Above Water ✔️

17 - snafu

I had survived my first month of being in Florida. One down, two to go.

Fine, I'll admit: It wasn't so bad. I had endless amounts of alcohol that I never had to pay for, I had developed a very subtle tan, and I made a new friend. Dallas.

We were somewhat inseparable again after our heart to heart on the beach. I felt like I could talk to him about anything after all our guts were spilled that night, and I hoped he felt so too.

Our friendship didn't go unnoticed by the others. I tried to avoid answering to the boys until I couldn't anymore and they cornered me.

"So what's going on?" Chris asked.

"With?"

"You and Dallas."

Carlos chimed in. "I heard you's doing it."

"No, you didn't," I rolled my eyes.

"No, I didn't," he said with a giggle. "Just wanted to see if you would admit it."

"There's nothing to admit," I sighed.

"So you don't like him?" Erick asked, squinting.

God, help me.

"Of course I like him. We're friends."

I glanced back at the doorway, hoping he wouldn't come in any time soon. Last I heard, he was helping Phoebe with fixing something in the kids room. I would absolutely die on the spot if he showed up in the middle of this conversation.

"But you like him, too, right?"

"No!" I said exasperatedly. "Sure, he's hot. And fun. And. . . sweet, like, really sweet, but– Just shut up."

"Got him," Carlos said with a satisfied smirk.

"You didn't get anything," I said with a huff.

The three boys shared knowing glances, which made me want to puke a little. "You could just make a move and see how it goes," Chris suggested with a straight face. "I'm not getting straight vibes from him. At least not when he's around you."

"Other than the fact that he has a girlfriend, right?" I asked with an eye roll.

Erick looked confused. "He told Phoebe he broke up with her, like, a week ago," he said. I furrowed my eyebrows. He didn't mention that to me. I thought we were pretty close, but maybe not. "I don't know why, I just assumed it was 'cause he's into you."

"That's ridiculous," I said out loud but in my head, a storm was brewing. I didn't not think it was possible that he was into me. I just didn't like to have false hope. It wasn't healthy for myself or our friendship.

"What's ridiculous?"

I stiffened as Dallas entered the room. Chris and Carlos just started laughing, leaving him completely out of the joke.

Erick stood up and dapped Dallas up. "Nothing, brother," he said and exited the room. But not before looking back at me over Dallas's shoulder and wiggling his eyebrows. I just rolled my eyes and stood up as well.

I looked out the window. It had been terrible weather since the night on the beach. Loud, ferocious thunderstorms for a few days in a row. I know some people loved sleeping during storms, but it made me uneasy. I'd wake up to the slightest rattle at my window.

"I–"

He stopped when there was a knock at the front door. I looked at him and the other guys in question, but no one had a clue. Carlos distracted me by asking me what we should do for dinner. I threw some ideas out, along with Dallas's occasional input.