Love Next Door (Lakeside 1)

I pop out of the bushes at the far end of the beach. It’s already dotted with people drinking out of red Solo cups. I haven’t been here in years, and the beach has degraded in that time. It’s sad, really, because with a little effort, some money, and community help, it could be a gorgeous place for families to picnic, not just a place for people to hang out and drink at night.

I glance up at the sky and see dark clouds rolling in. I didn’t think it was supposed to rain tonight, but the weather here can change on a dime, and it’s prime thunderstorm season. Besides, we could use the rain. I scan the beach, full of so many familiar faces. Almost all the people I went to high school with are here, older now, some already married with kids. I was one of the few people who left. I think Aaron was one of the only other people, and Tucker briefly, but look at us, all back again.

A pit opens in my stomach, those stupid nerves making me edgy. I have so many memories of this place, some good—most of them, actually—but a few bad ones seem to overshadow those, and they’re all related to Tucker. Looking back, I realize he was such a waste of time, but if I’d broken up with him for good, I might have ended up with someone who would have made me want to stay here, and I needed a reason to leave. Tucker was a necessary evil.

A huge bonfire has been set in the middle of the beach, with half a birch tree laid across it. Sparks spit in the air, beautiful and dangerous. A large group of people has congregated there, so I avoid it and stay close to the shore.

It takes me a good half hour to find Tawny and Allie, mostly because I only make it about five feet before I’m stopped by people I know. Some fish for information about Billy, most are surprised to see me back, but I feel . . . welcomed. Almost comfortable with how everyone seems to greet me, as if I’d gone on an extended vacation and eventually decided to come home.

I finally make it over to Tawny, who as promised is by the old docks.

“I thought you got here half an hour ago?” Tawny says, handing me an insulated coffee mug.

“What’s this?” I sniff the contents.

“Vodka and cran, light on the cran.”

I take a sip and fight a cough. “You’re not kidding. Where’s Allie?”

“She’s breaking the seal.”

“Already? She’ll be peeing every half hour.”

Tawny lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “That’s what I said, but you know what she’s like. Tommy mentioned having to pee, and that was it: she couldn’t hold it anymore.”

I shake my head on a laugh. “Nothing ever changes, does it?”

“Not really. Except for the receding hairlines, beer bellies, and stretch marks, as far as I can tell.”

The sun is disappearing, only a sliver of it visible through the thick layers of low-hanging clouds. “Looks like a storm might be rolling in.”

“Yeah. The weather forecast is looking grim tonight, which is why we figured it was a good idea to come early. Besides, you know how it is. The underagers always show up around eleven, and then things get shut down because they’re too loud and create a ruckus.”

“We used to be those underagers,” I point out.

She clinks her insulated mug against mine. “Weren’t those the good old days?”

“They were. Except on those occasions when Tucker couldn’t keep his dick out of whatever girl caught his eye that night.”

Tawny makes a face. “Not much has changed there.”

“Not much has changed about what?” Allie appears from out of nowhere and scares the crap out of both of us. She’s stunning, all long legs and dark hair, full lips, and a smile that lights up any room. But she’s not smiling now. “Wow, you showed. Gotta say, I half expected you to stand us up like you’ve been doing for the past decade.” Allie arches an eyebrow, and her pursed lips disappear behind her thermal mug as she takes a sip of her drink.

“Allie, come on.” Tawny has always been the peacekeeper of the group. Maybe to a fault.

“It’s okay.” I hold up a hand. “Allie’s right. I’ve been a crappy friend, and there isn’t an excuse that’s good enough to explain why I’ve dodged everyone I know for the past decade.”

“Why dodge us at all, though? I don’t get it. We were all so tight for so long, and then, poof.” She snaps her fingers. “You were just . . . gone.” Underneath the anger is hurt.

And I realize that hurt is one of the reasons I ghosted people for so long. I knew Tawny would let it go, but Allie has always been confrontational. Not one to back down from a fight, she lays it all out, and I never gave her a chance to do that, because then I would’ve had to come to terms with the fact that I was a bad friend.