We spent a lot of the time out in the water, occasionally crawling back to land for more alcohol. My shoulders were pink and I knew that by the end of the day my freckles would start making their appearance.
I found very quickly that I was actually enjoying myself. I stood in the water, looking out at everyone in front of me. The boys were entertaining and they reminded me a little bit of my brother before he became an asshole. I was drunk and sunburnt and a little saddened by the fact that I hadn't heard from him in a while.
I hated that I felt that way.
The sound of laughter dragged me out of my thoughts and I looked to see Posy wading over in the water towards me. "Are you having a good time friend?" She asked me, looking completely hammered and concerned at the same time.
Her curls were popping out of her bun, little curly whispies framing her face. I nodded my head, fighting the urge to hug her. I could really be such a sap when I was drunk. She peered at me closely and I could see both Josh and Jake looking over in our direction behind her.
I looked away from them quickly, returning my gaze back to her. "Your boyfriend seems a little lost without you." I said, smiling as I nodded in his direction. She whipped around to look at him, a huge smile spreading across his face as she did.
Jake was still watching me though and I shifted a little, trying to place the look on his face. "Hey." Posy said, placing a wet hand on my warm shoulders. "I'm gonna go smoke a little. Come with?"
Before I could say yes, she was already moving through the water and I followed close behind her, biting back a laugh. "Josh says I'm a feign, I know." She giggled drunkenly.
Once we reached the waters edge, she grabbed for the towels laying in the grass, handing one over to me. I wrapped it around my shoulders, wincing a little as the material touched my sunburn.
We walked back over to the shaded area below the tree she was sitting under when I met her. She laid her towel out, motioning for me to do the same so I did.
She sat cross legged, rolling a blunt with such ease. I never would've guessed she was drunk until she sprawled backwards onto the towel, laughing at herself as she did. "Come on." She said, patting at my towel next to her.
I laid down on my back, looking up into the branches. The sun peaked through small cracks between the leaves and I felt so warm covered in spotty sunlight.
"You know Jake's my best friend right?"
I looked over at her as she inhaled but she was still looking up at the leaves.
"Yeah."
She turned her head slightly to peer over at me. "He's a nice guy." I knew what she was doing. I nodded my head in agreement but didn't say anything else. "He's not interested in Dawn." Posy said, her voice low like we were sharing secrets.
"I know."
It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. But I still hoped, for Dawn's sake, that he would come around. I figured he would eventually. Dawn had that effect on people, especially men.
Posy left the conversation alone after that and I thanked her in my head. I wasn't sure what else to say. He was a nice guy, but that really wasn't any of my concern at this point. But as we laid there, our eyes closed, drying in the sun, all I could think about was his arms around me in the water.
Suddenly I felt a few drops of water hit me in the face and my eyes fluttered open. Jake was standing above me, a stupid grin on his face. "Posy's trying to get you high, huh?"
She shot up on the other side of me at the mention of her name. "Actually," She began, "I am smoking this alone. Charlie is just here to be my pretty company."
"Historians will call us friends." I grinned and Posy snorted loudly. "Your secret's safe with me." Jake said, drawing an X across his chest with his fingers. "But hey. I was gonna get something to drink and was gonna see if you wanted anything."
Posy looked over at me expectantly and I realized he was asking me. "Oh yeah." I said, scrambling to my feet, "But I can get it." I grabbed for my towel, wrapping it around my shoulders again.
Jake chuckled softly and as I walked over towards the SUV, I could hear him close behind. "You following me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I reached for the hatchback.
"I already told you I was getting something to drink." He responded, his own eyebrows raised and a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. God I was an idiot. He had said that.
He reached past me to open up the hatchback, revealing the cargo area of the large SUV, which was full of alcohol and empty beer cans. He sat back against it and I hoisted myself up to sit next to him.
He handed me the beer that he had just opened and reached to grab another for himself. We sat there for a minute in a silence before he finally spoke. "Are you having a good time?"
"You and Posy both." I laughed softly, "So concerned on me enjoying myself." Jake looked over at me and I realized he was still waiting on me to answer. "Yes, I'm having a good time." I assured him.
"You just get quiet sometimes." He commented, his eyes searching my face. I looked away quickly. "I just don't have anything to say sometimes." I shrugged, "Would you like it if I was raging bitch all the time instead?"
"I think I could handle it."
I felt my cheeks flush pink but I told myself it was just the sunburn. It was the sunburn, definitely.
"You don't like me very much, do you?" Jake asked and his voice was quiet. I snapped my head back around to look at him. I really was a bitch huh.
"I do. You're a nice guy." I said, repeating Posy's words. And he was. He was a very nice guy. And the drunken part of me hated that I made him feel like that, like I didn't like him.
"Dawn likes you." I said quickly, trying to fill the silence. He clicked his tongue loudly before taking a large swig of his beer. "But," I continued, "Posy said you're not interested in Dawn."
I wasn't sure why I said it. I should've kept my mouth shut.
"What else did Posy tell you?" He asked and this time he was the one who wasn't looking at me. "Nothing really." I said, drinking from my own beer and returning my gaze back to the grass in front of us.
Jake ran a hand through his wet hair and I could feel a few of the water droplets land on my arm. "Sorry." He said quickly, trying to wipe them off.
His fingers were rough but soft at the same time, brushing across my skin. His touch lingered for a moment, going up to my shoulders. "You have some freckles, right there." He said, his voice low as he ran his fingers across them.
"They show up when I'm in the sun for a while." I explained, trying to play it cool even though my body was tense under his touch. I looked over at my shoulders and watched as he pulled his tanned fingers back, as though he'd been caught.
He looked embarrassed and I wished he wasn't. I was never sure what to say in those types of situations. I just knew I didn't want him to be embarrassed. He was sweet.
"Am I interrupting something?"
I looked up quickly only to see Sam, pink, wet, and clearly drunk. He laughed, waving us off. "I'm kidding." He pushed himself right between us, reaching for one of the beers.
"Charlie." Sam said abruptly, straightening up like he had something serious to say. "Come to our hotel tonight." I glanced over at Jake who shrugged his shoulders like it was okay. I watched as he stood up, stretching out his legs.
Sam replaced him quickly, sitting down next to me, tossing a wet arm over my shoulder. His words slurred as he spoke again, "We have pleeeenty more alcohol there."
I thought about it. I mean, what could it hurt? "You don't have to, if you don't want to." Jake said, glancing over at me. "Yeah, sure." I agreed, "Me and Dawn can follow you there."
Sam made a face, quickly trying to hide it as he brought his beer up to his lips. Jake was biting back a laugh and I wanted to ask what the problem was when Dawn walked up, as if on cue.
She wasn't as drunk as the rest of them, but I could tell she was feeling good. She wrapped her arm through Jake's who looked down at the ground quickly. "So what's next?"