Between the Stars

Chapter Sixteen

Once they got home, Sam didn't waste any time. The second his mom put the car in park he threw open the door and took off down the driveway.

"I'll be back later!" He called over his shoulder.

The sun was already low in the sky but he knew his parents wouldn't worry as long as he checked in. As he headed down the road, he mentally rehearsed his apology again. Their trip had taken two hours longer than he'd expected thanks to the awful traffic from that accident. He'd tried to call Charlie again when they reached the outskirts of town but there was still no answer. There was no telling whether she was still waiting at the lighthouse, so he decided the best bet would be to stop by her house first in case she'd given up. A rueful smile tugged at his face at the thought of the lecture she'd probably prepared for him for daring to delay her from telling him about her trip.

It only took him ten minutes to get to Charlie's house and as he approached the walkway he noticed the red truck wasn't in the driveway. A dart of relief went through him; he still had no desire to ever interact with her dad if he could help it. The gate creaked open and crashed back against the chain link fence as he walked up to the front door and knocked on the worn wood.

No answer.

He tried to peer in the side window. The house was dark, and he couldn't hear anyone walking around.

"Charlie?" He called.

He knocked again and waited another minute. Nothing.

Strange. Maybe she was still waiting for him. He wouldn't put it past her to stay at the lighthouse all day regardless of whether he was there or not. Just to be sure, he called her home phone. The ringing echoed faintly from inside the house, but no one answered. God, he wished she had a cell phone. He hung up and knocked one more time for good measure, then started back down the walkway. Once he reached the street he turned around to make sure Charlie wasn't sitting on the roof. No glint of copper hair greeted him and his heart sank a bit as he headed towards town.

He took the long way so he could walk by the park and make sure she wasn't at the gazebo, but the white structure sat empty by the edge of the water. The drugstore was closed too, so he rounded the corner on Main Street and headed for the woods. The sun was just starting to set over the lake; streaks of pink shot through the sky overhead as he followed the trail into the trees. He picked up his pace when he reached the turnoff and jogged down the hill until he reached the beach. The sun was almost to the horizon now, and the clouds around it burned bright scarlet as Sam stepped onto the pier. No silhouette sat among the beams, and as he approached the ladder he noticed the chain was still locked. Disappointment flooded through him and he huffed out a sigh, frustrated that he hadn't made it in time. He'd been looking forward to seeing Charlie all day but the stupid trip had just taken so long.

He turned around to leave when a thought hit him— maybe he was the one who was early. Maybe they'd gotten home late, and she was on her way now. He could wait for a little longer. He climbed up the ladder and unlocked the chain, then climbed up into the silent cabin. It was eerie, being here by himself. Charlie's absence filled the space with a sense of emptiness he didn't like one bit. He stepped out onto the balcony to escape it; a gentle breeze replaced the heavy, still air as he rested his arms on the railing and stared out at the sunset. It was the most brilliant he'd ever seen. The sky might as well have been on fire for the color that blazed across the feathery clouds and lit up the waves.

Charlie would have loved this one.

He stared, entranced, until the sun sank below the horizon and left the sky draped in shades of indigo. When he finally turned around to leave his stomach twisted again at the emptiness of the cabin. He knew she would have come if she could. Maybe they'd extended their trip a couple of days. She wouldn't have been able to let him know if they did, since she couldn't text him. He headed back down the ladder and locked the chain, then retraced his steps back down the pier. If she wasn't back tomorrow, he'd go to the station and ask Dan about it.