“Alex, you don’t need to be working. You’re missing the fun, you’re missing your boys. They leave tomorrow.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“Oh, honey,” she sighed as she grabbed my arm, making me sit with her.
“That’s what this is about?”
I shrugged because I didn’t know what to say.
“They’re going to come back for every holiday and I bet some random weekends, too. You will visit when you can. I promise.”
“Right.”
“Oh, Alex, at times I wish we would have been more careful with you and those boys.”
That grabbed my attention, making me look up at her. “What?”
“You’re so attached to them. Sometimes I worry if that’s healthy for you.”
“I’m fine. I’m just sad, is all. They leave tomorrow and I don’t want to ruin their last day here.”
“Now you know that’s not true. Do you have any idea how many times Lucas has called the restaurant begging me to let you off work? Why did you tell them that we’re making you work? That couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“It was easier that way. If I didn’t, they would be sitting here instead of enjoying their last day on the island.”
“Easier for who?”
I bowed my head.
“I don’t have to tell you, but you know that you’re so young. You all are. Honey, your lives are going to go in separate directions eventually, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be in each other’s lives at all.”
“How do you know that?”
“It comes with age.”
“It doesn’t feel that way to me.”
“Just trust me, Alex, for once, I promise. Your heart is here, which is true for all of you. Sometimes it takes leaving to know where you come from. To know where you belong.” She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and tugged me closer. “I love you, but if you don’t get the hell out of here right now. I’m going to fire you.”
I laughed.
“Now go!” She pushed me off the bench, smiled and left.
I went to the bathroom to change into a bikini under my dress. I let down my hair and put on some mascara, blush, and lip-gloss. After a few minutes I felt better about my appearance and walked out into the restaurant.
Cole sat on the exact bench that my mom and I were just on. I hadn’t been spending much time with him since he arrived on the island. I gave Lucas and the boys my undivided attention. Cole never complained about it, he knew they were leaving. We still talked on the phone and texted all the time. He was there for me as he had always been. The past summer’s incident was long forgotten.
Boys will be boys.
“What are you doing here?”
He grinned, his dimples prominently on full display. “Is that anyway to say hello, Darlin’?”
“Hello. What are you doing here?” I sassed and he chuckled, standing in front of me.
“I’m waiting for you.”
I cocked my head to the side.
“I hear there’s this beach party in Southport after the festival and seeing as the festival is over and it’s almost sunset, I’m assuming the party is just now getting good.”
I shook my head, confused. “I’m not much for those types of parties, Cole.”
“I’m aware of that, but I’m here now. Don’t you want me to have the full Fourth of July experience?”
“The festival is the experience.”
“You’re the experience. Fuck the festival.”
I smiled, blushing. The boy had a way with words that still made me blush like it was the first time I had spoken to him.
I nodded. “Fine.”
“Great. My car’s out front.”
We rode in silence while I tried to ignore the uneasy feeling knowing what awaited us.
Lucas.
“What are you doing here?” I asked Alex with pretty boy standing beside her. “I thought you were working?”
She looked from me to him even though my eyes were solely focused on her.
“Oh, I was but my mom said to go hang out. It was slow so she said to leave early.”
I knew that was a bunch of bullshit. It was the Fourth of July, their busiest day of the year.
“Why didn’t you call me? I would have come back to drive you.”
“Oh… well… Cole was already there and he wanted to check this out, so I came with him. I mean… I knew you’d be here so…” she said, nervous and uneasy.
“Is that right?” I nodded, taking my stare from her to him. “Thanks, Cole,” I said with a wide fake smile. The last thing I wanted to do was spend my last night in Oak Island with this fucking douchebag. “I really appreciate you bringing Half-Pint, but I’m here now so you can go.”
“I’m staying,” he affirmed.
“Of course you are.” I grabbed Alex’s hand and turned with him following close behind us.
She tottered close to my ear and whispered, “Be nice, Bo.”
I spent the next few hours with her close to my side and with him at hers. I wanted more than anything to be alone with her. As soon as her shift was over she would have walked out into the parking lot with me in my truck waiting for her. I hated that Cole got to her first and my plan went to shit.
I took a swig of my drink and Alex took it from my hand.
“What are you doing?”
She innocently shrugged. “I want to try.”
“Half-Pint—”
“Lucas,” Cole chimed in. “Let her fucking try the drink. She’s not a kid.”
I raised my eyebrow at him not backing down. “No shit. Except I’d rather make her a new one, she doesn’t drink and mine is really strong.”
Alex coughed and wiped her mouth, proving my point.
“I’ll make her another one,” he argued.
“Hey!” Alex shouted. “I’ll make myself one,” she announced before walking away from both of us with my drink still in her hand.
“She’s not a little girl, Lucas. The problem is you still see her as one. Maybe it’s time you realize that.”
Motherfucker.
I turned to face him, mere inches away from his face. “Who’s going to make me realize that, Cole? You?”
“Just sayin’, brother.”
“I’m not your brother. I’m not your friend. I don’t fucking like you! The problem is you need to mind your own goddamn business. It has nothing to do with that. I know Alex like the back of my hand. She doesn’t drink. I’m just watching out for her. I’m fully aware that she’s not a little girl,” I scoffed, glaring him up and down. “And when her body was lying beneath mine, my cock was fully aware of that too.”
He jerked back, stunned.
I smiled, angling my head to the side with a smug grin. “I guess Alexandra doesn’t tell you everything? Aren’t as close as you thought, huh, brother?”
“Lucas!” Jacob shouted from afar before he could reply.
“Come over here, you fuck and play beer pong! I’m losing because Dylan can’t play worth shit!”
I took one last look at Cole who hadn’t regained his composure, and I couldn’t tell if he was pissed or disappointed, I imagined it was both. I made my way to the boys and we played a few rounds of beer pong just shooting the shit with everyone and trying to enjoy our last night there. My attention was never too far from Alex. I didn’t even see it coming, it happened so fast. I looked around and she was gone.
My phone pinged with a text message, as Aubrey’s face lit up my screen. I swiped over the icon.
Aubrey: Need you now! We’re by the pier.
I took off like a bat out of hell, not bothering to say anything to anyone or explain. As I’m running, a million thoughts raced through my mind and the minute I saw Alex bent over with Cole holding back her hair, each one of them were confirmed. He looked up when he heard my rapid footsteps in the sand and stepped away from her like he knew.