The Bad Girl's Good Side

Chapter 17:Why did I come?

"Okay," Chase lifts up his hands in surrender. "Now, can we just get going? They guys are already waiting for us at the beach."

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After a fifteen minute ride to the beach, Chase finally parks his car in the crowded parking lot, and we quickly exit the car to digest the new atmosphere. The air is moist and warm, making it a perfect day to get a tan.

Too bad I refused to bring my swimsuit.

"They are waiting for us," Jordan informs Chase and I, and we nod in response.

"This is gonna be fun," I mutter sarcastically under my breath and shake my hands with apprehension.

Come down, Hailey. No need to overreact.

"Chill, dude," Chase places his hand on my shoulder after noticing my uneasiness. "Don't over think it."

Well, this is also your fault!

"Thanks, Chase," I offer him a tight-lipped smile. "And thanks for dragging me here against my will." I add on with heavy sarcasm.

"You're welcome," Jordan butts in while sliding on a pair of sunglasses on his face. "Let's go now."

Chase and I roll our eyes before following behind an overly excited Jordan to the destination we are supposed to meet with the rest at. A myriad of bodies in their swimwear—girls or women in their bikinis, and boys or men in their swim shorts— are scattered across the sand beach either socializing and playing with each other or taking a dip in the blue waters or getting a tan under the radiant California sun.

Within a few more seconds, we reach the group of familiar and unknown faces, and Jordan is the first to catapult himself onto a grinning Sam, sending them plummeting to the ground in fits of laughter.

"Great to see you, Cuz." Sam is the first to speak as they stand up from their fall.

"How has my Sammy Wammy been?" Jordan gives her an enormous bear hug, almost squeezing the breath out of her.

"Don't call me that," Sam tries to push her cousin away but fails against Jordan's strong bear grip. "I'm too grown up for silly pet names."

"You'll forever be young in my eyes," Jordan puts her down and ruffles her hair, causing Sam to swat his hand away with a childish pout.

"Are you guys done?" A voice interrupts the two's cute family moment, but it simultaneously causes my stomach to twist into knots and my knees to begin shaking a bit.

I'm really having second thoughts about coming here.

"Tristan!" Jordan's face lights up at the sight of his long lost best friend and engulfs him in a hug. "It's been too long since I have seen you."

"Stop be dramatic, dude," Chase rolls his eyes. "You saw him this morning."

This morning? I thought they only arrived this morning. Unless they went to see him before coming to my apartment of course, and they might have also taken a very early flight.

"Great, now we have two Sam's," Another voice interrupts yet another moment.

I stare in the direction of the voice having thought it sounded too familiar for a first encounter and my expression darkens when I see who it belongs to.

"Hey, you're the guy who was rude to me yesterday," the words roll off my tongue before I get the chance to stop myself. "You're a jerk by the way." I glare at him rudely, totally unaware of the pair of eyes that are glued to me right now.