Between Us

Chapter 33

"Are you sure that's all you need?" Sai asked me, eyeing my small duffel bag. We were all meeting outside a park early in the morning so that it was easier for everyone to gather around. I didn't know who else was coming besides Leo and Sai, but I hoped not too many people I didn't know.

"We'll only be gone for a day or two, right?"

"I don't know, but don't you usually overpack?"

"I've changed, remember?" I joked.

Honestly I figured if I was lugging around a huge suitcase then I'd look either too pretentious or too eager. Packing small and light was what I needed to do to show them all that I wasn't desperate or lame.

Sai rolled her eyes. "So long as you have the necessities in there."

"Got all the toiletries. I would never forget that!"

"I meant swimsuits. You didn't bring a bikini?"

Swimsuits were the last thing on my mind right now. "Uh, no?"

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have brought a spare or — wait, hold on." She put her bag on the ground and opened it up in the middle of the street. She bent over the items, ruining the carefully folded clothes and making a mess. She pulled out a flimsy, big bikini top with green floral prints on it. "My boobs are huge, sorry not sorry, but you can always borrow this, right?"

There was no way that would fit on my practically flat chest. It would fall off as soon as I tied it on, even with double and triple knots. "I'm gonna pray that we don't end up going swimming."

"Pray hard 'cause you never know."

A swirl of unease rolled around within me, but I shook it away. Even if we did end up going to a beach or something, I would just say I'm not interested or that I have my period.

Easy.

When we got to the meeting place, I was surprised to see both Paris and Trixie there. No sign of Jordan, thank God. But also a little bit of disappointment hit me. The guy that had started this whole thing, the guy that I really liked, really didn't want to be around us. I wondered why. Was he even invited or did he not want to join?

Trixie spotted us and waved us over. I hadn't known she was coming. At least she wasn't a complete stranger. She was sitting idly on a tree stump. "I didn't know you were coming, Sai."

"Didn't I text you about it?"

"I didn't see it, whoops."

"You guys text?" I asked Sai.

She shrugged. "Yeah, we exchanged numbers the first day we met."

Interesting. I didn't know about that. Like I hadn't told her about Paris, maybe she had things she didn't tell me, either.  While Sai was occupied with Trixie about heavy metal bands, I tried to catch Paris' eye but she was on her phone. Then when she saw me looking, she offered me a stiff quirk of her lips and then faced her back to me.

That was really weird.

That was when Caden and Leilani came over in a black Hyundai Verna that I hadn't seen before. I assumed it was her car. He was driving and she was resting her feet on the dashboard as she poked her head out the passenger window.

Caden parked and got out. He ignored me but nodded his head up in acknowledgment at the others. He then ruffled Paris' hair before putting all our bags in the back.

"I've got it," I said softly. He didn't protest. Not that he was eager to reach for my bag in the first place. I followed him and put my small duffel bag in the very corner.