Forbidden Boy

“Wow. What are you doing with the other one?” Remi asked.

“It’s hard to explain,” Julia

Hailey Abbott

into a huge wood-and-wire sculpture. The whole piece was huge—she had constructed most of it standing on a step stool smack in the middle—and Julia

“Wow.” Remi looked at Jules with pure astonishment.

“That’s amazing. You and your mom must have been close.”

“Very. Our whole family is.” She stared ahead at the ocean.

“So, is that why you’re an artist? Because that’s what she did?” Remi leaned in, scooting a little closer to Julia

“Nope,” she said thoughtfully. “I mean, not really.

I’m an artist because I can’t not be. It’s like breathing, you know? I’ve been doing this since I was too young to understand that it was what Mom did. But I guess she’s become a part of it. Knowing it’s something we share, even if she’s not here anymore. Continuing her legacy, or whatever.”

“But you don’t want it to be all about the loss,” Remi said softly.

“Yeah, exactly.” She stared at him, hard, her blue eyes locking with his big brown ones. “That’s exactly what I was going to say.”

48

Forbidden Boy

Remi leaned in toward her and draped his arm across her shoulders. Julia

Suddenly, fat raindrops splattered everywhere, shooting down in rapid fire. Julia

“Hmm?” Remi asked, still packing up.

“This looks like it’ll blow over in a few minutes. Let’s just toss a cover over the painting and wait it out. We’ll be fine,” she suggested.

Remi grabbed a tarp from Julia

They sat side by side and took in the sights of the beach in the rain. When she squinted, Julia

Hailey Abbott

home, but then she took a deep breath and decided to let it go. She turned to Remi and said brightly, “You know what? I feel the rain letting up. I think I’m going to start setting my stuff up again. I’ll be able to do some really neat stuff with the light after the rain clears out.” Remi nodded and smiled, obviously impressed with Julia

Sound like a deal?”

“Deal,” Julia

They got up from the sand and walked in small circles, gathering Jules’s discarded art supplies, just chatting. As he turned and checked out the full panoramic view of the area, Remi’s face lit up. “Oh—I totally know where I am!” Great, Jules thought. If Remi is figuring out his way around already, he’ll definitely be able to find his way back! The tiny hairs on her arm prickled at the realization that her hand was nestled in his. Standing on this familiar stretch of sand with Remi, the beach looked more gorgeous than ever. Just as Jules had predicted, the rain was weakening, the clouds brightening and clearing. By the time Jules and Remi had reassembled her work spot, the afternoon storm had all but cleared up. Surveying the horizon, Jules noticed that most of the surfers hadn’t even come off the water when the rain started.

As Julia

Forbidden Boy

board sitting by his side like a loyal dog. Jules eased down into the sand beside him and he scooted just a millimeter closer. They were near enough that she could practically feel the tiny goose bumps dotting his arms.

She was tempted to rest her head on his shoulder and recreate the cozy scene that had been interrupted by the rain a few minutes earlier, but Remi beat her to it, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Julia

“So, you surf?” she asked, breaking the silence with a question she could have answered herself.

Remi laughed. “No. Not at all. I just carry around this surfboard to impress the ladies. It was pretty awkward in Seattle, but I think it could work magic down here.

What do you think?” he joked.

“Oh, yeah,” Jules replied, looking from the surfboard to Remi’s bathing-suit-clad body. “Definite chick magnet.”

“How about you?” Remi asked, turning his head toward Julia

“I’m okay,” Julia

51

Hailey Abbott

Remi took his arm down from around Julia

Julia

Julia

“Good,” Remi instructed. “Now, push up!” Julia

“Your form’s pretty good,” Remi answered earnestly, standing up. “I think you might want to use your upper 52

Forbidden Boy

arms a little more when you’re pushing up, though. It’ll give you more momentum. Can I show you?”

“Sure. Do you want to demonstrate, or . . .” Julia

“Nope. Get back down on the board, and I’ll show you, as you’re doing it. That way you can feel it while it’s happening,” Remi suggested.

Giggling silently, she hopped back down onto her stomach, already giddy with anticipation. She situated herself on her stomach in the middle of the board. Remi leaned across her, and Jules shivered slightly, both from his shadow creeping across her back and from the proximity of his body to hers.

“Okay, now move your arms in like you’re going to push up,” Remi instructed. As Julia