Mended

40

Caleb's POV

"Here." I pulled my gaze away from the bonfire, glancing at the hand extended towards me.

Noah's gaze locked with mine, a challenge written in his hazel eyes. He raised his eyebrows, nodding to the red solo cup he held out to me. "You look like you need it," he added flatly and I rolled my eyes, but took it nonetheless.

Noah took a seat on the other beach chair beside me. Around us, the chatter and laughter of some of our other friends muffled in comparison to the sound of the ocean waves as they crashed against the shore a few feet away from us. Occasionally, the fire crackled and popped, its heat warming my face as I mindlessly threw wood into the flames.

I looked over at him. "Where's yours?" I asked, wincing at the bitter sensation as the liquid burned my throat.

"Had too many already," he replied, leaning back against his seat and running a calloused hand through his dark brown hair. "Don't wanna end up passed out in a ditch somewhere on my walk back home."

"Dani offered to drive us," I said, gesturing to one of our other friends who sat on the other side of the bonfire with a group of girls.

Noah raised his eyebrows at me. "Then we'll definitely end up in a ditch somewhere," he deadpanned and I chuckled, knowing he was right. We loved her, but she couldn't drive for the life of her.

As if sensing that we were talking about her, Daniella's head snapped towards us. Her inquisitive gaze slightly narrowed as she glanced between the two of us. In return, Noah smirked and held up his middle finger. She rolled her eyes and met my gaze before she turned back towards her friends.

I smiled and leaned back in my chair, glancing over at Noah only to see him now staring outwards at the water beyond. It was pitch black at this time of night, so it was barely visible aside from the ripple of the waves as they hit the sand.

I was momentarily distracted by the sound of my phone ringing. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled it out and paused as I saw Ethan's name flashing back at me.

My thumb hovered over the screen for too long. I slipped the phone away as his name disappeared, ignoring the heavy feeling in my chest.

"You wanna go for a walk?" Noah asked suddenly, already standing before I could voice a response.

Without a word, I stood up and tossed the cup into one of the trash cans as we made our way across the sand. Noah was silent as he matched my pace, the fire behind us turning distant as we walked further out of sight.

"I don't get how you don't see it," Noah suddenly murmured. Furrowing my eyebrows, I glanced over at him only to see him staring straight ahead. The moonlight illuminated his side profile, silver light reflecting off of the sharp angles and planes of his face.

"See what?"

"That she likes you," he said nonchalantly, as if the casual statement didn't completely knock the wind out of my lungs.

I halted, my shoes digging into the sand below us as I turned to face him. "What?"

Noah paused, his impassive eyes scanning my face. "Daniella," he clarified carefully. "How the fuck have you never seen it?"

Speechless, I studied his features, trying to decipher for myself whether or not he was telling the truth. There was no reason he wouldn't be, but I was desperate to find one anyways because I didn't know how I felt about the news.