Brighter Than The Stars: Book One

Alternate 1.7

With an appointment set up in two days, they walked the small town together, side by side. "So, snacks, sunscreen, swim trunks," Elijah rattled off the list.

Madeline already had her swimsuit on beneath her clothes, along with two towels in her backpack, and the keys to her parents boat. When she noticed a familiar face walking along the edge of the sidewalk next to Claire, Madeline's body froze in place. "Shit."

Elijah hadn't noticed her stop until the curse left her mouth, and did a reverse walk until he was by her side once again. "What's up?"

"You brought up earlier that you wondered if I had a date to prom, or went with a group?"

Elijah's eyes followed her own gaze. "I take it your prom date is the dude staring at you right now?"

She nodded her confirmation. "We dated for two and a half years in high school, until we broke up right after graduation. It tends to get awkward when we see each other. Awkward for me, anyhow. He seems to think that after we're both done with college, we'll fall into each other's arms again."

When she looked up, Madeline noticed a pinched smile on his face. "What?"

"Nothing," he answered with a shrug. "Just expected you to have higher standards, is all." When she gave him a shove, Elijah just laughed it off. "Oh, come on. He looks like the kind of guy you'd take home to your parents so they trust you'll be a good girl, then sneak off to hook up with someone else. Let me guess, he wants to be an accountant when he grows up."

The guess wasn't so far off where there was a point in making the distinction. "He was sweet to me."

Elijah scratched at his facial hair. "Well, seeing as Mr. Sweetness is headed this way, you get to enjoy yet another awkward moment with him. Unless, of course, I get your permission to make this the final awkward encounter of the summer."

Madeline wasn't sure what that exactly entailed, but didn't have time to ask. "Permission granted."

He smiled down at her, and his arm wrapped around her shoulder to pull her body closer to his own.

"So, we're playing that game, huh?"

"Hey, Maddie!" Marty said with a forced smile as he and Claire approached. "New boyfriend?"

Before Madeline could answer, Elijah's hand slipped off her shoulder and extended out. "Elijah Martin." He said his last name with such casual stride, like he'd been born with it.

"Martin, huh? Must be fate. You know if her and I had gotten married, I would have taken her last name just so my name could be Martin Martin," Marty told him as he shook his hand.

Elijah's jaw tightened, suppressing a laugh that was already causing his body to shake. Then the slow nod. Something told her it wasn't because he found Marty to be genuinely amusing. "Good thing it didn't work out between the two of you, then. Now no one will have to change their last name."

Because Elijah already had years ago.

"Wow," Claire whispered out. "So, you two are really dating? Like, relationship level dating?"

Elijah looked down at her and returned his arm to its former position on shoulder. "At this point, Mitch and Mary are like my parents. I'm staying with them for the summer. Speaking of which, M&M, we should get the stuff for the boat ride."

"Mitch is taking you two out on the boat?" Marty asked. He knew her family well enough to know her dad was more protective of his prized boat than he was his own daughter. Which was why the next few words probably stung.

"He's letting me take the boat," Elijah told him with a big smile.

That's when Marty's face fell, and despite all their awkward encounters every summer summer and holiday since their breakup, Madeline felt for the guy. "Oh. I guess we'll let you guys get going then."

"We should all get together sometime, though. We have plans on Thursday, but we're pretty wide open after that," Elijah offered.

Seeing as Martin looked like a kicked puppy, Claire was the one to answer. "We could get together for the festival on Saturday."

"Sounds like a plan," Madeline chimed in for what felt like the first time that entire conversation. "We'll see you guys later."

As she pulled him away from the small group, Madeline heard him finally able to let out the laugh he'd been holding since meeting Marty. "Well, he's just adorable."

All she could do was shake her head at him. "Don't you think you laid it on a little thick? You made it sound like we'd be walking down the aisle any day now."

"I may have a bit," Elijah admitted, "but I didn't lie. Not once, which I'm damn proud of. I gave him my name when he asked if I was your boyfriend, never saying I was. He won't be changing his last name, because I would never let you marry a tool like that. And it isn't a lie, if you and I did get married, there'd be no name change. Mitch and Mary are like my parents, and your dad does trust me enough to take his boat out.

"You've been too nice since the breakup, Maddie. He wasn't getting the hint. All I did was make sure he got the message this time around. Sorry if that message involved breaking Martin Martin's little puppy dog heart, but it happens. Probably to him more often than most."