Yours Truly

Chapter 20

"I second that," Amanda adds in kindly. "I know that I just met you and Lily a couple of months ago, but that doesn't mean that I don't care about you guys as much as I do. And I know that you wish things were a bit different regarding family life, but I also know that there is no one who loves you more than your parents, okay?"

Desi smiles appreciatively as she throws her arm around Naomi and Amanda's necks, pulling them both in against her side. "Love you guys," she grins before gazing at Carina and Lily respectively. "All of you. I don't think I could have asked for better people in my life."

That's it. Lily pulls herself up from her previous position and practically pounces on Desi in a huge hug. It doesn't take long before Carina joins in as well and before they know it, everyone's arms are wrapped around each other with poor Desi at the bottom of the dog pile and sounds of five different echoes of laughter carry out into the night.

"Alright get the hell off of me, guys," Desi chuckles, gently nudging everyone back with a wide grin on her face. "I appreciate the love, but when there's five of us together it can get painful."

"Talk about tough love, am I right, ladies?" Carina jokes. Or at least she tries to. All the girls just shake their head.

But instead of the girls moving back to their designated seats on the warm sand before, they all stayed and crowded around Desi. No one felt like moving back after what she shared. It's a natural thing that happens with all of them where if one of them is feeling a little down, they always make sure to be a little bit closer. There's comfort in just simple physical presence and knowing that someone is there with you.

"I hate to be a Debbie Downer and throw that on you guys all of a sudden," Desi begins again, tone serious, "but it was just something that has been on my mind lately. It's not that I'm not happy at home, because I am and I love everyone there, but I just feel invisible sometimes."

Lily, who's sitting slightly behind Desi's right shoulder, places a hand on her back. "No, I'm glad you told us," Lily says genuinely, "because now we know. I want you to always feel comfortable with telling us about how you feel so we can help in any way that we can."

Desi smiles as she ruffles the top of Lily's hair. "You're the best. Oh, and nice hickey, by the way," she smirks deviously. "I don't remember seeing that on the beach earlier."

Shit. Lily and Carina exchange a wide-eyed look of guilt and even at night, Lily's sure the girls can see the red tint of their cheeks. After their... little moment earlier, Lily went into the bathroom and the love bite on her neck was so noticeable. She tried her best to cover it with makeup but apparently it wasn't good enough.

Amanda and Naomi immediately shoot their heads around and scrutinize Lily's neck with narrowed eyes. Then they start to laugh and point once they are able to make it out. What immature children.

"I am not sleeping on that bed," Desi laughs, her head thrown back and her hand covering her mouth. Amanda and Naomi are cracking up as well while Carina and Lily are sitting there with their jaws dropped, blushing madly. The fact that they aren't saying anything only solidifies the truth in Desi's sexual remarks.

Lily had the strongest urge to choke Desi to death to stop her from saying anything else, but after that conversation they just had, she decides to give her a free pass. Besides, seeing and hearing Desi laugh is one of the best things in the world. Her eyes get all crinkly and she has this one little dimple that always makes an appearance when she smiles and it's the cutest thing. And her laugh is so contagious.

That's why Lily and Carina couldn't help but crack a little smile too.

-

"Do you think a turtle would be a good pet?" Carina asks, walking alongside Lily along the shore of the beach. The water occasionally would rise up and touch their toes before heading back down in a metronome-like manner. She can just smell the salinity of the water. Carina invited Lily for a walk on this lovely evening and she couldn't say no. The girls, on the other hand, went to go on the boardwalk to play games and go on rides and whatnot.