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Lexie
Asthedayprogressed, Lexie found herself curious about what else the property had to offer. Slipping away from her friends was easy as they were all occupied in the pool. She descended across a walkway that curved around a large tree and disappeared into the wooded area they had walked through from the boat. Flowers and greenery lined each side and Lexie could see the blue of the sea poking out at the end of the trail like a beacon. She picked up her pace, stopping just before the brick turned to sand allowing the sun to shine down upon her face.
There was a small shed off to the left of the walkway with an open padlock dangling from the latch. She walked over, letting the sand spill over her sandals as she sunk slightly into it. With her free hand, she flung open one of the doors and poked her head in. Much like the shed back in Otsego, this held beach toys and equipment for added fun on the water. She nestled her bottle of water into the sand off to the side, hoping the little bit of shade would keep it cool.
Sweat was breaking out along the small of her back, dripping down her spine and landing on he fabric of her bikini bottoms. She had removed all the beach chairs and was stepping back in to grab the umbrellas when the sound of her friends cascading down the walkway filled the small beach. She stepped out of the sweltering enclosure and into the direct sunlight, feeling a slight breeze upon her sweat-filled body.
Kennedy called out first. “We were wondering where you went!”
Lexie rolled her eyes and motioned toward the beach setup. “I thought I’d scope out the beach. Look what I found!”
Adam and Nav were lagging behind the group, carrying a large cooler between the two of them. They stopped and admired Lexie’s setup before dropping the cooler in the shade next to her bottle of water. Nav stepped around the cooler and walked toward Lexie.
“You did all this?” he asked with his hands on his hips, catching his breath.
“Yeah,” she said back.
“You could have waited or asked for help.”
“When have you ever known me to wait around for a guy to do the same work I’m capable of?” she snapped back.
He lifted his arms in resignation. “Touche Lou, Touche.”
Her heart fluttered for a moment at his old nickname for her. He had always called her Lexie Lou. Always. From the moment they met, she had always been Lexie Lou. In fact, it wasn’t until her seventeenth birthday he realized her middle name was not in fact, Lou. When he asked her about it she laughed and reminded him he was the one that created the name for her. He didn’t believe her, but Adam backed her up. Despite that, the nickname remained, most often used during their intimate moments together. Which is why she was now feeling lost as the emotions were stirring up inside of her.
Before he could coax her into more awkward small talk, she wandered off. Without a second thought, she walked straight into the ocean. Her toes sunk into the soft, wet sand beneath her feet as the salty water rushed to meet her smooth skin. She continued to walk in until she was deep enough to lower the upper half of her body, allowing her head to bob gently above the water, her red hair flowing behind her. Sedona, Kennedy, and Avanna had followed her into the water, leaving the guys behind on the beach.
“So how are things going with Nav?” Sedona asked with a wink.
Lexie rolled her eyes and took a swig of the beer Avanna had brought out to the water for her. “Things are fine.”
“Just fine?” she asked.
“Well, I mean...” She glanced over Avanna’s shoulder watching as Nav peeled his head back in a hearty laugh. The last time she had been around Nav, he had been in such a solemn place. Seeing him happy was something she enjoyed seeing. “It’s kind of weird. We never really talked about what happened between us and so much has changed. I don’t really buy the story he told me yesterday about leaving…”
The girls all seemed to nod in agreement.
“Pays and I went through something similar, you know? And I’ll admit, I was hesitant to even discuss the past with him. I didn’t want anything to do with him, but being forced to have those conversations...thanks Sedona,” she paused to wink at Sedona, “really helped us dive into what happened so we could move past it. I know there aren’t always happy endings and I know you were able to find love with Oliver, but if you’ve got any extra room in that big heart of yours, give him a chance. See if you guys can work through the heartbreak to at least reform your friendship.”
Lexie understood where Avanna was coming from. Her relationship with Nav started as a friendship and there was no reason they couldn’t return to that spot, even if getting there was going to be half the battle.
