“Use bug spray, please. Enzo and I are going to head in soon, so we probably won’t be up. Text me if you need anything.”

I nodded and went inside to get a thick blanket and two bottles of water. Then we headed down the pathway that wound through the vineyards and toward the lake, the flashlight beam lighting the way.

We spread out the blanket on the hill under a twisted old oak tree. Stars studded the sky like diamonds on black velvet. The crickets and night creatures screeched out a song, giving us our own special concert. Ian sat down, spread his knees, and pulled me into his embrace. He wrapped his arms tight around me, and I felt sheltered and safe, his breath against my ear, my head pressed to his chest.

I never wanted to leave.

“I have this need to learn everything about you,” he murmured, touching his lips to my shoulder.

“Well, my favorite color is yellow.”

He chuckled. “A good start. I guess I still can’t believe you don’t have a boyfriend. Or someone interested. Are the guys at your school truly stupid?”

“I’ve never connected romantically with anyone at my school,” I said truthfully. “I tried. One of the popular kids tried to hook me up with the school track star, but I found him egotistical.”

“Definitely not a good match.”

“Definitely not. And I’ve been focused on my schoolwork, tennis, and track. I’m a big reader and art history buff, so technically I’m a nerd. I like my own company. Sad, huh?”

“Nope, sounds like me. I never connected with anyone at college either. I met a lot of nice girls, but no one I wanted to give up my free time for.”

I thought of David and guilt pinged me. After I stopped responding to his and Freda’s texts, we’d gone to radio silence. “Right before we left on our trip, I started hanging out with this guy and his friends. That’s where I got busted for pot.”

I held my breath, awaiting his judgment, but he didn’t move away, and his voice sounded steady. “Makes sense. You were mad at your mom and probably looking for something. Did you like smoking weed?”

“I wanted to, but it wasn’t my thing.” I thought over the encounter with Freda, David, and Connor. “It was the connection I loved. They seemed really tight, and I’d never really felt like I could trust any of my friends with my secrets. I liked how I felt when I was smoking or drinking and part of the crew.”

He squeezed my shoulders in reassurance. “Allegra, you’re only eighteen and still in high school. You’re supposed to experiment and figure out who you are. I get it. Now it makes sense. Your mom freaked and decided to drag you off for an exotic trip to keep you away from them?”