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Within the hour, Avery was knocking on my door.
“Ave! I can’t believe you’re finally here!”
“Oh my god, I’ve missed you so much!” she exclaimed.
We threw our arms around each other tightly before I hauled her inside.
Avery pulled back and looked at me. “You look really good. A little skinnier than the last time I saw you, but overall good. More muscle or something, like you hit a growth spurt.” She paused, tilting her head to the side. “Can we still hit growth spurts? Because I don’t think I’ve grown since I was thirteen.”
I chuckled. “Thanks, Ave.”
“Just don’t get skinner than me. Then we can’t be friends.”
I gave her a quick tour of my home away from home and placed her bag in the spare bedroom.
“So you ready to talk about the ex?”
Avery’s face dropped as she ruffled through her bag. A knot formed in my stomach. She was hiding something and it bothered me.
Raising her anguish filled eyes at me, she shook her head and her voice cracked. “No.”
I walked over to Avery and threw an arm around her shoulders. I pulled her to my side and gave her a good squeeze. She let out a heartbroken sigh. I hated not knowing what plagued my friend.
I noticed the time on the clock. “We better get going.”
We jumped into Avery’s sleek BMW and drove over to Hayden and Holly’s apartment, exchanging small talk on the way.
“I didn’t know you two were so…cozy,” Holly said, eyeing Hayden and me after I pulled up with Avery.
My jaw dropped, Hayden and I spoke at the same time.
“It’s not like that—”
“It’s not what you thin—”
We both paused and chuckled. “Really, it’s not what you think, Holly. He’s been really great, a shoulder to lean on. Nothing more.”
A look of hurt crossed Hayden’s face, but he quickly masked it. I’d caught it and felt awful at my choice of words.
Hayden’s eyes shot to me before he stepped forward. “Holls, please don’t make it more than what it is. You know how the gym is about relationships.”
“Don’t worry, I’d never say a word, even though you guys would make a cute couple,” she finished with a smile.
My cheeks flamed and Hayden clapped his hands to change the mood. He slipped on a backwards hat and popped a piece of gum into his mouth. “Let’s hit the surf and make the most of today, because tomorrow, it’s back to hell.”
THE SUN WAS setting against an incandescent ocean while soothing shades of pinks and oranges streaked across the sky. I was wrapped in a towel, my feet buried beneath ivory grains of sand as I stared at the roaring waves.
This was my happy place, where I found solace. Where the weight of the world left my shoulders as I breathed in the salty air, exhaling the pressure I was plagued with on a daily basis.
I’ve missed this so much.
The beach was my serenity, and I was glad I’d asked Avery to come visit. Maybe it would help her sort out whatever was going on in her life. There was something peaceful and calming about the crashing waves and salty air. It was where I used to come to get away from my chaotic world living in Palm Beach. I’d sit and stare at the ocean for hours, kind of how I was now, and think about nothing.
A small fire had been lit when Sarah had suggested a game of Truth or Dare. We all sat around starting off with easy, mindless questions for the girls, while the guys dared each other.
“Hayden, I dare you to go streaking,” Gavin suggested with a devious grin.
“Ah, come on,” Hayden responded, standing. Stepping away from the fire, he turned his back to us and stripped off his trunks. Pooling at his feet, he stepped out of them and took off running, his hands thrown in the air. “Yeah!” he shouted, running down to the ocean.
