Vienna Beach: Paradise

Lucy’s P.O.V~

I looked absolutely stunning. Finally, after working my ass off for a solid B average, daddy gave me his Visa card for my Bonfire outfit. So what if it was a little over my budget, it was so worth it. I was so worth it.

“Lucy, I totes love the outfit!” Penny squealed, kissing my cheeks.

“Why, thank you, Penny,” I gleamed. Okay, so Penny wasn’t my favorite person on the planet, but she threw the best parties. Not to mention she was the biggest kiss-up in the world—then again, a little praise didn’t hurt anyone, right?

It was hard to make conversation when my Ted Bakers pumps kept sinking into the sand. I considered taking them off, but then the whole outfit would be off. And a little pain didn’t hurt anyone. I would live.

“There she is,” I heard a voice call from behind me.

Careful not to lose my balance, I spun myself around and looked out for the person calling my name. “Nick, is that you?” I giggled and skipped—well, more or less—my way towards him. I can’t believe he was here.

“Yup, surprised?” he asked and twirled me around in his arms.

“Duh, I haven’t seen you in eleven months!” I pointed out. “I missed you so much.”

He took my hand and led me towards one of the logs. “Let’s sit down; there is so much I have to tell you.”

“Does anyone else know you’re back?”

He shook his head. “No, not yet; I wanted you to be the first person I saw.”

Nick and I were…confusing, in a lack of words. We met at a football game during our freshman year. I was out on the field cheering him—Nick was the star quarterback of the JV team—and his team on when a player from the East Bay team body slammed him into the bleachers. The blow was hard enough to shatter his ACL, ruining any chances of Varsity football, not to mention the scholarship he was working out with the school.

The next week I went to visit him in the hospital. Before then I had never really associated with jocks, but he seemed like a good exception. I couldn’t help it, I was drawn to him, and for a while, Nick made it look like he was attracted to me too. We dated for about a year; I helped him with his physical therapy, school work, stuff like that as he recovered. Nick tried enough to keep his scholarship with the school but after a year the additional expenses towards his knee put his family in a debt so large they had no option but to move. Nick had two older sisters both attending Santa Barbara up in California. Moving there was logical.

What happened to us? The whole long distance relationship thing would have never worked, so he dumped me. It was a tearless breakup leaving me hurt and unwanted. Without Nick I felt empty. I tried dating, hooking up even, other guys—lots of guys actually—trying to find someone like Nick. It took lots of time, and even more sex, but I finally found a guy to love. Jackson. Four months into our relationship, Nick had faded into a memory. Up until now.

But looking at him now, I knew I didn’t love him like that. I did before, but now…it was Jackson. It was all Jackson.

“So,” I started, trying to end the awkward silence, “how was California?”

Nick grinned. “It was amazing. Even though it was no Vienna Beach, I loved it a lot. The weather was always sunny.”

“I’m guessing your parents sorted something out?” I asked, immediately regretting speaking. What was going on with his family was none of my business. “I’m sorry, Nick, you don’t have to—”

“No, no, you deserve to hear an explanation. I left you so suddenly, I could only imagine how you must have felt.”

I sighed. “You know what Nick? I think I do but that doesn’t mean you need to give me one. You may say ‘I can only imagine’ but really, no one can. I loved you, Nick Liles, and do you know what you did? You dropped me like a fucking hat and hightailed it to Cali. It made me feel like shit. Like I wasn’t good enough for anyone.”

“Oh, Lucy, is that what you really thought?” Nick gushed, turning me to face him. “Lucy, I moved because I had to.”

“I know that now, I just, I guess I just wanted an explanation.” I muttered. “But you didn’t have to end it. We could have emailed.”

“Lucy, you don’t know how badly I wanted to. But, see, towards the end of our relationship…I think I started to fall out of it. If I emailed, I would have led you on.”

I glared at him. “So, those last few weeks—all those times you said you loved me—that was all a lie?”

“No!” Nick defended, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Well, yes, in the term you are referring to. But I did love you…as a friend. You were one of the truest friends I had and I think I started to see you more as a friend than a girlfriend.”

Arguing wasn’t going to get us anywhere, and quite frankly, I was just glad he was back. I really did miss him. “Okay,” I smiled, “well there’s really no point in fighting, and I’m willing to let it go if you are.”

“Deal.” Nick shook my hand. I tried not to notice how relieved he sounded.

“Well?” I quirked my eyebrows.

Nick looked at me funny. “Well what?”

“Aren’t you going to tell me something about California?” I basically screamed. “I’m dying to hear it all!”

That’s how I spent the first half of the party, sitting on a soggy log listening to Nick tell stories of California, my fingers crossed behind my back.

Because I wanted more.

With Nick it was always more.
__________

Bay’s P.O.V~

“Holy shit, Lucy wasn’t kidding when she said that everyone was gonna be here,” I noted, as Zach and I stepped onto the grainy sand. I had ditched me sandals a long time ago. It was pointless stumbling around when you could just go barefoot.

“Hah, yeah,” Zach snorted. I couldn’t tell if he was excited or pained to be here. “Hey, do you mind if I split for a bit? There’s someone I’m going to look for real quick.”

I grinned and wiggled my eyebrows. “Depends, is this someone a lady friend?”

Zach blushed. Blushed. That was an instant give away. “Maybe.”

“Okay then, stud muffin, go over and flirt it up, I’ll be here.” I sighed, pushing him off towards the kegs.

“You don’t mind?” he double checked.

“Yes, silly, now go on, don’t make the ladies wait.”

Giving me one last look, Zach chucked and made his way over to the bonfire. I could tell by the craned neck and poised toes that he really was looking for some girl. Aw, first love.

I walked my way over to the shoreline, sticking my feet in the waters way. The fiery embers casted a funny looking glow over the ocean. It looked gorgeous. Just being here, on the beach, made me so happy. After all the traveling and everything else…simply standing here meant everything in the world to me.

In the end it was totally worth it.
__________

Nick’s P.O.V~

Go talk to her, I thought to myself.

Lucy and I spent about two hours catching up while the sun set. Like I said, I had so much to tell her. Sure that torn ACL did fuck up any dreams for playing professional, let alone college, football—but it had opened up new opportunities. It gave me the option to try surfing. Now, I could care less about football. I loved surfing. There was just…it was more of a rush. Football was all strategic and tackles. Surfing made me feel free.

But leave it to Lucy to find the downsides in everything. It was all “Oh my God but what if you got attacked by a shark? Or got sand up your new bathing suit? I don’t think I could survive if I got a rash from that filthy water, I mean, imagine how much sodium you take in if you, like, drink that water? No wonder people from Survivor go loco drinking that damn water.”

Lucy was one of my best friends, but she was a little…bitchy. Today being my first day back, I could only take so much whining. And once Lucy had run out of “juicy” stories to tell she flittered off without any goodbye, off to go gossip to someone else.

Hence, me standing alone at the bonfire, looking at one of the most beautiful girls I had even seen—and that was just me looking at the back of her head.

Okay, moron, it’s easy, just put one foot in front of the other and walk your way over to the goddamn girl, I snapped to myself. Why was I so nervous? Girls never made me nervous.

It took me a minute before I finally snapped back to my regular self. I mean, it was just a talk. What did I have to get worked up about?

“Hey,” I called, standing slightly behind her. At the sound of her voice her head whipped around, strands of white and gold lashing around.

Closer, I could see that she was petite, probably just over five feet. Her skin was perfectly sun-kissed which led me to think she was an outdoorsy type. Everything about her was just right: her full lips, dimpled cheeks, button nose, and the cute little constellations of freckles—then there were the eyes, it was all an illusion. They gray of her orbs showed darkness, but the way they reflected light…it was…magical. Wow, I can’t believe how queer I was sounding.

“Hi,” she said and smiled. Her teeth shone against the sunset. “Can I help you?”

Time to put on the Nick Liles Charm. Grinning, I stuck out my hand. “Nah, you just looked so lonely. I figured that someone here should have shown some hospitality. My name’s Nicholas Liles, but please, call me Nick.”

The girl giggled and shook my hand. “Nice to meet you, Nick; I’m Bay.”

“Well that’s a cute name,” I chuckled, pulling her little hand up to my lips.

“I guess,” Bay rolled her eyes. “My parents are, like, extremist marine biologists,”

Oh, well that explained it. “Wait, you guys are family that moved into the big house down the road, right?”

“Yup that’s us,” Bay said and sighed, “but please, don’t get weirded about it; it really isn’t that big of a deal.”

“You make it sound like people freak often.” I noted, quirking my eyebrows.

“That’s because most of the time people do.” She told me. “I mean, what’s so special about a fancy house? It isn’t even about the studies, it’s all the income my family makes.”

Well, she had a point. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Damn straight I am,” she snapped then gulped a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Nick, for venting like this. I don’t normally talk like this.”

I shook my head. “No, no, it’s totally cool, I get it.”

“Sure? I’m not scaring you off or anything?”

I scoffed. “You? Please, you have the face of a puppy dog. It’s gonna take a little more than that to scare me away.”

“Good.” Bay nodded, nudging her toes into the sand.

“But, hey, what exactly are you doing sitting alone out here?” I asked. “This is supposed to be a party for Christ’s sake.”

Bay laughed. “My best friend ditched me.”

I frowned. “Aw, that’s too bad. Let me guess, she’s off sticking her tongue down some poor boys throat?”

“Well probably, but vice versa; Zach’s not a girl.”

“Whoa, whoa, do you mean Zach as in Zach Tariff?” I stated.

Bay nodded. “Yeah…why?”

“It’s just—see, Zach’s one of those nerdy fashion freaks. He’s gay too.” I said. “And being gay…it doesn’t fly well.”

“Is that what everyone thinks?” she asked me.

“Kinda?”

“Okay, well, Zach is my friend. Whatever you all want to think, fine, but don’t go bagging down other people.” Bay warned.

I held my hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry; I didn’t know you both were so…close.”

“We are.” Bay whispered, wrapping her arms around her waist. “So I’d kinda like if you didn’t talk so bad about him.”

I nodded. “I get it.”

“Great.” Bay smiled. “I really don’t mean to sound so harsh, it’s just I think sticking up for the little people is a good trait, you know?”

“Yeah, um, I wouldn’t necessarily consider Zach a ‘little people.’”

Bay’s eyes lit up as she tried to smother down her laughter. When she finally couldn’t hold it in anymore, she let out a snort. “Oh my God, sorry, that was just…”

“Hilarious?”

“Yes,” Bay continued to giggle. “Oh man, my sides hurt.”

This girl was just too cute. Her being fairly small herself I found it a little adorable she wanted to stand up to the littler people. I was turning into a sissy.

“Bay!” a voice called out from behind us. “Oh, Bay, I am so glad you were able to come. I’m guessing you already met Nick already.”

“Hey, Lucy.” She deadpanned, clearly not happy to see her. Who wouldn’t love to be with Lucy? She was like a third sister to me.

“Are you two getting along?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows. “You guys seemed certainly cozy over here.”

I nodded. “We’re fine, Luce.”

“Great!” Lucy cheered, slurring over the letters. Shit, she was drunk. “Nick, did you tell Bay about us?”

“Us?” I looked at her like she was crazy. Was she doing this on purpose, trying to steer me and Bay apart?

“Wait, you guys are dating?” Bay raised her eyebrows and grinned. “Huh, I can see it.”

This was so not what I was thinking this would go. So fix it, moron, I hissed to myself. Make Lucy leave, you were doing just fine without her.

“Luce,” I called, turning her around. “Why don’t you go and find your friends, I bet they are dying to compliment you and that stunning dress.”

“You are so right!” Lucy hiccupped. “Bye, bye.”

“Well, that was a little odd,” Bay said and snorted. “I don’t think I’ve met a girl with more hot-air than a balloon before, but hey, there’s a first for everything, right?”

I shook my head. “We aren’t dating, Lucy and I, I mean.”

“Really?” Bay frowned. “Are you sure, I could so see it if you were.”

“We did,” I sighed. “But that was a year ago. It is defiantly over now.”

“It wasn’t ‘defiantly over’ a year ago?” she countered. Damn, this girl was good.

“Yes, it was, it has been for a long time.” I clarified. “But, on the Brightside I’m very single right now.”

Bay smiled. “Huh, is that right?”

“Yep, very right.” Now was my time to make my move. “And very hungry. Would you like to grab a bite to eat, maybe a movie tomorrow?”

“I’ll think about it,” Bay said, “but as very single as I am, I’m also very undateable. Nice talking to you, Nick, I’ll see you around.”

Bay came over and kissed my cheek before sauntering back into the party. Fuck, did she know
how crazy she was driving me?

…