Can't Get Enough [Wattpad Featured Story]

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." – Psalm 139:7-10

"Now you know the whole picture." Alana's jaw quivered as she ended her story. Cole could see the tears sparkling in her eyes. His heart throbbed in his chest, but he didn't move. He couldn't move. He watched as Alana abruptly stood up and headed out into the twilight, her towel still draped across her hunched shoulders.

"I had no idea," Blaine murmured. "Did any of you...?"

Jake, Maya, and Koa shook their heads. "I feel so bad," Maya said softly. "I shouldn't have let her tell that story."

"It's not your fault," Koa said. He gazed in the direction Alana had gone. "I'm going after her. I need to make sure she's okay."

No one protested, though Cole's insides were screaming at him to do something. He felt like he should be the one running after Alana, not Koa. Cole should be the one to comfort her like he did at the Wedge.

He was locked in mental deliberation for a few minutes. Torn between his head and his heart, he finally set down his uneaten s'more on his towel and stood up.

"Are you going after her too?" Jake asked, surprised.

"No," Cole lied. "I'm going to take a walk. I need to clear my head."

Blaine gave his twin a knowing look but remained silent. Cole squared his shoulders and headed after Koa and Alana. His legs automatically took off into a jog, so he willed himself to slow down and play it cool.

He walked for about a minute before spotting two figures hunched over in the sand. Through the dim glow of the bonfire a good distance away, he could faintly make out Alana's golden hair and Koa's dark skin.

Cole's heartbeat accelerated. Goosebumps peppered his arms from the crisp night air as he slowly approached the duo. Before he could get within earshot, however, he saw them embrace.

Cole froze, his heart thudding in his chest.

They had their arms wrapped around each other, but that wasn't all. From the shape of their silhouettes, Cole knew they were kissing.

His jaw dropped open. He felt crushed by the weight of his hard work, his many sacrifices, and his time spent chasing after Alana—it had all been useless. Alana had been fooling him. She wanted Koa, not Cole. How could he have been so blind?

He whirled around and headed in the direction of the trail. "No!" he shouted, angrily kicking at a piece of debris sitting on the sand. Tears burst into his eyes as his toes throbbed with pain. Of course he had to kick a splintery piece of wood, of all things. "Crap," he muttered. He let out a string of curses, buried beneath a torrent of tears, and took off in a sprint. He fled the beach. Before long, the bonfire disappeared as a red blob behind him, and the dirt trail appeared a few yards ahead.

His eyes gradually grew adjusted to the darkness as he tore down the trail. He nearly stumbled and fell several times, partly due to the fact that it was nighttime and partly due to the tears hindering his vision. When he burst onto the street minutes later, he was a physical and emotional wreck.

His breaths were ragged as he stormed over to the Volkswagen. He unlocked the door and tossed all the gang's belongings out except his own. Once everyone's suitcases and backpacks were piled on the sidewalk, he put the key in the ignition and backed out of the parking spot. He had no music blaring and no one in the vehicle with him, so the drive to Ventura was oddly quiet except for the sounds of the freeway. Cole kept his window rolled down to allow the crisp night air to keep him alert.