That word is love (Demi Lovato fanfic)

That Word Is Love: Chapter 14

"Morning," Isaac and Layla greeted me. They were sitting at the kitchen counters while Simon poured batter into the waffle iron.

"Hi."

"Sleep well?" Simon asked, looking me up and down meaningfully. He seemed satisfied that I'd gotten at least some sleep, so he resumed his duties with the waffles. "How's the ankle darling?"

"Good, I can put weight on it. You're making waffles?" I leaned my crutches against the table and sat down slowly. It was day two of the bruises, the worst day when the surface pain had faded but the deep ache in the muscles remained. "Can I have some?"

"No."My eyes flew up to his- I thought we were on good terms? But he was chuckling, shaking his head. "Of course you can."

"Where's Aaron?" Isaac asked me, munching on some bacon.

"I don't know..." I replied, "He hasn't come down yet?"

"Nope." Layla distracted Isaac and then, when he wasn't looking, swiped some of his toast. "That's because he's a lazy ass."

"You know that's touched my bacon," Isaac offered matter-of-factly, just as she was about to eat the toast. Immediately, she squealed and dropped it.

"Yuck!"

"You're a vegetarian?" Simon asked, moving her hand away so he could drop a waffle into her plate. She shook her head, digging in.

"No. Muslim."

Simon nodded in understanding and slid a waffle onto my plate, handing me the syrup. "So until Aaron comes down, I was thinking..."

"Oh, that's new," I teased, and he leaned over the counter and flicked my nose.

"Stop. Kelly's acts are having a bit of a break at the beach today, and when she mentioned it to me, I thought you may want to join them."

"Has Kelly actually invited us?" Layla asked suspiciously.

I hadn't picked up on that, but she was clever because Simon was looking awkward. "Well. Not quite. But they're going to our mutual friend's private beach, the one you can see from the balcony upstairs. I spoke to him already, and he would be delighted to have you join them."

"Why today?" I asked, finally picking up on his hedging. He wanted to go for another reason.

Simon gave me and Layla an annoyed look, the both of us staring at him and obviously trying to figure him out. "Girls, it's not something dramatic. It's a good day for surfing, that's all."

"You surf?" Isaac asked, his interest suddenly piqued. I suddenly remembered a trip to the beach when I was eight or nine, when I'd taken one surfing lesson. I was standing up by the end of it, although the instructor had been holding my hand in the shallow water.

"Yes, I surf."

"You surf?" Aaron echoed, coming into the kitchen in his pajamas, still bleary-eyed. "Me too!"

"If it isn't the sleeping beauty," Layla teased.

"Shut up, Godzilla."

Isaac snorted, then resumed his interrogation of Simon. "How do you know how to surf?"

"What do you mean?" He was back at the stove, cooking another batch of waffles for Aaron. "Why wouldn't I know how to surf?"

"Because you're... you're British!" Isaac spluttered- apparently his world-view had just been corrupted.

Simon was shaking his head. "I'll have you know that Cornwall is a world-famous surf spot."

"Wait, but..." I trailed off, not sure how to continue. I didn't mind going to the beach- it sounded like fun- but I couldn't wear swim-shorts, and they'd know something was up if I 'sunbathed' with all my clothes on. Shit. "I- I don't know if I want to come."