Chapter 13: 10 | capulets and montagues

The impatient tapping of Lea's sneaker sole against the hardwood floor is heard all the way upstairs.

An exasperated call comes seconds later. "Let's go!"

"We're going to the beach not the Oscars!" Nic agrees. "Get a fucking move on."

"Excuse me for wanting to look pretty," Avery mutters, rolling her lips together as she passes along the tube of lip gloss in her hand to Callie before shuffling past Luke where he's inched towards the mirror, running a hand through his hair to style it. "We better get going or they'll leave without us."

Callie peers at her reflection in the mirror, gathering her hair up in her hands before releasing it again, letting it flow out over her shoulder. "Can't we just stay here?" She asks. "I don't even like these people."

A small smile curls on Luke's lips and he throws an arm around the redhead as the three of them make their way out of the bathroom – which is far too small to fit three people in the first place. "Careful Ms President."

"It's not like they can hear me."

"Can hear what?" Lea calls from where she's stood by the door, hand already laced around the handle, ready to throw it open and leave any second. "Are you guys talking about us?"

Nic, stood next to Lea and looking just as done with waiting, crosses his arms, eyes narrowing as if trying to figure out if the girl is right in her assumption. Avery shakes her head in response as she leads the way down the stairs, running her hand along the hem of her sundress – yellow adorned with tiny flowers embroidered across it's chest–, smoothing it found where it ends by her thighs. Lea gets the door open and they're immediately met by the sound of birds singing.

"Everyone ready?"

"Define ready."

"Oh come on," Avery interlaces her fingers with Callie's, leaving the locking up to the other three as she pulls her friend with her to the three bikes stood in the driveway – hers, her mother's and Nic's. "It'll be fun."

"I know," Callie says, getting onto the bike and motioning for Avery to take a seat at the package holder. "I'm just being me. And I already miss the Macadamia Brittle."

"We'll have some when we get back."

"Promise?"

"Duh."

♡♡♡

She wraps her arms around Callie's waist as a slight breeze of air travels through the warm July night, the fabric of the girl's silk camisole top soft against her cheek as she leans it against her back. She smiles as she catches Lea's gaze where the girl's sat on the package holder behind Luke, legs swung out to her sides as the bikes roll downhill, laughing as the boy scolds her for letting go only to swing her arms out too.

"You'll fall off!"

"Then I'll fall off!" Lea calls back before leaning her head back and letting another loud laugh escape her lips.

Nic's the one who initially heard about the 'get together' down by the beach, in other words – a party. It hadn't taken the five of them long before deciding to go. Avery – like Callie – wouldn't have minded staying in back at her place, spending the night watching yet another Disney Channel Original Movie while stuffing their faces and lie awake for far too long talking.

However, being lured by the prospect of getting up to a different kind of fun on their next to last night together had won over the comfortableness of staying in. The lure of, not getting dressed up per say but exchanging her pajamas for a dress and actually applying some lip gloss to her lips. Of combing her blonde hair out over her shoulders instead of twisting it into a bun on the top of her head. Of going out, and of enjoying what summer in Acebridge has to offer before they're all off to their own again.

The skirt of her dress flutters around her thighs as they're hit by the ocean breeze and Avery mimics Lea, throwing her head back to join her in a hollering laugh, letting it slip into the night.

♡♡♡

Nic lifts one of his shoulders in a half-shrug as he catches Avery's gaze, her eyes narrowing as she swirls the liquid around the plastic cup in her hand, eyeing the beer suspiciously. He knows just as well as she that it's not exactly her first choice of alcoholic beverage.

"You didn't say there'd be Easters around."

At Lea's words she looks up, seeing her friend shoot Nic a look as she takes the plastic cup he's holding out for her. He shoots her a mirroring look. "When aren't they around?"

Judging by the scowl on Lea's lips, Avery has a feeling she's not only referring to the teenagers already in the crowd and as she turns her head over her shoulder she spots the newcomers having caught her friend's attention.

Matthew Puckett, already louder than everyone else there, leads the trio across the sand dunes towards the gathering by the bonfire, shouting something to someone stood down by the shore. Ethan comes sauntering behind, his lips in a wide smile as he laughs with the girl he has his arm thrown around – Rhea Georgiou – part of Ace East's cheerleading team.

"Just ignore them," Nic continues, nudging Lea in the side, before shooting a pointed look Luke's way as his lips pull into a grin. "Or start a fight, if that's what you're in the mood for."

Avery averts her eyes back to her friends, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as Luke pauses with the rim of his cup against his lips. "Oh shut up," He lazily wraps his arm over Avery's shoulder, adding, "Besides, you should be telling Ave – not me."

Avery's lips part. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just saying."

"True," Callie hums in agreement as her eyes examine the crowd as if to see who's there, who she knows and who she should do her best to avoid. She raises her brows as her gaze comes to linger on Avery. "What? It is true."

"No it's not."

Luke leans his chin on the top of her head. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

"Can you blame her?" Chase – who Nic and Luke found somewhere along the way back from the kegs – asks and Avery doesn't miss the way Lea's eyes flit to him, as if momentarily having forgotten about his presence. "You know what they say about Capulets and Montagues..."

Avery rolls her eyes and lets her gaze wander away again, her lips pressing together as she spots someone, stood in another circle of people across the crowd, already looking at her. She barely lifts her free hand in a wave. He barely nods. Then they both turn away.

Lifting her cup to her lips, she grimaces at the taste with the first sip. Nose scrunching up, she extends the cup to Luke and leans into his embrace.

Callie, having caught the expression of disgust, laughs and laces her fingers around Avery's wrist, pulling her with her before motioning for Lea to follow them.

"Come on babes," She says. "Let's find Avery something to drink."

♡♡♡

She's sipping orange soda – which they brought with them from hers – mixed with champagne, courtesy of Marlene on Lea's volleyball team. Why the girl brought champagne with her in the first place is a bit of a question mark but Avery's not complaining about the bubbly buzz it adds to her soda, not about the girl happily wanting to share either.

Nodding along to the music coming from the stereotypical suitcase speakers someone brought along she raises her cup in a toast as Marlene refills it. She digs her heels into the sand, not exactly sure where her shoes have gone but Callie's not wearing hers either so she pushes her wonders to the back of her mind, they'll probably find them later. Lea takes her hand, drinking of her beer as they sort of dance along to the music – it's more like moving along to the beat – but as Lea leans in to say something in her ear Avery doesn't understand a word because the girl is already laughing as she begins to speak.

Laughing too, Avery rests the rim of her cup against her lips. "What?"

Lea shakes her head, laughing more before she lets go of Avery's hand, skipping over to Nic instead. Avery's brows dip together and she sips her drink as she gazes out over the crowd.

He's not hard to miss. Lips quirking into a smirk as Matthew leans in to say something to just him where they're stood in a group of girls – she doesn't recognize them and though they could simply be Ace East students she hasn't seen before she's more inclined to believe they're out-of-towners here for a coastal summer vacation – they seem that voyager-glow and awe to their features. The fact that one of them are wearing heels on the beach is another giveaway.

"Ave?"

She flickers her eyes away from Ethan as Luke and Callie appear in her view. "Yeah?"

"We're going swimming!"

"Hell yeah!" Lea exclaims, already running after some of their school friends as they head towards the shore. She throws a glance over her shoulder. "Come on!"

Nic laughs, pushing himself up to his feet and walks the same way but as Callie takes Avery's hand in hers she slips it back out of it's hold, met by raised brows.

"I don't know...," Her eyes flicker back to the out-of-towners having lucked out on finding not only a beach party but conversational partners in some of Acebridge's most promising young athletes. "I think I'm going to sit this one out."

Callie nods. "Okay, we'll do something else. Want to go see who's winning volleyball?"

"No you go swim!" Avery says, nodding towards the water where Lea is already stripping out of her denims. "I know you want to."

"Yeah, but I'm not about to leave you all alone."

"I'll stay." Luke says but Avery shakes her head.

"I'm not all alone. Come on," She relieves Callie of the cup of beer she holds in her hand. "You two go. I'll socialize or something."

Neither of them look entirely convinced Avery would actually wander into the crowd on her own accord but nods as Avery exclaims a "Go!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I'll be completely fine." She smiles as Callie spins on her heel to run after the others who are already down by the shoreline – their squeals as the waves roll onto the shore reaching all the way up to where they're stood. Luke shoots her another look.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"Yeah," She nods. "I'll just go... make a sandcastle or something. Keep an eye on them will you?"

"On it."

♡♡♡

Avery's stood there for another moment, tapping her fingertips against the two plastic cups in her hands, glancing over her friends where they're running around the water before turning on her heel, gaze traveling over the crowd until she catches sight of him again. Still in the midst of the same group of people as before, face lit up by the light emerging from the bonfire as he pushes a hand through his hair, throwing his head back with what seems to be a cross between a laugh and a groan and she feels her own lips pull into a smile.

She walks over to a trash can, dropping Callie's cup into it, continuing to watch them out of the corner of her eye. He has barely stepped back from the gathering as her own legs get moving, bare feet sinking into the heavy sand as she steers her steps towards him where he's now stood by the water.

A far distance away she can make out the group of people in the water – there's an obvious contrast to their loud play and the silence here, the only sounds the background lull from the gathering and the waves rolling onto the shore where he's stood close enough for it to narrowly miss drenching his shoes.

"Was wondering when you'd show up."

Avery catches the sideways glance Ethan shoots her as she sidles up next to him, slowly lowering the cup of her drink from her lips. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugs. "Only that you tend to find me at these things."

Air escapes her nose in a silent chuckle as she smiles, walking one foot in front of the other along the shoreline as if balancing on a tightrope. "Oh I do, do I?"

She turns around just in time to see his lips quirk up as he looks out at the water flowing out into wide infinity, the moonlight dancing on it's calm surface.

"You're here now, aren't you?" Her eyes narrow as she focuses on balancing on her imagined tightrope but she stays silent. He shoots her another glance. "I see your friends are back in town."

She lifts the cup to her lips. "Only for a few days," Her eyes gaze over the gathering of teenagers – past the group still stood with Matthew Puckett only to land on the girl Ethan arrived with, face lit up by the bonfire as she smiles where she's stood among her friends. "Who's your date?"

Out of the corner of her eye she sees him take his eyes off of the ocean to look in the same direction as her, lips twitching slightly as he realizes who she has her eyes set on.

"Rhea Georgiou," He pushes his hands into his pockets as she resumes to walking slowly back and forth on her imagined tightrope. "But you knew that already."

Raising her brows, she pauses with the rim of the cup tilted against her lips. "Did I?"

She stops in her tracks as he turns around to face her, regarding her as his lips slightly part. His eyes narrow as his brows furrow with a quizzical look and she flits her eyes away from his gaze, taking another sip of the mix of orange soda and champagne.

"It bothers you."

She coughs, having choked on her drink and her eyes water a bit from all the bubbles in the two combined liquids. Still she raises the cup to her lips once more, finding that it makes for a good thing to busy herself with. Warmth runs through her veins as she looks up at him, pursing her lips together.

"Why would it bother me?"

There's a short beat of silence as he considers her, taking a step closer and her breath hitches as a breeze of air travels through the air, enwrapping her in his scent. "You tell me."

It's not the first time she's noticed his shampoo has a whiff of apple to it but as it mixes with the underlying tones of sunscreen and notes of cardamom and vanilla from his cologne she has to roll her lips in, trying to focus on keeping his gaze rather than getting lost in the sweet but still mellow aroma.

"I... I'm not..." She trails off, her retort left unspoken. It's not often she finds herself speechless around Ethan Taylor – an awaiting jab often lingering on her lips and she presses her tongue to the roof of her mouth now, swallowing.

"She's just a friend," He returns his eyes to the ocean but she finds herself unable to take hers off of him. "In case you were wondering."

That catches her attention, bringing her out of whatever spell just bound her tongue and her eyes creases, lips pursing as a cross between amusement and interrogation lingers on them. "Do you make out with all your friends in bathrooms?"

His brows dip together as his lips quirk up, eyes flitting to her for a beat. "Oh right. That was you."

"Life hack – if the door's got a lock, use it."

"I can't believe you even remember that," A snort sounding puff of air leaves his nose. "I barely remember that."

Avery takes a sip of her drink, willing the image of Ethan with his tongue down Rhea Georgiou's throat to disperse from her mind. "Well one thing's for sure," She says. "That's not how I greet my friends."

"What about your non-friends?"

She pauses with the cup against her lips. "What?"

He rubs a hand through his hair, messing it up. "Caught your attention," He says, a faint smirk playing on his lips before he kicks lightly at the ground. "Maybe you should get back to your friends."

She presses her lips together to hide her own smile as she sinks down into the sand, placing the soles of her bare feet on the ground, knees halfway to her chest as she lets her eyes gaze over the scene of the water bathed in semi-darkness, being enveloped in the serenity of the waves rolling onto the shore.

"I think I'll stay," She says and tilts her head up to look at him. "They're swimming anyways."

He peers down at her. "Why aren't you?"

She shrugs as he sits down beside her, mirroring her chosen way of seat. "Didn't feel like it. Besides," She nudges his knee with her own. "If I had gone with them I wouldn't be here talking to you."

"So you totally did seek me out."

She lifts her cup to her lips as she slowly shakes her head, corners of her mouth twitching. "Whatever."

His eyes flicker to the beverage as she lowers it. "What is that you're drinking?"

"Fanta and champagne," She twists in her seat as she extends him the cup. "Want some?"

"Sounds disgusting."

"Suit yourself."

She takes another sip, the pads of her fingertips tapping against the plastic surface as a teasing smile cracks on her lips as she returns her gaze to the dark body of water. "Thinking of a career in hospitality?"

With a sideways glance she can tell how the left corner of his mouth lifts in a smile and knows her reference didn't go him unnoticed. "Been keeping tabs on me Waters?"

There's no denying the warmth flushing to her cheeks but she keeps her smile in check, leaning back, supporting her seat with her palms. "Hard to miss."

He considers her for a beat, rolling his lips together as the skin around his eyes crease. "I'd make a good tour guide," He muses and quirks a brow. "Don't you think?"

"'To your right you'll find Beans & Bagels. To your left With Sprinkles on Top Bakery. Up there's the greatest pizza in town. Take a look at our bookstore, it has three floors worth of literature. Please do have a walk in the park. Watch out for roots when on the beach trail and oh wherever you might be the beach is just a stone's throw away'," Avery flashes him a smile. "And that's pretty much it."

"Maybe you should take it upon yourself to do it. You're a natural"

"I already have a job, remember?" She sets her cup down in the sand, scooping some sand up in her hand before sprawling her fingers to watch it run through them. "Besides, I'm pretty happy if I don't have to hear the words 'Wait you're a local? Like you live here all year round? That's so unfair! I'm so jealous!' Every hour of every day the entire summer."

That is – besides the one where it's her future dream job – one of the main reasons she had held her fingers crossed for the internship at the publishing house, so that she wouldn't have to spend her entire summer in a job catering to the out-of-towners. Sure, there's a sense of pride to knowing many choose Acebridge as their vacation spot but there are also times when the tourists are simply, annoyingly, in the way. Like earlier today when they had all somehow found their way to Beans & Bagels.

Please do vacation in our seaside town but keep to the beach and leave the regular spots for the rest of us – Avery scoops another hand of sand up, maybe they should put that on a pamphlet.

He laughs. "That's a very... accurate impression."

She shoots him a sideway glance, catching the amusement lingering in his eyes. "They just delivered those exact words to you, didn't they?"

"Perhaps."

"So," Avery shoots a glance over her shoulder. "Considering you and Rhea are just friends... which one are you going for? The one in the heels is obviously out of place so she's a no. I would say – just from the looks of it – that the one in the middle," She watches the dark skinned girl just as she throws her head back in a laugh. "Seems most down to earth, so I'd go with her."

Ethan leans back on his elbows. "Flora? Yeah I don't know, that might be awkward considering we work together."

"You work?"

"Did you think I just spend my days running around?"

"Well yes. Because you do."

He cocks his head to the side as he shrugs as if agreeing with her. "I teach the kiddos how to swim."

"So that's why you were up when I texted you this morning."

"Yeah," He turns his head to look at her. "Why on earth were you awake?"

"I'm a natural early riser. Most of the time."

He gazes out over the water again as she lifts her cup from where it's stood between them, drinking again as he says, "You never got back to me, by the way."

"Sorry."

"Caught up in another game of Hide and Seek?"

She straightens up in her seat, casting her eyes away as her cheeks tighten with the smile pulling at her lips. She clears her throat. "... The Floor Is Lava. Actually."

Amusement flickers over his features. "Of course."

Avery's eyes travel back to the gathering. "So no Flora then?"

"No Flora."

"Good because I think Matthew just made a move on her."

Ethan groans. "Great. That won't be awkward at all."

She laughs, nudging his knee with hers again. "It's okay, she'll be gone when summer ends anyways."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"I have connections in the 'out of towner' world now," He mirrors her previous movement, nudging her knee. "Want me to hook you up? Have a summer fling? A surfer maybe?"

Choking, Avery's about to spit her drink back into the cup. "I'm good," She coughs. "Thanks."

"Too good for the voyagers?"

"Hmm," She leans back as if actually pondering it over. And maybe she is – a little bit. "I just don't think they would truly understand me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Like...," Avery sets her drink down, almost knocking it over as she shifts in her seat to look at him. "Okay, these people who are here vacationing or working for the summer – they appreciate Acebridge and it's coast and the beautiful things. Right?"

The corners of his mouth twitches at the seriousness lingered in her tone of voice. "Right."

"But they don't understand Acebridge. Like how even in the winter it feels like you always stumble across sand at home. Or how the smell of Coppertone sun-lotion can just bring you back to that day when you were younger and your entire family spent a day on the beach underneath one of those awfully multicolored umbrellas, you know? Or how crowded the streets are during Christmas shopping – the line weaving through the entirety of Beans & Bagels? They get to see Acebridge in summer and live that dream and they think they get it but they don't,"

Avery shrugs. "I don't know, I just think – when I do meet someone – I just want them to really get me. Like they need to understand that even if we're not in Acebridge at that time it'll always be my home and that my heart belongs to the ocean, and the sun-lotion and all the quirks this town carries no matter how strange they might be,"

She lets a chortled noise escape her lips. "That was weird. I'm sorry."

"No no. I get it."

She pulls a cross between a grimace and a smile before saying, "Nothing bad about out-of-towners though. My mom was – is – one."

"Look at that, something we have in common."

"Anna's not from here?" Avery rolls her lips in. "I could've thought she was – local businesswoman and all that."

"No, dad was the local."

"She came here for him?" As Ethan nods she does too. "My mom did the same thing – of course she's not as well adjusted, she still commutes to New York quite a lot."

Avery bites her lip. That's not entirely fair to her mother – sure she travels quite a lot, having her work in the big city and all but when it all comes down to it Sarah stayed in town. Even after Robert left. It doesn't take a genius to know it was a decision she made for Avery's sake – for Avery and the life she already – at seven years of age – had grown accustomed to here. She knows her mother well enough to know that in the same way Avery's heart is tied to Acebridge, Sarah's heart is – and always will be – tied to Manhattan. But still, ten years after Robert left here they are. Here Avery is sat, a breeze of salt air drafting by in this very second, scooping warm sand up into her palms.

A beat of silence passes between them before Ethan points his finger into her shoulder. "Hey, why don't you go to East?" He asks. "Your house is closer to it."

"Mom's friends with Tammy. And Tammy and Harold went to West – meaning Luke was headed to West. And Lea and Callie were too and I guess Nic and I sort of just followed along."

"You've known each other since before high school?"

"Way before. Luke and I met in prenatal yoga – or well, or mothers did," Avery shrugs. "So I guess it had to do with that and then, honestly, I think my mom kind of just wanted to piss my dad off. So she sent me to West."

"Your dad went to East?"

"Ace East Montague – tall and proud." She can sense her smile falter and she lifts her cup to her lips to hide it as she swallows back the taste of disappointment looming in the back of her throat. Ethan regards her but as she doesn't continue he doesn't press for more, instead he straightens up, running his finger in a pattern over the sand.

"Who knows... if you'd ended up going to East maybe you'd actually be nice to me for once."

"I'm nice to you right now! Am I not?"

He puckers his lips, feigning an expression of deep-thought. "Still to be determined."

"Well, we're non-friends now. So."

"I'm not sure I trust that makes any difference," He shoots her a glance. "You've been cold to me since the second we met."

"Excuse you but when we met you were rude to Luke. And besides that whole conversation doesn't count because just seconds into it I had blood running out of my nose and anyone would've been a bitch if they'd been in my shoes."

"Oh I'm sorry, did you forget who helped clean you up?"

"While calling me an idiot for walking into that cupboard? Yeah I remember."

Ethan laughs. "God that feels so long ago."

"Sophomore year."

"Sophomore? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Luke wasn't even on the Varsity team before that."

"That's right, he wasn't."

She nudges him in the side. "Okay look less smug. We all already know you're a prodigy."

"No."

"Uh yes. And you've known it since the second you stepped onto that field your first game with the team. I remember the look on your face."

"I was a nervous wreck."

"Maybe," Avery gathers some sand up, building a hill. "But you knew you were good. I mean, that night even Luke had a crush on you," She pauses as she senses his eyes on her, turning her head to look at him. "What?"

"Nothing," Ethan's lips quirk up. "You know, Jake's mom gave him hell for finding that towel drenched in blood."

Avery pulls a grimace. "Maybe I should get her a new one."

"It's all water under the bridge," Ethan's smile grows into a grin. "Trust me, Jake does not hold grudges."

She believes him. From her encounters with Jacob Wilson – often playing Wide Receiver for the Ace East Montagues – she wouldn't exactly call him sour, contrary he always seem to sport a radiating smile and laugh complementing his long dark locks of hair and skin. Her brows dip together now that she thinks of the boy. He and Ethan are usually joined at the hip.

"Where is he anyways?"

"His family's lake house."

"Why have a lake house when you live in a seaside town?"

"That's a very good question."

Avery flips her hair over her shoulder, flashing him a smile. "I'm known for those. So you're left on your own all summer too?"

"Something like that." He smiles too, nudging her knee with his own. "Well speaking off, I should let you get back to your friends," She nods as he gets to his feet.

"I'll see you around Waters."

"Yeah, see you around."

♡♡♡

She stares at his retreating back for a beat before gazing out at the moonlight reflecting itself on the dark surface of the water, downing the last of her drink.

She begins to walk back across the dunes, on her way to find her friends as she spots Rhea in the huddle of people by the bonfire, causing something to flutter within her. A rush of warmth, followed by irritation rises as she recalls Ethan's words, that quizzical brow of his as he spoke them flashing through her mind – it bothers you.

She whirls on her feet, watching him as he walks along the shoreline in the opposite direction of the gathering. Without really thinking about it, she presses the now empty cup into the palm of the first person she passes before she follows behind on quick feet.

She breaks into a small jog as she's almost caught up with him.

"It doesn't bother me!" She calls. "Just so you know – it doesn't bother me."

His brows dip together, amusement lingering in his gaze as he throws a look over his shoulder. "What?"

"You said it bothered me. Well, it doesn't. I don't care."

"Glad you ran all the way over here to get that off your chest."

"I didn't run all the–" Avery cuts herself short, slowing down to walking as she almost stumbles over her own feet. She swears under her breath before her eyes flicker to his retreating back. "Where are you going?"

"Home."

She somehow manages to quicken her step enough to whirl past him, blocking his way. "Why?"

"Because I'm bored and I want to."

Her eyes flicker over his face, dragging her lip between her teeth and maybe it's the buzz of the champagne or maybe it's that they just spent a while sat talking or maybe the words are simply lingering in the back of her mind but they fall out of her mouth before she can stop them. "You had your arm around her."

"What?"

"Rhea."

A small crease appears just above his nose, his eyes meeting hers. "I thought you said you didn't care."

"I don't."

"Good to know," He's about to sidestep her but her palm comes to his chest, stopping him. His eyes flicker from her hand to her eyes and beneath the fabric of his t-shirt she can feel the beat of his heart but it simply melts into background noise, her eyes far too focused on his hair where it lies messy upon his head. "What now?"

She lifts her hand towards it, wanting to sprawl her fingers through those dark curls. He turns his head to the side, dipping away from her touch. Her chest heaves heavily, her own heart beating so hard she's certain he can hear it. She tries to hide the disappointment lingering in her features as his eyes flickers over face where they're still stood mere inches apart.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't know."

Her heartbeat picks up pace, expression softening slightly as her hand makes it way back up to his hair. This time he doesn't fend her off and she sees his eyes flit down to her mouth as she drags her bottom lip against her teeth with a small smile, twirling one of his dark strands of hair around her finger. Her eyes dip away from his hair, gazing over his face – from the crease between his brows to the slightly puckered lips as he regards her before ending up at his eyes. A silent uneven breath escapes her lips as she takes her other hand off of his chest, cupping his cheek, biting down her lip as her heart flutters violently beneath her sundress but as he doesn't pull away she relaxes slightly, running her thumb over his cheekbone.

It goes in one swift motion. One second she's stood with his cheek in her palm – eyes falling to his lips before returning to his eyes only to realize they're lingering on her mouth. The next a shiver runs down her spins as his warm palm comes to rest on her low back, the other coming up to tuck a few stray hairs behind her ear and she presses her lips together as his thumb accidentally grazes her jaw.

She's highly aware of how close he is. Of how with just one shift of her head the tip of her nose will easily touch his. Her eyes flicker up to the crease between his brows and her lips quirk slightly as she finds herself wanting to press her thumb to it – wanting to smooth it out.

"Waters..." He begins but trails off and she realizes his mouth has twisted into a faint smile too, causing her to bite down at her lip – knowing well that she's, they're, treading a very thin line.

She doesn't miss the question lingering in his eyes as they return to hers, his hand still hovering by her ear and it only takes her to tilt her head back for him to twirl his fingers into her hair, their breaths melting together in the small space between their lips.

Her heartbeat seems to have stilled completely as she reaches up on her toes, inching even closer and her skin prickles as his eyes move back to her mouth as he lets his thumb lightly run along her bottom lip. She swallows, the corners of her mouth twisting into a small smile as their lips hover mere inches from one another and as their eyes meet again she finds herself nodding, momentarily lost in the depth of the darkness of his eyes before her own flutter shut.

It's timid at first. Her lips barely brushing over his as she arches her neck, every nerve within her igniting as he kisses her back. It doesn't last longer than a mere peck but they've barely pulled back before his lips crash down onto hers again, much more hurried this time. Stronger, intense, wanting. She feels his mouth twist into a smile resembling the one on her own as she matches his energy, looping her arms around his neck, chest curving into his as she runs one hand through his hair as she pulls him closer, deepening the kiss.

He laughs as a sound of disappointment leaves her when he breaks the kiss only for her to catch his mouth twisting into a faint smirk as he trails a series of kisses down her neck. She barely has any time to recognize how she trembles beneath his touch before his lips are back on hers and she runs her fingers over his cheeks before sprawling her hands through his hair, knotting them at the back of his head, the warmth pooling beneath his palm on her low back.

She rests her palms on his chest as they break apart, forehead falling to his as she catches her breath and her lips twitches as she senses his nose brushing against hers. She drags her bottom lip between her teeth as she eventually bats her eyes open, heart picking up pace as she sees his dark ones so close to hers.

"The champagne's must've gone to my head." She breathes.

His mouth twitches into an amused smile as a soft laugh bubbles up her throat. "You're blaming that on the champagne?"

"Yes."

He pulls back slightly, the absence of his touch on her skin making itself known when it's no longer there and she fights back the urge to trail her fingers over his cheeks to bring him close again. "So that was...?"

"A simple kiss between friends."

"I thought we weren't friends?"

Her smile widens. "A kiss between non-friends then."

He shakes his head slowly but it's such a small motion that if it hadn't been because of her intently watching him she might've missed it all along. His eyes flicker back to her lips before he wets his own, saying, "This is one bad fucking idea."

She wants him to reach out for her again, which may or may not be related to the fact that her lips were just – temporarily, by accident, because of the champagne – on his.

"I know."

She takes one of her hands off of his chest, lifting it to trace her finger along the curve of his lips. She bites down at her own lip to suppress the smile that appears on them at the reaction it brings out of him. She reaches up on her toes again, her lips having only just grazed against his as he calls upon her attention.

"You should go back to your friends."

She sinks her heels back into the sand, pushing a hand through her hair. "I don't want to."

"Avery."

She swallows and as she pulls back a mere inch she sees a glint of amusement cross his eyes, knowing he caught the shiver running through her at the sound of her name leaving his lips.

She raises her brows, not being able to keep her gaze away from his mouth for long. "Do you want me to?"

There's a flash of defeat crossing his eyes before he speaks. "No."

She lifts her other hand off of his chest too, wrapping it around his neck as his brows dip together.

"Are you su–"

Her response comes as she presses her lips to the corner of his mouth, their lips melting together in a delicate kiss. He's quick to catch on, deepening the kiss as they pick up speed together. She doesn't miss the sense of his smirk as a soft moan escapes her throat, stumbling backwards together as his hands run through her hair. They break apart for one split seconds, breaths heavy before he curls his finger beneath her chin, lifting it up into another kiss.

♡♡♡

Avery presses her cold fingertips to her swollen lips as she walks back towards the 'get-together', a slight dizziness to her head as she swiftly sets one foot in front of the other, gaze locked on the sand as her toes touch against it. Her breathing is beginning to slow down to normal but she can still feel the rapid heartbeat warm the skin beneath her sundress.

She catches sight of Lea stood down by the shoreline with Chase as she sits down between Nic and Luke in the sand, folding her legs to her side. She flickers her eyes to the latter boy, seeing that his gaze has trailed in the same direction and she nudges him in the side, shooting him a smile as he turns around to look at her.

"I'm really glad you came back," She says, leaning her head on his shoulder as she shuffles closer to him. "Thank you."

Nic drapes his jean jacket over Callie's shoulders as a breeze of wind passes them and her lips pull into a soft smile, wrapping it closer around her body as she lifts her damp hair over her shoulder, scooting down to lie on her back in the sand. She yawns before flickering her eyes towards Avery.

"Where have you been?"

Pressing her lips together, Avery reaches for the cup in Nic's hand. "Over there making out with Ethan Taylor."

Nic snorts, folding over cackling and as Avery catches Luke's gaze he rolls his eyes with a smile, the tip of his cup against his lips. "Funny."

♡♡♡

The five of them walk home not soon afterwards, leading the three bikes that got them there all those hours ago by the hand. Lea's perched on the package holder of one and Luke does his best to keep it balanced as he leads it down the street, lips cracking into a smile as she laughs when it sways back and forth beneath her weight as he fails. Callie and Avery walk a bike each – fortunately not having the task of keeping any hitchhiking friends alive, and Nic – who'd eventually found the two girls' shoes in a pile by the kegs – walks between them.

He's the first to hum the song and Avery's lips crack into a soft smile, beginning to sing along.

"You look so perfect standing there. In my–" She cuts herself off, a laugh of surprise escaping her lips as Luke joins in for the next part. "...underwear."

"And I know now," Nic bellows, causing Callie to grimace and he points his finger into her shoulder, continuing to sing along with Luke and Avery. "That I'm so down."

Lea laughs, singing. "Your lipstick stain is a work of art."

As they all turn to look at Callie expectantly she rolls her eyes. "I've got your name tattooed in an arrow heart."

Together they go out with a bang. "And I know now THAT I'M SO DOWN."

. . .

note

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