Summer Doesn't Last Forever | ✓

Chapter 25: There's Nothing For Us To Talk About

        “Not everyone, surely.” I say quietly in monotone.

        “Yeah, everyone.” Cash corrects, his Tennessee accent evident.

        “Well there’s really no need. I’m fine.”

        “You’re not fine.” He deducts. “You look like someone just ran over your dog or something.”

        “I don’t have a dog.”

        “It’s a metaphor.”

        “Oh.” I say uninterested in this conversation.

        “Ryder made me bring this.” He says, handing me a jacket.

        “I’m not cold.”

        “Your arms beg to differ. You’ve got chill bumps. Just put it on.”

I sigh, but take the jacket from him and pull it on over my head. Well it’s a hoodie really, but whatever. It’s too big on me, and I know that it’s Ryder’s, mainly because it holds his scent and it’s too big. I look down at it and I have the urge to cry, but nothing comes out, because like I said. I have no more tears. It’s the hoodie that he was wearing that morning when we went to get tacos. The blue hoodie with gold lettering from UCLA that I told him I would steal when we were playing Monopoly. Of all the hoodies he could have sent, he had to send this one?

        “I don’t mean to sound mean, but you can go now.”

        “Are you joking? Ryder’d kill me if he found out I knew where you were.”

        “Well since I’m no longer Ryder’s concern, there’s really no point. Really you can go. I’ll come back later. How’d you even know I was here?”

        “I didn’t. Ryder said you’d probably come to a beach, so we started checking all the nearby beaches. And just so you know, he’s hurt, but he says he isn’t going to the doctor.”

I raise my eyebrows, “What do you mean he’s hurt? What’s wrong with him?”

        “His hand. It’s like broken or something. I don’t really know.”

        “What happened?” I wonder.

        “He smashed it into the wall.”

My eyes widen, “He punched a wall?”

Cash nods, “Yes. Now come on, we’ve gotta get you back there before he completely freaks out even more than he already has.”

I sigh, “No. I said I’ll come back later.”

Cash looks at me sideways for a minute before sighing. “Fine. But if you aren’t back by eleven, then I’m telling Ryder that you’re out here.”

        “I’ll be back by then.” I promise. “What time is it right now? Round seven, eight?”

        “It’s nine thirty.” He tells me, looking at him cell phone.

        “Okay. Well I’ll see you later.” I reply.

Cash nods and continues to walk in the distance, presumably to a car because moments later I hear a car start and then leave. I sigh and walk down the shoreline of the beach, kicking the sand with my feet. I stumble along a pier and jump up on it, letting my feet dangle over the edge of it, my feet in the water.