The Summer We Turned Pretty

Chapter 8: Late Night Walks Down the Beach

Deli's POV:

Once we're far enough down the beach I notice that we're pretty close to the house. "Hey, I live just up the beach here." I tell them, pointing in the direction. KaI turns to his friends. "I'm gonna walk her home. I'll see you guys later." They all nod before smiling at me.

"It was good to meet you Delilah." Camille says for all of them. "It was great meeting you guys too. Oh, and you all can call me Deli, everyone does." They all grin and nod before walking all back in the direction of the bonfire.

"Come on, let's get you home." Kai says, nodding in the direction that I pointed. We walk in silence for a bit before he breaks it. "So, you mentioned you and Belly were sisters, but you two look nothing alike." He points out. I nod.

"Uh, yeah. Adoptive sisters. We like to say we're twins since we were born on the same day." I chuckle. He laughs too. "But, uh, her parents took me in when my parents died." "Oh, I'm sorry." There's more silence. "If it's not too much...how did they die?" He asks. I look down.

"Uh, they were hit by a drunk driver on the way home from the hospital after they had me. I was in the car too, but somehow there wasn't a scratch on me. Laurel, Belly's mom, adopted me not too long after since she was my godmother and I don't have any other family." I explain.

"I'm sorry Deli." He says sincerely. I shrug. "It's ok. I mean, I didn't even know them." "Yeah, but things like that never really heal." He says softly. I nod. He's not wrong. I've wondered what it would be like to know my parents my whole life, and I will never be able to satisfy that curiosity.

"So, what about you? Tell me about yourself" I say, looking up at him. He's not too tall, but at only 5'3" I look up to everyone. "Well, there's not much too it. Uh, my dad owns the country club and that gas station we met at. I was only there since one of the workers called in sick." 

My eyes widen. "Wait seriously?" "Yeah, I usually work there over the summer to make some extra money, but other than that I'm with the others working on music." "What about your mom?" He pauses slightly. "Uh, she passed away last year. Drunk driver." My eyes widen. 

"I-I'm sorry." "No, it's ok. Don't worry about it. I'm good now." I give him a sad smile. "Things like that never really heal." I say, turning his words around. He chuckles. Soon we come up on the house. "Well, this is me. Thank you for walking me back. You didn't have to." He grins. 

"Now, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't walk a pretty girl back to her house?" I blush at his use of pretty. "You? A gentleman?" I say, trying to make him ignore the red blush staining my cheeks. He chuckles. 

"Yes, a gentleman. Well, I gotta get going, but, if you want, tomorrow I can pick you up and you can hang out with all of us at the club. We're going over different song ideas." He tells me. I grin. "I'd love that actually. Should I bring my guitar?" "Definitely. I'll see you tomorrow Deli." 

Before I even have time to think, Kai stoops down and places a soft kiss on my cheek before turning and walking away. The smile on my face doesn't leave until I'm back in my room, having safely skirted around a sleeping Susannah and Laurel in the living room. 

It quickly falls though when there's a loud knock on the door. The others wouldn't knock. I hear Laurel get up, more than likely leaving Susannah to sleep on the couch, and opens the door. It's the cops. The others got picked up at the bonfire for underaged drinking. 

Once the police officer is gone Laurel chews out all of them for reckless behavior before sending everyone upstairs to bed. I hear all of them ascend the stairs and soon there's a knock on my door. I walk over and open it. It's Jere, Belly is behind him. 

She sends me a smile with a shrug before walking into her own room. "Hey, how did you get back? I was worried when I couldn't find you." He says. My heart picks up slightly. He was worried about me? 

"Uh, when everything went to hell I booked it with some people I met and one of them walked me home. I just got back." I say, scratching the back of my head. "Was it that group of people you were hanging out with?" He asks. I nod. "Yeah." "Kai Anderson right?" I furrow my brows. 

"Yeah, wait, do you know him?" I ask. "Yeah, he helps down at the club sometimes. How did you two meet?" "Gas station on the way in. He invited me to the bonfire." I might be imagining it, but his jaw clenches at this. "Really?" "Uh, yeah, really. Why?" 

"Just be careful Deli. You don't know him." I roll my eyes. "I'll be fine Jere. Trust me on this." He nods, though there's still a sour look on his face. "Well, goodnight." I go to close my door. "Wait." I stop and turn to him. "Yeah?" 

"We still on for our surfing day tomorrow?" He asks with his usual childlike grin. Crap. "Uh, can we do it the day after tomorrow? I told Kai I would hang out with him and his friends tomorrow. They all play and Kai writes so we're all just gonna jam out tomorrow." I say with grin. 

His smile fall. "Seriously? We always surf together the second day." He says with a pout." I laugh. "I'm sure the universe won't fall on its head if we surf on the third day." I tell him. "But it's tradition." Why is he pushing this so badly? "One day isn't gonna hurt Jere." 

"Can't you just tell him you can hang out another day? It's out thing." I don't know why, but instead of feeling all giddy inside when he called surfing on the second day 'our thing', I feel anger boil inside of me. I've never made friends outside of the boys and Belly while in Cousins.

Now that I have the chance, he's pushing something that doesn't need to be pushed. I told him we could go the next day, but he's set on tomorrow. Then I remember how him and Belly left without me for the beach this afternoon and I snap. 

"Yeah, well, if tradition is so important to you, next time don't just invite Belly to the beach when it's always been the three of us who go on the first day. Being excluded sucks. Goodnight Jeremiah." With that I close the door in his face.  I sigh as my back hits my door. 

I groan as I slide down it and put my head in my hands. Something is different about this summer. Maybe it's just me, but maybe it's Jere. Maybe he finally sees his chance with Belly, and if he does, I don't stand a chance. 

Maybe this summer is the one I either get with him or lose all feelings towards him. God, I hope it's the first one.