Summer

Chapter 34

I should feel relaxed right now, soaking in the sun as I lounge by our long, oval-shaped pool, but instead I feel distressed and unsettled about last night. It took a lot of energy this morning to fake a smile in front of my brothers so that they didn't feel the need to ask me what was wrong. Even if they did, there's no point in being honest anymore. Noah and I are nothing. Just like Cecilia predicted. Just like Cassie warned. I can't help but think it was my fault; that I pushed him away. The way I look at it, though, I was sparing myself the potential heartbreak before it was able to get to that point.

Anyways, it is what it is, and I need to stop dwelling on something that just can't be.

I'm finally able to dismiss the thoughts when my phone vibrates with a text message from Cassie.

Cassie: Justin just texted me for your number. Don't know why. Any clue? Anyways, let me know if it's okay to give to him.

Hm, weird. Maybe he's trying to invite me somewhere? I will say though, if I never went to another house party again it would be too soon. I type back:

Hey! Not sure why he needs it, but give it to him anyways.

After she responds with a thumbs-up emoji, I find myself waiting on edge for Justin's text. 30 minutes go by, and nothing, so I tuck my phone under the towel that's covering my lounge chair and try not to think about anything else for the next hour besides me, my book, and the sun. 

As I'm about to turn to the next chapter, my phone buzzes with a text message from an unknown number:

Hey Sophia, it's Justin. I got your number from Cass. Are you free later today around 4? I was hoping we could meet up for a little.

I immediately screenshot Justin's text and send it to Cassie to let her know why Justin had asked her for my number. Whatever Justin has to say to me must be important if he wants to meet up about it.

Me: Hey! I'm free. Let me know where you want to meet up.

He texts back almost immediately.

Justin: Great. Let's meet at Zachary's. See you then!

I text back "Sounds good" before searching Zachary's on Google Maps. It's a coffee shop right next to the café that Cassie and I went to.

***

The inside of Zachary's is cozy with its wall plants and globe lights that hang from the ceiling. Justin stands up to greet me as I walk towards the wooden table that he's seated at, and I'm impressed to find that he's already ordered me a coffee.

"Almond milk cappuccino, right?" He points to the cup as we both sit down.

"That's right," I tilt my head and smile, wondering how he knows my go-to order.

"Cassie," he suddenly confirms my curiosity. "I can't take all the credit."

I wrap my hands around the cup, letting the heat soothe my skin and calm my nerves. "You didn't have to."

"It's the least I could do."

"I'm not going to lie; I wasn't expecting your text. Everything okay?"

Justin takes a sip of his iced latte before responding. "I don't know. Noah hasn't been answering my texts since last night. To be honest, I didn't think anything of it until this morning when I got a call from his boss saying that he didn't show up to the beach for work. It's not like him to completely ignore me, unless he's mad at me, and besides the fact that I made an ass out of myself last night with the whole Cassie situation, I don't know what else I could've done to piss him off. Have you spoken to him?"

"Sophia," Justin calls out. "Have. You. Spoken. To. Noah?"

I wasn't able to answer him the first-time around because my mind went completely blank the second Justin said that Noah didn't show up for work. If something happened to Noah, I don't know what I'd do. The thought alone sends chills down my body.

"Um," I stare ahead, trying to gather my thoughts. "The last time I spoke to him was last night. He took me home from Greg's and I —"

Shit.

"And you what?" Justin widens his eyes and shakes his head, waiting for me to go on.

"I said some things that I probably shouldn't have said," I shamefully admit, covering my forehead with the palm of my hand. 

"Like?"

"I thought I was doing us both a favor. If I knew that he was go-" 

"Sophia!" Justin interrupts me. "You're rambling. What favor did you think you were doing?"

"I told him we shouldn't see each other anymore," I confess, looking down at the table in regret. When I bring my eyes back up to Justin, he's looking at me like I just made the biggest mistake ever.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because...I...I don't know...I guess Cecilia got to me and then this whole thing with my parents became a topic of discussion and —"

Justin cuts me off before I can go on. "Why can't that whore ever keep her mouth shut? Doesn't she get it by now? Noah doesn't want her. He wants you."

His last 3 words completely catch me off guard. "I don't understand," I shake my head and admit after letting Justin's words sink in. "I thought Noah doesn't do relationships."

"He doesn't...until now. That's why this is a big deal. He really likes you, and for the first time in a long time, I see him wanting to be better for someone else. I never thought I'd see the day where my douchebag best friend could care about another person — like truly, wholly care. All that's changed since he met you. You can't let Cecilia manipulate you. If you want answers, then you have to go to the only person who can give them to you."

Listening to Justin makes me hate myself for dismissing Noah last night instead of hearing him out. Instead, I trusted Cecilia, who's only proved to be the opposite of honest.

It doesn't even matter, anyways. Everything Justin's telling me doesn't change the fact that Noah and I can't be together. Even if Noah's capable of letting someone in, my family isn't.

"It doesn't matter," I tell Justin.

"I don't understand."

"You wouldn't," I remark, not trying to sound rude, but it's the truth.

He looks at me, expressionless, like I've just offended him, and I know that a comment like that deserves an explanation.

"You don't know what my family's like," is all I manage to make out.

"So, you come from a rich family. Big shit. Tell me something I'm not already familiar with myself."

"It's not like that," I rebuttal, wishing it were that simple.

"What's it like then?" he asks, perplexed. I lick my lips thinking about the best way to say what it is that I want to say without confusing him.

"Let's just say my parents will never approve of Noah. Ever."

"Why? Because he's made some poor choices in his life? Or because he comes from a fucked up family and doesn't have a penny to his name? Dammit, give me a break," he says as he swings his hand down to his chest.

I don't blame Justin for getting so worked up. Noah's his best friend, and I know that I'm not doing a great job in explaining myself. I don't think there's a right way to in this situation.

"You think I agree with their mentality?"

"Then do something about it," Justin shouts at me, but in a weirdly motivating and encouraging way.

"I wouldn't even know where to start," I say, and before Justin can respond, his phone goes off. He looks down at the text message and smiles.

"I think I know how," he says before standing up. "Follow me."