"Man doesn't a certain couple look extra vibrant?" carter says walking up to us. I smile and turn my face into Taylor's chest.
"It's nice to have you back man, it was rough not seeing your new bandana each day." Taylor laughs and high fives carter. Carter's eyebrows raise and I feel they are having an unspoken conversation.
"what was that?" I ask when carter leaves, Taylor shrugs. I pull away and Jodie pulls Hayes along with her up to us.
"So, we are just gunna chill at the pool and stuff today, Nash wants to go to the huge thing like parade tonight at one of the parks." Hayes says and Jodie nods. I watch as they walk off and Hayes picks her up and runs them back.
"So we're just chilling today?" nash says. Taylor waves him off and pulls me into his lap.
"Don't get sick like that again." I say and he chuckles.
"I'm sorry, I mean it wasn't my fault." I nod.
"I know, it was so boring without you here, like carter was busy with the guys, Jodie and Hayes, well you know how they are."
"Aye cam how does some pool volleyball sound?" Nash screams, some guests stare at Nash as they walk by. He smiles at them. Cameron nods and removes his shirt and jumps in the pool. That's when I gasp.
His back is covered in red marks. Not gashs, just well, scratch marks, faint pink lines. All done by me.
"What? what's up?" Taylor asks and I get off his lap. I shrug.
"Oh nothing." I say and I pull Taylor up with me.
"We should get in too." He says and I shrug. Why not. I shed my shorts and shirt and follow Taylor into the water.
"Whoa, caniff." jack Johnson says walking up to Taylor. He smiles and high fives him. I feel a tap on my shoulder and I turn to see Jodie.
"What's going on?" she gives me a sympathetic smile and then taps her neck. my eyes go wide and my hand goes down to where Jodie pointed but on my own neck. It's tender and my eyes go wider.
"Taylor!" I hiss and he smiles pulling me into his arms.
"Awe hush babe." As I hug him I watch Cameron get out of the pool and shake his head at us.
Jodie's pov
We sit in the hotel room.
"I don't get get why we came back here." I ask sitting on the bed. Hayes shuts the door.
"Jodie, tell me you don't have feelings for carter." I pull my hair to the side and look him in the eyes.
"Of course not, strictly friends." he raises a brow an then leans against the little table in front of me.
"Really? So how come you slept with him?" my eyes go wide and my heart feels like it's about to explode, but I keep my cool.
"Well, I don't really have an explanation... Hayes we were freaking wasted." Hayes pulls on his lip with his fingers.
"Jodie I understand, the whole best friend thing, you wanted to see how it is with him like that. I understand, I love you and I hope you love me just as much."
"Hayes that is not at all what it was, we were two grief stricken wasted people. I love you. I would never do that again, we were both emotionally off and, it just kinda happened? How did you find out?" He shrugs
"It doesn't matter, you're never drinking again. You're not even twenty one yet." I look at his blue eyes
"Do you hate me?" he shakes his head.
"Not every relationship starts out perfect. But look, if you ever want to be with carter like that, please break up with me okay?" I shake my head and get up, wrapping my arms around him I say.
"I don't ever want to leave you, and I won't drink again, and next time you can come along." he pulls his hands out of his pockets and wraps his arms around me.
"Carter told me, the guilt was eating him alive."
"It was a mistake Hayes." He rubs my back.
"And I love you, so I will pretend it didn't happen. Just Jodie, I love you, he might have known you for y'all's whole life, but he doesn't love you like I do." I smile up at hayes.
"I know, and it will never happen again." Hayes smiles back.
"It better not, I'll beat his ass again." I laugh and kiss his nose.
"I know you will, now, are we allowed to go to the pool with the others?" Hayes shrugs.
"I don't know if I want carter around you in a bikini." I laugh and he pushes me into the bathroom as throws my bathing suit at me.
"Yes we can get dressed idiot." I poke my head out of the bathroom.
"Oh and Hayes." he smiles and waits for me to continue.
"You're bigger." I watch his face light up with pride. But he then stands up straight and coughs.
"Hurry up Jodie."
Mel's. Pov (flip flopping sorry)
"I don't even know why this is so important?" I say as we settle on the ground in front of Cinderella's castle. Taylor smiles and shrugs, wrapping his arm around me.
"Just hush and watch." he says kissing my cheek I smile and lean into his chest.
"I never told you, but you look really good in purple." he smiles and straightens his bandana.
"Well you look good in everything." I roll my eyes and then a voice echoes and the lights dim.
--
It's a magical little show and I can understand why Nash wanted to watch it so bad.
It's near midnight and the park is pretty much emptied out.
"Are we gunna get up as go back to the hotel?" I ask and Taylor stands up pullin me with him.
"Yeah sure." Jodie and Hayes sit on a bench eating ice cream in front of us. All the others kind of mosey around us. Jodie waggles her eyebrows and then Taylor stops me from walking.
"Listen Mel, we've been together for a year and a half. I know when we first started out you were iffy about a new relationship, hurt by your last. But after spending more and more time with you, I watched your smile brighten, a twinkle appear in your eyes and your laugh more often. Those are day to day things I kill to hear and see, and just to see you smile makes me feel on top of the world." He kneels down and grabs my head. I gasp and tears fall from my eyes.
"Mel, I wanna spend forever and ever together, I want to get old and watch our kids grow up and have their own kids. So Melanie Grace cooper, will you do the honors of marrying me?" I shake my head smiling and Taylor slides the ring on my finger He stands up and picks me up, twirling us around. The group claps.
"So did you guys know about this?" I ask looking at them. They all laugh and nod. Jodie laughs and pats my shoulder. But as I look I watch Cameron. He kinda just stands there while everyone else moves, we stand still.
I can't tell if he's angry or upset. He looks tired. He finally walks away, not fast and not slow. It's a forced movement.
