Bad Like Us, page 6
He quirks an eyebrow. “It’s not that bad. I just need to work on some stuff. Me stuff, you know?”
I frown back at him.
“I’m not a good person,” he elaborates. “Piper’s right about that.”
The words stun me for a second, and I glance at Alice and Miles. “What do you mean?” I ask Danny.
He shrugs. “I’m just not a good person.”
“Yes, you are,” I tell him.
He doesn’t respond.
We reach the front of the line, and Danny orders a Coke while Miles and Alice peruse the popcorn options. Waiting for his drink, Danny leans against the confectionary stand. I notice as he subtly slips a giant packet of M&M’s into his jacket pocket.
I smack his hand, and he looks at me.
He shrugs and gives me a guiltless look, as if his eyes are saying, What? I told you so.
FAMILY GROUP CHAT
EVA: Hey! Do you miss me yet?
MOM: Yes! How are you?
DAD: House feels empty without you. How’s the trip going? Have you been out on the water?
EVA: I miss you guys, too! Everything’s going great. I have been out on the water, Colton let me borrow his board. You guys would love it here! I’ll send some pics later.
DAD: Sounds great. We’ll have to take a family trip sometime.
MOM: Be careful, hon. Stay with the group.
EVA: I will.
MOM: How’s Miles?
EVA: Kind of quiet. Not himself. Do you think I should try to talk to him about everything?
MOM: That’s up to you, Eva. Just be there for him. He’s made a mistake and is paying the price.
EVA: Yeah. Cell service is bad out here. I’ll call you when I can.
DAD: Have a good time, Ev.
MOM: Keep checking in! Remember those were the conditions, check in at least three times a day or we’re driving down there.
EVA: Got it!
MOM: We love you. Be careful.
COLTON
It’s getting late. The sky has darkened to bruise purple, and the low-watt porch light is barely hanging on. Noah’s uncle left a couple of pots of paint for us, and Miles has been steadily working on the deck railings alone for the past hour, turning the posts from exposed wood to Harvest Moon White.
He musters a smile when he sees me approach.
“Hi,” he says, then his eyes go back to the railings, and he drags his paintbrush carefully along the post, streaking the wood white.
“Hey. How’s it going?”
He shrugs in response.
I don’t know Miles all that well. He and Danny are tight, but I’ve never hung out with Miles one-on-one. I feel like I should say something more, get a conversation going, but I figure he’s enjoying the quiet, so I follow his lead. Picking up a spare paintbrush, I get to work on the untouched railings. The dusky bay stretches out before us with growing shadows bending over the water.
It isn’t long before the others start to come out from the communal room. Noah and Piper are the first, Piper throttling a beer bottle and Noah carrying the crate. He packed the truck with a couple of boxes he borrowed from his dad’s cellar.
One of the benches arranged on the deck creaks as Noah takes a seat and places the crate next to him. He pulls a bottle from the box and offers it to me.
I prop my paintbrush against the pot and take a seat.
“Do you want one?” Noah asks Miles.
Miles glances at Noah and the bottle in his hand, then shakes his head. “No, thanks. I don’t drink.”
“Fun,” Piper mutters under her breath. She pulls an Adirondack chair closer, kicking her legs up on one of the railings that Miles hasn’t reached yet. Her pale blue eyes wander over me, then she laughs, sharp and abrupt. “Lighten up, Colton. We’re on vacation.”
I frown. “What? I’m fine.”
She smirks and rolls her eyes.
I don’t know at what point Piper decided she didn’t like me. Maybe it was around the time she started bad-mouthing my brother, and I called her out on it. It doesn’t matter to me that she doesn’t like me, but it always got to Danny back when they were dating. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, how two of the most important people in his life didn’t get along. He used to try to force us to hang out, and it never went well. Half the shit we spoke about ended up on social media the next day.
The patio door rattles open again, and Eva steps onto the deck carrying a water bottle. She chooses the chair next to mine and burrows her hands into the sleeves of her sweater. “Hey,” she says softly. “This is so pretty.” Her eyes wander over the cove where oranges and golds bleed onto the horizon.
Our arms bump and I catch her gaze. She smiles, and I feel something. Something there between us that makes my heart beat differently.
“The deck is looking great, Miles,” she says. His head stays bowed as he focuses on one of the paint-streaked posts.
“First coat should be dry soon,” he says without looking up.
“I can help with the second coat tomorrow,” Eva says.
The smell of paint merges with the salty air, catching in the back of my throat.
Piper snaps her fingers in Miles’s direction. “Babe, why are you even still working out here? You’ve literally done more than enough, and it’s getting dark. Come sit with us.” She pats the seat beside her. “Loosen up.”
I swear Miles grimaces as he puts down his brush and takes the Adirondack chair next to Piper.
She leans back in her seat and sighs. “You know, I actually think I’ve been converted to this place. Being at one with nature is so good for the soul, right?”
“That’s what I’m saying.” Noah clinks his bottle against hers. “So, you like it here now?”
“Obviously,” she says with a sharp laugh. “I just said so, didn’t I?” Then she raises an index finger, silver rings glinting in the porch light. “I still think it’s lacking in amenities, though. I have my fake ID and cutest outfits, and no bars to go to.” She exaggerates a pout. “Plus, I had a mission to find flings for all the girls.”
Tension pulls at my neck. I know Piper’s not going to be picking me as a good option for Eva. But I keep my expression the same, like it doesn’t bother me.
Eva crinkles her nose. “A self-appointed mission,” she says.
Piper gasps. “Eva. You should be so lucky to have me as your personal cupid. But, whatever. There’s nothing here, anyway, so we’ll just have to make the best out of our circumstances.”
Noah’s shoulders curl forward, and his face becomes lost in shadows. But I hear the smile in his voice, even if I can’t see it on his face. “Sorry this private beach doesn’t meet your standards, Piper.”
She barks out another loud laugh. “That’s okay, I’ll forgive you.” She starts tapping her fingernails on her Miller bottle. “Is it just me, or is anyone else at the point where they’re just so ready to graduate?” Her eyes skim us—Noah, Miles, Eva, and me. “I’m done with high school and all the drama. I’m ready for college.”
We all go quiet.
Miles’s chin juts as he stares out at the dusky horizon.
“Yeah.” Noah clears his throat. He pauses and takes a swig of beer, and his brow pinches like he’s trying to think of something else to say.
Eva jumps in first. “So, Noah, does your uncle live in the area?”
“Yeah, he does,” Noah says, relaxing. “He actually lives just outside of Portland, but he’s always traveling. Paul’s got some wild stories, for real.”
“He’s into extreme sports, right?” I add. Noah’s uncle Paul met us at the property when we first came out here a few months back. He seemed like a laid-back guy with ripped jeans and grown-out sun-bleached hair. Nothing like Noah’s parents, who are way more formal and uptight. They’re all about academia and climbing the ladder in some corporation. It made sense to me then, why Noah looks up to his uncle so much. Deep down, he wants that life, too.
“Yeah,” Noah answers. “He rafts, snowboards, cliff dives... You name it, man.”
“Sounds like a cool guy,” Miles says stiffly.
Piper takes a small sip of beer. “Totally.” She dabs at her lips, blotting a smear of lipstick—that same bloodred color stains the rim of the bottle. “It’s so sweet of him to let us use his place. Apart from the whole expecting free labor out of us mockery. No, thanks.” She smirks. “But Miles has done an okay job out here, so if I ever meet the mysterious Paul, I’ll just cheat and take the credit for his work.”
She giggles, and we all fall quiet again. Eva glances at me, and I rub the nape of my neck.
In the silence, my eyes stray to the stone steps that lead down to the bay. “Eva.” My voice sounds too loud. “Do you want to, uh, go see that beach drift I was telling you about?”
She frowns for a second. “What beach drift?”
“You know, the one I was telling you about.”
A moment of understanding crosses her face. And a small smile. “Oh,” she says. “Yes, the beach drift. Of course. Okay, sure.”
We stand and I avoid the others’ confused stares as we cross the deck and begin down the uneven stone steps.
A quiet laugh escapes her when we reach the sand. “Beach drift?” she whispers. “Nice cover.”
I grin. “Yeah, I’m not good at thinking on my feet.”
She stays close beside me as we head along the dune, footsteps sinking into the sand and our path lit by what’s left of the dying sun.
“So, I’m guessing you wanted to talk in private?” she asks, her voice tentative.
“Yeah.” I stuff my hands into my jacket pockets. “I wanted to tell you that I had fun with you today. I know it’s been a while since we’ve hung out, just me and you, and...” My words fall away for a beat. “Yeah. I like hanging out with you.”
“I had fun, too,” she says softly. I glance at her, and she bites her lip as she smiles. My heart rate picks up.
We stop and sit on the dune, looking out over the rippling ink-blue tide.
“I was hoping maybe we could do more of this, if you want?” I glance at her again, and she nods. So I keep going, letting my messy thoughts spill out. “There’s been times back home where I’ve wanted to talk to you...” I look at her again, watching for her reaction as I say the words. “In class, or at lunch, but it never feels right. And when Danny told me you were coming this weekend, it made me think... I don’t know. There’s some stuff I’ve been thinking about for a while.”
“Oh?” she says, her eyebrows raising. “Like what?”
“Like I like you,” I tell her, and my lips twitch. “I like being with you, talking to you, learning about you. I like who you are, always.”
She breathes out a gentle laugh, and I can’t hide the smile that’s tugging at my mouth.
“That’s so sweet, Colton,” she says. Then after a pause, “I like you, too.”
Now I’m grinning, bigger. “Yeah?”
“Yes,” she murmurs.
She leans a little closer to me, and her hand brushes mine. I fold my fingers around hers, and she gazes down at our joined hands. When she looks up again, her golden eyes catch the slanted evening light.
I brush a strand of hair from her cheek.
“Oh, my god.” The sound of Piper’s voice makes us both jump. “Breaking news,” Piper says, holding her camera toward us with the flash glaring. “Capturing this in real time, guys.” She isn’t talking to us; she’s talking to her followers. “Colton Demarco and Eva Porta are literally about to hook up and I feel like such a voyeur right now.”
Eva’s hand slips quickly from mine, and she springs to her feet. “We were just talking.” Her voice is flustered, embarrassed.
I drag my hands over my face. “Piper,” I mutter. “Come on.”
Piper’s still holding her phone angled toward us. She starts bouncing on her toes. “This is so juicy! I’m obsessed! You guys are too cute.”
“Would you stop?” Eva says through her teeth. “Please.”
Piper lowers her phone. “Oh, shit. I killed the moment. Okay, listen, I’m just going to go back to the lodge and you guys can...” She waves her hand in circles. “Do whatever it is you were about to do. I’ll warn everyone to avert their stares.” She winks. “Be safe.”
I grimace. “Piper, why—”
A panicked shout coming from the cabin cuts my sentence short.
FIVE MONTHS EARLIER
“You found the place, then?” A man with sun-bleached hair trapped beneath a backward ball cap is waiting to greet us outside the lodge. He must be somewhere in his forties, his eyes crinkling with a smile, and a sun-tanned face, even in winter.
I slip my keys into my pocket as we all get out of the truck, Danny, Javier, Noah, and me. Noah claps his uncle’s outstretched hand and introduces us. Paul shakes our hands and pats our shoulders. We don’t usually have Danny with us on a trip like this, but I figured it’d do him good to get out of Seattle. And away from Piper.
“So...?” Paul looks between us with a broad smile. “What d’you think of my latest investment?” He extends his arms toward the wild shoreline and log building before us.
“It’s awesome,” Noah says, smiling bigger than I’ve ever seen. And I get why. This place is something else.
“How could I resist, right?” Paul cuffs Noah’s shoulder, then he leads us up to the deck and starts the tour. The wind is brutally cold, waves high and hitting the shore hard.
Paul directs us to the communal room and tosses us a couple of sodas from the fridge.
While Noah catches up with his uncle in the kitchen, Javier takes a seat next to me on the brown leather couch and slings his arms along the back. The log fire is already going, crackling away, and the wind is howling through the chimney.
I toss a cushion at Danny on the couch opposite, and he flinches.
“Get off your phone.”
He grimaces, mouth turning down at the corners. “It’s Piper,” he says, flashing the screen at us over the coffee table.
Javier’s thick eyebrows pull together. “Wait. I thought you guys were done?”
“We are,” Danny mutters. “But she’s texting me. She’s pissed that I left town without telling her.”
I launch another cushion at him. He ducks out of the way, and it hits the back of the couch. “She broke up with you,” I point out.
“Yeah, but...” He returns his focus to his phone and starts typing out a message. Then he lifts his cell, waving it around, trying to get service.
Javier shakes his head. “Colton, we need to intervene. We need to help your brother.” He aims a finger at Danny. “You’ve got to go ghost, man. Unless you want to get back together?”
“No, I don’t. It wasn’t working with us.” But he’s still typing.
The next thing I know, Javier’s over the coffee table. He swipes Danny’s phone and tosses it to me. “Confiscated,” he says.
Danny heaves a sigh.
“Two days, no Piper,” I tell him.
“Then when you’re definitely over her,” Javier adds, lifting his hand, “give her my number.” He grins, flashing his teeth, and Danny musters a smile back.
Paul and Noah join us from the kitchen, and Paul tosses a couple more logs onto the fire. The flames hiss and spit embers onto the floorboards.
“So, guys weekend,” Paul says, slapping his calloused hands together as he takes a seat next to Danny. “You don’t mind me crashing?”
“Are you kidding?” Javier says. “You’re letting us use your place.” His eyes roam over the pine walls and antlers hanging over the fireplace. “Man, I want to live the life you got.”
“You do, eh?” Paul cracks open a bottle of beer and points it at Javier. “Nothing stopping you, buddy. Key to success, work hard and go hard for what you want.”
COLTON
I’m on my feet fast.
Just as I get to the deck, the door to the communal cabin swings opens and Karly runs out.
“You guys need to get in there, right now,” she yells, gesturing toward the cabin.
“Oh, my god, why?” Piper calls, trotting up the stone steps behind me with Eva in tow. “What’s going on?”
Karly flings her arm toward the communal room. “I think Javier and Danny are about to fight in there. For real.”
And then I’m past her, throwing open the door into the cabin.
I cross the room toward them. “Whoa,” I call. “What’s going on?”
But neither of them looks at me.
Javier’s hard stare stays on Danny. “I thought we were good,” he says, sounding broken, defeated. “You said you were cool with Piper and me. I asked you, man, and you told me it was all good.”
Danny’s eyebrows pull together. “Yeah, and it is. I’m happy for you guys. It’s whatever.”
Javier lifts his hand, and I notice the piece of paper balled in his fist. “Yeah, it’s whatever,” he echoes. His grip tightens around the crumpled paper. “It’s whatever.”
Danny rubs the nape of his neck.
“But I’m the one who looks like a fool, right?” Javier keeps going. “Believing that this was over. It’s never going to be over, is it?”
Everyone’s in the room now, all eyes on Danny and Javier, watching, waiting for something more. An answer. Some explanation. Because earlier today everything was all good. There was no problem.
