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The cove fire. Between Sandalwood beach and Rixon Shore. Lo and behold, there’s a little path that leads through a wooded area littered with dead trees. The night air is humid, clinging to my body like a second layer of skin. I replaced my skirt and long-sleeve shirt with a tie-dye sports bra and light-blue beach shorts. Showing off skin has always been natural for me, but I was hesitating when getting dressed for this.
When I was looking in the bathroom mirror, Mimi looked at me, seeing my hesitation. She has a short-sleeve white shirt with a pink dress layered over it. Her normal going-out look.
“It will be dark, and people are probably already drunk. Don’t worry,” she says, reading my mind.
We aren’t even in the clearing yet, but the sound of the lake tide comes in along with the array of music.
It only takes a minute of following the path to land us in a clearing full of people. Right in the middle of the sand cove is a huge bonfire with heat radiating even to the tree line. There are also little fires around the area with tree logs used as makeshift benches. Slightly buried in the sand stands two large kegs with two guys in unbuttoned green and blue Hawaiian shirts pouring drinks. They are obviously proud of their bodies, and they should be. The light of the fire illuminates both of their abs gloriously.
“You guys showed up!” a familiar voice makes its way over to my ear, even over the waves of music and partying bodies. Casey makes her way over to us, looking almost too happy to see us.
“I’ve never been to a beach party before.” Leon gleams, just as happy.
“Let’s get y’all something to drink, and my friends and I have a separate fire. If you are here for a little bit, you might as well get to know some locals.” Little did she know I had been a local for twelve years.
She leads us over to the kegs as the Hawaiian-shirt guys pour us some drinks.
“Here you go, beautiful,” Green Shirt says, raking his eyes over my body.
My body still feels clammy from the humidity, but now I feel the need to close in on myself. I’ve never been good at taking compliments, but the dude won’t take his eyes off of me. Can he even see the way my face is twisting, or is he just oblivious?
Green Shirt even makes an attempt to touch my hand, but I step out of his reach as a wave of nausea hits my stomach.
These two must share a brain cell because Blue Hawaiian Shirt wraps his arm around Ella’s shoulders and pulls her close, trying to whisper something in her ear. The words never leave his lips, though, as Ella stomps down on his foot and shoves him away.
The drunk asshole only moves a few feet as his face turns red with both embarrassment and anger. The asshole steps forward. “That hurt, you fucking bitc–”
His voice cuts off as a pair of broad shoulders and shaggy blond hair stands between my sister and Blue Shirt. The asshole’s mouth snaps shut, and a look of fear flashes in his eyes.
Green Shirt also backs away from me. They both turn back to the kegs as they mutter something under their breath.
The guy who intervened turns toward Ella, looking her up and down. His stern expression that scared the assholes morphs into a sheepish grin, almost like it is contorting back to its original shape.
“Sorry about that, ladies. Some of the guys here have no manners.” His eyes don’t leave Ella, though, as she scowls up at him.
Ella hates being saved more than anything.
“I had the situation handled.” Ella scoffs, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
The man’s shaggy blond hair shifts as his brow rises up in question, but the smirk doesn’t leave his face. Getting a good look at him, he’s incredibly handsome with a sharp jawline, and piercing blue eyes. Though, stuff like that won’t affect Ella. It’s almost like she’s immune to anyone’s charm.
“Thanks for stepping in, Jaxon.” Casey steps forward, taking Jaxon’s gaze from Ella.
“Of course, Case,” he says simply and then turns back toward a different fire and stalks off.
Casey watches him for a bit and then shakes her head. She looks over at us with a grin “So it just occurred to me that I don’t know your names.”
“Ella,” my sister says calmly and then points at each one of us. “Sally, Mimi, and Leon.”
I follow Casey as we all walk toward what I assume are her friends.
“Jaxon, you can’t just walk off like nothing after saying you like country Taylor more than Evermore Taylor,” a curvy girl with dark brown braids pulled out of her face with a headband calls over to us.
“He’s just trying to rile you up, baby.” A guy in a gray hoodie with black twists falling over his forehead wraps his arms around the girl and pulls her into his chest. Almost immediately, her body relaxes into his.
“Are these your new friends, Case?” the girl calls out to us again.
“You know I could never replace you. I’m still planning to steal you from Tyler.” Casey winks at them.
