Apex

06 | the elephant in the room

MAY 16

MAUD

I'd attended plenty of parties at Cape Blue's cove, but none were as extravagant as the one that was currently underway. Orange sparks and smoke emanated from the bonfire roaring at the center of the beach. The bonfire was intimidating, but so was the sea of bodies pulsing around it. The island's gossip shark must've succeeded in spreading the news that Dakota Black might be making an appearance.

I felt a shiver run down my spine and chose to ignore it.

Unfortunately, I'd made the mistake of leaving Nicki to chat with one of his fellow tennis pros at Providence Point Country Club, and now he was missing in action. Huffing, I swiped at a strand of hair sticking to my forehead; I'd been at the beach for less than thirty minutes, and I knew my clothes already reeked of smoke and alcohol. It was suffocating.

I took a deep breath and shimmied through the wriggling mass of sweaty bodies until I reached the edge of the water. The three shots of vodka I'd downed earlier eroded my initial nerves, and now that familiar warm fuzziness was creeping through my bloodstream.

I slipped off my sandals and sighed at the feeling of the cold, wet sand beneath my feet. The tide rushed up to lick my ankles, and I tilted my head up at the sky. A crescent moon illuminated the few boats that silently coasted atop the waves. I squinted into the inky darkness, identifying two sailboats and an impressive yacht.

"So it seems we're both dodging our exes."

I tried not to roll my eyes as Hadley Eagan appeared beside me.

I hadn't seen her since our graduation ceremony, and I would've been content to keep it that way. She was nice enough, but she wasn't my friend. Her perfect brown curls fell loosely over her shoulders, and I wondered how she wasn't freezing in that flimsy sundress.

"I'm not avoiding anyone," I answered, wrangling my hair into a high ponytail, and the cool breeze tickled the back of my neck. "I didn't know that you and Allix had bad blood."

Hadley clicked her tongue. "We don't, but that doesn't mean it's not stupidly awkward."

I nodded in a show of understanding but chose not to comment. I assumed things between Dakota and I were also going to be stupidly awkward, but discussing my breakup was not appealing - especially when it was with my friend's ex-girlfriend.

Allix and Hadley had dated for approximately four months. They'd split up near the end of our junior year when Allix abruptly left school for a month. There wasn't an explosive fight or any collateral damage. It was what I classified as a civilized breakup.

"So how is Allix?" Hadley asked after a beat, kicking sand with the toe of her Converse. "She kind of dropped off the grid in January, and she was looking really-"

"No," I interrupted with a sharp look. I knew where that sentence was going, and I wasn't about to hear it. "I'm not going to let you body shame her. If you genuinely care about Allix's wellbeing, then you wouldn't be talking about her behind her back."

"That's not what I was trying to say," she argued, lowering her voice to a whisper. Even though it was dark, I could tell her cheeks were burning. "Anyway, I came over here to invite you to play truth or dare. Your wolf pack hasn't arrived yet, and, honestly, you look a little out of place."

I glared, my fingernails digging into the skin of my palm. As much as I'd love to issue a witty comeback, I liked to hold myself to a higher standard.

"Sure, I'd love to," I said with my best fake smile. "I'm just going to need another drink."