The Beach

“Jack, just let me get the fire started.” Sawyer exclaimed, beyond frustrated. It was evening and it was dark, barely any light coming from sun that had dropped completely out of view about 5 minutes ago. As planned, they were going to have a bonfire after spending the entire day on the beach. They had everything they needed for the bonfire. They had gotten beer, all the ingredients to make s’mores, and enough firewood to stay outside all night if they wanted. The only thing missing now was an actual fire, and that could be attributed to the fact that Jack insisted that he light the bonfire because he totally knows how to start a fire and he wants to show everyone that he can totally get it started with a twig and a rock no problem because he’s seen it done a hundred thousand times.

Apparently, it takes more than watching a fire get started a hundred thousand times, because 15 minutes later, there still isn’t a fire, and now there isn’t a sun either. But Jack is refusing to let Sawyer take over and light the damn fire because “I can do it I swear I’ve almost got it give me one more second.”

Sawyer was getting a bit chilling, despite the warm summer air, and just wanted a damn fire to be started for her to sit next to while she cuddled up with Alex. And Jack was putting a serious damper in her plans right now.

“Jack, just let Sawyer light the fire.” Rian said with a laugh, watching his best friend try to rub a stick and a rock together in an attempt to start a spark. “You obviously aren’t as good at this as you thought, and Sawyer looks about ready to strangle you if you don’t let her get it going.”

Jack huffed, throwing down the stick and rock he had, moving to sit in one of the lawn chairs near the fire pit. Sawyer smiled, happy that she could finally get the fire going. She walked over to the pit, and within three minutes, there was a full blown fire roaring in the pit, lighting up all of their faces as they sat around it.

“Dude. Sawyer is more manly than you are.” Zack said with a laugh, and Jack just crossed his arms, slouching in his chair.

“Did you just basically call me a man?” Sawyer asked, her eyebrows raised. Zack’s eyes went wide as everyone else snickered. “Do I seriously seem like a man to you?” She asked, standing up from next to the fire where she had been adjusting some of the wood, moving her hands to rest on her hips.

“No. I just. No, Never. But.” Zack fumbled, and Sawyer glared at him, before bursting out laughing as everyone else did.

“Dude. Chill. I know that’s not what you meant.” Sawyer said as she moved to sit down on Alex’s lap. His arms automatically wrapped around her waist, pulling her to lean against his chest. “I know I know more than typical girls do.”

“I once watched her fix the air conditioner in the beach house.” Alex said with a laugh. He still didn’t understand how she had done it, but he didn’t really question it.

Sawyer shrugged when everyone looked at her in amusement.

“My dad taught me what he considered the basics of being able to live life after moving out of your parents house. He didn’t want me to have to waste money on having people do things for me that I could do myself.” Sawyer said with a small smile.

“All my dad ever taught me was how to chase a shot with a beer.” Austin said with a laugh, as everyone else joined in with her.

“My dad is a very practical man. Really believes in being self sufficient.” Sawyer said with a small smile.

“You look like you miss him.” Rian said with a small smile, and Sawyer nodded.

“I always miss my parents when I come out here without them. But I only ever come out here for 2 months at most, and me and Alex are normally running around, so it isn’t so bad. I love coming here. It’s the only real escape from reality that I get.” Sawyer said, turning around to kiss Alex on the cheek.

“You two are a bit sickening. And that’s saying a lot given that most of the year I live on a bus with these four over here” Jack said, motioning to the other couples sitting around the fire pit.

“What can I say, I love spending a lot of time with Sawyer” Alex remarked, a large smirk present on his face, wiggling his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

“You are dirty Alex.” Jayce commented with a laugh, reaching into the cooler and grabbing a beer can out.

“And I like him that way.” Sawyer stated with a large smile, turning to meet her lips with Alex’s, pressing hard and eagerly.

“You two are disgusting. I need to be drunk to cope with this shit.” Austin stated, grabbing a beer out of the cooler as well, grabbing one for Rian and Zack as well.

“Get a room you two.” Jack stated, grabbing a marshmallow and throwing it at the couple, hitting Alex on the head.

“Don’t be jealous because my girl is better than your…oh wait. You don’t have a girl” Alex said, causing more laughs to erupt as Jack pouted, arms crossed.

“Aww Jack. Don’t let Alex be a butt head. At least you aren’t whipped like everyone else.” Sawyer said with a smirk, causing Jack to laugh with the girls, as well as a earning loud ‘heys’ from the other three boys sitting around the bonfire.

“I’m declaring you my new best friend.” Jack shouted, jumping up triumphantly and moving around the fire to grab Sawyer out of her seat on Alex’s lap, lifting her off her feet and holding her in a bone crushing hug above the ground.

“Jack, please let her go so she can continue breathing.”

“Nope. I told you. Kidnapping her. This is the perfect excuse. I already have a hold of you.” Jack said, and Sawyer’s eyes widened as she started to attempt to squirm in Jack’s grasp, because at this point, she wasn’t entirely sure that Jack was kidding. She was half expecting him to pull some rope out of his pocket and start tying her up right then and there. And as much as she’d like to think that Alex or one of her new found friends would stop Jack, she wasn’t entirely sure they wouldn’t help him drag her to Maryland.

“I’m gonna pee on you” Sawyer yelled, and instantly, Jack dropped her, barely letting go lightly enough to allow her to land on her own feet.

“And with that, I really am gonna go in and pee, and be thankful that I’m not being abducted by a tall, terrorist looking man in the dark of night.” Sawyer said, causing laughter to echo through the air as she headed towards the house.

Once she had safely entered the house was when all eyes turned to Alex, catching him off guard a little.

“Why the fuck have you not asked that girl to marry you yet?” Jayce asked, and everyone else nodded in agreement.

“Maybe because up until a couple days ago, the girl was engaged to someone else?” Alex asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You dipshit. You’ve been seeing this girl for the last, what? 7 summers? You’ve had plenty of opportunities to propose and instead, you do nothing. That girl is like, perfect for you. And instead of saying anything to her about how much you want to be her dog on a leash for the rest of all eternity.” Austin said, causing snickers to come from everyone other than Alex, who frowned.

“It doesn’t matter. Despite everything, she doesn’t actually want to be with me. She wants stability, and she doesn’t get that with me. If she wanted me, she could have had me a long time ago.” Alex said, his voice hinting at sadness.

“Maybe she thinks you just want her for the summer, not all year long?” Rian asked, and everyone turned to look at him. He shrugged. “Its possible, isn’t it? I mean, you told us you two only have any form of contact over the summer. You don’t email, text or talk or anything during the year. It’s literally the epitome of a summer fling. You two just continue it every year. Maybe she thinks that that is all you want from her.”

“Rian is obviously the genius of the band.” Jack stated, and Alex rolled his eyes and Austin kissed Rian’s cheek.

“There’s no way she thinks that. I’ve told her I love her. Now shut up.” Alex said as he saw Sawyer walking back out. She approached everyone, moving around the fire pit away from Jack in order to avoid being kidnapped again.

“I don’t think I’m gonna hug Jack goodbye tomorrow” Sawyer said as she retook her seat on Alex’s lap. “I can’t trust that he won’t throw me into the trunk of the car and drive off.”

Everyone laughed, moving the conversation and enjoying their drinks in front of the bonfire.

Alex couldn’t help but rethink Rian’s words. There was no way that Rian could be right. He had told Sawyer that he loved her. How could she possibly misconstrue that into he only wants her during the summer?

Sawyer leaned over and kissed Alex’s cheek, noticing that he had become withdrawn from the conversation and had retreated into his own head. She smiled as he moved to look at her, his eyes zeroing in and focusing on her with a questioning look. She shrugged, cuddling her body into him more.

She didn’t ever want this summer with him to end. She had no idea what would happen with her and Jake, but she couldn’t help but feel like for the first time in a long time she had had a freedom she was no longer accustomed to. She was free to be with Alex if she wanted to, if he wanted her. She could spill her guts and confess that she wanted him every minute of every hour of every day.

But they were nothing more than a fling, and despite the fact that she knew they both cared deeply for one another, she couldn’t help but feel like they just weren’t destined for anything more than what they had.

She had heard somewhere that something was better than nothing, but she wasn’t so sure that it could be applied to matters of the heart. Because getting just a little bit of Alex, it was breaking her heart every day.