I sat by the pool, my legs close to my chest, the music still blasting in the background, but I didn't care.
Owen sat quietly beside me. He had been listening to me without uttering a word, and it was helpful as I vented my past, a part of me that had been hidden for so long. "I always felt like I failed her," I said, my voice barely above a whisper as a tear slipped down my cheek, which I quickly wiped away. I could feel the weight of the past on my shoulders and the heaviness of my guilt in my heart. "My parents tried to help me move on, but Posy was my twin, my other half. It wasn't that easy, so I shut down. I locked away that part of me."
"That's why you're scared of water," Owen remarked.
"Yeah, wait, how do you know that? I didn't tell you I was," I spoke, looking at him bewildered.
"Because I was there when it happened."
The words hung in the air, heavy. I turned to look at Owen, my eyes wide with shock and confusion. "What do you mean, you were there?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't understand."
Owen shifted his gaze from me to the pool, his expression hard to read. "I am the boy, Piper," my eyes widened further at the sudden revelation, but it still didn't make any sense.
"How—" I struggled to find my words again, but he replied, saying.
"I was the kid you met at the beach that day. After the incident, my parents took us away from the scene back to our cabin. I never saw you again after that, but when I found you again, drowning at the pool, you called that name, Posy. At first, I thought it was all just a coincidence, but it was too much of a coincidence, so I did a little background search and found your parents." He turned to me, his blue eyes met mine, his face softened under the night sky, also filled with sadness. "That was when I knew it was you."
I forced out a chuckle, but that was to hide what I was truly feeling inside. "We moved to start fresh after my mom got pregnant. No one else knows about this."
"Not even Matilda?"
That hit me like a knife piercing my flesh. It wasn't an unexpected question, but why did it hurt so much? More tears than I had been holding in came rushing out. I couldn't take it anymore. I wasn't only a bad sister, but a bad friend, too.
"Piper?" Another voice echoed behind me, and when I looked back, I stared directly at a teary-eyed Matilda. Beside her was Jake, who also had a look of sorrow on his face. How long had they been standing there? Did they hear all I said? "Piper," she repeated, taking a step forward, her voice trembling with emotion.
She had heard.
I stood quickly, wiping away my tears as I approached her. "Matilda…" I said softly, trying to hide my vulnerability.
Matilda, her eyes still glistening with tears, reached out and embraced me tightly. "Piper," she whispered, her voice filled with sadness. "I had no idea, why didn't you ever tell me?"
I hugged her back, feeling a flood of emotion. "I am sorry, I am sorry," I whispered, saying repeatedly and tightening my embrace around her. "I thought I could handle it alone, but I can't."
More tears welled in Matilda's eyes as she remarked, "You're my best friend, Piper. Your pain is my pain. We share everything."
"I am sorry," that's all I could say, over and over again.
Matilda pulled back from the hug and looked at me with a gentle smile. "It's okay, and stop apologizing," she said, her voice full of concern as she brushed my hair with her hand. "I'm here for you, and I will always be here for you. You don't have to face anything alone, ever again."
I couldn't stop the tears from falling, but I could feel a sense of relief starting to take hold. "Thank you," I said, my voice trembling with emotion. "I don't know what I would do without you."
After a few minutes had passed, Matilda and I had already calmed down. Jake finally spoke. "I will take you home."
I looked up to look at him, then back at Matilda. "But she just got here."
"There is no way I am staying here, not when you need me the most." Matilda's hand brushed my shoulders, but I still felt bad because of how excited she was about the party. Not that it was any good, but still, it wouldn't be fair.
"I will take you home," Owen spoke, catching both our attention, and we turned to look at him.
"Why can't I go with her?" She squeezed my hand before muttering, "F**k Mark, I totally forgot he's here too, but don't worry, I would explain to him, he would understand."
As much as I didn't like Mark, the idea of ditching him because of me didn't sit well with me. I didn't want them to do things out of pity; that's why I told no one in the first place.
Now I was holding her hand. "Matilda, don't worry about me. Jake will take me home, and you go stay with Mark."
Although it took a while to convince her, she finally agreed, and I went off with Jake.
The ride back home was awkward as we sat in complete silence. Jake was driving, and I sat in the front passenger seat. "What's the way again," he spoke, and I looked up to him.
"Uhm…" I muttered, my eyes scanning the surroundings. "That way," I pointed to the left and watched him turn the steering wheel. "I can't believe I am going home before curfew." I chuckled lightly. Mom really wanted me to have fun today, if only she knew. I let out a sigh, my lips pressed into a thin line.
"I have an idea?" Jake said and quickly turned the steering wheel, going in the opposite direction.
"What are you doing?" I asked, my brow furrowing in confusion. As I watched him drive further away in the other direction, okay, this was giving déjà vu with Owen.
"Trust me on this one," he said.
While I couldn't help but wonder where he was taking me.
After a while, he pulled over by the side of the road, parking his car in a secluded spot with a breathtaking view. The city lights twinkled below us, and the moon and stars shone brightly overhead. It was a sight to behold.
I turned to Jake, still feeling a bit puzzled. "Why did you bring me here?"
He smiled gently, for the first time today, and motioned for me to step out of the car. "Just come with me, Piper."
I obeyed, stepping out of the car and following him to a spot where we could sit and take in the view. We found a comfortable spot on a grassy hillside, and as I settled down, I just couldn't help but be captivated by the beauty of the city.
Jake joined me, sitting close but giving me some space. "Sometimes," he began, his voice soft, "when life feels overwhelming, it helps to just step back and take in the beauty of the world around us. It reminds us that there's more to life than our troubles."
I knew what he meant, and I looked at him gratefully. "Thank you," I muttered.
He nodded, his gaze remaining fixed on the stars, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness emanating from him. I wanted to ask him what was on his mind, but I decided to respect his silence for now. Instead, I shifted my gaze and noticed a food truck in the distance, selling drinks and snacks.
Jake must have noticed my interest because he spoke up, breaking the silence. "Do you want some?"
Before I could reply, he stood up and walked over to the food truck. He returned with two cans of drinks and a couple of snacks, handing one of each to me.
"Thanks," I accepted his offering.
He nodded and opened his can, taking a sip.
We sat there, sipping our drinks and nibbling the snacks. The drink was sweeter than I had expected it to be, so before realizing it, I had finished mine and needed more. I looked over at Jake, who was still taking small sips from his, eyeing him as he slowly gulped it down.
I found myself staring at him. He seemed to notice my gaze and froze in place, his eyes meeting mine. It was a bit awkward, and I quickly averted my eyes, feeling a flush of embarrassment.
Jake held back a chuckle and then handed me his drink, saying, "You can have it."
I hesitated at first, not wanting to take his drink, as he had his lips on it, but the temptation was too strong as the taste was too good. I accepted it, took a sip. That's some good stuff, I wondered why I hadn't had it before. I ended up gulping it down rather quickly.
After a few more minutes of staring at the stars, I started to feel restless and would suddenly find myself laughing more than usual. Worse, my vision started to become blurry.
Jake looked at me with concern, asking if I was okay. But as I continued speaking gibberish, he checked the empty cans and muttered, "F**k, this has alcohol."
Realization quickly dawned on me, was I drunk? I sure felt like it. I looked at Jake, trying to form coherent words. "I didn't... I didn't know it had alcohol," before laughing again.
Jake sighed. "It's my fault; I should have checked before handing it to you." He stood up and tried to help me get up, but I ended up collapsing on him as my senses were getting disoriented.
He let out a groan as he struggled to regain his balance, then guided me to the back seat of his car. "Don't worry, I'll get you home safely," he assured me.
As he helped me back into the seat, I felt lightheaded and dizzy. Everything seemed to spin around me, and my head felt like it was floating. I looked up at him, and his face swam in and out of focus. He reached out a hand to steady me, and I suddenly found myself wanting to be closer to him. Before I could think about what I was doing, I pulled him down towards me, our faces inches apart.
"Piper?" he said, a questioning look in his eyes.
I could feel my gaze lingering on his lips, and the desire to kiss him was overpowering. Before I could stop myself, I pulled him towards me and our lips brushed against and I could taste his breathe before finally pressing my lips on his as the kiss deepened.