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God, help me. What am I doing here?
“It’s so peaceful out here,” he said. “I like it.”
“Yeah,” I replied, struggling for words, biting the inside of my right cheek then switching to the left. “Why are we out here?”
“Hmm, my assumption is to get away from the party and enjoy some fresh air.” Matt stopped dead. “Let’s sit.” He lowered himself into the sand, crossing his arms over his knees. He had a few knuckle tats, and I became obsessed with them, how they caught the light.
“I didn’t know they allowed tattoos in the army,” I said, sitting down next to him. But not too close. I didn’t trust myself around the guy.
“They didn’t when I was enlisted,” Matt replied. “They’ve relaxed the policy now, but only slightly. No tattoos plainly visible when in uniform. I got these after I left.” He gestured to the ones on his forearms and knuckles. “They’re for my mother. And the past.”
I nearly choked on what he’d said. I’d spent a lot of time trying to forget what had happened to Matt’s mom. Aunt Sherry, as I’d called her, even though she wasn’t my real aunt, had been a light in my life and the real reason that I’d had the meager opportunities I was afforded.
“How’s your dad?” I asked, slowly. I hadn’t seen Uncle Gavin in years. Not since I’d left the house at eighteen.
“He’s the same as he was after she died,” Matt said. “I think about her every day.”
“Me too,” I said, truthfully. “I wish…I could have been there.”
Matt’s mother had died during a home invasion. Emmy and I had been out at a friend’s slumber party, sixteen years old and overexcited. Matt had been doing whatever it was he did on his motorbike. And their father had survived. The family had never been the same afterward.
At the time, it had nearly torn us all apart. I wasn’t even part of their family, but after Aunt Sherry had taken pity on me, it had felt like it. My parents had abandoned me when I was twelve, and Emmy’s parents had taken me in.
“I’m glad you weren’t there,” he said gruffly. “That would only have made things worse. If they’d killed you too—” He cut off, shaking his head. “Shit, look at us. Haven’t spoken in years, and the first thing we do is get on the old negativity train.”
“Worst trip down memory lane ever.”
“Right?” He chuckled, sweeping his fingers through the sand. “But it’s relevant,” Matt said. “If all of that hadn’t happened, I would never have joined the army or done what I do now.”
“And what is that? I mean, Emmy mentioned security?”
Matt paused, peering over at me in the dark. “That’s right,” he said. “You got your phone with you?”
“Sure. What do you want it for?”
“I’m going to throw it into the sky and make a wish,” he replied.
“Don’t be a dick.”
“Would you just give me the phone?” He laughed, the sound booming out over the water.
The sexual tension was still there, but the weirdness had eased up. It was like talking to him back at the old house. Like we were just teens and he was hazing me. Kidding around.
I opened my clutch—bargain deal at a thrift store, hell yeah, baby—and removed my phone. I handed it over. “It’s not anything fancy.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “It can take the app.”
“The app? Hey, I’m not going to buy your app.”
“It’s a free app with ads, Summer. I didn’t ask you to walk with me so I could peddle my shit to you.”
“Good, because I’m not in the shit-purchasing market. I prefer to keep my life turd free,” I replied.
He laughed again. “Christ, I forgot how funny you are.”
“And I forget why you want my phone.”
“I created a security app with my company,” he said, leaning in and showing me the screen. “It’s called FindMe. Basically, it tracks your position at all times. If you punch the alarm button or if your phone is disconnected from the cloud, an alert is sent out to your local police station. Your last known location is recorded and used to locate you.”
“Holy crap,” I said. “That’s awesome. This must be worth a lot of money.”
“It is,” he replied.
And that meant he was one of those super wealthy dicks. Of course he was. With financial backing from his father to set up a business, all Matt had needed to do was have the idea and the gumption and put in the hard work. Those were things he practically specialized in.
“This is amazing,” I said as he handed the phone back. “But wait, what happens if your phone just dies in the night? Is the FBI gonna come crashing through the windows or something?”
Matt laughed again. “No, that won’t happen. You can pair the app with a friend’s phone. Nearest of kin will be contacted first, and if there’s any hint of suspicion, then everyone will mobilize. We’re still working out the finer bugs, but it’s the type of thing that could revolutionize how policemen do their work.”
