If Only

Chapter Thirty-Five: Stolen

The morning arrived, and I was greeted by the cheerful smiles of Tyrone, Drew, and Agatha.

"Rise and shine!" Agatha sang, enveloping me in a warm, heartfelt hug that seemed even warmer than the weather.

Tyrone sported a red floral beach shirt and shorts that accentuated his already tall frame. I couldn't help but wonder why he always kept his hands in his pockets. If I were honest, he looked kind of cute today. His smile added an extra glow to the day, as if the events of the night before had never happened.

It was evident how Drew was smitten with Agatha. He tried to be subtle about it, but he somehow managed to fail miserably whenever it came to me. Still, I kept quiet.

"Good morning," I greeted them all, returning the smiles as best I could.

I was ready to head outside, but I wanted to see what Meredith was up to in the kitchen. As I was about to turn in that direction, Uncle Tom positioned himself as a barrier, preventing me from going further.

"No, no, no, today's your day for fun. I don't want you hustling in the kitchen with Meredith. We'll handle that from here. You go right outside, and we'll bring the food out later. Lizzy, take her, please." Uncle Tom playfully pushed me away, but instead of Lizzy guiding me, Tyrone comfortably rested his arm on my shoulder and guided me outside with a smile. "Thanks, Mr. Jorgensen."

I clutched one of the picnic mats to my chest, and Tyrone offered to take them from me as we approached the shore. I relinquished them, and he swiftly spread the mat on the sand, surprisingly fitting all four of us. As we settled down, it seemed unspoken that he would be sitting next to me, a fact Lizzy couldn't help but comment on.

"You guys are getting all cute and mushy, it's making me melt," she teased.

"I know, right?" Agatha chimed in as she took off her shirt, revealing her slightly tanned skin beautifully set under the blazing sunlight.

"Why don't you two just start dating already?" she added.

"It was so sweet of you to call Jade right after you left last night," she playfully jabbed Tyrone on the arm.

Shit.

My eyes widened with the realization of the exact scene she was referring to. I wouldn't have minded if she mentioned a call from Tyrone in front of him, except that it wasn't Tyrone.

I heard a chuckle from him, but when I looked up to see his face, he appeared confused. Knowing full well he hadn't called me last night.

"What?" he asked.

The same puzzled looks were mirrored on Drew's and Agatha's faces.

I almost wanted to beg Tyrone with my eyes to change the topic, but I concealed it as best as I could. Tyrone must have sensed the sudden tension shift based on my actions. What he said next surprised me.

"I mean, yeah. Just wanted to check on her," he said, glancing my way and sending me a wink.

I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath for so long until I let out a huge sigh of relief.

Agatha squealed in delight, followed by Lizzy, who playfully slapped my leg. Warmth surged through my cheeks, and I had to bite my lip to stifle any sound.

"Ugh, just date already!" Lizzy groaned, her face turned towards the sun, eyes hidden behind sunglasses, hands clasped as if in prayer.

Tyrone released a breathy chuckle and looked at me with a small smile. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "We'll see about that," not in a mocking or teasing way, but just matter-of-factly.