Brightside | ✓

37 | pensacola

It had been over 24 hours since Eddie had last slept and truthfully, waking up on the beach with sand in her hair was not the worst way she could think of passing out. She counted her blessings that it hadn't happened while she drove ten hours to Pensacola in the first place. Only stopped for gas, drive thru food, and to change her tampon at the side of the road. (She hoped she remembered to take the used Jack in the Box napkin she threw it in with her when she left the rental car.) (Hand sanitizer was still better than a gas station restroom.) (She washed her hands properly at the public washroom along the edge of the beach and that's what mattered.) It was embarrassing how quickly she'd downed the chocolates Reyna had given her once she had her rental car. The box was still in the back.

The water was nice. It always was. And thank fuck it was late enough that she was relatively on her own when she sat down in the sand, spare a couple groups of college students around bonfires down the beach. Eddie was no snitch, unless something horrible happened. Then she'd have to call the fire department. That would be considered desperate times due to desperate measures and she'd give them a warning so nobody got in trouble for just being a shitty kid.

Listening to the water at Pensacola Beach was exactly what she came to expect from one of her favourite places on earth. Knees tucked up to her chest, sand woven through the Windsor embroidery on the sweatpants she'd changed into. A gentle text from Brendon waited for her reply after she'd checked in that she indeed made it to her destination without driving off the road. The quiet almost made her forget about the sleep-deprivation headache that pounded through her skull.

"Hey, lady, you want a beer?" one of the bonfire students made her way over, away from the flames.

Eddie looked over at her. All bralette and daisy dukes and bleach blonde hair as she took step after wobbly step.

Eddie shook her head. "You don't have to—"

"I only come out an' sit here by myself when I need a study break," she said, holding out the can of Bud Light. "And that means I'm at the end of my rope. Just take it. It's shitty beer and the Beta Theta Pi's have a hundred of 'em over there."

Eddie stood up and gingerly took the can from the girl. They'd even chilled it—point to the fraternity, which she never thought she'd ever do. "Thanks."

"I'll leave you to it, but if you get cold, come on over."

"Will do."

The student blew her a kiss and wandered back to the bonfire. Eddie sighed softly and cracked open the beer. The small sip she took was enough to make her face contort.

"Jesus, who drinks that?"

"It's not that bad once you've stopped caring," said a voice too close for comfort. "Good to see you still care, Carmen Sandiego."

Eddie didn't look before she swung. Bit back a frightened scream but landed a blow to the person's stomach all the same. A wheeze of pain escaped.

"Motherfucker, Eddie—" Eddie recognized the person as Axel too little too late.

Eddie's eyes widened. "What the fuck is wrong with you—"

"With me?"

"You just fuckin' snuck up behind me in the dark at night—"

"You flew across the country and didn't say goodbye—"

Eddie didn't mean to knock him to the sand with how hard she kissed him. She didn't mean to miss his lips in her blind shot in the dark. And she surely didn't mean to cry when she felt his thumb rub gently on the small of her back.