Riley

Capsize. Verb. [kapsiz]. To overturn in the water.

"Riley, Ross is here!" Lucy calls up the stairs to the room we share.

Goosebumps break out on my arm just at the mention of his name. Today, I get to meet Ross's siblings, and from what little he's said about them, I know how close they are to his heart. Every time he mentions them, a warmth comes into his eyes and something in his face lifts. The fact that he's letting me meet them is a big deal, and even though I should be scared about how close we're getting, I don't feel fear; I'm excited.

"Coming, coming!" I holler back.

I grab a zip-up hoodie and then exchange it for a cardigan. I know his dad's a deadbeat, but I still want to look like the cool, calm, and collected girl I'm not.

"Riley!" Lucy yells again.

I finally answer her call, slamming the door shut to our room and sprinting down the narrow stairs. It's the Fourth of July, and the Covingtons gave me the entire day off from the pizza shop to spend it with Ross and his family--and Javier, who's apparently an honorary Montgomery. For one day, I have freedom from the endless revolving cycle of washing dishes and serving pizzas. I push through the door, slide past Merry Gene in the kitchen, and reach the dining room. Ross lounges against the front counter, his figure lean and cut in a pair of khaki shorts and a navy blue henley.

A smile breaks across my face as soon as I see him, and I launch myself into his arms. He reels backward, catching me with warm hands on my waist, and I can feel him grinning as I kiss him. His lips burn against mine and for a second I forget we're in the middle of a grease factory, and I lose myself in the sensation of being with him, my body melting into his.

"C'mon, guys, this is a public establishment. Show some common decency."

I jerk away from Ross to find Javier lounging in a booth next to us, a knowing smirk on his face. Ross just rolls his eyes and knots his fingers between mine, tugging me closer as I begin to draw away. His eyes catch my gaze, hazy and half lidded. His voice drops an octave and I feel the gravitation pull drawing me closer to him.

"It would be indecent if I didn't kiss her every...single...moment."

Javier stands to his feet. "Alright, we get it, casanova. You're head over heels. C'mon, let's go. Ivy's dying to meet you."

I tear my eyes away from Ross, wishing we were alone so I could let him kiss me some more. Focus, Riley. Today's about getting to know his family, not about making out with him. Then again, maybe I'll get lucky and have the best of both worlds. With that, the Hannah Montana theme song gets stuck in my head and I try to refocus on Ross and Javier.

"You ready?" Ross asks, with that teasing sideways grin that gives me goosebumps.

"I've always wanted to terrify some kiddos." At Ross's slightly concerned expression, I grin at him. "Joking. Let's go."

Ross keeps my hand in his, leading us out of the pizza shop to the sidewalk. We walk a few blocks to the Montgomerys' house under the beaming sun of early July. The humidity is palpable and I'm glad I put my hair up this morning.

"So," Javier says, lagging behind us as the obvious third wheel. "Is Papa Montgomery joining us this afternoon?"

We're planning to walk through Bay Village, the most touristy part of the island, with the three kids before grabbing some snacks and camping out on the bay for the fireworks on the mainland. Today sounds like something I conjured up while lying in my bed at night as a kid. It's a typical Fourth of July for Ross and his family, something normal families do, but something I've never done.

Ross scowls at the mention of his father, his hand tensing in mine. "No. He might come with us for the fireworks, though. We'll see."

"So I get to meet the notorious Mr. Montgomery, huh?" I say, elbowing Ross as we draw closer to his dad's bike shop and their small house.

"Don't get your hopes up," Ross mumbles. "I want you to actually enjoy today."

To be honest, I'm still pretty surprised that Ross invited me to join his family. For all his open charm and easy manners, he's more private than he seems. I'm just a girl he met on the beach--that sounds better than the random girl he rescued from the ocean. I don't really deserve the way he's welcomed me into his life and life on the island. I definitely don't deserve the privilege of meeting the kids he's practically raised.

"You guys can wait here," Ross says as he slips into the back of his house.

Javier glances at me. "Don't worry too much. Ross doesn't like too many people knowing the truth about his dad--the drinking and stuff. He's been like that for about five years and it's kind of a sore subject."

I have a lot of questions, but I know Javier's not the person to ask. And honestly, all of the crap that goes on behind the scenes with Ross's family is none of my business. I bite my lip to keep myself from pestering Javier for more information.

"Yeah, I've gathered that."

"You'll love the kids though. The whole island's practically raised them; when I'm here for the summer, they're like my little brothers and sisters too."

Javier's warm chestnut eyes soften as he gazes at the Montgomery house. Even Javier, who spends his summers away from his family, has a home here. More than that, he has people. People he loves and who love him. People he belongs to.

Suddenly, the door opens and a redheaded blur races by us, lunging towards Javier and clinging to his legs. Javier laughs and ruffles the boy's fiery hair.

"Hey, Mase!"

The little boy responds with a growl and lets go, crouching down to pick up a rock and then hurl it into the street. Javier catches his arm, keeping a second rock from hurtling towards the white Rolls Royce driving by.

Ross ambles down the stairs, two more kids following him. "So, uh, that's Mason. He's the youngest; he's five. Mase, say hi to Riley."

Mason looks up at me, his eyes the same crystal blue as Ross's. "Hi."

"This is Sammy," he says, gesturing to a boy in his early teens with round spectacles and messy hair.

"Samuel," the boy corrects with a finger in the air. "My name is Samuel."

"And this is my baby sister, Ivy." Ross's gaze softens as he looks down at the strawberry blonde girl with pale eyes and as many freckles as me.

Ivy beams at me. "So you're Riley! Ross talks about you sometimes, and Ross never talks about his girlfriends. I really wanted to meet you because Ross keeps coming home late and he says it's your fault. Is it your fault? Because you should just come here and visit us. I have a great American Girl doll collection that we could play with. It could be tons of fun."

It takes me a minute to recover from her speech. "Uh, sure."

"So you'll come over some time?"

Is that what I just agreed to? "Yeah, I'd love to. I used to play with Samantha when I was your age."

"Oh, Samantha's so cool!" Ivy exclaims, skipping closer to me. "But Felicity is my favorite. I love her dresses."

"She does have pretty dresses," I concede, and I start to smile.

"I like you," Ivy says. She turns her chin up and looks at her older brother. "Good job, Ross."

I laugh as Ross nudges her with his elbow. "Thanks, Iv. I'm glad you approve."

"Can we get ice cream?" Mason suddenly says, popping up between Ross and me. "I want chocolate. Two scoops."

"Sure," Ross says with a sigh. "But you still have to go to sleep at nine."

"Deal," Mason says. "Can we go to the fudge shop too? I want fudge."

"Fudge and ice cream? I don't think so."

Ivy tugs on my hand and I return my attention to her. She points to Javier who's talking to Sammy. "Ross is your boyfriend, right?" she asks in a stage whisper.

"Uh--sure," I stutter.

"Cool. Javier is mine," she says, gesturing to Ross's best friend. "We're getting married."

My eyebrows shoot up and I laugh. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. But we can double date before the wedding if you want," Ivy says, walking up to Javier.

"That sounds fun," I say in response, a ridiculous grin on my face.

We turn and start to walk towards the Village, and Ross takes my hand again, leaning towards me so our shoulders brush. "What were you and Ivy whispering about?"

"Apparently, she's marrying Javier and we're going to double date."

Ross's eyebrows arch, a dimple forming in one cheek. "Wow, that sounds like fun."

"Doesn't it, though? I have a feeling she's going to want to go to Chuck E. Cheese's."

Ross laughs, tilting his head back. "That sounds like a nightmare." He pauses and glances at me. "You're really good with her."

I flush under the compliment. "We just met, and I think I said a grand total of five words to her. She doesn't leave much space for talking."

"Yeah, but she likes you. If Javier weren't here, she'd probably be holding your hand and talking your ear off right now."

"Lucky Javier."

Mason runs past us then turns around and zigzags between us, yelling, "Zoom, zoom!" at the top of his lungs. Sammy, the oldest of the three kids, examines a snail between his fingers, and Ivy is telling Javier what their wedding's going to be like while Ross and I walk down the street hand-in-hand. Between Ivy's chatting, Mason's yelling, and the chatter of the hundreds of other tourists all around us, the street is deafening and full of life.

Something about this moment is so ordinary and everyday, but also completely new to me. I didn't grow up with other kids around me because I was an only child and I didn't have many cousins. But this organized, loud chaos is Ross's everyday laugh. Even though I know he doesn't always love it, I wish he knew how amazing his life is. I would kill for more moments like this.

"Ross, the ice cream shop!" Mason cries, jumping up and down and pointing at the stand. "Can we get some now? Please? Please?"

"Sure. Javi, can you take the kids?" Ross passes Javier a twenty. "I have to give Riley the full tourist experience."

We leave the kids behind to pester Javier, and before I know it, my window to get ice cream is gone. Ross guides me into Ron Jon's surf shop, the wall lined with surfboards and the store filled with overpriced t-shirts and cheap souvenirs.

"So this is why people come to the island, huh?" I say, gesturing to the noisy shop.

"Yep. It has nothing to do with the beaches; they just want ice cream and..." He picks up a trinket from the stand next to the door. "Flip flop keychains with their names on them."

"Oh my gosh, so cute!" I exclaim. "Do they have my name?"

"Are you serious?"

"Not at all. You should be able to recognize when I'm being sarcastic by now."

"By now? I've known you a grand total of three weeks."

The words make us both pause. Three weeks. Is that it? Is that all the longer I've lived here, all the longer I've been with Ross? We're moving too fast. I never expected us to move anywhere--for me to go anywhere with anyone--but here we are.

"C'mon. Let's, uh, look around."

The moment breaks and Ross tugs me behind him to a rack of postcards on the front counter. He starts to skim through them, and I study him for a moment. I think about all the postcards and photos I've shown him over the past few weeks from the countless places I've been. Ross's wanderlust and his devotion to his family are at odds, and I feel like I'm making the conflict worse.

"Here," he says, passing me a postcard of the beach with a few wild horses. "To add to your collection. So you don't forget us when you move for the nineteenth time."

I take the postcard in my hand and examine it as Ross offers the cashier a few quarters, and my heart rises in my throat, choking me with emotion. When you move. When you leave. The end of the summer's going to come eventually, and I'll leave everyone behind. I'll leave Ross behind to the life he longs to escape.

My voice trapped in my throat, I look up at him. "Ross, why don't you just leave? I know you want to, but...what's holding you back?"