Chapter 88

“Alex, could you hand me the chopping board next to you?” Sam extends her hand towards me, her eyes fixed on the bright yellow chopping board resting on the counter beside me.

I slide it towards the edge, pick it up, and pass it to her. The kitchen is filled with the familiar chatter and laughter of the girls, all of us working together to prepare the meal. It feels like old times.

I’ve been doing much better, mentally. I’ve been seeing a therapist twice a week, and she’s been helping me navigate through the stormy seas of my mind when things get rough.

Today is a day I’ve been looking forward to. Ben is coming down for the wedding, and I can tell Hannah is just as excited as I am. I’m baking with Delilah, who’s finally teaching me how to make her famous cupcakes. After all these years, we’ve never had the time to properly make them together. Tonight, all of us girls are heading out in Atlanta for Sam’s bachelorette party, while the guys are going out for Tyson’s bachelor party.

The boys are outside, engaged in a game of beach football, while the girls watch them run around shirtless, their laughter filling the air.

“Tyson looks so hot right now...” Sam murmurs, her gaze fixed on the back door that’s wide open, offering us a perfect view. Well, a perfect view for Sam. I couldn’t care less.

I walk over to the cooler and toss her a water bottle. “Here, go cool him down,” I suggest with a wink. She smirks at me and saunters out the door towards the boys.

The waves in the distance catch my eye, and I glance over at Andy, who seems to be reading my mind.

We both dash down the steps to grab our boards from the shed. Once they’re tucked under our arms, we take off running down the beach towards the water, passing the guys on the way.

I stifle an eye roll when they pause their game to watch us. Andy bursts into laughter and stops running to look at them. “I can’t go anywhere with you without a ton of guys checking you out, Alex,” she giggles.

“Me? They’re not checking me out! They’re checking you out. Not me. Come on, let’s keep going. I came down here to surf,” I retort, and we continue our run towards the water.

As we approach the water, we start to strip down to our bikinis, ignoring the whistles that follow. I take off my SnapBack and place it next to our pile of clothing.

“Tease them a little, Alex, come on! It’ll be funny! I would, but Kyle would kill me,” Andy suggests, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“And Kyle wouldn’t kill me?”

“I’ll protect you! Please, it’ll be hilarious to see their faces,” she pleads, giving me her best puppy dog eyes. I roll my eyes and bite my lip, considering her proposition.

Finally, I give in. “Fine, what do I do?”

She claps her hands together in delight. “Feel your way down your body, pretending you’re fixing your bikini. Pull up your bottoms a little to make your bottom look perky. Then, once you’re done, smack your ass with both hands and turn your head around to face them.”

I raise an eyebrow at her, and she pouts. “Are you sure you don’t want to do that?” I ask her, glancing at the boys who are still watching us.

“Nope! I’m good. Now’s your chance! Do it! Pretty please,” she pleads again. I look out at the horizon, then trail both hands softly down my body. I hear her giggle, which makes me laugh a little.

My hands finally reach my waist, and I pull my bottoms up slightly while bending my leg for added effect.

“I’ve taught you well, chicka! Now for the finale!” I continue the charade, resting both palms on my ass cheeks and giving them a good smack.

I turn my head around to face the boys, and they’re a lot closer than they were before, their sunglasses frozen mid-air.

“Uh, Andy, were they that close before?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest. She spins around to look at them, then turns back to me.

“Time to go!” She immediately picks up her board and makes a run for it, leaving me standing there. I quickly follow her, racing towards the sea.

We’re both on our boards, laughing at the stunned expressions on the boys’ faces. Kyle doesn’t look too happy, but I have to admit, it was pretty funny to see their reactions.

We paddle out farther together, waiting for the perfect wave. As we wait, Andy turns to me. “How have you been? Sorry I haven’t been around lately. I’ve just been—”

“With Kyle?” I finish her sentence. “It’s cool! He’s your boyfriend now. I get it. I’m happy for you both,” I assure her, and she smiles at me.

“I know you are. But you’ll always be my best friend. I’m here if you want to talk to someone. About anything. I won’t say anything to Kyle...”

“Thanks, Andy. I know you won’t. But I hate to put you in a position where he will get annoyed at you because you didn’t tell him about me and K...”

“Lord Voldemort?” She teases me with a splash. “She must have blackmailed him into a relationship or something... He never wants to be around her. It’s a weird one. I just don’t get it?”

She laughs, while I think back to the forgotten conversation they had outside the store on my birthday. The photos. But what photos?

“Aaaalexxx... hello? Anyone in there?” Andy waves her hand in my face to get my attention.

“Huh?” I snap my eyes back to meet hers, but she’s already studying my expressions.

“You’re thinking about something. What?” She maneuvers her board to face me, her eyes filled with concern.

“Noth—” I begin, but my words are abruptly cut off by a hand in my face.

“Don’t ‘nothing’ me. What’s going on? I can see the gears turning in that head of yours, doll. I’m your best friend, spill it!”

I meet her gaze, let out a huff, and glance around as if someone might be eavesdropping. But we’re alone on the open water. I’d been about to confide in her, but I change my mind.

“I just zoned out for a minute. I’m tired today. That’s all,” I lie. I need to figure this out on my own.

She gives me a skeptical look but lets it go. Her eyes dart behind me, spotting a good wave. We both paddle into position and catch the wave with ease. I take off, leaving Andy trailing behind me. Squatting low for better control, I swerve up the wave and spin myself around backward.

The adrenaline surges through me, fueling my energy. I hear Andy’s laughter behind me as we ride the wave until it dissipates. We paddle back out, earning applause from the shore, and repeat the process until we’re spent.

High-fiving each other on our surfing skills, we gather our clothes and head back to the house, the boys trailing behind us. Andy gets a playful smack on her ass from Kyle and she nudges him with her shoulder.

We toss our boards into the shed and head over to the outdoor shower. We share the showerhead, splashing and laughing.

A throat clears and we both look over to see the guys lounging on the stairs and sofa, watching us.

“You guys can be such pervs, you know that? Like you’ve never seen girls shower before,” Andy retorts, shaking her head. I laugh along with her, lathering shower gel over my body.

I feel Andy’s hand on my back, scrubbing off the sand. Her hand starts to drift lower, prompting me to spin around and slap her arm.

“Are you sure you’re not bi or something? I already teased them earlier, no more!” I joke. She rinses her hair under the water and sticks her tongue out at me.

“I was actually getting the tiny shells stuck to you off. But if you don’t want me to, someone else can do it...” she retorts, her nose in the air.

I shrug and continue washing. Caleb approaches, rolling up the sleeves of his open white shirt to reveal his chiseled, sun-kissed chest. His hair is blonder than I remember, and his washboard abs make me want to trace my fingers over them.

“Turn around,” I instruct, facing the house. I feel his fingers on my back, removing the shells. His hand wanders down to my ankle, brushing off the sand. His hand starts to slide up the inside of my lower leg, and I catch Andy’s amused gaze.

“You can get your face out of her ass now, Caleb,” Knox’s stern voice echoes across the deck. I freeze, and so does Caleb.

“Now why would I want to do that, Carter? It’s a pretty good view,” Caleb retorts, his tone full of amusement.

I turn to face Caleb, but he’s still crouched down, his face level with my crotch. He slowly stands, towering over me.

“Why is it that every time I see you, Alex, you’re wearing a bikini?” I roll my eyes and laugh. I reach for a towel, but Caleb snatches it away.

“I read somewhere that air-drying your body is better for your skin,” he says, his smile widening at my deadpan look.

“Here, you can borrow mine,” Knox offers, tossing me a towel scented with his cologne. I glare at him for throwing it so hard.

“Awww, you’re no fun, Carter. We’re just having fun! Right, Alex?” I nod and pat my skin dry, wondering why Kyle has been so quiet. I glance over to see him pressed against Andy, making out heavily. I snort and turn back to the guys.

“We can join them if you want,” Caleb suggests, winking at me and nodding toward the amorous couple. I roll my eyes at his cheeky attitude.

“You’re really cheeky today, aren’t you?” I poke his chest and he studies me, hands on his hips.

“With that butt, I’d say you’re the cheeky one, not me...” he teases.