Alex turned her head to stare at the glowing numbers on the alarm clock. She'd been lying there awake for over an hour and half. She could tell from Jay's breathing that he hadn't fallen asleep yet either. She let out a sigh and shifted to the edge of the bed so she could look down at him.
"Hey," she whispered. "Are you asleep?"
He grunted and shifted so that he was lying on his back looking up at her, "I would be if I hadn't been forced to sleep on the floor."
Alex rolled her eyes despite the fact that he couldn't see them, "Maybe you should have invited Amy instead."
Jay was glad it was dark in the room as he clenched his jaw against the stab of regret that her words caused. He fcked up, as usual, and she wasn't letting him off the hook. He'd apologized more than once and didn't know what else to do.
"Don't." he said sternly, closing his eyes against the throb at the back of his head.
An awkward silence fell between them as they both thought of a million words unspoken and a million feeling unshared. They weren't the type, they never had been. It was easier, safer to keep it all inside. Granted you were bound to explode once in a while but it was better than being emotionally drained all the time.
Alex shifted back to the other side of the bed before breaking the silence. "If you promise to keep your hands to your self you can have half the bed."
Jay quickly stood up and climbed in under the covers before she could change her mind. He slipped the pillow under his head and turned slightly to look at the spot where Alex was laying.
"I feel one finger tip touch me and you're losing the whole hand." Alex threatened.
Jay laughed before replying, "Same goes for you."
00
Manny yawned and rolled over, causing her body to tumble onto the floor. It took her a few minutes to realize where she was. She pushed her self up and looked around the tiny living room. A familiar smell and the sound of laughter drifted in from the kitchen.
Manny quickly stood up and walked towards the smell. She stopped in the doorway to watch Alex playfully smack Jay with a spatula. She leaned against the doorframe and yawned, drawing Jay and Alex's attention away from the stove.
"Well, well, looks like sleeping beauty decided to rise from the dead." Jay smirked.
"You're awful cheerful for nine o'clock in the morning." Manny replied, walking further in to the kitchen. She grabbed a piece of bacon from the plate by the stove then pulled herself up on the counter. "Did you poison it?"
"Only yours." Alex replied with a serious tone.
Manny simply shrugged and took a bite of the bacon, "Not bad."
"Not everyone has parents that fix them breakfast every morning. Some people actually have to fend for themselves." Alex said over her shoulder as she flipped the bacon still popping in the skillet.
Manny rolled her eyes at the other girl's sarcasm as she finished her slice of bacon. She watched Jay and Alex for a minute. You could cut the sexual tension between those two with a knife. She wondered if that's how it had been between Craig and Ashley when they were trying to work things out. A pang of jealousy shot through her stomach at the thought of Craig. She missed him a lot.
"Good morning." Sean said, walking into the kitchen with Emma behind him.
"Morning." Everyone muttered in return.
"You're cooking?" Emma asked, standing next to Manny. Her question was directed at Jay as he flipped the eggs in the skillet.
He cocked an eyebrow at her, "What? I was hungry."
Sean snickered, "He's actually not half bad with the whole cooking thing."
"I learned from the best." Jay teased, handing Alex the spatula as he stepped back and opened the fridge.
Alex scoffed, "Like it really takes a genius to fry an egg."
"If its not done in the microwave I don't want anything to do with it." Sean laughed.
Manny nodded in agreement as she took the orange juice carton from Jay and started pouring it into glasses. She couldn't help but wonder if anyone else was thinking about how weird the little kitchen conversation was. She paused her pouring long enough to quickly glance around the kitchen. Her best friend was smiling, genuinely smiling for the first time in months. Sean was more his grade eight self. He wasn't putting up a front or trying to hide the fact that deep down inside he really was a good guy. And perhaps Jay and Alex weren't as bad as she'd thought. Maybe they were just like everyone else underneath their delinquent attitudes.
Manny smiled slightly as she went back to pouring the orange juice into the five glasses in front of her. The trip seemed like it was turning out to be a good thing for all of them.
00
Alex closed her eyes against the glare of the sun as the ocean breeze caressed her bare shoulders. Even she had to admit that being on the beach was far better than being back in Toronto. Granted her travel mates weren't exactly the ones she would have chosen but so far she couldn't complain too much.
Alex slipped her sunglasses down from on top of her head before opening her eyes. She scanned the ocean in front of her and spotted her four beach buddies as they zipped around on jet skis. She ignored the small pang of jealousy at the way Manny was clinging to Jay. It could have been her but she'd turned down the invitation. Her ribs were still hurting like crazy and being that close to Jay with things the way they were just wasn't an option.
With a sigh, Alex pulled on her earphones and turned over, resting her head in her arms. She hadn't slept well last night and had gotten up early to take another pain pill this morning. She was exhausted and figured a little catnap under the sun wouldn't hurt. She turned the volume on her CD player up a notch as some chick band Ellie had recommended started playing.
Alex was on the verge of waking up when she felt water hit her back and soak through her shirt. She jerked up ready to yell at the guilty party but the words caught in her throat as she bit back the pain coursing through her entire body. She squeezed her eyes against the yellow stars dancing in front of her and against the concern that caused Jay's eyes to change color. An exasperated cry made its way out before the pain started to subside.
"Alex?" Jay asked, kneeling down beside her so they were eye level.
"I'm fine." she replied, slowly letting out the breath she'd been holding. She could feel his hand lightly touching her arm and she could hear the concern in his voice. The tone he used very rarely and usually never in front of other people. Alex fought to hold back the moisture pooling behind her closed eyelids as she slowly took in a small breath of ocean air.
"You're not fine. Let me take you to the hospital." He suggested. "Have a real M.D. take a look at those ribs."
"I'm fine." she bit back, pulling her arm away from his hand and slowly standing up. Alex made her way past Jay and lightly bumped into Emma before heading down the beach.
Emma watched Alex go before asking, "Is she okay?"
"Like you care." Jay replied, turning his anger on Emma.
She sat down beside him on the warm blanket her eyes resting on the waves in front of her, "I guess it's the Cause Girl in me."
Jay let out an aggravated chuckle, "She says she's fine."
"But you don't believe her?" Emma asked, casting Jay a side ways glance.
He shook his head no, staring into the distance where Alex had disappeared. He could still see her face etched in pain. It made him want to climb back in the car and drive the two hours back to Toronto just to kick the ass of the jerk that had hit her.
"You should go after her." Emma suggested. "Being soft isn't always a bad thing."
Jay thought about it for a minute then stood up and followed Alex's footsteps through the crowed of people. He had no idea what he was going to say or do but he had to try. God he hated it when Greenpeace actually made sense.
00
"Who is that hottie with Sean?" Manny asked, laying her magazine down and looking over at her best friend.
Emma looked over the edge of her book to see what Manny was talking about. A tall, tan, dark haired boy stood a few feet away talking to Sean. Emma smiled faintly remember the last time she'd seen those two together. It hadn't been pretty.
"That's Tyler Bishop." she replied.
"THE Tyler Bishop?" Manny asked, cocking an eyebrow in disbelief.
Emma nodded as she watched the two boys head their way. Manny quickly fluffed her hair and positioned herself into a sexy pose. She flashed a killer smile as the two drew closer. It took everything Emma had not to laugh.
"Emma, Manny this is Tyler. Tyler, Emma and Manny." Sean introduced.
Emma offered a friendly smile while Manny held out her hand, "I was beginning to wonder where all the good looking guys were at."
Tyler's smile grew wider as he shook Manny's hand, "Well it's a pleasure to meet you. I've actually got to get back to work but there's a bonfire tonight if you guys want to come."
"Thanks, man." Sean said with a snicker as he sat down next to Emma.
Tyler turned back briefly and waved as he looked over Manny. She was cute. Not his usual type, but cute. He headed back to the rental shack hoping Sean's friend would show at the bonfire.
"What?" Manny asked, turning her attention to Sean and Emma who were staring at her.
"You're boy crazy." Emma stated with a little chuckle before casting her eyes back to her book.
Manny shrugged then rolled over on her stomach, "Not all of us can keep reverting back to Prince Charming."
Emma's face began to turn a light shade of pink as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She playfully smacked Manny with the book as she avoided looking at Sean. He chuckled, pulling her attention away from her friend and she offered him and embarrassed smile.
"Are you guys hungry? We could go grab a bite to eat." Sean suggested, easing the embarrassment slightly. "There's a great little burger joint just a little ways up the beach."
"Food?" Manny asked, scrunching her nose up in disgust. "I'm still stuffed from breakfast."
Sean turned his attention towards Emma, "Em?"
Emma nodded and the two stood up and headed down the beach. Manny sighed as she pulled her hair up off her shoulders and clipped it. She sighed as she closed her eyes and mentally went over every piece of clothing sitting in her suitcase back at Sean's. She needed something to wear to the bonfire, something that would get Tyler's attention.
00
Alex sat on the warm sand and watched the people around her laugh and goof off. She tried to remember a time in her life when she was that carefree but quickly shook the memory away. A little blonde girl about six or seven was building a sand castle to the right of her. Alex smiled as the girl tilted the pink plastic bucket over and patted the bottom of the bucket with the matching shovel. A shadow fell across Alex's legs and she shielded her eyes, as she looked up at the person responsible.
"Generally when people storm away it means they don't want to be around you." Alex said as Jay sat down next to her.
"Yeah well I've never been very good at taking a hint." Jay replied with a little smirk.
Alex nodded a little before asking, "What do you want Jay?"
"World peace, a million dollars, a house in Beverly Hills…" Jay started. He paused a few seconds before taking a deep breath and adding, "You to be okay."
"I told you I'm fine." Alex replied, biting her lip against the softness in his voice.
Jay sighed as he picked up some sand and tossed it out in front of him, "You're a shtty liar."
A small smile flitted across Alex's face. She turned her head making it a point to look Jay straight in the eyes, "I'm fine, really. It's going to take a lot more than a few bruised ribs to bring me down."
"Humor me and let me take you to a doctor?" Jay asked as he reached over and brushed the hair out of her face.
"No doctors." Alex replied, shaking her head no causing the hair to fall back down. "But I'll let you take me back to Sean's. I could use a nice, long, hot shower and a nap."
"Okay." Jay agreed, standing up.
Alex slowly pushed herself up off the sand not arguing when Jay reached down to help her, "You know this good guy thing you've got going on is really making it hard for me to hate you."
Jay laughed, "I'm sure it won't last long."
Alex stiffened slightly as Jay draped his arm over her shoulder and placed a small, friendly kiss on her temple.