For What It's Worth

Chapter Fourteen : It Comes In Waves

I T C O M E S I N W A V E S

Isabelle

Sam drives for just over forty five minutes until he smoothly swings into the parking lot. I get out of the car and eagerly move around to the railings that overlook the seafront. I stand with my hands on the metal, watching the blue waves roll over and lap onto the shore frothing when they meet the golden sand. The orange sun is beginning to set, slowly falling down into the horizon. The sky is filled with a pink tint, not a single cloud in sight. It looks like we probably only have another hour before it gets dark.

Thomas and Sam silently join me, also admiring the view. I stand between them, lifting my head to smell the sea breeze, listening to the sounds of the birds sweeping above and other people laughing. Thomas amorously leans on me from behind, his fingertips gently resting on my side.

"Hey guys!" Owen's familiar voice calls out. All three of us, look around until we find Owen, Wesley and Charlie poking their heads out of the open windows of Owen's car. Thomas steps away from me at the sight of them.

I try my hardest not to frown to myself, concern running through me. Does he not want to be seen touching me in front of his friends? Is he embarrassed? Does he think he has to uphold his reputation in front of his boys? I shove the stupid thought to the side and move forward with Thomas and Sam to greet everyone, plastering on a big smile.

Wesley quickly hugs me while I just nod and smile to the other two. There's no way I'm letting Charlie hug me. Sam helps Charlie and Owen unpack as an unfamiliar car beeps several times at us.

"Oh, that's Paige." Wesley beams and practically skips over to where she's done a bad job at parking her car. She hops out and he spins her around in a happy embrace. Just watching them makes me smile. But inside, it makes me twinge because it now seems like Thomas wouldn't want to do that with me in front of his friends - other than Sam.

My smile drops when I spot Paige's other friends and Cassidy getting out the other side of the same car.

"Oh Jesus Christ." I complain, huffing. I turn my back so she's out of my view because the more I look at her, the angrier I feel myself getting.

"What? What's wrong?" Thomas tilts his head, stepping back to get a better look at me. I gesture my head over to her direction.

"I didn't realize she was going to be here." I was actually really looking forward to having a chilled out evening on the beach with everyone. But not her. Now I want to go home. Actually - fuck that. I shouldn't let her determine how I feel.

"Neither. But it's going to be fine, she's not actually that bad, Is." I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Yeah of course you'd sat that." I snap back. He goes to speak but I cut him off before he has the chance. "I'm joking." I clarify. Well, I was kind of joking. "We're not getting back into that." I shake my head.

"You should just go over there and say hello. You know... try to be nice and maybe make friends with them." He suggests and I almost laugh at him.

"First of all, how dare you. I am nice." He chuckles. "Second, I don't want to be friends with them. And third, I have friends that I like already. I don't need anymore, especially not girls like her." He shifts his weight, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're so stubborn." He comments.  

"I thought you would've figured that out by now."

**

The boys set up a circle of chairs on the sand, cracking open bottles of beer to have. Sam doesn't want to drink because he said he'd drive home, despite Thomas and I both offering. He asks if anyone wants to go in the water. I agree because I don't particular feel like hanging out with the girls who are silently sunbathing in the last hour of the sun. Obviously that excludes Paige. She is the only one of them I like.