I Hate the Way...

Part 10: 'The Proposal Story'

Hope, Josie, Lizzie, MG, and Raf meet the others down at the beach, laying out their towels to sit on top of the sand.

Josie and Hope consciously sit a bit too close to each other, to keep up appearances, with Josie leaning back against Hope's shoulder every now and then, though that part takes a little less conscious effort.

They tell 'the story of their engagement' to their friends, the fake story where Hope won Josie over quickly, they fell in love fast, and Hope got down on one knee, ready to settle down and be with the girl for the rest of her life.

Just to get on Hope's nerves, Josie makes the proposal story sound a lot more sappy than they'd agreed on. But she went into grave detail, so it was believable nonetheless. Though the overly emotional depictions of Hope don't exactly match her typical demeanor.

And Hope just has to bite her tongue, going along with the story, though Josie knows it physically unnerves her to be described as such a vulnerable, cheesy sap.

At the end of her story, after describing the proposal filled with rose petals and candles and wine, Josie glances to Hope, a small smirk subtly on her lips.

Hope narrows her eyes at the girl, a smirk of her own forming, "You left out the best part babe."

Josie furrows her eyebrows, "What's that?"

Hope shoots her a knowing look with a shrug of her shoulder, "The sex."

Maya and Lizzie simultaneously choke on their drinks, Jed and Kaleb laugh, and Josie's eyes comedically widen and her jaw slacks, "Hope."

Through his laughter, Jed assures her, "Don't worry Josie, we're not prudes."

But Maya mutters under her breath, putting her drink down, "I am now."

But Hope holds her daring stare against Josie's.
And Josie knows it's payback for the story she told.

Jed's voice cuts the tension between them, "I guess it's true what they say.. 'When you know, you know.'"

Hope agrees with him.

Then she feels Josie's hand grazing her own briefly before the bottle of beer is swiped from her fist. She raises an eyebrow, turning back to the brunette who takes a large swig from her drink before returning the bottle to her fiancé's hand.

As the group carries on their own conversation, Hope and Josie continue to steal glances at each other, not exactly knowing why.

Maybe its glares. Maybe its knowingness. Maybe its playful quip.

They love to secretly hate each other. They enjoy undermining each other, getting under each other's skin. They can't stand each other, but at the same time, they couldn't imagine pulling this type of scam with anyone else.

When a slight breeze grazes her skin, Josie naturally leans closer to the Tribrid, seeking out warmth in their proximity.

The contact draws in the attention of the auburn haired girl, turning to Josie and whispering almost endearingly, "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine."

Hope tilts her head, and if it were anyone else, Josie would think it's incredibly adorable, how blue eyes study herself briefly, before Hope brings her leather jacket down her shoulders.

"Hope—"

Her words die out as the Tribrid puts the jacket over Josie's shoulders, and Josie can't help but let her eyes fall on the newly revealed skin Hope leaves on display.

Before now, Josie hadn't seen the full extent of Hope's arms and shoulders and chest.
She'd always worn long sleeves or her uniform, but now the only thing covering her upper body was a black tank top, accentuating her chest and revealing her arms, where ink tattoos her skin.