Chapter 24

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"I think..."

"Don't."

"Can you just-"

"No."

"Racheal just-"

"No."

"How can you be so annoying?" Drew screamed in annoyance, throwing his hand in the air.

I grinned, waving my hand dismissively. "Talent, duh."

He rolled his eyes. "I am just letting you go this time because it's the last day of your fake relationship."

My smile vanished instantly. "Thanks for reminding." I scorned.

"Hon." Ira started and I knew it would something that I couldn't agree on. "If you like him so much, why don't you just tell him?"

"And get rejected?" I snorted, twisting my lips. "No thanks."

Ira rolled her eyes. "Take a leap of faith Rach."

I gave her a stink eye. "Look who's talking."

She leaned back in mild shock. "Hey I'm dating a player, I think that's a big enough leap for me."

Drew scowled at his official girlfriend of 4 days. "I'm not a player anymore."

Ira rolled her eyes again. "Tell that when you attend a party and can't resist dirty dancing."

Drew winked at Ira. "I would love to dirty dance but only if it's with you, babe." He leaned ahead, pecking her cheek and Ira turned a deep shade of red.

I wanted to smile at their cuteness but instead fake gaged. "Could you guys not?" I lifted my bowl of fried rice. "Trying to eat here."

Ira cleared her throat, leaning away from Drew. "Where's Eva?"

"Your twin telepathy doesn't tell you that?" Drew snorted, making me chuckle.

Ira sent him a sour look. "Don't try to be funny Drew. I bet it would be hilarious when you find yourself single again."

I choked on the rice. "Wow, Ira. Hear-Hear!"

"My twin's all grown up." A familiar voice exaggerated as she entered the kitchen with Nathan and Simone close behind. All three laughing.

Ira ignored her. "Where were you?"

"Talking to Alex." Simone answered.

I raised my eyebrows. "Alex called?" Alex was the guy we met at the beach house last month, when I got crazy drunk. Apparently, he took a liking to Simone, and well, Simone would just never turn down a hot guy but unfortunately, this turned out to be bad for her. After all he was a college guy and they would never be serious about a high school girl. Especially a crazy fangirl who swooned and shrieked every time Theo James came on screen.

Simone nodded. "Yeah after 5 days and apologized, said he was busy in college stuff and all."

I frowned. "What did you reply?"

"Oh, she didn't." Nathan interrupted. "I heard her talking and took away the phone, giving him a piece of my mind. College guys don't take high school girls seriously. So he needed to set his priorities right. If he's just playing her he can go play someone else, not our Sim Sim."

I almost Aww-ed at that.

Drew nodded. "Good job man, should've called me. Haven't cussed badly in a long time."

Ira slapped his arm. "What did he say then?"

"That he needed time." Eva snapped, sitting on a chair beside me and throwing a grape in her mouth and since her aim sucked, the grape flew right past mouth and face hitting the cabinet behind.

I snickered at the bad aim before glancing at Simone. She looked like she was holding on well but I knew better. It wasn't just attraction, she did like him, not entirely but a small tiny crush and she definitely hoped he could feel the same. Now that she knew he didn't, she was hurt.

"Are you okay?" I mouthed to her.

She sighed and shrugged. "Have been better but hey at least we didn't have sex so I don't have to miss that part about him."

Drew twisted his nose in disgust. "TMI!"

Simone rolled her eyes, grabbing a bar of chocolate from the counter. "What are you guys even doing here? It was supposed to be a girls-only night."

"Yeah, but my parents postponed their stay until tonight." Eva answered. "And when I told this to Nathan, he came over with the guys in the morning."

Simone nodded and shrugged. "Well have fun, I need to take a bath."

"You should, you stink."

In response Drew received a salutation from Simone's middle finger. I swear they fight like cats and dogs and there were times when I and Eva wondered how it would be if Drew and Simone had gotten together, none of the scenarios ended well.

"So where's Colton anyways?" Eva asked, trying to aim another grape inside her mouth and missing, again.

I frowned at the fallen lot of grapes. "I don't know and Eva just put them inside your mouth instead of throwing them at your mouth. Your aim clearly sucks."

Nathan nodded in agreement, picking up the grapes and throwing them inside his mouth with a perfect aim. He smirked with victory. "And that's called aim, right in the throat."

Our eyes widened and we all burst out laughing at the unintended innuendo. Drew was literally choking on his laughter and slapping his knee. Nathan's face was a deep shade of red but Eva's was worse.

"What a show-off! And shut the hell up, you nasty creatures." Eva grumbled, pushing the grapes away and taking an apple instead. Changing the topic seemed the only option then. "And how come you don't know where Colton is? Wasn't he there when he came here with the guys?"

"He was." Drew answered. "But then he got some call and had to go and has been gone since half an hour now."

Eva glanced at me with surprise. "Then what the hell are you doing here? Move your fat ass, find him and kiss those delicious lips passionately."

"Kiss whose lips passionately?" Came an amused voice from the doorway and I knew luck was not at all on my side. What a time to come and what a thing to hear! Talk about perfect timing, of course sarcastically.

"No one." I squeaked out.

"Yours." Eva and Ira screamed in chorus.

"Jennifer Lawrence." Nathan said.

"Where did all the grapes go?" Drew asked.

Colton raised his eyebrows. "Well, that was some response." He then glided over to me, an arrogant smile dancing on his lips. "If you wanted to kiss me all you had to do was strip naked I would get the hint you know."

I smiled sarcastically, "Yeah right like that would ever happen."

"A guy can dream." He winked.

I rolled my eyes and turned my head sideways to hide the small smile forming on my lips. I was going to miss this. I was going to miss him.

"Btw any news on the case?" Nathan asked, fighting with Drew over the last grape.

"None." Eva said, grabbing the grape and dropping it in her mouth with a victory grin. "And that's how it is done."

Drew and Nathan both gave her the stink eye before turning away searching for something else to eat. How they can eat every minute of the day and still not get a flab is beyond my understanding. I eat a burger and become like one.

"So how are you two going to spend the day?" Ira questioned innocently, but there was nothing innocent about her smile, it was mischievous, way too mischievous.

"Nothing!" I automatically shouted out.

"Last date." Colton answered.

I blinked and turned to him with wide-open eyes and a fallen-down jaw. "Huh?"

"A date, you know where two people get together and talk and eat and do things they like. This will be our last date." He said, a real smile of happiness on his lips.

But I, on the other hand, was having mixed feelings. A part of me was crazy happy about the date thing but another part of me didn't want to go, solely because I thought maybe extending this last date would leave place for ten more dates. Stupid? I know, but I really wished this thing between wasn't ending, not so soon at least.

Instead, I ended up replying. "When was our first date?"

He grinned cheekily. "Consider these whole three months as the first date and today the last one."

I wished he would stop saying the word last, it broke my heart a bit every time.

I swallowed a ball of tears. "One last time?"

He stared back right into my eyes. "One last time."

"Aww aren't you guys the cutest?" Simone stood at the doorway, wearing my shorts and tee and a towel around her wet hair. She was grinning ear to ear, witnessing our moment and I knew there would be no last to hear the words 'one last time' in mimicked voices.

"So when are you guys going out?" Eva questioned, wiggling her eyebrows at us.

I opened my mouth but Colton beat it to me. "Now."

"NOW!?"

He nodded at me with a cheeky smile. "Now. Get ready, casual, chop-chop." He smacked my butt, surprising me along with 4 other friends, and strolled out of the kitchen whistling to himself.

What the hell is wrong with him? I thought to myself. For someone who is just going to break up, he seemed unusually pleasant.

Maybe because he was happy this was finally ending. A part of me whispered.

But the other part said, maybe he's going to make it official and that's why he is happy.

Either way, I knew this day would be special and wasn't going to let my stupid brain tell me otherwise.

"Let's go get you ready!" Eva and Ira screamed in their eerily simultaneous way and pulled me by my arms up the stairs. Simone grabbed a pack of chips, ignoring Drew's protests, and followed us.

Eva has closed the door and made me sit on the bed while Simone and Ira struggled with the mess in my closet. Simone pulled out a Little Black Dress and I twisted my lips. "Casual, Simone, casual."

She huffed and stuffed it back in. Ira pulled out a crop top with print 'OK Bye' and high waist jeggings. "Seems fit for the last date. No words, just point at the top and wave." She snorted. I rolled my eyes but took it.

"Great!" Eva clapped, "now makeup."

"Not much." I warned with an intimidating glare which had no effect on her whatsoever.

She made me sit down and started with the magic. After 20 minutes and 5 calls from Colton, she was finally done. My hair was straight, flicks sideways. Winged eyeliner and brown eye shadow with a ruby red lipstick. I wore the crop top and jeggings and a black belt to hype the look. Simone passed a black choker and small earrings.

"Now footwear!" Eva muttered, going through my collection.

She pulled some heels and shook her head and put them back. "Ah!" She exclaimed happily, taking out my year-old lace-up wedges. "Perfect." She grinned pushing them towards me.

Just then my phone ringed again and Simone blew a puff of pissed breath. Before I could reach out to the phone, she grabbed it and put it on her ear. "What asshole?" Were her greeting words. Why am I friends with her again?

I couldn't hear Colton's reply but whatever it was made Simone scowl and narrow her eye. Uh oh.

Ira noticed it too and knew there would be a long loud verbal fight so she grabbed the phone and put it to her ear. "She'll be done in 5." She said and cut the call.

Simone gave her a stink eye. "You are no longer my friend. You shall be deprived of my wonderful presence and amazing talks for the rest of your life. While you beg me on your knees of the privilege of my friendship again, I shall eat some chips and drink some coke and ignore you."

Eva and I giggled while Ira just rolled her eyes and patted Simone's shoulder. "Great, want a chocolate?" she pulled out a Snickers bar from her pocket.

Simone's face instantly brightened at that and she seized the bar with a grin. "Thanks, I love you."

Simone was the best example of the Snickers ad, 'You are not yourself when you are hungry.'

"Okay, I'm ready." I stood up and took a deep breath looking at the girls who had seen me in my best and loved me at my worst.

They grinned and pulled me into a hug. "It's gonna be okay." Ira whispered.

"Yeah." Eva nodded.

They pulled away and Simone smiled. "We'll be here with chips and ice cream and pizza. If the situation is worse we'll order some beer too."

I smiled back. "Love you weirdos."

"Love ya more." All three said at the same time and it was creepy.

Taking another deep breath, I opened the door and stepped out.

"Here's to a memorable night." I whispered to myself as I neared the guys.

They were all talking about some football game but turned when they heard our footsteps. I glanced and Colton and gasped. He looked beautifully handsome.

With a white body-fitting button-down V neck and blue denim jeans, he looked ravishing. There was also an ash gray jacket with him and even a matching hat.

Can someone say YUM?

We stared at each other for a while before his lips lifted into a smirk and he winked at me. "Shall we? Or do you prefer to stand here and keep gawking at me?"

I blushed and rolled my eyes, pulling him by his arm but not before saying, "Oh shush, I can see the bulge in your pants."

The second we stepped out, the evening breeze touched our skins, he shook his arm off my hold, and before I could frown the arm found its way around my waist, pulling me closer. I shivered, unfortunately, I didn't think it was because of the cool air. And despite my brain protesting, I snuggled into his hold.

We got in his car and no, he didn't open the door for me. His reply when I asked why was a snort followed with a roll of the eye and "Oh please you would just scowl if I did it plus we both no know I'm no gentleman especially when it concerns you, I am a total caveman then." He winked.

I didn't ask another question the whole way.

When we stopped the air got cooler and I could smell water and sand, it didn't take a genius to know that we were on the beach.

"Beach, seriously? You could get more creative you know." I taunted despite the butterflies in my stomach.

As we walked away from the parking lot, he raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Really? Do you think I'm not creative? Plus the beach is where we have had our most memories so I thought it was fitting."

I shrugged, blushing when his arm wrapped around my waist again and pulled me closer into his chest. It took me a few seconds to clear my head off his scent and think of legible words. "I mean, it's a beach. Yes, we had some amazing memories –"

"And kisses." He interrupted.

I pressed my lips together, remembering the kisses all too vividly. "And kisses." I agreed and continued. "But I am sure there's going to be candles, a blanket, a food basket, and of course the sunset. You know the typical."

His lips formed a smug smile as we walked on the beach now. "Challenge accepted, the loser does whatever the winner wants."

Before I could retort, his hand squeezed my waist, "Come on are you scared of a little losing, loser Smith?"

My lips formed a straight line, "Fine, you loser Hastings."

I lost, badly.

Because although there was a beautiful sunset, there was no food basket or a blanket and most certainly not a single candle.

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