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“Yeah, sort of,” she said.

“It’s not too late to take it back.”

Kamala gave a nervous laugh and placed the box on top of a larger one. I wondered what her card said. Did it profess her undying love?

We both turned at the same time to head back into the yard when I nearly ran someone over. It was Elinor—Asher’s ex.

“Sorry,” she said, coming to a halt. Her eyes flitted over me, recognition coming onto her face. “It’s you.” She laughed. “I knew it was you on the beach, but Asher kept diverting.”

“Me?” I asked, my brain trying to catch up to what she wassaying.

“TikTok girl.”

I didn’t think the same bit of information could hurt me in a new way, but here I was being hurt all over again, realizing that yes, Asher was trying to divert on the beach, keep her from saying anything. “Right,” I said. “It’s me.”

She shook her head. “Those guys are something else.” Then she walked away, laughing to herself.

I kept my eyes on her.

“Was that—” Kamala started.

“Yes,” I said, still watching Elinor work her way across the lit patio and then onto the grass. Halfway across the yard she stopped at a group and that’s when I saw him. His tall lanky form, his floppy auburn hair. He was standing next to Dale and he looked over when Elinor arrived at his side. His expression was hard to see from this far away.

“We can leave,” Kamala said, obviously watching Elinor as well.

“Do you think they’re back together?” I asked, my voice catching a bit.

“No, I don’t,” she said. “He was literally talking about you nonstop less than a week ago when we were watching fireworks. Seriously, it was annoying.”

Asher shook his head and crossed his arms, but from this distance I couldn’t tell what they were saying.

The music stopped playing and some feedback rang through the speakers followed by silence.

“Hello, is this thing on?” Dale’s voice echoed through the yard.

Kamala pointed to the deck by the pool. Dale was standing there, a microphone in one hand, his other arm extended to theside. “Hey, everyone! Welcome to my birthday party! Thanks for coming.”

Some people shouted, but most had quieted down and were listening.

“In a few minutes we’re going to be recording a series of videos, so if you all could clear this area around the pool for like thirty minutes, that’d be cool.”

“Why’d you take the best ones down?” someone shouted, followed by a lot of other people echoing the sentiment. Tension spread through my chest.

I was so focused on Dale that I didn’t see Asher walk across the yard, but suddenly he was right there, snatching the microphone from Dale’s hand. “The real question should be, why did we put them up in the first place? Recording someone without their permission is what tools do. We were huge tools.”

“I think you meanare!” a girl with rainbow hair shouted. “Youarehuge tools!”

A spattering of laughter sounded around the yard.

“I would agree with that,” I muttered to Kamala.

“Get on with your videos! This is boring!” a person directly behind me yelled.

Before I could turn my head or hide my face, Asher’s eyes, searching for the voice, collided with mine.

“You’re here?” he said, almost like he didn’t mean to say it outloud.

I took a step back.