The Beach

Parker put the last of Alex’s clothes in the drawers of the spare room. She hated that Jake was ruining her summer. I mean, she really had no right to be mad. Technically, she was the one having an affair, and she was mad because her fiancé was interrupting her affair. Really, she shouldn’t be mad because Jake was really doing nothing wrong, but it felt as though he was.

She hated that her and Alex were about to have separate rooms. They never had separate rooms. They always shared, since they were 19 and the families stopped coming with them. Four years and it was almost wrong to not be together during the summer.

“Trying to make it look like I’ve been here the whole time?” Alex asked as he walked in the room. Sawyer turned to look at him as she closed the drawer, nodding in response. She lifted her left hand and moved her hair behind her ear.

“Yea. But you’re still staying with me tonight.” She said, before looking at him with a bit of wide eyes. “Right?”

Alex gave her a soft smile. “Of course. I wouldn’t waste a single night with you.” Alex said, stepping forward to meet with Sawyer. He grabbed her by her hips, resting his hands there as she smiled at her.

“I hate this.” Sawyer admitted, looking at Alex with sad eyes.

“I do to. But it’s ok. We still have the entire summer after Jake leaves.” Alex said comfortingly, before giving Sawyer a wicked grin. “Besides,” he continued. “Sneaking around behind Jake’s back might be quite fun.” He whispered the last part, earning a sharp breath to be taken in by Sawyer.

“Well, I suppose it’s a wonderful thing that Jake is a heavy sleeper than.” Sawyer responded. Alex just smiled wider before giving her a passionate kiss. Sawyer happily accepted the kiss, rapping her arms around Alex’s neck as he pulled her closer.

As Alex’s hands started to roam up Sawyer’s shirt, the doorbell went off. They groaned as they pulled apart, but Alex just shrugged with a small smile.

“Our friends await.” Alex said, and the nerves that Sawyer had been working all day to suppress had suddenly risen. She didn’t know much about Alex’s friends, and now she was supposed to fake years of friendship with them.

Sawyer followed behind Alex, walking out of the downstairs guest room and into the entry way to the door. It wasn’t a long walk, but it seemed to take forever. It didn’t help that her nerves were beyond prime point. She was completely worked up and afraid of what might happen if this didn’t work, or if she didn’t along with Alex’s friends. She never had to worry about anyone else liking her that knew Alex because she and Alex only existed on the beach.

The couple made it to the door, and Alex opened it, being tackled almost instantly.

“LEXY!” A tall and lanky man shouted at Alex as his arms were wrapped around Alex, nearly knocking both of them to the floor.

“Hey Jack.” Alex said while laughing, hugging the lanky man back. Sawyer looked over the first entrant to the house, noticing he was slightly taller than even Alex, which startled her a bit. He was really tall.

“You must be Sawyer” The blond man behind Jack said as he entered the house, a brunette attached to him by the waist, his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

“Yea. Hi.” Sawyer said timidly, giving a little wave. Zack pulled his arm from around the brunette and put his hand out to shake Sawyer’s, who returned the handshake.

“I’m Jayce. Zack’s girlfriend.” The brunette that had previously been attached to Zack’s side said. She pulled Sawyer straight into a hug, startling Sawyer, who let out a nervous chuckle in return as she hugged back.

“Oh my turn, my turn!” A blond girl who was holding hands with man with buzzed hair shouted, throwing her arms around Sawyer before Jayce even had a chance to let go.

“That would be Austin, my girlfriend, and I’m Rian.” The buzzed man said, as the girl he named Austin squeezed both Sawyer and Jayce in a tight hug.

“THIS is who you’ve been leaving us for every summer? Damn” Jack stated, looking Sawyer up and down. “I now get it.”

Sawyer blushed, as Jack yelped from a punch that Alex threw at his arm.

“Ignore him. He’s an idiot.” Alex said, finally shutting the door as everyone stepped into the entryway. “Sawyer these are my, I mean, our, friends.”

“So does anyone wanna tell me why we were offered free stay at a house in Virginia Beach as a cover story?” Rian asked, raising both of his eyebrows as the couple before him.

“Maybe we should go to the living room to tell you the story, and then we can get you unpacked.” Sawyer said nervously.

Everyone followed Alex and Sawyer to the living room, taking seats on the various pieces of furniture, while Alex and Sawyer sat on the floor in the middle of the room, facing everyone on the two couches.

“So me and Alex met when we were 16 and his family came here at the same time that my family was here. When the next summer hit, we started well, sleeping together.” Sawyer took a deep breath. She was telling her secret life to strangers. “Me and Alex, well we’ve been doing that every summer since we were 17. We are like an ongoing summer fling, but we’re friends. We always make time for each other every summer. However, three years ago, I started dating Jake. I continued on with Alex because, well, because we could, I suppose. Anyways. This was going to be my last summer alone at the beach house, because Jake and I are getting married. The bea,ch has always been my getaway, and he somehow decided that, even though I told him this would be my last one alone, that he would come and visit. He’s coming in two days.” Sawyer said.

“Jake doesn’t know anyone stays here with Sawyer, and he definitely wouldn’t like it if it were just a guy, So that’s why we called you guys. The only real reason we could think to have me here is for it’s some sort of summer reunion with friends. And we somehow need to fake years worth of friendship in the next day and a half.”

“So let me get this straight. We’re helping you not be exposed for having a three year long summer affair?” Jack asked, looking at Sawyer and Alex. The couple looked at each other before slowly nodded.

“Well then, we better get started.” Jack said, rubbing his hands together.

“If any of you aren’t ok with this, you don’t have to. I know it’s not, well, it’s not entirely moral. I’m cheating on my fiancé, and I’m asking you all to help me cover it up. It’s a horrible thing to ask.” Sawyer stated, looking at everyone.

“Alex asked us to help you, so it’s obvious that he wants to protect you. If you’re that good of a friend of his, then you are a friend for us. We’ve got your back.” Jayce said, everyone nodding in agreement.