Hearing You Say I Love You

~*~Four~*~

•Oakley•

The sun lay over my skin like a warm blanket, the droplets of water from the pool slightly tickling my skin as they dried from the rays. My eyes lay closed, my sunglasses pushed up on top of my head holding back some of the loose strays of hair that had fallen out of the messy bun. It was an absolutely perfect day and just the thing I needed after the weekend that I had. After I had let Paige know that I was home and left that awkward comment that I was trying to forget about on Posty's picture, I put my phone on do not disturb and haven't picked it up since. There was no need for it. It actually felt kind of good to be away from a screen for two days and just get lost in my books and relax.

Of course my parents had asked about my night out since I hadn't left the house to do anything fun with my friends in a while, but they didn't push for details and I didn't elaborate any further than it was good to get out with my friends, but I called it a night earlier than everyone else because they were on a different level than I was, which wasn't entirely a lie. As far as I knew they had no idea that anything else happened at the bar. If they did, then they did a really good job at hiding it and keeping a poker face.

I tried not to bother them with that anymore. I didn't want them to feel bad for something that was out of their control and something that other people couldn't handle. It used to take me weeks to get over the jokes and the feeling of uselessness I'd feel afterwards. But now it was like nothing and after a day or two I'd be better. Yeah it wasn't how things should be, but that's how they were and like most everything in my life I learned to cope with it.

Life ain't fair but life goes on.

A small scream left my lips at the feel of an ice cold water droplet falling against my tan stomach. I sat bolt upright in my lounge, looking down at the splash mark before looking up to see Paige blocking the rays of the sun, a bottle of iced down wine in one hand and her other resting on her hip. She studied me carefully, her eyes narrowed and her teeth grabbing on to the inside of her lip. I glared up at her dramatically wiping at the one small water droplet that was sliding down my stomach, my heart rate finally coming back down. I swung my legs over the edge of the lounge crossing my arms over my chest and continued to stare up at her waiting for her to tell me why she was here.

"Hey Oakley" she smirked, my eyes rolling dramatically as I looked away from her crossing my right leg over my left bouncing it slowly.

I wasn't completely mad at her, but I wasn't completely not mad at her either. She knew that I couldn't say no to going out with her and our friends, but she did know that if she told me that they were going out to celebrate Hunter and Chastity first that I would've said no. She knew that I felt uncomfortable being there with them and she hung out with me for a bit until the drinks and everyone else became more important. She did leave everyone when I was leaving and she did her best to calm me down but she still stayed and let me leave alone.

"Come on Oak" she sighed plopping down into the chair across from me, setting the wine bottle on the table next to her.

What? I shrugged looking at her, my arms still crossed over my chest and my foot still bouncing but this time I didn't take my eyes off of her.

"Are you mad at me?" she signed and spoke the question, but she didn't need to. The way her face fell and her eyes filled with sadness was a clear indicator that she was upset and nervous that she had done something wrong. Which in a way she did but I knew it wasn't malicious.

I let out a sigh, my hands grabbing my shoulders and my head falling back. I hated when she put me on the spot like this.

"Yes and no" I signed, pausing for just a minute to make sure she was keeping up. "I'm mad that you neglected to tell me who was" but she shook her head and grabbed her phone from her purse handing it to me.