After a year and a half of trying to move on from the what-ifs, the tides have pulled Alexandra Rivera and Zachariah Kim back together again.
*****
In the h...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I have always believed Hawai'i has the most beautiful sunsets in the world. When I was younger, my dad and I used to paint a picture with those skies—a glass of sweet sangria on a warm summer evening, a blast of refreshing passion orange guava juice in the morning that made our eyes squint and cheeks pucker up, an enviable cotton candy-colored horizon drenched in a sweetness we wanted to melt against our tongue.
My favorite kind of sunset reminded me of an orchid; brilliant, dreamy hues of purple fading into pink. This was the kind of sunset fading into a blackened sky as we made our way to the beach.
Jem Lin sat next to me in the backseat with the purple lei I'd spent twenty minutes picking out for her bouncing whenever the car went over a speed bump.
"I did it," she gasped in disbelief, turning to look at me with wide eyes that glimmered like starlight under the dimming sun. "I graduated high school."
"And we're so proud of you." I pressed a sloppy kiss against her cheek.
Jem shoved me away with a giggle as the wind blew silky sheets of dark hair back over her shoulder.
Emmie peeked back at us through the rearview mirror, shaking her head and biting her lip through a smile. That signature red always painted on her lips stood out amongst the hues of blue and green racing past her outside.
"Alex," Heather said from the passenger seat where she'd been self-anointed the honor of riding shotgun even though Jem had placed her bags there before we all piled into the car. "Cool it on the drinks tonight. It was a nightmare trying to find you last time."
If it were possible to drill a hole in the back of her headrest with my hard gaze—
"It's not my fault your phone died and you didn't read my text letting you know where I was going," I argued; the bitter taste of that night still lingered. "Not to mention I'd told you before that I was leaving with Kat."
Through the reflection of the window, I saw Heather roll her eyes at me.
"It'll probably be chill. No need to worry," Jem said in my defense.
Emmie, oblivious to the tension, leaned forward in her seat to get a better view as we turned off onto a dirt road, announcing we had arrived.
Jem was the first out of the car once we pulled into the parking stall, and Heather followed quickly behind. I took my time, making sure to leave Jem's sweater out on the seat in case she came back for it since she got cold easily. When I stepped out onto the gravel, Emmie was leaning up against the passenger door with a cherry-dipped smile on her face.
"He's coming tonight," she said. "Zach."
"Can't wait to meet the guy who's convinced you to date him after sliding into your dm's."
Emmie rolled her eyes, but the lingering smile betrayed her excitement. "Don't make it sound sleazy. I told you he went to Heather's old school."
"Old," I scoffed. "It's been two years since we graduated. There's no such thing as old."
