Alcohol for the win.
Chapter 4
Arianna
* * *
The sun is warm and inviting today, the complete opposite of yesterday when the four of us woke up to Brady’s loud ass laugh around five in the morning.
We never did make it into the house, passing out on and around the patio set, which is exactly how Brady found us. After getting some sleep, we tried to head down to the water to hang with our cousins and friends, but we didn’t make it past the deck, our hangovers taking a victory lap. So, we turned right back around and threw ourselves onto the couches. It was a movie marathon kind of day.
Today, though, we woke up juiced and ready for some fun. We went for breakfast at Oceans Café, a place Lolli swears by, and then we hit the store to test out Brady’s fake ID there. It worked and we’re double stocked, just in case.
Since we’ve got all we need for the bonfire tonight, we unpack the party favors and hit the sand.
Cam, Mason, and Brady run off, going straight into the cool water, but I lay my beach mat out and waste no time dropping onto it. I close my eyes and smile as the sun soaks into my skin, but the slight shuffle beside me has me looking up.
Chase stands there, staring after our friends with a twisted expression, so I suck it up, and pull on his trunks to get his attention.
He looks down, and I push up on my elbows, using my palm to shield the glare from my eyes. I motion with my head for him to join me.
He hesitates a second, then, without looking at me, drops down, mimicking my position.
A hint of anxiousness washes over me as I know we can’t escape what happened at the club any longer. This is the first moment we’ve had alone since that night and I know I’m not the only one who realizes it.
I admit, I woke up a little embarrassed the next day, but not enough to regret it. Had he shown any sign of anger or ignored me after, I likely would, but he hasn’t. He hasn’t exactly met my eye, but he hasn’t avoided it either. He is right now though, the tension in his shoulders doubling with each passing second as he tries to focus on the others goofing off in the ocean before us, but I know he’s not even seeing what’s in front of him. His mind is muddled by me. Or more, because of me.
His chin meets his chest, and here it comes.
“Are we okay?” he asks, his focus pointed at the sand beneath him.
“Why wouldn’t we be?”
“Come on, Ari. Don’t do that.” He shakes his head, looking off.
A wave of apprehension washes over me and I take a deep breath. “Chase, look at me, please.”
He does, revealing sadness and confusion.
“Talk to me. What’s going on in there?” I ask, tapping my temple with my free hand.
Sighing, he lies down next to me, turning his head to stare directly into my eyes.
How the heck am I supposed to concentrate with him so close, I don’t know, but I give him a small smile, encouraging him to speak.
He’s staring at me so intently that I want to look away, but I won’t.
“What was that at the club?” he eases into the topic.
A knot forms in my throat, but I swallow past it.
“I was letting loose.”
“Having drinks with friends is letting loose.”
His eyes narrow and I sigh, pushing up into a sitting position. “If you’re looking for an apology, I can’t give you one.”
“I’m just trying to understand.”
A wounded, humorless laugh leaves me and I look to the sky. “Don’t pretend you don’t know,” I whisper. “And don’t pretend you weren’t as curious as I was, even if you didn’t want it, I know you thought about it.”
“What does that mean?”
My head jerks his way and I frown. “You might have pulled away, but not before you held me tighter.”
“I was shocked!” he whisper-yells. “That was the last thing I expected you to do.”
“Yeah?” I pop a brow. “Was it the shock that made you hard?”
“Whoa!” His hands fly up, and again, he cuts his gaze around us. “That was the liquor and the mood and—”
“And me.” I shake my head. “Maybe you didn’t want anything to happen, but you can’t deny that. I know we were drunk, trust me, I didn’t need the reminder. I probably would have been too chicken to do it sober, but I’m not sorry I did. I’d do it again.”
“Don’t,” rushes from his lips with his next breath so quickly that he himself didn’t realize it was coming out until it did.
We both tense.
Chase drops his eyes to the sand once more, slowly bringing them up to me. “Don’t,” he whispers, so low it’s almost missed. “That can’t happen again. I love you, Ari, you know that, but this isn’t… we can’t.”