After stopping for food and booze, we pulled into the parking area. It wasn’t overloaded with cars. A few trucks. My hope came true.
“I grabbed chairs and a blanket.”
I was getting out, my backpack in hand. Cruz reached into the back of his truck for the groceries.
“You did?”
He nodded, hefting the cooler up and out. “And tossed a thing of wood back there if you wanted to stay for a bonfire.”
He didn’t wait around for my response, just grabbed two bags of groceries with his free hand and went down the trail.
Well, then. A beach bonfire was the best.
I loaded up my arms, going after him. Once we got to the beach, he picked a spot a bit away from the steps. Enough where people could pass by and we wouldn’t hear their conversation, but they’d still see us.
He tossed everything down, going back, so I began spreading out the blanket. The chairs were put up, and by then, he’d brought everything else. I was on the blanket, my abnormal psych book out, and I glanced up as he placed his book bag next to me. He was staring off at the water, that same haunted look on his face. I could see the shadows going over his face as he tightened his mouth, his jaw clenched.
I sat back, my arms circling my knees. “You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
His gaze met mine as he sat down, and such sadness looked back at me, taking my breath. He shook his head, blinking, and looking away. “No. I just want to forget all about it.”
He settled down, pulling out his own textbook.
My phone began buzzing as texts rolled in.
Miles: Where are you? Library?
Gavin: Beers tonight! Where are you?
Wade: That quiz you thought we were having last week, it’s happening tomorrow. Want to do a study sesh?
Taz: I’m at the library with Skylar and Zoe. Darren is here too. Where are you?
Miles: You’re not with our roommates. I just found them. Headed to the hockey house. You there?
I had more texts coming through, but felt Cruz’s attention.
I moved to silence my phone, but as I did, my screen flashed. One last text.
Dad: How are you, sweetie? I’m coming through Grant West this week. Give me a call. Let’s do dinner.
A sudden knot formed in my throat. My dad coming through where I go to college? This didn’t happen. It wasn’t how our relationship worked. I didn’t believe in coincidences. He wasn’t phrasing it that he was coming to visit me, but dinner. Something was happening. Something Mom-related.
I changed my mind. I turned off my phone.
Three hours later, our sandwiches were out and a bag of chips was between us. Cruz had mixed both of us some drinks. I’d also crammed for another abnormal psych quiz. Cruz, I didn’t know what he was studying, but he was quiet the whole time.
It felt nice. The whole day. The sounds of the waves.
“We should talk.”
I jumped, spilling my drink, then laughed.
“What?”
I shook my head, dabbing at my legs. “I was just thinking that I liked that we hadn’t been talking.”
“Oh.” He frowned, his knees bent, spread out. His book sat between them, but he was lounging forward, his arms loosely resting on his knees. “I mean, we’re doing the friends thing, right? Friends talk. We should talk.”
I closed my textbook, and leaned back, my drink in hand. “You talk.”
He glanced up to me, his eyebrows pinching down.
“Friends tell each other what’s going on with them.” I took a sip, giving him a pointed look.
He snorted, fighting a grin before looking back to his textbook. “Real subtle, Daniels.”
“Last names.” I whistled. “Have we progressed or regressed with that?”
He laughed again, before letting out a soft sigh. “Friends. Right.”
I took another sip. “Friends.”
“You asked about my towels, long time ago. You remember?”
I frowned. “Yeah?”
“Where’d you get this thing?”
He laughed, laying back. “No personal questions, Daniels.”
“I didn’t know that was a personal question. My bad.”
“It is because my sister made it.”
I remembered, giving the blanket another glance. It looked like the towel that day. “What–that was a towel. This is a blanket?”
“They’re the same. This is just the bigger size. They’re called beach towkets.” He grinned, looking out at the ocean. “That was her word for them. We went to the beach a lot. Our family. She started making them one summer, and fuck, if I should hate them, but I don’t. It’s the one thing from her that I can’t bring myself to hate.”
I frowned. “Your little sister used to make these?”
He shook his head, leaning back and putting his hands behind him. He stretched his legs out. He never stopped looking at the ocean. “Not that sister.”
Two sisters? I was still frowning, but I also shut up. This was his moment, his time to talk.
“Her name was Sarah. She was best friends with Burford. Titi called her Sissy, calls her Sissy.”
I almost twitched from my reaction. Sabrina? The same girl I had a smackdown with in the library? The first time I’d met Cruz?
He laughed to himself, looking down. “I hate that girl, but that day, Miles invited me to your table. You were there. Gavin. And her. I walked up, saw her, and started to turn around, and then you spoke, and fuck, man. Fuck. Just your voice made me hard.” He flashed me a grin, a wry look in his eyes, but he stared at me steadily. “I stayed because of you that day. Burford didn’t call you a cunt because Miller was flirting with you that day. She was pissed because she could tell I wanted you.”
“Are you serious?”
He nodded, going back to staring at the ocean. “All cards on the table, I figured I should fess up to that part.”
“She wanted you?”
He shook his head. “No. She wanted my attention. Since…” He looked down, swallowing again before lifting his chin once more. “I seriously hate that girl, but it’s not even because of her. It’s because of what she was a part of that day. She was in the car. Sarah was driving. Titi was in the back. Titi–she was obsessed with Sarah and Sabrina. Obsessed. I know I should blame Sarah, but…” A harrowed expression crossed his face. “If it hadn’t been for Burford, Titi wouldn’t have been in the car. I… How fucked up is it that I’m more mad Titi lives how she lives because of that accident and not that I lost my other sister? Sarah died. She… She was messed up. Burford and her were best friends. I have no idea how they met. Sarah was a year younger, but they were. Sarah wasn’t the queen bee, but she kinda was at the same time. Not that I give a fuck about that shit, but just laying it all out. Sarah was popular, but she was such a bitch. Normally she didn’t give Titi two fucks. She’d just ignore her and go on about her selfish life. Not that day. Sabrina was nice to Titi when she was around and it’s because of Sabrina that Titi was in that car. Only goddamn reason Sarah pretended to be okay with it. That car accident.” He cursed, low and savagely, shaking his head and his hands balled up into fists. “Sarah died, and Titi lost her chance at a normal life.”