Carolina [h.s]

thirty eight

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do you remember when you said if i saw your trouble i'd be scared well you're melting my heart cause you won't show me your cards yet is that why you build potemkin villages to hide oh you think i can't handle what's going on inside.

***

Vada
//

Under the full moonlight music plays as we sing and dance along. Louis, and Zayn pile driftwood together and set fire to it. Flames crackle and climb as Juliet and I kind of sway, sort of stumble toward the beach bonfire and when I take Niall's beer bottle from his hand and drink the rest he smiles.

"Wow, V," he says, his blue eyes dark under the glow of the fire. "I see how it is," And then he's getting up and chasing me with the hot end of a skewer and I scream like a lunatic as the group laughs along at our banter.

When we calm down, easy conversation carries between the sounds of the ocean waves and the crackle of the blazing blue and orange embers. Li's sitting in the sand below Zayn's legs and I sit next to Louis while we all pass around a bag of marshmallows but I burn more than I actually eat.

When I'm cooking my fourth marshmallow, cautious of the flames now I feel Harry's burning stare from across from me.

I look up to faded and dependent eyes as he drinks from the beer bottle. Licking his lips he smirks and his eyebrows raise a challenge as we speak secret languages with our eyes.

"You're never going to get anywhere like this," Louis then says, pulling the skewer from my hand as the marshmallow falls off and melts under the fire pit. We laugh and he hands me one of his perfect golden-brown toasted goodness. With his help I roast a perfect one. And then two more.

"So, what's the plan with your pops, Li?" With heavy eyes, Niall and Harry pass back a blunt as the blonde asks the burning question.

From across the firepit she just shrugs. "Well, I can't walk back in that house for at least a few days, but" She pauses. "They will get over it eventually," She rolls her eyes in bitterness.

"I thought he was gonna knock the shit out of Zayn," Louis laughs. "But wait, was he actually serious about giving you 10k?" he questions.

"He had the check written out and everything," Zayn confirms. "I knew your parents were bad, but shit Li, I was not expecting that." He shakes his head in disbelief.

"You should have taken it—" I hear Harry start.

"Shut up, Harry." Juliet cuts him off.

"Jesus, let me finish, " He defends "You should have taken it and then faked a break up with Li," He states.

"Now, that's a solid idea. It isn't too late y'know," Niall offers with a smile.

"I don't even care about the money." Zayn defends. "Give me a few years, I'll double his amount and send him a check just because he's the asshole who didn't believe I ever could be good enough for his daughter." he scoffs.

"Well, no one's good enough for Lucas Parker's daughter," I confirm and it earns a knowing smile from my best friend.

"Yeah, 10k is nothing. This one time in high school—" Juliet starts a story as Niall passes the blunt to Louis and Louis passes it to me.

I take a few hits and drink more beer as every ounce and puff mixes with the alcohol that is already in my system. And then the time of the night sways into a warp as laughter becomes an echo and conversations get more incoherent.

Before I know it I am standing at the shoreline of the ocean. Wind blows in my hair as the water rushes up from a wave and soaks my feet and then Li's running past me screaming about the good life in nothing but her bra and underwear.