Bet my Life (EDITING!!) #BOOK1

15. Somewhere only we know

The month went by sooner than any of us would have wanted. Izzie and I spent most of the time at the boys' place, that is, when we weren't in class. Last week was particularly hectic because of our assignments and exams, which meant that I didn't get to hang out much with anyone. I found solace in the library and was occasionally joined by Oli and Nate.

"Freedom. Finally." I rejoiced, having completed my last exam.

"Zoe bear!" Eli shouted and ran to pull me into a hug.

"Carson, let go of my woman," Nate's annoyed voice came from behind me. Grumbling, Eli put me down.

"Aww, you poor baby," I ruffled Eli's hair.

"Don't encourage him," Nate replied, pulling me into his arms.

"So possessive, tch, tch," Eli responded, clearly enjoying Nate's reaction.

"Hey Maya," I greeted Eli's friend, who gave me a shy wave.

"Guys, let's vote quickly. Camping or beach house?" Izzie asked everyone, demanding our attention. We all voted 7-1 for the beach house, leaving Eli outnumbered, who pouted like a baby.

"Alright, gang. Is everyone here? Someone text Oli and let him in on the change in the plan. We all have 4 hours before we leave. We will split up. Eli, convince one of our parents to let us use the beach house. Don't screw it up. Zoe and Nate, you are responsible for the food. Izzie, Zach will take care of anything and everything we might need on this trip, and Oli, Chace and I will take care of the luggage and vehicle." Lily ordered. "Capiche? Everyone will meet back at the guys' place at 5 pm sharp."

"Hey, is Oli bringing the chick he's dating?" Zach asked.

"Call him up and ask," urged Chace.

"Already on it...Hey man, are you getting that Sara chick along with you?.....Awesome, call Lil once. She has some work for you." Eli cut the call and looked at us with a nervous look.

"So...umm, Sara is in, but Oli also invited Matt and Cole."

"Great, just great. Stupid Oli and his stupid need to make friends." Lily grumbled.

I noticed Nate's grip on me tightening at the mention of Matt and Cole.

"Babe, it's okay. Don't let this ruin our vacation. Besides, the more the merrier," Chace soothed Lily and kissed her.

"Fine. But if they fuck things up, I'll make their life a living hell," Lily promised. "Alright, everyone. Get back to work now. Chop chop."

Her bossy tone made all of us scram. I turned to Nate and hugged him. I rested my head against his chest and found myself relaxing.

"Hey, baby. I hated not seeing you last week." Nate mumbled against my hair.

"Me too," I replied and stood on my tippy toes to kiss him. He responded immediately and turned the kiss deeper.

"Hey, horndogs. Break it up. If either of you isn't there on time, I swear to God I will kick your asses," Lily glared.

"Alright, alright. Gee, woman. We are leaving," I kissed Nate goodbye and told him to meet me in an hour.

I caught up with Izzie and we both proceeded to pack our bags. After shaving my legs and packing my clothes, we get ready to drop them off at Lily's room. I change into a white lace cami crop top and blue shorts. I kept my essentials inside my sling bag and slipped into my shoes as I got a text from Nate. I put on my sunglasses, pulled my hair into a bun, and walked outside to find Nate leaning on his car in cargo shorts and a red t-shirt, which made his muscles pop out. I bounced towards him and leapt into his arms. He almost instantly caught me.

"Someone's in a good mood," he set me down and opened the door for me.

"No time to chit chat. Let's go buy junk food. Chop chop," I stated in a serious tone, mimicking Lily.

"Your wish is my command," he laughed and pulled into the store's parking lot.

"By the way, I didn't get to tell you this earlier, because you interrupted me, but you look beautiful," Nate linked our fingers together and kissed me on the lips.

"Thanks, so do you," I replied, blushing a deep shade of red. He just chuckled and lead us to the food section. Nate got the trolley and began pushing it around, following me. I threw in as much junk as I could find.

"Babe, what about alcohol?" Nate asked.

"I'll text Izzie," I told him, well aware of her having a fake id.

I felt my phone buzz and saw Izzie's reply.

"They'll get it," I assured Nate as we proceeded to checkout.

Nate loaded the bags into his car and looked at me.

"We still have 2 hours to go. Do you wanna go somewhere with me?" He asked.

I nodded and got into the car. Nate drove around for a few minutes before he parked his car. He walked towards a garden, his hands never leaving mine. We sat down on a bench, and he didn't say anything for a long time. I looked at him and found him lost in his thoughts.

"My dad used to bring me here when I was a kid. My grandparents stay nearby, and we used to visit them every summer. Once dad left, I wanted nothing to do with them. So, this is the only happy memory I have with my dad. We used to come here early, play some football, and just lie down on the grass and he used to listen to me talk. We used to get ice cream after," he gave a sad chuckle, his eyes holding so much pain. I rested my head against his shoulder and rubbed soothing circles on his back.

"This place means a lot to me, I just wanted to share it with you." He looked at me and rested his head against mine.

"Thank you, for trusting me, and bringing me here," I whispered.

He kissed my forehead and we stayed like that, basking in each other's company.

"Zoe?"

"Hmm?"

"Wake up, we're getting late," Nate woke me up, making me realize that I dozed off on his shoulder.

I squinted my eyes and stretched my limbs, before getting up and making my way towards his car. We reached his house and got down to find everyone else waiting for us, along with 2 new guys. Shrugging apologetically, Nate and I walked to where they were standing.

"Took you both long enough," Oli smirked and winked at us.

"Oli, shut up. You're still on time-out for bringing these idiots without asking us," Lily taunted.

"Hey, we take offence to that," an unfamiliar guy retorted.

I turned my head to the newcomers. The guy who just spoke now had a tall frame, average build, and blonde hair. The other one was tall and muscular and had a mop of brown hair. I noticed him looking at me with a smirk since I walked in. Not feeling comfortable with the way he was staring, I moved closer to Nate. I looked at Nate to find him with a clenched jaw, noticing his actions, causing him to pull me closer to him protectively.

"So, as I was telling them, we are going to our beach house, Nate. Mom and dad permitted us." Lily told us with excitement. I felt Nate slightly tense up at the mention of her dad, but he played it off with a smile.

"And the travel arrangements are made. Since there are 12 of us, we will be taking 3 cars. Oli, Sara, Matt, Cole in Matt's car, Eli, Maya, Chace, and Lily in Chace's care, and Nate, Zoe, Izzie, and I in Nate's car. Is everyone okay with this? We take turns to drive and make pit stops," Zach informed.

"Alright bitches, let's get this party started," Eli roared, as we all cheered.