The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler Page B

they survived the off-seasons.
    Across the café, one of the milkshake girls waved. “Hey, Christian!” Her friends elbowed one another, all smiling.
    â€œHey there . . . um . . . you!” Christian said. “Good to see you again.”
    Kirby raised an eyebrow. “Case in point,” she whispered. “CallaLoretti, the one who just said hi? They hooked up last summer. He doesn’t even remember her name.”
    â€œWhose name?” Christian said, suddenly in my space. Without asking me to move over, he slid into the booth. I was a Kane sandwich, and he smiled at his brother on my other side and leaned in close, breath hot in my ear. “Looks like you’ve got a new fan,” he whispered, nodding toward Sebastian.
    Across from us, Vanessa sat next to Kirby and laughed. “Eww. Get a room, y’all.”
    Her words held not a hint of jealousy.
    I couldn’t figure that girl out.
    â€œDon’t encourage her,” Kirby said, talking about me, and if I wasn’t so perfectly sandwiched between the Kane brothers, I would’ve kicked her under the table. Vanessa might’ve claimed an open mind about Christian’s female companions, but that didn’t mean I wanted her thinking I was one of them.
    No matter what Vanessa said, the green-eyed devil could rise any time. I had five beautiful sisters. Jealousy trailed us so often she may as well have been the sixth.
    â€œWhat the hell is that?” Christian poked the doll head on the table.
    â€œElyse found it,” Sebastian said.
    Before I could defend myself, Christian was leaning in again. “Elyse, if you need something to cuddle up with at night, there are much better options around here.”
    â€œHello!” Vanessa said. “Room! Get one!”
    Christian gave me a wink, then waved to Noah at the counter.“Bring us two of whatever’s good today, Katz. Preferably heavy on the dead animal and vitamin G.”
    â€œGreasy specials on the double,” Noah called out from the grill. “Ten minutes.”
    â€œSo, ya scalawags, how’s tricks on the ol’ Queen of ?” Vanessa wanted to know. To me, she said, “Don’t know what kinda trouble y’all got into with your aunt, but if someone made me work on that ­floating piece a’ sh—”
    â€œWatch it,” Christian said. “You’re talking about my girl right there.”
    Vanessa laughed. “SS POS ain’t nobody’s girl.”
    â€œWhat’s POS?” Sebastian asked.
    â€œPiece of . . . stupid,” Christian said.
    â€œMom isn’t making her do anything,” Kirby said. “My cousin drives her own crazy train. But she’s probably more qualified than most of the sailors at the Cove.” As if I weren’t there, Kirby launched into an overview of my boating skills, told them all about the resort, about how I’d been born in the sea. Short version, anyway. “Elyse pretty much belongs to the water.”
    She’d probably meant in the water, but I didn’t correct her. No one knew the whole story—not even Lemon. Not even Natalie, and she was there the last time the sea tried to take me.
    She was the one who’d fished me out.
    Dead, mostly.
    I closed my eyes, tried to hold back the shiver I knew would comeanyway. It started in my feet, rolled up through my insides until even my scalp was covered in gooseflesh.
    Next to me, Christian stirred, whispered in my ear. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to drip on you.” He shifted over, putting some space between us. His eyes were full of concern, a softness that clashed with his usual cockiness. “Better?”
    It wasn’t. I nodded anyway.
    â€œSo how bad is it?” Kirby asked Christian. “Like, Extreme Makeover: Boat Edition bad?”
    â€œPiece of stupid bad?” Sebastian giggled.
    Christian took out his phone, set it on the table where everyone