Until the Sun Burns Out

  UNTIL THE SUN BURNS OUT

  AMBER GARZA

  Cover: Alivia Anders @ White Rabbit Designs

  Copyright © 2016 Amber Garza

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

  For information: ambergarza.com

  To all the summer boys, and to those who have loved them

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  THE FIRST SUMMER

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  THE SECOND SUMMER

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  THE THIRD SUMMER

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  TWENTY-FOUR

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TWENTY-SIX

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  TWENTY-NINE

  THE FOURTH SUMMER

  THIRTY

  AUTHOR’S NOTE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  THE FIRST SUMMER

  ONE

  I had been against the trip from the beginning. Not that it mattered. At fifteen, I had no say. Certainly not with my dad. He hadn’t consulted me before he moved out six months ago. He hadn’t asked my opinion before filing divorce papers, or buying a house on the beach in Inland Cove.

  The custody agreement was decided upon between my parents with the aid of their lawyers. My brother and I weren’t even there when they drew up the paperwork that stated we would spend summers with Dad.

  “Mina, you haven’t said a word since I picked you guys up,” Dad said as we drove away from the airport. “Everything okay?”

  No, everything was not okay, but there was no point in voicing that. There was no point in talking to him at all. Behind me I heard the roar of the planes as they took off, and I wished I could get on one and fly back home. Back to the town I’d grown up in. Back to my friends. Back to Mom.

  “Wow, look at that. Mina, it’s the beach,” Luca announced excitedly from the backseat.

  Traitor.

  Pressing my lips together, I didn’t answer. When Mom first told us about the trip, Luca was over the moon. Ever since then he’d been talking nonstop about bodysurfing and making sand castles. As if Dad buying a beach house had somehow absolved him from abandoning our family. Then again, Luca was only twelve. What did he know?

  “Once we get settled, I’ll take you two down to the beach. How does that sound?” Dad asked.

  “Yeah!” Luca punched the air with enthusiasm.

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared out the window. We passed a row of antique shops. Then the street wound to the right, and the ocean came into view. Luca scooted forward in his seat, breathing out loudly. It was pretty, the water stretching out before us, a deep shimmering blue. But I wouldn’t utter my thought out loud. I wouldn’t give Dad the satisfaction. He’d broken up our family. He’d left us. A summer at the beach wasn’t going to make up for that.

  When Dad said he lived right on the beach, he wasn’t kidding. If this were last summer and I was on vacation here with Mom, Dad and Luca, I’d be overjoyed. Most likely, I would be skipping down to the water right now. But this wasn’t last year.

  Nothing was like it used to be.

  “You get to live here all the time?” Luca asked, eyes wide after Dad parked in the driveway of a small beach house. The car had barely stopped moving when Luca hopped out of the car. He slammed the back door so hard it cause me to flinch.

  “Yep,” Dad answered with a smile that turned my stomach. He’d never mentioned wanting to live on the beach before. At least not in front of me. “And you and your sister can visit any time.”

  I snorted. Fat chance of that. I wouldn’t even be here now if I wasn’t forced to be.

  While Dad opened the trunk to retrieve our suitcases, Luca and I stared up at his house. It wasn’t large, but it was cute, painted white with shuttered windows. It reminded me of a house we rented one time on vacation. I understood Luca’s question. It didn’t seem like a place someone lived all year. It seemed like a place to escape reality. Glancing back at Dad as he shut the trunk, I wondered if that’s what he was doing.

  “Here ya go.” Dad rolled my suitcase toward me. Luca lunged for his as if he was too anxious to wait another minute before going inside.

  As I dragged my suitcase up to the front door, the scent of saltwater wafting under my nose, I thought of Mom back home all alone. She always liked the ocean. I imagined she’d enjoy it here, and that only made this that much sadder.

  The wheels on my suitcase got stuck as I tried to get in the front door. Dad bent down to help me knock it loose.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled without thinking.

  “You’re welcome.” A triumphant smile leapt to his face. His dark brown eyes that exactly matched mine sparkled.

  I frowned. Why did I have to have such good manners?

  “My room is at the end of the hall, so you guys can fight over the other two,” Dad told us.

  Luca was already up ahead racing down the hallway as if he was afraid I’d take the bedroom he wanted. But he didn’t need to fear. I couldn’t care less which room I got. The only thing I planned to do all summer was count down the days to go home, anyway.

  Yanking on my suitcase, I walked forward on the hardwood floors.

  “I want this one!” Luca hollered from inside the room to my left.

  “Fine,” I answered, heading toward the one he wasn’t in. A sleigh bed sat in the center of the room, two nightstands on either side. There was a dresser to my right. The walls were covered in paintings of seashells and boats. It didn’t feel like home. It felt like a guest room. Again, I was struck with how strange my life was now. I was vacationing at my dad’s house. How did this happen?

  I’d always thought my parents had a good marriage. They never fought like my best friend Grace’s parents did. Her parents had screaming matches on a regular basis. But I’d also walked in on them making out more times than I cared to admit. Grace said it was because her parents were passionate, both in love and war. Since my dad left, I’d often wondered if lack of passion was my parents’ issue. I had always assumed they didn’t fight because they didn’t have problems, but maybe they never fought because they didn’t care enough to.

  When Dad left, I expected Mom to be devastated. Or at least shocked the way I was. But she was neither of those things. Resigned is probably a better word. In the weeks that followed Dad leaving, Mom acted like a woman who’d been expecting this all along.

  My phone buzzed from inside the pocket of my jean shorts. I’d purposely worn my shortest ones to get under Dad’s skin. But other than a slight raise of his eyebrows when he saw me, he hadn’t said a word. Mom had tried to get me to change before we left for the airport, but when I attempted to use it as a bargaining chip she gave up. It should’ve made me feel happy, but it didn’t. She seemed tired this morning, beat down.

  Releasing the handle on my suitcase, I shoved my fingers down into my pocket. As I snatched the phone out, I wondered if it was Mom.

  It wasn’t.

  Grace: How is it there?

  I walked toward the window, my flip-flops slapping on the ground with each step.

 
Me: Ok. I’d rather be home.

  Grace: I wish you were here too.

  I sighed, picturing Grace in her bedroom, posters of popstars covering her walls. My heart pinched. Grace and I had been friends since first grade, and we’d spent every summer together.

  Grace: But is the beach nice?

  Pressing my free hand to the glass, I stared out at the beach. Glancing down, I lowered my hand and typed with my thumbs.

  Me: Yeah. Dad’s backyard is the beach.

  Grace: Cool.

  Me: I guess.

  Grace: I know it’s hard, but try to make the best of it.

  That was Grace. She was good at seeing the positive in things. It was one of the things I liked most about her.

  Me: I will.

  Grace: Mom’s calling me. I’ll text later.

  Me: OK.

  “Mina.” I whirled around at the sound of Luca’s voice, closing my fist around the phone. “Ready to go to the beach?” He had already changed into swim trunks and a tank top. His dark brown hair was hidden under a baseball cap. The scent of sunscreen lingered in the air. But that was a good thing. Mom had warned us a million times to be sure to wear it. Neither of us tanned easily. More like we burnt to a crisp merely thinking about being out in the sun. Dad was the only one of us who actually got color on his skin. Luca and I had inherited Mom’s pale complexion.

  “No,” I answered swiftly.

  Luca’s lips curled downward, and I felt bad. There was no reason to treat Luca badly. None of this was his fault.

  “Not quite yet, bud,” I continued more gently. “I haven’t even had a chance to go through my stuff.”

  “Well, hurry up!” He shouted before disappearing.

  Chuckling, I shook my head. At least one of us was having a good time.

  After pushing my suitcase toward the dresser, I began to unpack. I’d only been at it for a few minutes before Luca graced my doorway again. Realizing his patience was wearing thin, I said, “Why don’t you and Dad go down without me? I’ll be there soon.”

  He threw me a skeptical look, and I didn’t blame him. With my attitude, I was sure it appeared I might spend the entire summer moping in my room. The thought had crossed my mind. But now that I’d seen the beach, I kind of wanted to explore it. Besides, it seemed so important to Luca.

  “I promise,” I added earnestly.

  “Okay.” He tossed me a trusting smile and then scurried off.

  As I continued unpacking, I heard him talking to Dad down the hallway. A moment later, Dad poked his head in the room.

  “You sure you’ll be okay here by yourself?” He ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair.

  I nodded.

  “Your brother and I will stay near the house until you come meet us. But if you have any trouble, just call me.”

  Again, I nodded.

  Satisfied, he smiled and then went out to join my brother. Luca’s high-pitched voice could be heard long after they’d exited the house. I spotted them outside the bedroom window. Luca was jogging beside Dad, his mouth moving a mile a minute. They stopped a few feet from the water. Dad spread out a couple of towels in the sand while Luca peeled off his shirt. No doubt he’d be in the water within seconds.

  Turning away from the window, I finished filling all of the dresser drawers with my clothes. After changing into my swimsuit, I threw on a cover up and slipped back on my flip-flops. I grabbed a hair tie and walked across the hall to the bathroom. Sea shells and boats were a theme in here as well. Staring at my reflection, I grabbed my thick, brown hair in between my fingers and twisted it up into a messy bun at the top of my head. A few tendrils came loose and fell around my face, but I didn’t bother fixing it.

  Exiting the bathroom, I made my way into the family room. I figured with Luca and Dad gone, this was the perfect time to explore the place. Large windows lined one side of the family room. I scoured the beach until I found Luca splashing in the waves, Dad sitting on a towel watching him a few feet away. I half-expected to see Mom lying on the towel next to him, large straw hat covering her face. Realizing that they’d never be like that again caused a fresh wave of sadness to sweep over me.

  Dad had minimal furniture throughout the house. One couch, one TV, a small dinette set. A quick scan of the pantry betrayed that he’d probably been mostly eating out. Mom always cooked, so it made sense. I don’t know if I’d ever seen Dad fix a meal before they separated. And every time we’d visited Dad in the last six months, we would order takeout or eat microwaved meals.

  Shivering, I closed the pantry and stepped away from it.

  No longer wanting to stay here alone, I headed for the front door. After stepping outside, I realized that there was a walkway leading from the house directly down to the beach. Following it, I ended up right in the sand. It was hot as it slid over my toes and into my flip-flops. I stopped periodically to kick it out. Not that it was useful, since it would slide right back inside with the next step. Finally giving up, I walked faster.

  Chatter and laughter enveloped me as I made my way over to where Dad sat. The beach was filled with people – couples lying on towels, kids playing Frisbee, adults walking their dogs, a few people surfing in the waves.

  “There you are.” Dad glanced up, shielding his face with his hand.

  Forcing a smile, I plopped down on the towel next to his. The sun was hot on my back, and within minutes sweat formed along my shoulder blades. Luca waved me over from where he played in the water. Standing, I shrugged off my cover up.

  “Going out with your brother?” Dad asked.

  “Yeah,” I answered, and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. It seemed silly to keep the silent treatment going any longer. I may not have liked it here, but this was where I had to stay all summer. After tossing my cover up down, I took off my flip-flops and hurried down to the water. Sand flicked off my heel with every step I took. Some of it sprayed up near my hip. I wiped it off and kept going. By the time I reached the water, the bottom of my feet felt like they were on fire. I was grateful for the coolness of the water.

  “Come on, Mina!” Luca called.

  I moved forward, the water crawling up my body. By the time I reached him, it circled my waist. Chills snaked up my spine. A group of kids ran past, splashing us. An involuntary screech escaped my lips as cold liquid splattered the side of my face. Luca laughed as I brushed it off.

  “You think that’s funny, huh?” Sweeping my hand through the water, I splashed him.

  He shrieked and splashed me back. Pretty soon I was drenched, cold water dripping from my eyelashes and hair. I was sure I looked like a drowned rat, but it didn’t bother me. I guess that was one nice thing about being in a place where no one knew me. There was no one to impress.

  I slid further down into the water, allowing it to inch up my chest. A wave came toward us, and Luca hollered for me to get ready. He stood up, preparing to bodysurf the wave, so I copied him. Last summer Luca and I spent an entire day doing this. When the wave crested and came right at us, we leapt forward. My body glided atop the wave. When it ended, I allowed it to pull me under. Then I swam back to the surface.

  Luca’s head popped up beside me. “That was awesome,” he declared.

  “Yeah, it was fun,” I agreed. Glancing out at the vast expanse of water, I decided that maybe the summer wouldn’t be a total bust. I mean, there were worse ways to spend a summer, right?

  “Here comes another one!” Luca shouted.

  Giggling, I got back in position. To my right, a boy about my age headed toward the waves. His dark hair was wet and slicked back, his face and body tanned. Even though I could only see his profile, it was obvious by the strong set of his jaw and shape of his nose that he was cute. Not that I cared. I wasn’t here to meet boys. Besides, I wasn’t the boy crazy one. I left that job to Grace. She started liking boys in elementary school. She’d even had a couple boyfriends already. I never had. Then again, I wasn’t allowed to.

  “Mina, watch out!” Luca hollered
.

  But it was too late. The wave slapped me in the face. Water shot up my nose and mouth. I sputtered as the wave took me under. When I finally made my way back up to the top, I heard laughter. Glaring, I assumed it was Luca. After sluicing liquid from my face, I turned in his direction. But he wasn’t laughing.

  “Are you okay?” He asked.

  I nodded. The laughter was coming from my right. When my head whipped in that direction, I saw the boy I’d noticed earlier, chuckling at me.

  “Next time, you might want to keep your eye on the wave,” he said.

  My glare deepened, my cheeks warming. Not only did he see me get hit by the wave, but he knew it was because I was staring at him. How embarrassing. Ignoring the boy, I grabbed Luca by the arm.

  “C’mon, let’s go back to the shore,” I hissed at him.

  Luca’s gaze shot between me and the rude boy, and then he nodded. As we headed toward the sand, I hoped I’d never see that mean boy again.

  TWO

  On our first night, Dad took us out to dinner. He chose an upscale seafood restaurant that sat right on the water. It was my kind of place. Luca preferred going out for hamburgers or pizza. Mom’s favorite was Mexican, and Dad liked Italian. I was the one who liked seafood. But more than that, I liked going to fancy restaurants. Places where I had to wear a dress. Places that had crisp, white tablecloths and candles glowing in the center of the tables.

  “What do you think, Mina?” Dad nudged me gently in the side.

  He was trying so hard. And even though I was still angry with him, I wouldn’t ruin our evening. Besides, I was looking forward to eating here. The food looked good, and the view was amazing. At night the beach appeared almost magical with the moon shimmering along the surface of the water. “It’s nice,” I finally said.

  “I knew you’d like it.” He smiled like he was pleased. Settling back in his chair, he picked up the menu and began perusing it.

  I didn’t know why he even bothered. Dad always ordered the same thing at seafood restaurants – the fish tacos. However, I suppose that could have changed. Everything else had. When he set down the menu, I raised my brows at him.