Possibilities

・♡『Part Sixteen』♡・

Renna dug her hand into the sand. Jada helped her dig out the moat while Briella worked on perfecting the crumbling sandcastle.

A scream from the boys caught their attention. Kelan had fallen in the sand, the soccer ball rolled away from him. Levi and Jensen raced for it.

"So, has Levi been respecting you since you told him off?" Briella asked as she tried to save a chunk of castle that fell with a single touch.

"I never told him off," Renna replied. "I just reminded him where I stand with...all that stuff."

"Is that a no?" asked Jada.

"No. He's been good. He's stopped being too touchy." She decided to keep the proposal for more to herself. They wouldn't react well with that information. And there was no point in panicking them while she was deciding on her answer. If she said yes, there would be nothing they could be angry about. Levi gave her a choice and she consented. They also couldn't get upset if she said no and Levi accepted her answer. The was no reason they needed to know.

"And he's not doing anything to make you uncomfortable?" Briella asked.

Yeah. Making offers to be more intimate. "No."

"Good. If he does anything to make you uncomfortable, you come to me, and I'll set him straight."

"I think you believe you're more terrifying than you actually are," said Jada, and Briella threw a handful of sand at her, making her yelp.

The castle collapsed and filled in the moat over Renna's hand. They all groaned and sat back, not bothering to restore it.

Watching the boy's game of soccer, Briella said, "What do you think of Jensen?"

The question took Renna aback. She didn't know whether to answer honestly or not.

"He seems nice," Jada answered. "I don't know him very well though."

"What about you, Renna?"

"I—er—He doesn't like me."

"What? Why not?"

Renna dug her toes into the sand. "I don't know. That's what Levi told me. He never told me why." He told her he didn't want to hurt her with Jensen's words.

"I'm sure it's just because he doesn't really know you," said Jada. She peered around Briella to look Renna in the eye. "You are a beautiful, kind and loving, generous young woman. There's nothing to hate about you, and when he gets to know you, he'll realise that."

Heat flushed in Renna's cheeks, and she smiled. I love these girls so much. They're the best friends I could have asked for. I can always count on them to build me up, and trust them to have my back. Without them, I'd be lost.

"You're so sweet, Jada," Briella said, looking from Jada to Renna. "And I'm sure she's right, he just need to know you better." 

"I don't know." I think he's made up his mind, and he's gotten to know a little bit about me. If he hasn't changed his mind already, I don't think he ever will.

"Well, I hope that's what it is, because...I have a date with him." Briella smiled and blushed. She hid her face from her two friends either side of her.

Jada grinned wide. "Really? That's great. I'm so happy for you."

Renna stayed quiet. She couldn't push past her disbelief to find something to say. Of course after golf, she could see something like this happening, but she didn't know if it was a doubt or a deep dark hope that she wouldn't date him that kept her from feeling excited for her.

"Where's he taking you?" Jada asked, beaming. "Do you know?"

"Actually, I said since I asked him out, the date's on me. So, I'm picking him up and then we're going rock climbing. I first offered to take him to that new restaurant, 'Perspective Delicious'"—the same restaurant Levi tried to take Renna to—"But he said it's not his style. It's too expensive he said and would rather go somewhere fun."

Renna hadn't really considered the price of that restaurant and other places Levi had taken her to. The dinner cruise would have been through the roof, and Levi always insisted on paying, but he didn't seem to bat an eye at it. Maybe I should suggest some less expensive date ideas to him.

Jada picked up a seashell and fiddled with it in her fingers, watching the boys on the shore. "When are you going?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Maybe you could drop me off," Renna asked, a little uncertain. "If you don't mind."

Briella looked at her. "Where you going?"

"Levi's. He said Jensen's going to be out tomorrow—and now I know why—" She nudged Briella's arm. "And he asked if I wanted to hang out while he's gone."

Briella raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?"

"That sounds like..." Briella let her sentence trail off, hoping Renna would pick up on what she meant.

It took Renna a moment to understand. "No. No." She held up her hands. "Nothing like that. We're just going to hang out and watch movies, and eat dinner I think."

"Alright. But make sure he doesn't try anything."

He won't unless I say yes. Avoiding her stare, Renna replies, "Of course."

"Well, then, yeah. I can pick you up," she said, watching the boys, scrunching her hands into the sand at her side. "No problem."

"Okay. Thanks."

♡