Between Us

Chapter 36

There wasn't much more we could discuss before the others were coming back with our food and drinks. Since I had only wanted a drink, I asked for some boba.

"We searched high and low for this," said Leo as he handed it to me. "You're welcome."

"I'm not grateful at all."

"I know you're not, you little brat."

Feeling a little mischievous as he flopped down on the other side of me, I leaned into him, "Why don't you try and say that to Leilani?"

"Insults deserve a better audience."

I couldn't believe this guy — the one that was grinning at me with boyish innocence — was cruel in high school. The typical jerky jock. I could believe that about Caden in some way, even if he had his kind moments, but Leo? He was the definition of the boy next door.

It didn't sound right.

The back of my head tingled, a gut feeling telling me I was being watched. I refused to look and find out who it was as we continued to banter.

"Oh, wait, where's Paris?" I asked, glancing around. My gaze slipped to the guy sitting near Leilani, leaning against his heavily inked arm on the towel behind him. The other arm was holding a drink. His eyes were unreadable -- and they were on me. His jaw was set and his lips were thinned. I snapped my head away, pretending that he'd just been part of an unintentional glance whilst I was looking around for the people I truly cared about.

"She went to go grab Trixie and Sai," offered Leo.

I got up, tea in one hand and the other dusting myself off of any sand despite having used a blanket. "I'm gonna go find her. I need to speak to her."

"Who, Sai?"

I shook my head. "Paris."

"I'll come with you," said Leo, hopping up after me.

Surprisingly, Caden got up as well. At my expression, his became shadowed. "You have a problem?"

After everything — the weird signals, the on-off behavior like he was confused about how to act around me, the sharp comment he made after Leilani got hit — he had the gall to ask me that.

"Yes, actually, I do have a problem," I said, chin held high. "You should stay here and look after Leilani."

"She's a big girl," replied Caden, pinning me down with his stare, daring me to say something else. "She can look after herself."

"So can I."

"Who said I was coming to look after you?"

Well, dang it. "It doesn't matter. We don't need you coming with us."

Caden's hands clenched into fists, one of which was instantly covered by Leilani's hand. She shook her head at him, and he relaxed. She clearly still had a big effect on him.

And now I sound jealous. Fun.

"Too bad," he retorted. There was something dark about the way he said this. I shrugged, carelessly.

"Three's a crowd," muttered Leo under his breath.

"I don't remember asking you for your opinion."

There that strange atmosphere was again. I grabbed Leo's arm and tugged him away, briefly noticing the glare that was sent our way from Caden. What was his deal? We walked to the boardwalk, me and Leo together and Caden walking behind us.

So many times I wanted to look over my shoulder but that would be obvious that I cared about what he was doing. I pushed that itchy feeling behind me and focused on where Paris was.

She was only a few feet ahead of us, but she was taking her time in getting to Sai and Trixie. She had her arms wrapped around herself, head turned to watch the view of the ocean. Sai and Trixie, on the other hand, were a little small blur at the very end so I couldn't tell exactly what they were doing until we got closer.

Caden stopped next to Paris, their heads low as they spoke. Leo and I walked past them, exchanging solemn glances at each other. "What do you think's wrong?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "Beats me," he said dismissively. That was the most uncharacteristic response I'd heard from him so far. "But hey, I think your friends are over there taking selfies."

He wasn't wrong. They were taking selfies, taking photos of the view, and chatting — probably about the selfies. Sai wasn't usually a selfie person, but they were cackling, heads thrown back as they spoke about random things, so I guessed she had been converted.

"Having fun, you two?" asked Leo.

"Having a fucking blast," Trixie cut in.

"Shyla, the lighting here is great," Sai said, trying to drag me over. "Take a photo with me."

"I'm drinking boba."

"And?"

"It's gonna look lame."

"You're already lame," she said with a click of her tongue. I ended up posing with her, Leo photobombing at the last minute. We laughed before I realized Trixie hadn't joined in. She was staring at Paris and Caden where we had left them.

"Is everything okay?" I asked her.

She blinked before rubbing her arms, smiling softly. Her eyes briefly flickered behind me, to Leo. "I'm fine. Is Paris, though?" As soon as Paris was mentioned, Sai rolled her eyes and I glared at her.

Be nice, I mouthed before saying, "I don't know."

"Why, does it look like something's wrong?" Leo asked her.

"She's not usually quiet."

"Good point. The two times I met her, she was so loud I swear my ears buzzed for three whole days."

He was trying to get rid of the weird blanket of tumultuous tension that covered us by making a joke. But it didn't work. Not really.

I didn't know what this feeling was, but I really didn't like it.