Destination Reached

JAKE

She didn't remember. She didn't remember any of it. Or maybe she remembered all of it and was pretending as if she didn't because she couldn't possibly see me that way and was trying to spare us both the embarrassment and awkwardness. So we wouldn't ruin our friendship. Or whatever.

That was somehow worse than her not remembering it at all.

Not remembering that she had asked me to dance. That I had held her close as we swayed and she'd melted into my chest. That she'd called me pretty and sexy and said I had nice, distracting eyes. That I was her favorite person at the party. Her favorite.

How could that not mean anything? I knew she was drunk. I knew that. But she thought I was sexy. That had to mean something. How could it not?

I could hear her now, eyes all glossed over and bright. Her cheeks deliciously flushed and warm as she looped her arms around my neck, and whispered, "Maybe I want it to get me somewhere..."

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. My crush on Sophia had grown so massive I was afraid everything I felt for her would start spilling out of me like emotional lava. Meanwhile, I was fairly certain that Sophia had some weird situationship thing with her best friend from back home. A friend she would soon be heading back to, forgetting all about the boy who sat next to her on the airplane and managed to worm his way into her life.

If only I knew how she felt about me.

If only I could tell her how I felt about her.

"You ready to head out?" Sophia waltzed into the room, looking positively perfect in cutoff denim shorts and a striped button up thrown over her swimsuit. Her dark hair was piled up on her head, sunglasses perched among her waves. "I think Kai and Maia are already there."

By there, she meant the beach we were supposed to be at twenty minutes ago. In exchange for their help tidying up the house yesterday, Sophia and I had agreed to go with them on what they called an "island adventure". Supposedly this spot was a local favorite. It had sea caves, and a considerable hike to get there, which is why Sophia had balked at the idea when they'd first brought it up. But she couldn't refuse after yesterday. I knew she felt terrible about her drunk/hungover behavior, even though it had been more funny than anything. Cute. 

At least, I'd found it cute, but that could just be a result of my ridiculous crush on her,

"I'm set," I said, putting my hat on. Backwards. For Sophia.

"So how bad do we think this hike is?" Sophia said, once we were cruising down the highway, windows down. She was chewing on her fingernails, and I swatted at her hands. "Hey!" She cried indignantly, "Eyes on the road."

"We lead hikes every day, Randall," I reminded her. "It's literally our job."

"I know that," she huffed, fingering the gold chain around her neck.

"That why you fiddling with your necklace then?" I asked, smirking at her knowingly.

Her cheeks went pink, "Stop knowing me, would you?"

"Never," I grinned. I couldn't resist. I couldn't resist flirting with her. Even though I knew I shouldn't.

We parked on the road, and I saw Maia and Kai waving at us from the trailhead.

As we approached the trailhead, Maia and Kai greeted us with wide smiles and excited chatter. Sophia's nerves seemed to dissipate in their presence, her laughter ringing out like a bell as she fell into step beside them.

"About time you two showed up," Maia teased, nudging Sophia playfully. "We were starting to think you'd ditched us."

"Believe me, she tried," I laughed. Sophia kicked at me, rolling her eyes.