𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 || baxter radic

28.

The time between the fundraiser for my brother, and Bax's trip to the hospital is a blur. Most of us block out that moment in time. It's an avoidable topic, one that isn't spoken about. If someone does speak about it, silence fills the room, almost as if the question wasn't asked at all.

Bax spoke to the police, but he won't tell me what exactly was said. The only thing I know is that my mom didn't go down swinging. She was taken to a mental hospital back in the States, stripped of all the rights of me. It stung to have lost a person that once was so loving and carefree. But everyone is better this way.

My father followed behind her, checking himself in to get help. With no parental figures left to take care of me, my legal guardianship was handed over to Summer's mom. The title was handed over by my father. He was still in enough sound mind to make that decision. He didn't make the decision for Maybelle though. He made it for Welly. The only thing he remembered from our time together, is that I felt Max here. I had to stay. I had become a Torres for the time being.

I stand under a pitched tent, waiting for people to arrive when Bax's arms snake over my shoulders. Despite the gash on the side of his head, he spent every morning at the beach, waiting for me to show. But I didn't. I feared that if I walked outside she'd come for me next. Even if deep down I knew she wouldn't, that fear lingered.

I fixed his hair, correcting it from its muted shade of pink. I might have knocked his stitches a few times. It earned me a playful whack of my own, but he was happy with the results in the end.

"Where's the board?" I don't look at him as I ask. I stare at the crashing waves instead. Blurring out the chaos around us. Everyone running around to finish up whatever needs to be done before people start to arrive.

"Left it at the judging tent. Poppy said our podium area wasn't ready yet." He rests his head on top of mine. "How you feeling?"

I've been asked that a lot. I'm tired of being asked that. My answer was always going to be the same. I was fine. Everything was better now. There was no need to worry about me.

"Do you keep asking me because you don't believe my answer?" My voice is low, defeat running through my every word.

"I know you're not fine. Just figured you might say something along the lines of Excited Baxxy, can't wait to see you surf. But I guess that'd be a lie too."

"Baxter," I turn around to face him, his chin slipping off the top of my head, "I am excited. I miss watching you every morning." I slip my fingers in between his. "I'm just tired of being everyone's pity party. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I am okay. I just want to move forward. I want to be happy that I get to stay. I get to continue a life here with you guys."

"Happy to annoy me every day of our lives." He looks smugly at me. And he's not wrong, I will definitely continue to annoy him every chance that I get.

"Hey, you choose me." I push our hands against his chest. "Now you have to deal with the consequences of your actions."

"Do the consequences of my actions allow me some fun if I win?" Bax closes any distance between us. His lips hovering very close to mine. I can feel his heaving breaths cascading over my skin. "Our fun has been a bit postponed lately."

"Baxter." My mouth drops, eyes glancing away from him to see if anyone is around.

"Get a room." Summer calls out as she walks by with Ari. The amount of times I've wanted to yell that at her and I held back is uncountable. She has no right to call me out like that.

Baxter inches his lips close to my ear. His voice is low, the whisper rolling off his tongue like an effortless gust of wind. "Don't worry, you can yell that for me later."

He walks away the moment the words hit me. I'm left mouth ajar, just a blanket stare out toward the water. Whenever Bax wanted my mind to wander, he'd slip like this. He'd distract my mind enough to make sure that movies of him played on a constant loop inside my head.

After a moment to compose myself, I drag my toes through the sand, meeting our group that's gathered together, in the middle of the beach. "Everyone have fun today." Manu says as he walks over to us.

"Just know if you whiff, I'll be laughing." I smirk at everyone.

It's not long before the beach fills with people. My friends vanish out to the water and I'm left alone to watch. The true event hasn't started yet, but it's fun to watch them all catch waves. They're all getting along, Wren included. The ice that covers my heart is beginning to melt away the longer I stand watching them enjoy their time together.

"You want to call them in and get this started?" Manu rests his hand on my shoulder.

I look at him with a smile, "I think we can give them a little more time. Today is about having fun like you said. No need to rush."

"You know you get to have fun too." Manu raises his brows at me.

"My fun is watching them out there." I motion toward them. "My family has come in and ruined a lot of stuff for them. They deserve a bit of peace without my tsunami life wiping them out.

"If you think that, then you don't know your friends as much as you think you do. I'm pretty sure they'd much rather have you by their side. You and Summer have brought a brightness into their lives. You should be out there with them Maybelle." Manu focuses on the water.

"I don't have a board. Even if I did I'd end up just treading water." I cross my arms against my chest. "I'm happy cheering them on from here."

"You'll be missing out." Manu walks off as I drift my focus back to my friends.

They're all sat up on their boards, no one fighting for incoming waves. They're just hanging out there talking, ignoring the surf around them. Does it make me feel left out? Yes. But this is their thing. I didn't want to impose on something that would never be my thing. Even if this was my new home. I don't think that I could ever be a water girl.

"He's right May, you should be out there with them." Summer's mom appears out of nowhere. She told us she wouldn't be able to make it. Too much business and not enough hours in the day. But it seems as though she started to realize that being in our lives was more important that burying herself in her work any longer.

"There is no way I'd make it to them. It's a lost cause." I sigh. The guilt settling in the pit of my stomach. They were right. I should be out there with them. I should be starting this event surround by my friends. My brother wouldn't want me to be doing this alone.

"You've been on a board with Bax. You know what to do May." Manu walks up with a board, like he knew all along I'd give in to the pressure of it all.

I look down at my outfit, knowing I have no option but to enter the water just as I am. I take a deep breath, taking the board from Manu's hands, looking up toward the sky.

"He'll protect you." Summer's mom says, pushing me toward the water's edge.

I lift one foot and then the other until I'm far enough out in the water to start paddling. I take the little knowledge I have to paddle toward my friends. My eyes are focused on the group of them, I'm watching nothing else, just them.

"Maybelle!" Bax's voice echoes across the surface of the water. I duck under a coming wave, popping out the other side. I'm met with smiling faces. Exactly what I have needed these past few days.