"You made it."
I ducked underneath the entrance to the cave, smiling at Drew. "Wouldn't miss it. How's the view?"
"Perfect. The sunset will start in a few minutes, and that's when it's really amazing," Drew motioned for me to come sit near him and I complied, sliding down and letting my legs dangle over the edge. For a moment we sat there in comfortable silence, watching the waves crash against the rocks and the sky slowly transform into an aura of pink.
"So where'd you learn to surf like that?" Drew's voice startled me out of my daze.
"My dad," I said rubbing my hands together nervously. "He died four years ago."
Drew's face softened. "Is that why you live with your stepmom?"
I shrugged. "Yeah. It's not so bad, really."
A relaxed smile spread on Drew's face. "You're a horrible liar."
"I'm not lying," the corner of my mouth turned up in a smile at Drew's expression. "Okay, so my life isn't perfect—"
"And where's the stepmonster tonight?"
"She gave me the weekend off," I said, smirking. "I told you it's not that bad."
"Here comes the sunset," Drew pointed and I looked up, my body instantly relaxing at the sight. The beautiful colors, just as vibrant as the last time I was here, reminded me why I loved the ocean so much.
"I've got to get some pictures of this view," Drew said, jumping to his feet and grabbing his camera. I smiled, a warm breeze rustling my hair as Drew sat back down, snapping some shots of the sunset. I closed my eyes, leaning my head back and breathing in the heavy scent of the saltwater.
After a moment I blinked my eyes open, a smile coming to my face as I noticed the camera pointed inches away from me. "You're supposed to be taking pictures of the view."
"I am."
A rush of warmth raced to my cheeks and I looked down, running a hand through my hair. "Thanks again for coming out today."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Fish."
"It meant a lot," I said honestly, meeting his gaze evenly. "Really."
Drew studied me for a moment, something unfamiliar flashing through his eyes. "You know, sometimes...sometimes I hope I don't find that mystery girl."
I raised an eyebrow, unable to tear my eyes from him. "Why do you say that?"
"Because," his hand moved slightly, just barely brushing mine. "I think I might be falling for somebody else."
*******************************************************************************************
"I haven't felt this good in forever," I said, laying on my back on Abbi's bed. Her ceiling was decorated with tiny stars that glowed in the dark, and I studied them carefully.
"M-hmm," Abbi murmured, scrolling through something on her computer. I rolled over on my stomach.
"I mean, you know me. When's the last time I had free time to actually do something besides surf?" I popped a piece of popcorn into my mouth. "This is just amazing."
"Speaking of amazing," Abbi said, "Check this out." I frowned and stood with a handful of popcorn, tossing a few pieces into my mouth, and stared at the screen.
It was on Abbi's Facebook, and she had just opened a page that showed Jenna's newest status update—updated only ten minutes ago.
Good to know who my real friends are.
"Huh. She's pissed," I raised my eyebrows and ate some more popcorn.
"Maybe a little bit more. And look who liked it," Abbi pointed and I squinted at the screen, seeing the little name beside it—Courtney Jenkins. Of course.
"No surprise," I muttered, flopping back on the bed. "But what worries me more is Jenna."
"I just don't get it," Abbi said. "We agreed we wouldn't let this get between us. We even talked about it right before."
"Yeah, but we're not the ones who lost," I said. "There's a totally different perspective."
"Still," Abbi sighed, turning to face me. "On a happier note...what's with you and lover boy?"
I flushed. "Nothing."
"You totally wanted to kiss him on the beach."
I sat up instantly, whapping Abbi with a pillow. "Shut up."
"And you ditched me to meet up with him a few hours ago," Abbi wiggled her eyebrows. "At 'your place'."
"He..." A smile rose to my face against my will. "I was just thanking him for coming to watch—"
"You like him."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"Maybe a little."
Abbi let out a squeal, hopping onto the bed and grabbing some popcorn. "So when are you going to tell him?"
"Tell him what?"
"That you like him!" Abbi raised an eyebrow, her blue eyes gleaming.
I snorted. "Not gonna happen, Ab."
"Oh come on," Abbi let out a dramatic groan, flopping backwards on the bed. "Should I even ask why?"
"Nope."
"Why?"
I sighed. "Abbi, I just don't—I can't, okay?"
"You're scared he might find out it was you that night," Abbi said simply. "Right?"
I blinked. "Uh, no."
"Uh, yes," Abbi sat up, glaring at me. "I don't know what it is that's keeping you from letting yourself actually feel something for this guy, but you need to cut it out. It is perfectly okay for you to like someone, Linds."
"What if I don't actually like him?"
"Then you don't go out with him," Abbi shrugged. "It's not that complicated. You just have to give yourself a chance to figure out how you feel. And if you keep telling yourself you don't like him—even though you so do—then you'll never know if there could've been something...great."
I stared at her for a second, before the corner of my mouth turned up in a smile. "Thanks, Dr. Phil."
Abbi tossed popcorn at me. "You're gonna think about it though, right?"
I pursed my lips, letting out a deep breath. "Yeah, I'll think about it."
"Good!" Abbi clapped her hands together, jumping off the bed. "You hungry? Mom left me her credit card and said we could go grab some pizza."
"Sure," I sat up, tossing my hair into a bun. "What time is it?"
"Like seven," Abbi said, grabbing her keys and wallet off her desk. "The shop shouldn't be too jammed, but we'll see."
We jogged down the stairs, saying a quick goodbye to Abbi's dad, before heading out to the car and driving to the pizza shop down the road. My stomach was rumbling as we waited for our seats, before finally being seated at a booth.
"I'm going to run to the restroom," Abbi said. "Order my usual, okay?"
"Sure," I said, humming as I scanned the menu. I was debating between the pizza and the alfredo when I heard a familiar laugh, glancing up. Instantly my face fell and I ducked my head slightly, pressing my arm against my face and praying Courtney wouldn't see me—
"If I had known you were going to be here, I never would have come."
Shit.
I met Courtney's gaze evenly, trying to hide my frustration. "You could always leave."
Courtney shrugged, turning to face her group of three with a smile. "Might as well stay. Would you mind if we sat here?"
I opened my mouth to speak but before I could respond she had slid in next to me, squishing me against the side of the booth. I pursed my lips, reaching over to grab my phone, but before I could Courtney picked it up off the table.
"Been texting lover boy lately?"
"What?" I felt my face go red.
"Please," Courtney smirked. "Everyone saw the way you guys acted today. I'm shocked your sister hasn't killed you yet. Then again, she probably doesn't even know."
"There's nothing to know," I snapped, yanking my phone out of her grip. "We're just friends."
"I'm sure Kelly would understand that," Courtney grinned at her friends. "You know, if you're not going to tell her, maybe I should."
I clenched my jaw. "What do you want, Courtney?"
"Nothing," Courtney said with a slight laugh. "I just wanted to spend some quality time with my wave buddy. I didn't know this was where the losers met for dinner."
"Did you not see the scoreboard today?" I said. "Because I'm pretty sure I kicked your ass."
"I'm pretty sure it was a fluke," Courtney said lightly, but with bite behind every word. "The judges probably just heard the sob story about your dad and took pity on you."
My fists clenched slightly. "Leave my dad out of it."
"Oops, did I hit a nerve?" Courtney patted my arm and I pulled away as if burned. "You know, I never got the chance to tell you how sorry I was. It must be hard, losing both of your parents."
I blinked. "Yeah. Thanks."
"Well at least you still have Donna," Courtney smiled sweetly. "And two loving sisters. Did you know Kelly is throwing a party next weekend?"
"Yep."
"Well," Courtney looked up. "Abbi's coming back. I'm sure I'll see you at Kelly's party. Working it, that is."
That one stung. My jaw tightened and I couldn't think of anything to say as Courtney slid out of the seat, shooting me one last smile before walking off with her friends. I stared at her as she left, my mind spinning. I beat her on the waves.
So why did I feel like I was the one who lost?