Alek

Chapter 42: Mae Kazimi

Chapter 42: Mae Kazimi

"Mae," Avery grabs my arm. "Mae, I'm sorry."

Last night both Alek and I had collapsed into bed and none of us had complained about sleeping next to each other. We'd been too tired to say anything at all.

This morning, Aunt Drey announced that we would be having a barbecue and pool party at the back of the house, and since the morning, Diego's Uncle had joined us in the back as he flipped kebabs over the fire.

The rest of us are in the pool while Aunt Drey lays on her long chair, sunbathing with a large hat over her face. She's in a hot pink swimsuit, a book in one hand and lemonade in the other.

I stole one of Alek's shirts and pulled it over my swimsuit an hour ago. I sit on the edge of the pool with my legs dangling inside, leaning back on my arms with sunglasses on my face as I bathe into the sun.

Avery sits beside me, a sour look on her face. No one has spoken about yesterday's show at the party. Not until now.

"I was drunk," she swallows, and I know by the look on her face how she means it. "I wasn't thinking, I was mad."

I look towards her, smiling as I take off my shades, "Avery, I'm not mad at you."

I wasn't.

Everyone heals differently.

"You might not be, but I'm mad at myself," she mutters. "I don't get why I would say that. It's not like you could've controlled the future somehow. It wasn't like you knew what would happen."

I don't want to talk about this anymore. So I pretend to go in for a hug and then shove Avery face first into the water. She goes in screaming and hands wailing, landing in the water with a large splash.

I'm laughing loudly as I put my sunglasses onto the floor to get a better look inside the water. Before I can move my feet, I feel hands grasping at my ankles and pulling me into the poor and I slip inside with a gasp.

"Payback's a bitch!" Avery yells breathlessly as her head pops out from under the water.

I wipe the water from my face, glaring at her. Alek sits outside the pool across from us, beside Rashid. They were talking until the commotion, and Aunt Drey looks up from her book to make sure nothing is wrong.

"Asshole!" I mutter, getting out of the pool and squeezing the water out of Alek's shirt. I know he'd noticed I was wearing it, but he'd said nothing.

Avery laughs and goes into a starfish position, eyes closed as she faces the sky.

Kai stands near the barbecue with Diego's uncle, flipping the meat whilst conversing. I could hear snippets of it about boxing and something about a strict diet.

"Honey!" Aunt Drey calls. "Are the burgers ready?"

"Not yet!" Uncle Rody replies. "Almost though!"

May and Martin play soccer behind us, more wrestling against the wet grass than playing with their feet. I slip the wet shirt over my head, tossing it in the side and reaching for my towel.

"Heeeey," Avery says when she realizes who's swimming suit I'm wearing. "I was looking for that everywhere."

"Too bad," I tell her. "I got them first."

"Do you know how much those cost me?"

"Free because you stole them."

Avery lets her jaw drop dramatically, "That is so not true."

"I know because I read your diary," I lie. I know she didn't steal them.

Avery is no longer in a starfish position and is instead barreling towards me in full speed, "Tell me you're lying."