“No, you touching me.”
“What are you two whispering about over there?” April leans in, interrupting our conversation.
“Nothing.” Poppy shakes her head.
“Uh huh.” April gives her friend a pointed look. “So listen, me and Brock were thinking about going down for a night swim. You guys wanna join?”
“What do you think, P?” I ask her before answering.
“I think I’d rather sit this one out. I’m feeling a little tipsy and I don’t trust myself not to drown.” She laughs lightly.
“You can just wade in the water. You don’t have to actually swim,” April points out.
“Even still, I’m pretty comfortable right here.”
“Fine. Party pooper.” April sticks out her bottom lip.
“Looks like it’s just the two of us.” Brock stands, offering April a hand before tugging her to her feet.
“Don’t act like you’re disappointed.” I smile at him.
“You know me too well.” He winks, dropping his arm over April’s shoulder before they both turn and head in the direction of the water.
“You sure you don’t want to go down there?” I ask Poppy once the two are gone.
“I saw Heidi and Ethan head down there a little bit ago. Suffice it to say, I really don’t have the stomach to watch the two of them swallow each other’s heads at the moment.”
“Might be a good opportunity to give them a little show.”
“Not tonight.” She shakes her head.
“Okay. Then what do you want to do?”
“Actually, I should probably find Camila. I haven’t seen her in some time.”
“She’s over there with Tripp.” I nod my head toward our cabin where Camila is leaning against the banister of the front porch, immersed in conversation with my best friend.
“Not her too.” She groans loudly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I try to suppress my laugh. “You don’t like Tripp?”
“No, it’s not that. Tripp is fine. It’s just... Well, I’ve already got April hanging out with Brock. If Cam and Tripp start hanging out, then that means my two best friends are dating two of your best friends.”
“And that’s a problem why?”
“That’s a problem because we’re lying to everyone,” she says in a hushed tone. “When we end things, it might make it weird for them.”
“I doubt they care that much about our relationship.”
“You don’t know my friends. I guarantee the only reason Camila is talking to Tripp right now is because she feels free to do so since we’re hanging out.”
“You really don’t make much sense,” I tell her.
“She’s stayed away from your crowd for my sake.”
“My crowd?” I hitch a brow.
“Look, it’s no secret that we aren’t friends and haven’t been for a long time. Camila is one of those friends that’s all about standing by you. Since I didn’t want anything to do with you or your friends, then neither did she. She didn’t have to know you to dislike you. She disliked you on principle alone. But now the door is open.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing?” I offer.
“How is that a good thing?”
“How is it not?”
“You don’t understand.” She lets out a soft sigh before taking another drink of her beer.
“I think maybe you’re thinking too much into this.”
“Well, it doesn’t much matter now, does it? Don’t get me wrong, if one of my friends likes one of yours, I would support them one hundred percent. I would never stand in the way of their happiness. But I’m worried what kind of blow back there will be when we end this.”
“You worry too much. Has anyone ever told you that?”
“Only like every single day.” She laughs. “Besides, after the slut shaming incident at lunch the other day, I doubt Camila would be interested in dating Tripp or any of your other friends. She’s pretty unforgiving.”
“Seems like she’s forgiven him just fine.” I smirk, my eyes darting back to the porch where Tripp is leaning into Camila, showing her something on his phone.
“He wasn’t the one saying stuff, so maybe he’s safe.” She shrugs.
“Okay, enough about our friends. Let’s talk about something else.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Anything.”
“How did your mom’s fundraiser go the other night?” she asks.
“You knew about that?”
“I know about quite a lot, actually. She talks to me all the time. Even though I never come over, I think she still has this assumption that we’re still friends. I’m guessing you never told her otherwise.”
“You talk to my mom?” I question, not sure why this surprises me. My mom has always adored Poppy. I guess I assumed after we stopped hanging out...
“She is my neighbor,” Poppy interrupts my thought.
“Yeah, good point. And the fundraiser went well. Or I’m assuming it did. She didn’t really say much about it to me.”
“And you didn’t think to ask?”
“P, she does these things constantly.”
“And? That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show a little interest. Do you have any idea how much I wish I had a mom that I could sit down and talk to? A mom who would tell me about her day over dinner and ask me about mine. You have that and you don’t even appreciate it.”
“I’m sorry, Poppy.” I lean forward.
“I don’t need your pity. What I need is for you to appreciate your parents a little more. You really have no idea how lucky you are.”
“No, I do. I know how fortunate I am to have them.”
“Good.” She gives me a curt nod.
“So, your mom...”
“Nope.” She stops me before I can say more. “We are not talking about my mother. Not this week.”
“Fair enough.” I slouch back down in my chair. “But you know, you can talk to me. That is if you ever want to.”
She thinks on that for a long moment before abruptly pushing to her feet.
“What are you doing?” I ask, smiling when she downs the rest of her beer before setting her cup on the arm of the chair and reaching out for me.
“Let’s dance.” She grins, wiggling her outstretched fingers.
“Dance?” I hitch a brow.
“Why not? We are trying to make a statement tonight, are we not?”
“I guess we are,” I agree, setting my beer to the side before taking her hands and allowing her to pull me to my feet.
She stumbles backward slightly as I stand, and I quickly snag an arm around her waist to keep her upright.
“Someone’s drunk.” I lean in close, not missing the way her breath hitches when I do.
“Maybe a little.” She smiles, her eyes glazed over.
“You sure you want to dance? We could always go back to your cabin. That would definitely get people talking,” I tease, only half serious.
“Not a chance.” She wiggles out of my embrace. “Now come on.” She takes my hand, pulling me toward the large group of people already occupying the makeshift dance floor.