It Was All Leading Up To You

Chapter 3:

I woke up wrapped in Cole's leather jacket remembering last night's adventures and how for a minute I forgot about everything else. I jumped up and ran over to my window pushing the curtains aside seeing the beautiful beach out stretched in front of me. I turn my head slightly and see Cole's house beside me. Pheobe his sister I assume was sitting on the front porch looking out towards the beach.

I stop staring and I get ready for a day down at the beach. I take off Cole's jacket and lay it down on my bed. Running into my bathroom to take a shower and get ready. I finish getting ready and pick out my black swimsuit one piece with cutouts on the side and pick out my floral cover up and floppy brown hat. 

I finish putting everything on and I grab my beach bag running down stairs skipping the last two steps and then strolling into the kitchen where I see Josh and Ross eating pancakes. 

"Hey, Laney," Ross says looking up from his pancake plate to look me up and down.

"Hey Ross," I say looking at the outline of his muscles through his tight black t shirt. 

"We'll all go after we finish eating. Do you want anything Laney?" Josh asks standing up to put his plate in the dishwasher wearing his swim shorts and flip flops. 

"Nah, I had Burger's last night," I say dumping my beach bag on the table. 

"With that new kid next door?" Josh asks raising an eyebrow as if to not approve.

"Uh yeah, His name is Cole he's really nice," I say automatically defending him for a reason unbeknown to myself.

"Well, I want to meet him. Before you guys hang out again." Josh says loudly from the kitchen.

"Whatever," I say looking through my beach bag making sure everything is inside it mentally checking everything off as I go along. 

"OOOOH Laney has a boyfriend," Ross says getting up and putting his plate in the dish washer. 

"No,  he was new in the neighbourhood,  I was just helping out the new kid," I say closing my beach bag.

"You should invite him to come to the beach today," Josh says taking off his shirt and putting it in his bag. 

"I'll go over and ask him," I say wanting an excuse to leave the room before Ross would follow Josh's lead. 

I make a quick exit and skip the bottom step as I run down the porch towards the driveway and turn into Cole's yard. Before I knock I make sure I look presentable in my beach attire. I knock and wait. 

"Hi, I'm Pheobe Taylor - Johnson welcome to our home." A girl says shaking my hand and pulling me inside. The house was pretty big with high ceilings and pretty decor. All the colours went well with each other and nothing was out of place. 

"Hey, I'm Laney I live next door. I was wondering if maybe yourself and Cole would like to come to the beach with me and my family today?" I ask looking around for Cole. 

"I WOULD LOVE TO, I have just been dying to check out the beach since I got here." She says as a half naked Cole descends the stair case unaware of my presence.

He notices me, a shocked look begins on his face before he runs upstairs to change, I assume. I smile and Pheobe starts laughing louder than I've ever heard anyone laugh before.  

"I'll go upstairs and get ready I'll let Cole know. Please make yourself at home," she says gesturing for me to sit down on the couch. I do and wait for the two to get ready. I text Josh letting him know that Cole and his sister will be joining us,

He replies a few minutes later letting me know that he and Ross will meet us down there. I smile at my phone screen and wait around for the two to be done getting ready and a man walks in sitting down and turning on the television he lasts about 5 minutes before he notices me. 

"Hello there." He says attempting to be polite while looking puzzled. 

"Hi, I'm Laney I live next door. I'm taking Cole and Pheobe to the beach today." I say standing up to shake his hand. He does. 

"Oh, Thank God they're getting out of the house." He says smiling me looking up towards the stairs where Pheobe was descending carrying her beach bag and sporting a royal blue bikini. 

"Hey Laney, Cole will be down in a minute." She says grabbing a hat off the hooks near the door. 

"I have to go back to mine and grab my beach bag I'll be back in a minute," I say nodding to Pheobe and her father. I walk outside into the sun which had gotten significantly brighter and hotter over the past 10 minutes. 

I run over towards my yard and open my door feeling the refreshing air conditioning overflowing from upstairs. The kitchen is dark but I find my bag and grab it anyway running outside and jumping over the hedge falling on my funny bone laughing and crying at the same time. I must be lying there for a good 2 minutes before a shirtless Cole comes to help me off the floor.

"Are you okay? I watched from the window you fell pretty far." Cole says helping me up and dusting me off. 

"I'm fine, I just fell on my funny bone," I say still in a fit of laughter. 

"Are you sure?" He asks with a worrying tone. 

"Yes, Yes I'm fine now let's go to the beach," I say walking down the driveway.

We arrive at our spot at the beach around 10 minutes after the funny bone incident and my arm still hurt. Josh and Ross had laid out beach towels on the sand and were talking in whispers when we arrived. 

"Josh we're here. This is Pheobe and Cole." I say pointing at the people behind me. 

"Hey." Hy brother says shaking both their hands and sitting back down on his towel. I set up my beach towel and take off my cover up revealing my body in a swimsuit. 

I see out of the corner of my eye Cole is looking me up and down and my brother is shooting him daggers. I take off my floppy brown hat and start applying sunscreen to my white body slathering it everywhere. I notice Cole doing the same to his abs and I take a fraction of a minute to stare. I tie my hair up in a high pony tail and run for the ocean knowing I would most likely be followed by Cole. But to my dismay, I was followed by Ross who before I could dive into the water picked me up and threw me into the salty ocean. Ross was laughing but he offered a hand to help me up, which I used to pull him under with me. 

We were laughing and smiling and having a moment I guess. That moment lasted about 2 minutes before Cole was walking towards us in the water a massive glob of sunscreen on his stomach. 

"Hey, Frosty the Snowman," I say pointing to his abs. I walk over to him and rub the sunscreen in while he laughs at me. Ross comes over and grabs me from behind pulling my back under water. 

"Cole!" I say putting my hand up to signal I need him to save me and he runs over scooping me up in his arms bridal style carrying me over to a soft patch of sand and laying me there delicately. 

"Are you okay my lady?" He says sarcastically offering me a hand.

"Fine good sir, thank you so much for saving my life." I say carring on the act. I take his hand and laugh with him tears rolling down my cheeks.