Just for Now

Chapter Six

Day One
Afternoon

There were a lot of weird things going on with this trip— pretending to not be on the cusp of divorce with his wife, dealing with his mother's wacky new boyfriend. Lying to his family. It was a lot.

But one thing he could not complain about was the beach side service. Clear oceans. Soft sand. Never ending drinks. Hot sun. Lounge chairs with cushions. He could get used to the feeling of the sun soaking into him. It distracted him from everything else going on.

His family was currently lounging in a row on the beach, facing the ocean. Most had drinks in hand, soaking in the heat. Their chairs were relatively close to each other, they could easily reach the person next to them. They had been outside for a bit now and everyone seemed to be ignoring the fact that they were all exhausted from the flight. Their family had always been the kind to not let a second go to waste on vacation.

Cole snuck a glance at Allison who was laying next to him. Her sunglasses pushed her crimson hair back on her head. Her eyes were shut and she inhaled deeply. He hadn't seen her look this relaxed in a long time. He wanted her to stay like this— all Cole wanted was for her to be happy. He couldn't stand being the reason she wasn't.

"We're gonna go in if anyone wants to come," Sam announced as he and Lila stood up from their chairs, gesturing loosely in the direction of the water.

"Maybe in a bit, I wanna tan for a bit longer," Scarlett responded, not lifting her head from her chair.

Sam tossed his sister the sunscreen which she caught with a jolt, giving him a glare at the sudden throw. "Careful you don't burn, Scar, or you'll be having yourself a Red Wedding."

"You didn't even watch that show, you have no idea what it means," Scarlett pointed out, but unscrewed the top of the sunscreen regardless.

"Sure, but I'm guessing you still don't want whatever it is," Sam guessed with a boyish grin.

Nate shrugged. "He's not wrong."

"Sam, don't drown your sister again," Lorena called out, flipping the page of her magazine.

"No promises!" Sam shouted back as he ran towards the water.

"I'll drown him first!" Lila called over her shoulder, beating her brother to the ocean.

"That's the spirit, honey," Lorena exclaimed flatly, not taking her eyes off the words in front of her.

Matthew chuckled, rubbing his hands together, which Cole found odd. Cole was half surprised that Matthew didn't have sunscreen coating his nose. That was until he reached for the sunscreen and squirted a glob of it into his hands. His fingers scooped it onto his fingers, and as if having ready Cole's mind, began to dab it onto his nose. It took everything in him to not say anything.

"Ergh," Scarlett suddenly let out, her face scrunching up. She held her drink out, scrutinizing eyes scanning it as if looking for something wrong with it. Scarlett turned to Allison, asking, "Is your drink any good?"

"No complaints here," Allison quipped happily, handing Scarlett her drink as a silent offer. The girl took the drink curiously, sipping it with narrowed eyes. She pulled it away from her lips with a hum.