"You coming in?" Jason asked, reaching up to brush a windblown bit of hair back from Elise's face.
"In a bit probably. I just want to enjoy the night a bit longer."
"Weirdo," he teased. "Well, you know where I'll be if you decide you're not ready for bed yet when you come in."
He walked up the steps and right past me without acknowledgement, and I rolled my eyes. If I'd been a burglar or a murderer, he'd be dead.
Elise stood there on the sand for a bit, head tipped back to the sky. Looking at the stars, I imagined. They were thick in the sky out here where there was less light pollution.
I watched as she turned around in a slow circle and then put a camera up to her face. Trying to capture the night, clearly.
Her hair spilled down her back in a dark wave, and it was obvious she was blind to everything except the images she was trying to capture.
I scowled at her, even though she didn't know I was there. She was naive. It was dangerous to be that off her guard in the middle of the night with people she barely even knew. Anything could happen.
But she seemed so blissfully happy, like nothing could touch her, and I had to admit it was... attractive, in a way.
And then I immediately wanted to hit myself over the head with the whiskey bottle.
Dan's little sister was not attractive. She was annoying. She was naive and idealistic and lived a charmed life where she was able to make all the mistakes she wanted because someone else would come along and bail her out.
She could go along taking pictures and smiling and laughing because she didn't have to worry about anything.
"You know that guy's a complete asshole, right?" I said, voice shattering the quiet calm instantly. I hadn't even meant to say it, but the words were coming out before I could stop them.
She jumped, clearly caught off guard, and I smirked with satisfaction as her wide eyes searched the darkness for me.
"No, you're an asshole," she muttered, glaring. "What are you doing lurking in the dark?'
"I'm not lurking. I was standing out here before you and the world's worst frat boy strolled up. It's not my fault you didn't notice."
I liked to imagine that her cheeks would be flushed with embarrassment, but I couldn't tell in the darkness. The light from the moon overhead wasn't bright enough.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She slung her camera back around her neck and put her hands on her hips.
"What?"
"The thing you said about Jason."
I shrugged. "He's got a reputation. For being a dick in a stereotypically frat boy kind of way. His dad probably owns a yacht or something."
She snorted, shaking her head. "You don't know anything about him. You're just making snap judgements, as usual. Because that's what you do. You decide someone's not worth your time without even knowing them. Anyway, why do you even care who I spend time with?"
I scowled darker, anger rising. She talked like she knew me so well, had me all figured out. I hated that. "I don't care," I snapped. "I was just passing along information."
"Well, don't," she fired back. "I don't need it from you."
Before I could say anything else, she was marching right past me and into the house, letting the door snap closed behind her.
