That Summer Feeling [H.S.]

15. Playground

"What do you mean?"

"Are you looking for them?" Beau asks. "'They're all out there on the beach."

"They are?" Zoey asks.

Sierra nods her head, taking off her black sunglasses. "We saw them when we were taking pictures."

"Yeah, it's so cute," Beau adds. "They're all huddled up together on the sand. I would have joined but golden hour is only once a day."

"Really?" I say, trying to hide the fact that I'm a little bit annoyed that they just left me with their own meal to cook to go have fun on the beach.

I know that I was the one that came up with the idea for them to make dinner but they're in this too. What the fuck do I know about making a traditional English roast?

"Oh, my god," Bella says with furrowed brows, "why would they just leave?"

"Wait, are you guys done cooking?" Maggie asks, looking around the kitchen with all the ingredients and pots out.

I huff, feeling offended now, not wanting to continue cooking anymore. I grab the bag of kettle corn from the counter and hoist myself onto of an empty, clean counter. Steam is practically coming from my ears. If they're not going to cook then neither am I.

"No," I say, stuffing my mouth, "they just left me here."

"Without saying anything?" Beau asks.

"Just lies," I mumble.

We all stop talking when we hear the front door open and then deep rumbles of laughter following. Liam was first to appear in the kitchen. He grins at us and raises his hands on his side.

"Who's ready to rock n' roll?!"

The rest of the guys follow behind with wide smiles and what seemed like sudden bursts of energy.

"I'm ready to cook up a storm in here!" Louis shouts, rushing over to the counter with all the vegetables. Only half of them were cut.

"Oh, it's going to be a storm, alright," Beau comments as he looks at my fiery eyes.

"Oh, shit," Zayn says, looking over at the food then at me, "did we leave you here with everything?"

I slowly nod my head, not being able to speak because I fear I'll snap at them. Was he seriously asking that? Does he not remember how we were all in this kitchen preparing a meal together only 20 minutes ago?

I take a deep breath as I look around the room. Adam and Niall are giggling in the corner as they talk, or what looks like they're trying to talk to, Sierra and Maggie. That's a bit odd..

"Don't mind if I do," I hear a raspy voice say near me. I turn my head and see Harry right in front me, inching closer and stopping when he was right in between my legs. He grabs the giant bag of kettle corn, from my side and starts eating them with a hunger in his eyes.

I look at him weirdly. There was something off about him. About all of them. Zayn was more smiley than his more smoldering, aloof self that I was used to. Niall and Adam wouldn't stop laughing at everything. Liam was arm-wrestling with Louis off to the side. But they weren't even actually arm-wrestling. They were just holding hands and grunting at each other. Harry kept munching right in front of me, licking his fingers right after each bite.

I was trained on his eyes. They were focused on the bag in his hands but they were kind of droopy and half-closed. When he looks up at me, I see the white in his eyes is now painted with a red tint.

I look over at Beau and the girls at the same time that they look at me and each other while we give each other the same look.

Were they..?