Once Upon A Surf

Chapter Twelve

 "You made it."

I ducked underneath the entrance to the cave, smiling at Drew. "Wouldn't miss it. How's the view?"

"Perfect. The sunset will start in a few minutes, and that's when it's really amazing," Drew motioned for me to come sit near him and I complied, sliding down and letting my legs dangle over the edge. For a moment we sat there in comfortable silence, watching the waves crash against the rocks and the sky slowly transform into an aura of pink.

"So where'd you learn to surf like that?" Drew's voice startled me out of my daze.

"My dad," I said rubbing my hands together nervously. "He died four years ago."

Drew's face softened. "Is that why you live with your stepmom?"

I shrugged. "Yeah. It's not so bad, really."

A relaxed smile spread on Drew's face. "You're a horrible liar."

"I'm not lying," the corner of my mouth turned up in a smile at Drew's expression. "Okay, so my life isn't perfect—"

"And where's the stepmonster tonight?"

"She gave me the weekend off," I said, smirking. "I told you it's not that bad."

"Here comes the sunset," Drew pointed and I looked up, my body instantly relaxing at the sight. The beautiful colors, just as vibrant as the last time I was here, reminded me why I loved the ocean so much.

"I've got to get some pictures of this view," Drew said, jumping to his feet and grabbing his camera. I smiled, a warm breeze rustling my hair as Drew sat back down, snapping some shots of the sunset. I closed my eyes, leaning my head back and breathing in the heavy scent of the saltwater.

After a moment I blinked my eyes open, a smile coming to my face as I noticed the camera pointed inches away from me. "You're supposed to be taking pictures of the view."

"I am."

A rush of warmth raced to my cheeks and I looked down, running a hand through my hair. "Thanks again for coming out today."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Fish."

"It meant a lot," I said honestly, meeting his gaze evenly. "Really."

Drew studied me for a moment, something unfamiliar flashing through his eyes. "You know, sometimes...sometimes I hope I don't find that mystery girl."

I raised an eyebrow, unable to tear my eyes from him. "Why do you say that?"

"Because," his hand moved slightly, just barely brushing mine. "I think I might be falling for somebody else."

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"I haven't felt this good in forever," I said, laying on my back on Abbi's bed. Her ceiling was decorated with tiny stars that glowed in the dark, and I studied them carefully.

"M-hmm," Abbi murmured, scrolling through something on her computer. I rolled over on my stomach.

"I mean, you know me. When's the last time I had free time to actually do something besides surf?" I popped a piece of popcorn into my mouth. "This is just amazing."

"Speaking of amazing," Abbi said, "Check this out." I frowned and stood with a handful of popcorn, tossing a few pieces into my mouth, and stared at the screen.

It was on Abbi's Facebook, and she had just opened a page that showed Jenna's newest status update—updated only ten minutes ago.

Good to know who my real friends are.