"So today's really your last day here?" Dylan asked, playing with my hands that were enveloped in his own.
"Yeah. We all leave tomorrow morning. James's parents come back tonight." I said distantly, looking out at the land stretched below us. Dylan and I were on the bluffs together that overlooked the boardwalk.
"And it's already six."
"Yeah." I repeated. My mind was buzzing like usual again, but I was only focused on what happened the other night. I didn't see Michael at all yesterday. I hadn't talked to him either. Not since he kissed me.
We didn't make out underwater like all the Tumblr pictures and movies showed. He just pressed his lips to mine, but when we resurfaced, that's when we kissed. It was sweet, soft, slow, and short. My lips responded, moving in sync with his perfectly, but Michael broke away.
We didn't talk the rest of the night. We only held onto each other, bobbing in the waves. Eventually, we'd gotten too cold and got out of the water and went back inside the house. But not before he kissed my forehead and brushed my hair behind my ear.
Michael wasn't at the house when I woke up and Kayla, Reese, and I left for our hotel room. Michael didn't answer his phone either when I texted and called. I asked the boys him and they told me he locked himself in his room with his guitar and said that he did this sometimes when he had a hangover to help clear his head. But last I checked, Michael certainly wasn't very drunk last night.
"Al?" Dylan snapped his fingers in front of my face, pulling me out of my daze.
"Huh, what?"
"What do you wanna do?"
I looked over at him, trying to suppress my troubling thoughts about me and Michael. I couldn't help but feel a little longing for the silence in my head. I hadn't felt that either since the other night. When Dylan came by to pick me up, I think I figured out what gave me those breaks of silence in my head. Michael.
It made my throat hurt to think that he was ignoring me, because I didn't care if he regretted the kiss or anything (although it was quiet nice) but if he still wanted our relationship. But what bugged me even more was how the time when I really needed the silence, it was because of the person who provided it. So naturally, I was stuck with the voices. I racked my brain, really just wanting something to help get my mind off of the events of the past thirty hours or so.
"Al." Dylan sat up straight. "Do you want to continue us after you leave here?"
Immediately I understood what he meant. Did I want to keep seeing Dylan when we left Santa Cruz? Maybe our dating would actually turn into an official relationship. Maybe more. But there was so much I'd have to tell him. Including the incident. So did I really?
"I don't know." I said quietly.
"Then let me convince you." He stood up, pulling me to my feet. "Let me convince you to let there be an us to come back to."
I thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
"Good." Dylan wrapped his arms, pressing his lips to mine with such force, I felt a little breathless and even dizzy. Before I could react, he pulled away, grabbing my hand and leading me down to the street.
"Let's go."
***
We burst through the doors of the bar, one giggling mass of hysteria.
"I can't believe it started raining!" I covered my mouth to stifle my laughter.
"It was really sunny, too!" Dylan snorted, interlacing his fingers with mine.
