short walk to from the house.

I could only imagine him shaking his head over that message, but it would buy me more time. As long as he left the house before Kieran arrived, my cover wouldn't be blown. Taking a deep breath, I nodded as if to reassure myself.

"Time to get some answers."