Fuck Riley. With her dumb stupid face.
14
With her heels still in her hand, Charlotte wanders across the beach to the shoreline. From the look of it, she’s alone. Good.
She hesitates for a second remembering her formal wear, but decides to sit down by the water anyway, placing her shoes next to her in the sand. She stretches her feet out and lets the water come up to her ankles with every wave. The moon’s reflection causes the surface to shimmer like tiny diamonds, but only minimally; it’s almost a new moon, Charlotte realizes when she looks up. New beginnings. Yeah right.
Just as she’s about to take a deep breath, she’s vaguely aware of a presence behind her.
“Don’t freak out!”
Which are, ironically, the words that make Charlotte jump and release a very uncharming shriek.
“Motherf—”
“I said don’t freak out!”
In the distance, she can vaguely make out the silhouette of Lou approaching her, shyly dragging her feet through the sand. She holds her shoes in her handtoo; elegant light blue sandals that match the color of her suit.
With her hand still on her chest to recover from her almost-heart attack, Charlotte gives her friends’ fiancée a confused look.
“Lou? What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at your own party?”
Lou keeps walking, one corner of her mouth curved up, until she stands right next to Charlotte.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at the party you organized?” she fires back, but it’s clearly rhetorical. “Can I sit?”
Charlotte respects Lou too much to tell her to get lost, so she waves an approving hand. As Lou sits down with her legs crossed, Charlotte turns back to face the water, but side eyes her suspiciously after a few moments.
“Is this when you’re gonna ask me why I walked away and we bond over a few life lessons?”
Lou shrugs. “If you want to.”
“It can’t be a coincidence that you’re here, right?”
“Maybe I just needed some fresh air.”
“In the exact same spot as me, a full five minute walk from the hotel?”
Lou chuckles humorlessly. “Okay, so I did follow you.”
“There we go,” Charlotte says pointedly.
“Are you going to be mad at me for wanting to check up on you?”
Charlotte inhales, but isn’t sure how to answer that. She lifts her legs, digs her heels in the sand and rests herelbows on top of her knees, clasping her hands together in the center.
“I guess, if it had to be someone, I’m glad it’s you. But I already feel guilty about keeping you from your friends and family, so please—”
“You didn’t ask me to follow you, did you? It’s my choice to be here.”
Charlotte shrugs one shoulder and nods. She had really hoped to come here alone, and had definitely not expected Lou of all people to join her, but here they are. As long as she doesn’t ask difficult questions, she is gonna be fine.
“You said you’re glad it’s me,” Lou says, a careful tone in her voice. “Why wouldn’t you rather have Gabi check on—”
Charlotte interrupts her with a scoff. “I love her to death, but you of all people should know that she can be a little intense sometimes.”
“And Riley?”
