Page 34 of Tell It To The Waves

Pursing my lips, I could lie, but I don’t want to. “No, this is my humble abode.” Walking past her, falling onto my sofa.

She walks to my bedroom door and pushes it open with her foot. Disappearing and coming back out. “You got to be kidding me.” Waiting for the Punchline.

Luna runs out from behind her, skidding behind the sofa.

“August, this is like a…” She pauses. “I don’t know, like no one lives here. I just entered an exam room.” She closes the gap between us, sitting next to me, just staring right through me. Waiting.

I pull a throw pillow in front of me. “I don’t see the point in unnecessary things.”

Her lips purse. “Lie to someone else.” Bay finds her own throw pillow, mimicking me. “I can read you like the back of a book, even after all these years. Because August, you’re still the same person. You think becoming attached to things will make them go away. Why become comfortable when at any minute something catastrophic can happen and upend it all? I see right through you and have forever. I know you…probably better than you know yourself.”

I take in each word she speaks, and I want to argue with her, but I honestly can’t because it is the truth. Nothing lasts forever, so why do we get complacent in a place that will eventually tear us away or destroy us? Before I can even open my mouth, the tears come.

“Oh, August.” Baylee reaches out and holds my hand.

“You’ve been here less than twenty minutes and already seen right through me. I don’t know what is wrong with me. I don’t want to be hurt again, so this is how I do it.” With my free hand,I motion to the barren living room. “Why get attached?” My shoulders rise and fall.

“You can’t live like that… Like this, August. This is life; shit happens, and sometimes it’s the worst, but it’s life. We’re stuck here doing it until we're not. So why stay in a state of forfeit when you can do whatever you want? Free will is an amazing thing.” Bay straightens up. “I was so scared to get pregnant again. Scared of the loss I knew that would come, but we tried for this baby, even though I was frightened. We tried.” She places her hand behind the throw pillow, and I know she’s rubbing on the nonexistent bump. “But when I saw those two pink lines, I swallowed the fear down. I’m still doing this scared, but I’m doing it. All we have is faith, and that’s what I’m leaning on.” Her eyes become glassy before she breathes in heavily, “Okay, we’re not doing this. This isn’t a trip to be sad. But just know, I see you.”

Letting my head fall back to the cushion, “You’re right. I know you’re right.” Needing to change the subject, I force my body up. “I have something for you.” I look over my shoulder, smiling at her.

She snuggles deeper into the sofa. “What’s that?”

Opening the microwave, I remove a platter full of cookies. Chocolate chips, snickerdoodles, and peanut butter. Making these today, I was so in my element. Dancing around the kitchen, mixing ingredients from memory. Baking is where I truly feel at home. Feel like I’m back in the kitchen with my mom, gossiping and making sweets.

Smiling, I hold out the platter. “For you and Jellybean.” I started calling the baby Jellybean because it’s literally what she looked like on the ultrasound she sent me.

“Holy hell.” She bounces, throwing the throw pillow on the floor, hands held out. Taking the plate, “Kai is going to be so mad.” She giggles while taking a bite of a snickerdoodle. Beforegrabbing her phone, snapping a picture. Smiling at me evilly. And I know who she just sent the picture to.

We don’t eat dinner, but eat all the cookies while watching trash TV, constantly laughing and joking.

“You can sleep in the bed with me and Luna. She’s still hiding, but maybe she’ll warm up to you.”

The sunlight beams in through my bedroom window. Rolling over, I scream when I spot Baylee staring right at me, forgetting for the moment she stayed over. “Dude.” I try to calm my heart. Too early for it to get that high.

Baylee laughs, covering her mouth. “You talk in your sleep.”

Furrowing my brows, “No, I don’t.” My voice dry as the Sahara desert.

“Oh, you do. That’s what woke me up…and yourself, I might add.” Baylee laughs.

Pulling the cover over my head, “What did I say?”

“I think it’s too early for all that.”

Tugging the blanket down so I can peek at her, “What did I say?” I’ve never been told I talk in my sleep…but I also haven’t slept in the same bed with anyone for eight years.

“I need coffee. Up. Let’s get this day started.” Bay ignores me, rolling out of bed and disappearing into my bathroom, hearing the shower turn on.

I lay there for a few more minutes, waking up. Grabbing my phone, I see I have an Instagram notification, and my stomach sinks. With shaky fingers, I push the notification, taking me to my messages, telling me I have a message request. “Oh, God.” My heart once again quickens as I read the message and see whoit’s from. Molly Williams. My eyes close, trying to hype myself up.

It doesn’t take a notification away when you like and unlike a picture. I’m glad you’re stalking me and Bo. Just remember, he’s mine.

I delete the message and block Molly. Annoyed with myself and for letting curiosity get to me, because look at what happened. I now look like an idiot and who knows how she’s spun this to tell Bohdi.

Bohdi.

I open my Google Photos app. “What are you doing, August?” I question myself as I push on the folder labeledDON’T OPENand see pictures I haven’t seen in years. Pictures of Bohdi and me. At the cottage, with my parents, and just being girls with Baylee. All my memories from Driftwood Bay are in a folder that's 17 GB.