Chapter 18: Out of Reach

Once in my car, far enough away from Gina and the whirlwind that seemed to be surrounding Luke, I opened the box he thrust in my hand before leaving. Inside lay a beautiful seashell about as big as my palm, perfectly scalloped with purple edges. Also inside, lay a note:

Dear Stella,

I picked this up the day we were at the beach together. I’m sorry it got cut short. I had a lot of fun with you. It meant a lot to me that you brought me to one of your favorite places. I never liked the beach much because of what happened with Cassidy and my fear of water, and I hope this shell helps remind you of the fun we had and how you’ve helped me so much already.

Fondly,

Luke

I couldn’t believe it. After what I just witnessed with Gina, how could he write me such a sweet note? Why was he toying with my emotions? I read the note again. It didn’t actually say anything too romantic; it was more like a note of gratitude. Still. I thought about what it meant. Or what I wanted it to mean.