The Twins & Me: Summer Vacation

Dive

The night is warm and the wind from the ocean sends gusts of salty air up the beach. The twins walk on either side of me as we stroll up the sand towards the bright patches of firelight. Bastian's been MIA today and all of me hopes he passes on the party tonight, too. Or at least has the sense to stay away from us; I would do anything to not fall under his gaze again.

Even if it means never seeing his bright grey eyes as they trail my every move, never seeing the way his muscles ripple under his skin, the light smirk of his lips.

Yes, better to forget about Bastian Camden.

Remi was right about the beach being crowded. Conflicting sources of music and smoke taint the fresh air. Drunken people hang around in clusters. We navigate through the throng, our destination set on the large rocks jutting from the earth. Water laps our ankles and Ollie holds out a hand for me to begin the climb.

His voice is gravelly in my ear. "Be. Careful."

I give him a reassuring smile before scrambling up the first jagged rock. There are less people here, and the music is quieter. I recognize a few faces from our previous party, but no Remi yet. The further out we venture, the wider the boulders become; they lend ledges out for people to sit and chill out under the stars.

True to what Remi said, there's a bright flash of orange on the furthest rock. I make my way there, keeping an eye out for her familiar form.

"Wren!" A figure rises from beside the fire with a bottle in their hand. Remi's long hair trails in the wind.

Ease floats through me and I hop over to her, leaving the boys to catch up.

She flings her arms around me in a heavy, drunken way. "I knew you'd come!"

I pat her back, giggling with her. She seems so genuinely happy to see me. "Just for a bit."

"Promise not to forget me," she pouts, her breath thick with liquor.

Not possible. I smile. "Of course not."

Then another figure stands from across the fire. It's tall. "What the fuck, Remi?"

Paxton. I didn't see her before; her face lit in the fiery glow looks furious. Standing against the darkness of the sea, she looks like some sort of siren.

Instinctively, I look over my shoulder for Ollie and Arlo, but they're still back on the last rock. Two guys are struggling with a large cooler, blocking the path.

"What?" Remi hiccups, spinning on her.

Paxton weaves around the fire. "Her. You asked her to come here?"

"Yeah," Remi answers, oblivious to the venom in Paxton's voice.

I've decided not to get in the habit of picking fights—especially on a cliff in the ocean. Suddenly, the waves seem really loud. I slip from Remi's embrace. Something tells me a harsh gust of wind could knock her over, and by the way Paxton's coming towards me, I don't want her anywhere near the crossfire.

"You shouldn't be here," Paxton says bluntly. "You're not local, and you don't belong here."

"Got it," I say, taking a step away from her. The guys behind us have spilled the cooler and there are shouts from all around. No one's paying attention to us. With a quick glance I can't even see the twins.

"It's like you're just coming out to start shit," Paxton spits. She's an arm's length away.

I take another step from her, but my foot slips on slick rock. "N-no."

"Y-yes," she mocks.

"Paxton!" Remi squeals. "Come on, stop it."

"She just likes being the center of attention," Paxton says smoothly. "Isn't that right?"