Chapter Two

Eloise's POV

Skylar's eyes instantly got glassy. She clutched the corner of the towel and shrank back behind Chase.

"Eloise, are you mad at me? I'm so sorry. I was just super thirsty and didn't even think... Let me go get you a smoothie, okay? Please don't fight over me."

"Yeah, I'm mad." I looked right at her and said it slowly, so she couldn't miss a word. "And it's not just about the lemonade. What I really can't stand is you hanging all over my boyfriend all afternoon like you'd fall over without him."

A few people in line for ice cream nearby turned to look.

Skylar's lips trembled, and the tears came on cue. "How could you say that to me? I thought you were my best friend..."

"Are you done?"

Chase crushed the empty bottle in his fist and slammed it into the trash can next to us.

"Eloise, when are you gonna drop it? She gets scared easily. I take her on a couple of rides, and you're gonna freak out in front of all these people? If you can't handle being here, just go home!"

I looked at his flushed face. The guy I'd loved for two years was yelling at me over another girl.

The weird part was, I couldn't even get angry anymore. I was just tired.

"Fine. I'm leaving."

I grabbed the beach bag and headed for the locker room.

It was quiet behind me for a second. Then I heard Chase scoff.

"Eloise, if you walk out that gate today, don't expect me to come after you! And that beach house in Nantucket? I'm canceling it the second I get home!"

He probably thought that would be enough to make me turn around.

We'd saved up our allowance for a whole semester to book that house. I had dozens of pictures of it on my phone. Every time we fought, I was the one who caved first. He was used to it by now.

I didn't even turn around. "Do whatever you want."

I'd barely made it to the locker room door when Skylar caught up and yanked on my bag strap.

"Eloise, come on, don't be like this. It's all my fault. Please don't leave, okay?"

She pulled so hard that everything spilled out of the open bag.

Sunscreen, sunglasses, and hair ties went everywhere, and so did a folded silk scarf.

The scarf fell open, and out slipped a thin silver bracelet with a tiny daisy charm.

It was my grandma's. She'd worn it since she was young. On my birthday last year, she fastened it around my wrist herself and told me it was mine now.

Grandma had passed away a month ago, and I hadn't taken the bracelet off once since. It was only in my bag today because I didn't want the chlorine to tarnish the silver.

Skylar looked down at the scarf and let out a little gasp. Her foot slid sideways and landed right on the bracelet. Then she ground her heel into it.

The chain was crushed into a twisted mess. Two petals had snapped off the little daisy.

I froze. Everything around me went silent.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! The ground's so slippery, I didn't mean to..." Skylar covered her mouth and backed away.

Chase rushed over. First he crouched down to check if she'd hurt her ankle. Only then did he look up and snap at me.

"You didn't even zip your bag, and you're gonna blame her? It's just some old bracelet. You don't have to act like it's the end of the world. I'll buy you a new one, okay?"

Some old bracelet?

He knew exactly what my grandma meant to me. At her funeral, I'd cried so hard I couldn't stand, and he was the one who helped me out of the church.

I was shaking all over. I looked past him at Skylar.

She was hiding behind him with her lips pressed tight. But I could see it clear as day. She was trying not to smile.

I had no idea where the strength came from. I shoved Chase aside and slapped Skylar across the face.

She grabbed her cheek and screamed. Half her face was already turning red.

"Eloise, are you out of your mind?!"

Chase shoved me hard. I fell back, and my knee slammed onto the scorching concrete. It took a big chunk of skin off, and blood trickled down my shin.

But I didn't feel any pain. The two of them just made me sick.

"That's the last thing my grandma ever gave me!" I pointed at the tangled silver on the ground, my voice raw. "Chase, if you want to follow her around like a puppy, that's your business. Just stop rubbing it in my face. We're done!"

Chase stared at me, stunned.

To him, I'd always been the soft-spoken girl who never fought with anyone.

His face quickly darkened. "Wow, Eloise. You've officially lost it today. You wanna leave? Then go. And don't expect me to come begging!"

I ignored him. Pushing through the pain in my knee, I picked up the bracelet and the two broken petals one by one and wrapped them back up in the scarf.

Then I walked out of the water park without looking back.