I wake to Jasper and Jaylen yelling at each other.
It's not surprising at all. The only thing I'm actually surprised about is that I got any sleep without them fighting. I'm not sure how long I slept, but it must have been an hour at least. "What are you guys fighting about now?" I ask in a murmur while my eyes adjust to the light.
"We're lost," Jasper says plainly. "We're not supposed to be on the coast. We're not supposed to be seeing water."
"Wait—" I sit up and look out the window. "Why are we driving down the beach?"
"Because we're lost," Jasper says again. "And this dumbass won't ask for directions."
"Why can't he use his phone?"
"No signal," Jaylen says. "I know where I am, so shut up."
Jasper barks out a loud laugh. "No you don't. Just stop at one of these gas stations so we can ask for help."
Jaylen breathes out, clearly annoyed. "I know where I'm at," he says again. "I'm on A1A."
"Okay, well, I'm glad you know how to read signs," Jasper says sarcastically.
Suddenly, the car jolts once and then it completely shuts off. The front starts making a clicking noise as Jaylen slowly pulls over to the side of the road, across from the beach. "Shit," Jaylen hisses. "What happened?"
"Oh, look at that," Jasper starts. "The check engine light is on."
Jaylen rolls his eyes and finds his phone. "Still no signal."
"There's a gas station over there," I point out. "Go see if you can use their phone to call a tow truck or something."
He nods and doesn't say a word as he gets out of the car. I watch as he jogs across the street and down the sidewalk to reach the gas station. Once he's inside, I push open my door and climb out to stretch my aching legs. I walk on the small sandy path down to the beach and gaze at the crashing waves.
I feel Jasper's presence beside me before he makes himself known. "We're driving you crazy," he states.
"Just a little," I reply and sit down in the sand. "I don't mind being stranded by the beach."
Jasper sits next to me and his leg accidentally brushes mine. "I don't think I mind either. This beach isn't crowed at all either."
My eyes scan the beach. Jasper's right. There's no one around except a couple that's a bit away from us. They're standing close to the rising tide, the water brushing their bare feet. They're young, maybe late twenties. Their smiles can't be mistaken.
A breeze ripples through my hair and tickles my neck. "I'd do anything to live on the beach."
"Beach houses are worth it," he says. "There's nothing like waking up and having your coffee while staring at the sun rising above the ocean."
I nod in agreement. "Sounds fantastic." Then I go for my phone in my pocket, pulling it out and switching to the camera. "Take a picture with me. I need a new lock screen and the view is perfect."
"I'll ruin the picture," he says childishly.
Shaking my head, I laugh and turn around so my back is facing the water. "Come on. Do this for me, please?"
Jasper stares at me, debating, even though I know he's going to give in to me. Which he does just seconds later.
"Come closer," I whisper.
Jasper scoots closer until the side of his body is against mine. He lifts an arm and rests it across my shoulders. "Better?"
I hum in approval and hold my phone up to get the picture. Jasper's smile matches mine. The sun is hitting his eyes, illuminating the deep green within the vibrant blue of them. The moment is too perfect so I tap the button quickly to capture it. "This is definitely going to be my lock screen," I say and go to the settings.
Jasper chuckles and only tightens his arm around my shoulders. "You'd never know that we're both miserable."
I angle my head so I can look up at him. "I'm not miserable. Especially right now."
"I was hoping you'd say that," he says softly.
When I turn my eyes away from him, I rest my head on his shoulder. I haven't been miserable on this trip at all. Their fighting is driving me crazy, but I haven't been miserable.
There's a loud squeal behind us and it causes Jasper to jump, in return making me jump too. "What the hell was that?" Jasper questions, looking over his shoulder.
I look in the same direction and it's the couple we spotted earlier.
The guy is on one knee with a jewelry box holding a ring while the girl has her hand over her mouth to hold in her excitement. She starts nodding her head quickly, saying yes over and over again. The smile of his face gets bigger as he stands, releasing the ring from the box and he slides it onto her finger. Once the ring is on, she jumps in his arms and kisses him a million and two times.
They're laughing and holding each other like they'd lose each other any moment.
It's sweet, really.
"That's so romantic," I mutter. "A proposal on the beach? I can't think of a more perfect way to do it."
"Very romantic," Jasper agrees. "Like straight out of one of your books."
I bend my knees so I can rest my chin between them. "Sometimes I wonder what it's like to be that happy," I admit. "It gives me hope."
Jasper reaches over and his hand collapses on my bare knee. "Happiness comes in many forms," he notes. "Like a movie, a person, or in your case, fries and milkshakes."
I laugh and turn my head to rest my cheek on my knee so I can see Jasper. "You know me so well."
"Children!" I hear Jaylen call out.
Jasper and I both gaze towards the road where Jaylen is waiting by the car. He waves us over and I have to hold in another groan. Part of me just wants to be alone with Jasper and the other part tells me that it's not really a good idea. I stand up and start knocking the sand off of me before trailing back to the car.
"Hey, Jasper," I say. "Can you make sure there's no sand on the back of my shorts? I don't wanna get sand in your car."
I hear Jaylen snicker.
"Uh, y-yeah," Jasper stutters and moves up behind me.
His hands stay near the hem of my shorts and the sides of my thighs as he brushes the sand off as much as possible. When his hands stray towards my ass, he's timid, but gently swipes away the sand. It almost makes me giggle because Jasper's touching my butt. "I, uh, think I got it all," he murmurs shyly.
"Thanks," I beam.
"If you guys are done," Jaylen goes on, "there's a pizza place across the street. The tow truck won't be here for another hour and then we have to wait to see what's wrong. I don't know about you guys, but I'm hungry and cool air sounds amazing."
"Oh, yes," I say quickly. "Let's go."
Jaylen locks up the car and makes sure everything that's valuable is hidden. We step up to the street to cross and I feel Jasper slide his hand into mine. I bite down on my lips to keep from smiling, but it barely works. Once we have a clear path, we jog across the street and Jasper's firm grip tightens at the thought of me falling behind.
Inside the small pizza place, it's pretty crowded. The smell of fresh baking pizza invades every one of my senses and my mouth starts to water.
"I'll order," Jaylen tells us. "What do you want?"
"Just a slice with pepperoni," I answer.
"Same," Jasper says.
Jaylen starts scanning the place for a table and then points. "There's one over there by the wall. Get it before anyone else does."
We follow Jaylen's finger and find the small table he's talking about. It's a really small table with only two chairs, but I know how to make it work.
I drag Jasper towards the table while weaving through the already occupied ones. When we reach the table, it's not as small as I thought looking back there. It's big enough to fit a pizza box, but the two chairs could be a problem. "I could sit on your lap," I offer. "Or Jaylen's lap if you prefer."
Jasper doesn't like that second idea; I can tell by the change in his expression. "I don't mind," he says smoothly.
He sits down in the chair and I follow down onto his lap.
"I'm not stupid," he whispers. "I knew what you were doing."
I smile to myself. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Jasper. I just wanted a place to sit."
"You got what you wanted, didn't you?"
"You could've said no."
"So you could sit on Jaylen's lap?"
I tilt my body forward and brace my elbows on the table. "It sounds like you got what you wanted, too." I shift my hips into a more comfortable position, making Jasper breathe out really slowly.
Jaylen comes back to the table with a tray of pizza and three drinks. "I can't leave you two alone," he mentions and takes the seat across from us. "First, you guys are about to make out in the backseat, on the beach you were close to it again, and now Ella's on your lap. How the hell does this happen?"
I grin at Jaylen and hand Jasper his slice of pizza. "You're seeing things."
Jaylen raises a brow in my direction. "So you're not sitting on my brother's lap right now?"
"Oh, no, that's happening," I clarify. "But I don't know what you're talking about. I was nowhere near kissing Jasper. We're friends. Friends don't kiss friends, Jay."
"Friends," Jaylen mocks sarcastically. "Right. I'll keep that in mind then."
We go on eating. The slices of pizza are literally bigger than my head, but I have no trouble eating the whole piece, including the crust. Jaylen goes for a second piece, but Jasper declines another one. I'm tempted, but I know if I eat another piece, I'll be miserable in the car so I just sip my drink.
When Jaylen is finished, he dumps the trash and comes back to the table. "We still have about another hour until we get the car back. Do you just wanna hang out here or go find something to do?"
"Up for a game of truth or dare?" I ask. "Actually, let's leave the truth part out of this."
That causes Jaylen to smirk. "I never back down from a good dare."
"Good. You wanna go first?"
"Give it to me."
I slide my cup onto the table and look over the pizza place, thinking of a dare for Jaylen. He says he'll do anything, so I'm going to test that. "See that cute girl in the corner by herself?"
Jaylen turns in his chair to find the girl I'm talking about. "The one reading Tolstoy?"
"Yeah. Get her number."
I've never seen Jaylen actually look nervous. "You're setting me up to fail already," he says in a mere whisper.
"That Cunningham smile will get you just about anything," I say. "Now go work your magic."
Jaylen takes a deep breath and exhales before standing up. He starts making his way through the tables, slowly making his way over to the very pretty blonde girl reading Tolstoy. I know it's going to be a challenge, but that's the point.
"Think he can do it?" I ask.
Jasper leans closer so he can see over my shoulder. "If she's smart, she'll know better."
I'm actually hoping he doesn't fail. He approaches the table, but you can tell he's nervous about it because of how slow he does it. The girl looks up at him, a small smile taking over her lips as she closes the books. That's already a good sign. I know she's smart, but Jaylen's smile is almost identical to Jasper's. When Jasper smiles at me, my brain forgets how to function. If she was smart, she wouldn't look at him.
It's too late for that.
The moment she laughs; I know Jaylen now has her in the palm of his hand. They continue talking and she laughs again.
I realize how horrible this dare actually is.
The girl reaches for the notebook beside of her and tears out of piece. She takes her pen and scribbles something down on it before sliding it towards Jaylen. It only makes his smile broaden as he picks the paper up and tucks it into his pocket.
"Looks like I failed," I mumble.
Jasper chuckles and settles his chin on my shoulder. "This is Jay we're talking about."
Jaylen comes back to the table with red cheeks and a mischievous smile. "You actually set yourself up for failure," he informs me and waves the number in front of my face. "All ten digits."
I roll my eyes. "Looks like you worked your magic."
Jaylen's eyes flit to Jasper. "Your turn," he says. "The owner's daughter works behind the counter. But for your sake, I won't make you get her number. Just simply say hi to her."
Jasper freezes up behind me. "I'm gonna pass on that one."
"Why?" I question. "You're just saying hi to her."
"I'm going to pass out on the counter," Jasper replies lowly. "Or trip and fall on my face."
"Oh, makes it entertaining," Jaylen plays.
I twist in Jasper's lap so our eyes lock. "Go do it and I'll give you a surprise."
"A surprise?"
With a bigger smile, I nod my head. "Yeah, but you have to go say hi. It shouldn't be that difficult."
Jasper swallows hard and the color of his cheeks deepen a shade of pink. "Have 9-1-1 ready in case I pass out."
Jaylen laughs and kicks Jasper's shin. "Stop being a baby."
I get up from Jasper's lap so he's able to stand. He mutters something about hating Jaylen and moves around the table. I sit back down and watch Jasper walk up to the counter. He waits behind someone who's ordering so at least he has time to prepare, unlike Jaylen.
The girl is gorgeous. Her hair is so dark it looks black and it makes her blue eyes stand out against her olive skin.
When it's Jasper's turn, he rubs the back of his neck, which is a nervous habit. She watches him and I know Jasper's going to have to speak eventually. I can tell when he does because the girl wants to look thankful, but she says something that I can't hear. Jasper immediately gets defensive, waving his hands in front of himself.
"What did he say to her?" I blurt.
"Knowing my brother, he probably complimented her teeth."
Jaylen and I keep our eyes on the scene.
The girl finally smiles. Jasper continues talking to her and she talks back. I'm beginning to think he's definitely out for winning this dare by pushing it over the edge.
Jasper spins around and heads back towards the table with cheeks redder than I've ever seen them. I stand long enough for him to slip behind me and I lower back down on his lap. "What happened up there?" I ask.
"I said hi to her," Jasper explains. "I tried using the smile thing you do and she accused me of trying to get free pizza."
Jaylen laughs, but I try to keep it in for Jasper's sake.
"She then told me I shouldn't be looking at other girls when I have a girlfriend," Jasper goes on and pokes my side. "But I told her Ella is my lesbian best friend."
A laugh tumbles out before I can stop it. "Wow," I say. "Thanks."
"She also told me to tell my friend that she thinks they're cute."
Jaylen looks flattered. "I know."
"I was talking about Ella," Jasper deadpans. "She said you could totally make her ex-girlfriend jealous."
My mouth drops. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious."
I know I'm blushing like crazy when Jasper starts tickling my sides.
"I think you should totally get her number," Jaylen tells me with a grin.
"I think you should totally shut up," I retort and get up from Jasper's lap. "It's a tempting offer, really, but I have my sights on someone else."
They're both still sitting there when I turn on my heels and walk out of the pizza shop. If that isn't a hint for Jasper, then I definitely don't know what is.
* * *
We finally reach our destination in Panama City.
There was barely any fighting in the car once we got back on the road. I think they fought once when it came to getting directions, but then it was smooth sailing. This road trip is turning out to be one hell of a trip.
While Jasper is in the shop to get Joey's boat, I venture down the street with Jaylen into a small gift shop. I've only been to Panama once when I was little. My dad had a client up here and we stayed in a condo that sits on the beach. It makes me wonder if we still have that condo or if my dad sold it. We have places all over, so it's most likely still under his name.
"Ella, check it out," Jaylen says.
I put down a small turtle figurine and look at Jaylen. "Don't even think about it."
He's holding up one of those shirts that have a drawn on body. This one is a woman's body wearing a bikini. "But you already like my road trip shirt," he whines. "What's wrong with this one?"
"Everything," I retort.
I walk away, down another small section of the store. It's the jewelry part mixed with small containers of seashells. There's a shelf near the middle with rows of clear containers filled with handmade string bracelets of many colors. Some of charms, others have small seashells woven into them, and then there are ones that are simple and braided.
While Jaylen is preoccupied with whatever the hell he's doing, I pick out two bracelets. A black one for Jasper and a brown one for me. Friendship bracelets are one of the many cheesy things I've always wanted in a friendship. I thought about getting one for Parker, but he loses everything and I know Remi would probably laugh at me. She'd eventually wear it maybe. I like the idea of sharing this with Jasper.
I go up to the counter and pay for them in time for Jaylen to come strolling towards the front of the store. He has a t-shirt in his hand, but thankfully it's not the one with the woman's body on it. It's a neon yellow shirt with Panama Beach written over a chest pocket. "You don't get to go to Panama Beach every day," he explains and slides it onto the counter.
"Right," I breathe. "I'm gonna go find Jasper."
I leave the gift shop and then I spot Jasper walking towards the car. He holds up the giant bag in his hand with a smile. "It was the last one," he tells me and stops at the car. "At first they said they didn't have any in stock, but the guy was nice enough to check in the back. It was the last freaking one."
I laugh. "That's great. Joey's going to freak out tomorrow."
Jasper's smile gets bigger as he pops the trunk. "I know. I can't wait to see his face." He places the bag inside and shuts it back.
"I can't wait either," I say. "I got us something too."
"Should I be worried?" He asks slowly.
Laughing again, I shake my head and fish out the black bracelet in the bag. "Nope, nothing to be afraid of."
With my free hand, I grab his hand to elevate his wrist. He holds it there long enough for me to tie the bracelet for him. I like the way it looks. "Thank you," he says softly and examines it. "I'm guessing you got one too."
"Of course," I reply. "Put it on for me?"
Jasper plucks the brown bracelet from the bag and takes a step closer to me. He gives me a smile that, of course, brings out those dimples I'll never get enough of. He focuses his gaze on my wrist and ties the bracelet around it. "Friends forever," he teases.
"Yeah, these bracelets basically signify our attachment," I joke back. "Now you're stuck with me until your dying breath, Jasper."
His laughter is light and smooth. "But what if I take it off?"
I gasp dramatically. "Then our friendship is over."
Jasper drops a hand over the bracelet. "I'll super glue it to my wrist then."
I giggle and step towards him to get closer. "That shows how much you care about our friendship."
He tilts his head down until our eyes meet again. "You have no idea."
My lips curve with a bigger smile and I wind my arms around his waist. I hug myself to his chest and press my ear to the spot above his heart. It beats in time with his breathing. It's almost the most soothing thing in existence.
Jasper hugs me back and we just stay like that.
Well, that is until Jay ruins it.
Shocker.
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SO IF YOU GUYS REALLY WANT IT, I'LL POST CHAPTER 22 TONIGHT!!!! It's my last day of break *cries for a million years*
Vote and comment on this chapter pleeaseee, let me know what we think! :)