𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 || baxter radic

21.

The night is settling down. I'm curled up in Bax's lap. Summer's got her hand wrapped up in Ari's. Poppy's got her head rested on Marlon's shoulder. Bodhi has gone home for the night, not because she wanted to, more like because she had to. But that's a story for another time.

"So we had an idea May. It's okay if you don't want to do it, but I talked to Manu about it and he thought it was a good idea as well." Poppy doesn't lift her head of Marlon as she speaks. They both seem to be a lulled state of happiness. After watching Marlon love her from afar—just as I did with Bax—it was nice to see them so happy together.

"You're scaring me Poppy." I lift my head from Bax's chest and direct my focus across the room to her. I feel Bax's hand drift to my skin. It's his way to pull me back in when I've distanced myself from him. It's how we reminded each other that we are still there. It was by just the slightest of touches.

"It's not scary." She laughs. "Actually, it was Bax's idea."

"Collective." He corrects her. He's short. He doesn't say anymore. He doesn't want the credit. His big bad boy ego deflating if he takes the credit for what I can only assume to be a kind gesture.

"Fine," Poppy rolls her eyes, slightly shifting in her chair, "we all came together and thought that maybe we could do a surfing tournament in your brother's name. We could raise money for some charity and do a donation on behalf of him. Maybe it like an Annual thing every year."

"Don't let them fool you Belle. They've already planned the whole thing. Manu has spent the last week setting everything up. Making sure that everything is exactly how it should be." Summer's voice is filled with so much joy and excitement, that I can't help but feel the same way.

"Bax got a whole bunch of sponsors to step in and back surfers." Ari adds into the conversation.

"Eh, it was Wren that did that. I just had to deal with... her." He again puts himself down like he's had nothing to do with this project whatsoever. I turn and look at him, a frown appearing on my lips.

He reaches up and steals a gentle touch along my cheek before running his thumb along my pouting lips. His eyes stare at the rosy stain on their surface, unable to break his gaze. "I've just been the distraction." He finally adds as his eyes break from my lips.

My heart is thumping from the moment. The tone of his voice, the touch of his skin. Something about it has my mind wobbly, unable to think straight. I'm craving this feeling again, but voices around me start again, pulling me from whatever moment that was.

"Bodhi did a shoot for posters that we've been handing out around town and at the beach. People can donate money. Some sponsors will have booths and the charity of your choice will get a little bit of the profit from sales made. I honestly have no idea how we've gotten this all put together without you finding out. But I think we're all pretty stoked for it." Summer tries to distract me from the haze that's filling my mind. She must have noticed the pull Bax had on me—how all words seized to exist for just a short moment in time.

"When is it?" I ask the beaming question I should have asked before they went into full detail about all of this.

"This weekend." The girls say in unison. Excitement practically lifting them out of their seats.

"I guess I better think of what I should honor in Max's name huh?" I smile at them. "Though the only thing that should be honored is all your guy's hard work and dedication. You guys are truly the best." I rest back against Bax, relaxing into him as his arms wrap around me.

"I wish Bodhi was here when we told you though." Poppy sighs.

"It's okay we can celebrate with her tomorrow." I try and lift the mood. "You guys are all surfing right?" I glance at everyone except Bax.

It's a unanimous yes. I even feel Bax nod his head behind me. He's seems a bit distracted. I want to pull him away and question his brain. But this moment is too happy—too exciting—to interrupt.

"No bias though." Summer points a finger at me. "No manipulating scores so your boyfriend wins. That's something you would do." She chuckles.

I don't disagree. If I had the option of making my boyfriend feel like he is on cloud nine, taking the number one spot in something. There is no doubt that I would do it in a heartbeat. But I knew I didn't have to cheat to make sure he won. He had enough skill to prove it on his own.

"There's something I need to show you later." Bax whispers in my ear. It's already a quarter to midnight, it's the latest we've been up a week and I'm starting to feel the sleepiness setting in.

"It seems like we have a busy few days ahead of us to finish getting ready. Maybe we should all head to home and off to bed." I suggest, and everyone agrees.

Summer follows Bax and I out after saying her goodbyes and goodnights to everyone. We're walking slowly, my arms wrapped around Bax's as we walk toward Summer and I's house.

"What do you have to show me?" I look up at him, the moonlight glaring in his blue eyes so gorgeously. I could look at him and get lost for hours.

"If I told you, I wouldn't have to show you. Now would I?" He kisses my forehead before directing his focus back toward the road. He's on high alert, watching the darkness around us. He's hyper focused on our surroundings. More than he ever has been before. "Come on Summer, I'm not waiting all day for you to catch up." He calls out in an annoyed tone. Though I don't think he is actually annoyed. She hurries her feet along and we make it back to our place safely.

I got to enter, but Bax pulls my arm back—not letting me go. Summer glances over h shoulder at us but doesn't question his actions. Instead she shuts the door in our faces and leaves us standing there in the dark.

"Bax I'm tired." I groan as I drop my head against his chest.

"Just give me a few minutes." He chuckles. "Stay here." His mood has shifted, it's brighter, he's more alive. The excitement he should have felt when we were all together, only exists now.

When he returns he propped on top of a bike and points to the pegs on the back wheel. "Jump on ya slow poke." I follow his joking orders and he takes off down the moonlit street taking us wherever the night seems to allow us to go.