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My lips pulled into a smile, then fell just as quickly. “My Trenton?”
Anne Marie nodded, then chewed on her bottom lip again. She fingered one of the little braids woven through her hair. “I’m sure he knew her, Mysti. I’m sure of it. I remember hanging out here at the beach, and I know I’ve met him before.”
Over her shoulder, Trenton and Miller had stopped next to the tall grasses at the edge of the beach. They had their heads lowered, and Trenton’s hand rested on my friend’s shoulder. Miller’s body rocked back and forth, as if Trenton was pushing him. As if Trenton was trying to get whatever he was saying through to him.
“I don’t know what to do.” Her words were quiet, as if she’d squeezed them through a tight throat.
I tried to smile again, but it felt tight and phony and forced. “Let me talk to him,” I tried, though the defeat I could see in her eyes didn’t leave with my words. “Let me see if he remembers anything. He travels a lot. Meets a lot of people. Maybe he just… needs his memory jogged.”
Anne Marie nodded, then wiped her nose with the heel of her palm. “Ugh. I’m sorry.” She stood, shaking both her hands in front of her as if doing so could flush her emotions away. “I’ll be right back.”
While she went to the picnic tables to grab a napkin to blow her nose, I returned my attention to the grassy area beside the beach. Trenton slapped Miller on the shoulder, then gave him another shake. Miller scratched at his cheek with the backs of his fingers, nodded, then turned away.
A chill raced along my spine, and I sat up straight. There was no one behind me, only a few remaining surfers near the shore. But once again, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. That someone was out there, planning to do me harm.
“You okay, love?”
I jolted in my seat, my hand lifting as I spun. Trenton had both hands raised in front of him and his brow pulled down in a deep V.
“Hey.” I swallowed, my gaze darting to where Anne Marie hovered alone near the picnic tables. “I’m good. Everything’s fine.”
“You ready to go home?”
With a nod, I stood, then put a hand on Trenton’s chest. “Give me a minute?”
“Sure. I’m going to get my board. Meet you at my Jeep?”
“Yeah. Sounds good.”
As Trenton turned toward the shore, I made my way over to Anne Marie. She had a weary look on her face, and she tangled her fingers in her hair.
“Hey, um…” I took her arm, tugging her away from the group of people walking our way. “Can we talk?”
