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I look to Mason as he flips Brady off, but Brady only laughs.
Lolli smiles, pushing off the rock she was sunbathing on. “Well, well, looking fresh as always.”
I grin, reminding myself not to go in for a hug. Lolli isn’t the touchy type. “Had to try and keep up with you.”
“Girl, please. You should have seen the suit she tried to wear today. I had to sex her up myself.”
“So Chase has you to thank, huh?” Lolli smirks.
I squash my lips to the side, and she laughs.
Lolli guessed my feelings for Chase the day we met, and she loves to pop off with off-color jokes to make the boys uncomfortable, while still attempting to be stealthy, but only for my sake. She’d outright tell him to strip me in the sand if it were up to her. She’s down like that.
“Have you heard from Kenra yet?” I ask about my cousin, Nate’s older sister, as the events of a few weeks ago flash through my mind.
Kenra just got out of an abusive relationship, one that took a turn for the worse when her now ex-fiancé crashed with her and his younger brother in the car. He and Kenra made it out okay, but his younger brother, the father of Payton’s unborn baby, wasn’t so lucky. He was only seventeen.
Talk about a cruel mess.
“How’s Payton doing?”
Lolli lifts a shoulder, glancing behind her, where I spot Payton walking down the beach. “I try not to ask. I’m better at entertainment, so I keep her busy when I can.”
“I bet that helps more than you know.” Cam smiles at her.
Lolli looks off, uncomfortable with the deep stuff, so I change the subject.
“So, what’s the plan for today or do we have one?” I ask, looking around at everyone.
Brady shrugs, tossing the football in the air. “I figure we’d start it off right, go out to eat, dance, get fucked up, then bum it and bonfire tomorrow?”
Cam and I nod. “Sounds good to us. Lolli, you guys in?”
“My man reports for practice in two days, so that would be a no.” She smirks. “We’ll be locked in our room all night, but we’ll see you guys tomorrow, I’m sure.”
“On that note…” Nate steps up, hugs us hello, and waves goodbye in the next second, quickly carting his fiancée toward their house.
“Well, okay then.” Cameron laughs. “A night of dirty dancing it is, but first!” She takes off, charging right into the open waters, Brady on her heels.
“Hold up, I’m snaggin’ Pretty Little.” He jerks his head in the direction of Payton. “She could use a little distraction.” With that, Mason jogs a few feet down the beach toward the young blonde sitting alone on a rock, searching for answers she won’t find in the California waves.
Slowly, Chase and I make our way closer to the water’s edge.
He bumps his shoulder into mine. “You happy to be back at the beach?”
“Always, you know that.” I grin his way, but a heavy breath leaves me as I face forward. “Let’s hope this time is less traumatic.”
“Yeah.” He nods. “I can’t imagine what she’s going through.”
We glance Payton’s way in time to witness her eyes widen, having spotted Mason coming at her at the last second. He bends, swooping her up with no effort, and she squeals into the air, making us laugh.
I smile after my brother, a calm only the ocean seems to bring me settling over my shoulders. “I think this trip will be different.”
He glances over. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “When we came at the end of June, it still felt like we were fresh out of school, you know? Like we had the whole summer ahead of us, but we don’t anymore. Summer is almost over and we’re moving out on our own the minute we leave here. It’s just… different. Like we’re grown and this is life now.” I scrunch my nose and turn to look at him. “Don’t you think?”
That one-sided smile of his I love appears. “Yeah. I guess it is different.” He’s quiet for a second before he adds, “Maybe a lot of things will be different now.”
It’s as if he’s speaking more to himself than me, so I don’t respond.
A moment later, he stops walking and faces me. He frowns at my swimsuit, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Is there a problem?”
“Yeah.” He nods, his eyes lifting to mine. His frown doubles, but not even a second later, a grin pulls at his lips, one I recognize.
“Chase,” I warn, but before I can make a break for it, he’s already tossed me over his shoulder, and is running for the ocean.
The others laugh as I’m tossed on my ass, and swim over to join us.
I wish I could freeze this moment, our entire crew enjoying the last bit of the summer sun because who knows what the summer’s moon will bring.
