“Grace knows we’re just friends. Just like some of my other guy friends; she’s got nothing to worry about.

Vince slipped his hand into hers underwater and stared at her. “What other guy friends?”

She turned to him, and Vince saw the effort she made to hide her surprise to his question. “I…I have a few friends in school.”

“Friends like me?” He squeezed her hand now. “Because I don’t have any friends like you, Rose, none. You’re the only one.”

“Well.” She licked her lips looking away. “They’re just guys I talk to. But no…not like with you.”

“Good.” He took a few steps off the stairs, pulling her with him in the water. “Just so you know,” he said as he dipped his head back into the deeper water. When he popped back up she was still holding his hand and still staring at him, looking a bit bewildered. “I don’t need any more friends around. I’m fine with it being just you and me all summer.” He tugged her hand, pulling her a little closer to him but not too close in case someone peeked out at them. “If any of these guys show up when I’m around, I won’t be very friendly.” He lifted the corner of his lip, as Rose began to get what he was saying. “Don’t get me kicked out of La Jolla, Rosie. Because that’s probably what’ll happen.”

As the back door slid open, he let go of her hand and dove into the deep end. When he popped up on the other end of the pool, Rose popped up next to him. They both held on to the side as Grace walked back into the house again. She’d brought out lemonade for them.

“Vincent?” Vince brought his attention back to Rose. He’d been busy making sure Grace closed the door all the way. “I don’t have any other friends like you either. You’re the only one.”

Feeling the onset of one of biggest goofiest smiles to date, Vince cursed the fact that he was in Sal’s backyard, or he would’ve attacked her with a million kisses. Instead he reached for her hand and squeezed. “Good. That’s exactly what I was waiting to hear.”

***

The end of summer was creeping up on them, and Vince had stuck to his promise of remaining nothing more than friends with her: friends with the understanding he was so glad now that he’d made perfectly clear. They of course still held hands every chance they got. Some things were just too hard to fight. Sal seemed more worried about Grace stressing out than Vince doing anything to disrespect Rose. So if he ever caught Vince holding Rose’s hand, he’d have to cut him some slack. For Vince to be feeling for Rose what he felt now and not be doing anything more than holding her hand was a show of restraint even Vince didn’t know he had in him especially given all the times he’d had to see her in a two-piece bathing suit. The risk of his time being cut short here was not one he was willing to take.

Then one night just a couple of weeks before the dreaded end of his summer vacation, as he was getting into his car to go see Rose, he got the text from her that nearly stopped his heart.

OMG! We’re moving to Nevada!

With his stomach taking a sudden dive, Vince responded immediately.

Why? When?

Vince sat in the car, wondering if he should just go or wait for her response. He decided he’d wait. He didn’t want to make her wait to have to pull over to respond. Nevada? What the hell? He remembered her telling him about the vacation they’d taken there at the beginning of this summer and the friend they knew out there. But why they’d be moving there he had no idea.

My stupid stepdad got a DUI. His class-A license was taken away. Without that, he can’t work anymore. Their friend in Nevada offered them both jobs along with room and board in his casino/hotel. My mom’s already talking about getting my transcripts from school, so I can get enrolled over there this fall.

Vince panicked. Sal and Grace were away for the weekend. Rose wasn’t his girlfriend yet. But he had every intention of staying in touch with her once he left and coming out to visit her as much as he could. Hopefully they would make things official between them in the very near future then he would come back next summer. He had to be cool for now. But this could ruin everything.

Do you have to go? Can’t you stay here with Grace?

Since Grace and Sal had announced their engagement, Rose’s mom had made an unusual, sudden change in her conduct with Rose. From what Rose had told Vince prior to the engagement, she’d always been cold and distant, caring more about herself than anyone else. Suddenly she was showing Rose the attention and affection she never had in the past. Sal told Vince in confidence he thought the calculating bitch was up to something. Grace would have a much better life now, and if her mom wanted to have any part of it, the one way to stay on Grace’s good side was through Rose.

Of course Vince didn’t share this information with Rose especially since he could tell that, while she didn’t admit to it, Rose was happy about the change. Little by little this summer Rose had opened up to Vince about her relationship with her mother or lack thereof. She said she didn’t care, and what her mother lacked in parental attention and affection, Grace more than made up for. But Vince saw the expression in her eyes when she spoke about her sometimes. It hurt her more than she’d ever admit.

Regardless of how many times she said it didn’t matter, like any normal girl who’d been neglected by a parent for too long, Rose craved her mother’s attention. When Grace moved in with Sal, they told Rose she was more than welcome to move in, too—that Sal had plenty of room. But Rose chose to stay because her mother said she wanted her to. Rose said she’d decided to stay because she didn’t want to switch high schools, but Vince knew better. He’d seen the twinkle in Rose’s eye when she told him her mother actually wanted her to stay.