Surfboards and Sandwiches

Chapter Four

JAMES'S POV

I sigh. I've been wandering through shops all day, searching for the perfect gift for Eve's birthday. Spoiler: I haven't found anything good enough. I want it to be perfect. It's a big year, her seventeenth birthday. I thought about getting her a charm bracelet, but I don't have the right charms. Glancing at my watch, I sigh again. It's already past eleven. At night. Her birthday is tomorrow.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, frustrated. Suddenly, on a stupid impulse, I grab something from the shelf nearest to me and hurl it towards the wall. It shatters on impact. I feel slightly relieved, so I reach for another mini snow globe.

Just as I'm raising my hand to throw it, a voice behind me says, "Having some trouble?"

My hand freezes. I turn my face to look over my shoulder, and when I do, I groan in frustration. Slamming the globe onto the shelf, I stalk off.

My escape fails. The voice's owner catches up to me easily, matching my long strides. My lip curls in disgust. He's going for the 'tumblr boy' look; dark, ripped jeans, loose ankle boots, a faded Beatles tee, and a leather jacket slung over his shoulder. Oh, and a beanie. A fucking beanie! Seriously!?

"So..." He drawls out. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

I ignore him.

"Let me guess," he smirks. "It's mama's birthday and you still bed to buy a gift?"

I give him a side-eye glare. "Something like that. Now, would you piss off?"

He laughs and pinches my cheek before I can slap his hand away. "Aww," he coos. "Is baby up past his bedtime? I think baby's getting grumpy."

Now, normally, I'm a pretty cool-headed guy, but something about Jack just sets me on edge. It's like, whenever he's around, I'm angry and impulsive. Here's a prime example of my out-of-the-ordinary behavior.

After he mocks me, I whirl around, slamming him against the wall of the shop. I'm gripping the collar of his shirt in my hands, the fabric bunched between my fingers.

"Kinky," he jokes, a lazy grin on his face. "I like it."

I hardly recognize my growling voice when I say, "Do you remember what I told you? No? Piss. Off!" With the last word, I slam him against the wall again, before power-walking towards the shop entrance.

Right when I think I'm free, Jack catches up to me, with still-perfect hair. "Hey, man, I'm sorry."

"Yeah?" I ask, rolling my eyes. "Sure."

"I really am!" Jack protests. "I shouldn't have pushed you like that. I didn't know you were so... angsty."

This time I really do hit him. Well, I try, but he leans out of the way. I wind up to take another swing, but he reaches an arm out to me, looking like he's trying not to laugh.

"Whoa, take it easy, man." He cautiously inches forward when I lower my arm. "Hey, I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry. You're obviously upset."

I explode. "Upset?! Of course I'm upset! You think I was gonna be all 'rainbows and sunshine' after you ruin my last chance at getting her a perfect gift!"

He frowns. "I wouldn't say ruined, exactly."

I arch my eyebrows, not looking at him as we cross the dark, deserted street. I have no idea, by the way, of why he's still hanging around me. "Yeah?" I ask. "Then what would you say?"

"Oh, I don't know." He gestures broadly at the world around us. "Stopped you from destroying merchandise, stopped you from nearly killing yourself—"

"Killing myself?" I cut in. "Dude, I'm not suicidal, and that's not something to joke about."

Jack gives me a wide-eyed duh stare. "No shit you're not suicidal. Doesn't mean you aren't capable of shopping until you literally drop." As an afterthought, he adds, "Dead."

"Thank you," I say sarcastically, "for both saving and ruining my life at the same time."

"You're welcome!" He chirps.

We walk for a moment in silence, before he says, "Alright, this one's mine."

I look around the dimly lit street. The only vehicle on it is a sleek black stylish motorcycle. Of course it's his. I allow him a curt nod, and he returns it.

"See you around, James," Jack says, shrugging on his black leather jacket. He steps toward the bike, but then hesitates, looking back over his shoulder. "Hey, I have a question."

I lean against the brick wall behind me. "Shoot," I say.

"You really like Evangeline, don't you?"

"More than you could ever understand," I say.

He turns his body around, keeping his eyes on mine as he says, "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

He starts his bike, kicking up the kickstand, and peels away from the curb before I can assess what he's said. When I finally do, I pull out my phone and dial her number.

I walk towards my house (it's a small island) as the phone rings. She picks up after the third bell. Her voice is hoarse, like I've awoken her, and guilt pangs through me. "Hey, James," she says. "What's up?"

I sigh. "When's your lunch break?"

"Huh? Oh, one, I think." She yawns.

"Okay, when you get off work tomorrow, I'm taking you to lunch, okay?"

"Uh huh. That it?" She asks, holding back another yawn.

"Yeah. 'Night, Eve."

"G'night, James. Love you," she says, and my heart skips a beat before I remember that we've been saying the words for years, like friends.

"Yeah. Love you, too."

"Bye," she says, and then hangs up.

I let out a long breath. I still don't have her present.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I pull into the lot outside of Waves. I'm half an hour early, and twenty øne piløts's song Migraine is playing, so I decide to wait in the car for Eve.

Since I couldn't get her a real present, I decided to take her out to eat at her favorite restaurant, and then I'll take her to the beach.

The song stops. I turn off the car engine and glance at my watch. It's about twenty-five til, so I lean my seat back a bit and study the sky through my open windows. Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone walk up the sidewalk to the surf shop.

I frown. What's Jack doing here?

I hiss. He shouldn't be here. He can't ruin this day for me. Not now.

I wrack my mind, trying to think of something that will work. But I can't. When I try to build a plan, all I see is the two of them wrapped around each other, back at the Verdant. It's impossible.

I pick up my phone, starting to dial her number, but then think better of it and fling my phone into the seat next to me. I need to think of her now, what she wants. She seemed to enjoy his company earlier. Why wouldn't she now? I mean, it's not like I'm going to force her to spend time with me. I groan.

Why is Jack so—so meddlesome? Ever since that first night at the club, he's been popping up everywhere. Taking Evangeline from me bit by bit, smooth word by smooth word. And I don't appreciate it.

I'm ready to storm out of my car and into the surf shop, but then I see something that breaks my heart.

She's walking out of the shop. Smiling. It's an expression that has never graced her face before. So filled with pure joy, it's hard to look at. She's stunning. And she's smiling like that because of him.

I slump down in my seat, the fight draining from my heart. He makes her happy. I can deal with that. As long as he doesn't hurt her. If he hurts her, we've got a problem. But I won't let that happen. Not to my Eve. Not ever.