I feel bad that she’s hurting… but it wouldn’t have worked. She’s heading to Dalhousie in Halifax, and I’m going to Toronto, so it realistically didn’t make sense to stay together just to break up eventually anyway due, to distance and a connection that wasn’t that strong to begin with, since we only dated for a few months. She said she understood, but I think she felt more strongly about us than I did and wanted to try to stay together.
“University of New Brunswick has business tech programs,” Jaelyn says with a smirk. “Still time to change your mind.”
I laugh, and Connor bumps me with his shoulder.
“Or Dalhousie,” he says. “At least we’re all staying in the Maritimes. You just had to go out-of-province.”
Silas shifts next to me, and I try to hide my own discomfort. Because we’re all leaving tomorrow, and Silas is staying.
“Well…” I shrug lightly. “U of T has the Management and Information Technology program I want. So, as much as I wanted to stay close…” I glance at Silas, but his focus hasn’t left the fire, “I need to go.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Connor rolls his eyes playfully. “Smarty-pants. But let’s not talk about school. We’re here to have a good time and enjoy our last night of summer!”
I send him a silent thank-you as he glances at Silas, then launches into a story about his brother almost flipping their boat this morning.
We pass around drinks, and Sarah pulls out marshmallows to roast as we share stories from the summer. The all-night bonfire where we snuck out and watched the sun rise, four-wheeling across fallow fields that haven’t seen a crop in years, the swim out to the rocks after curfew when Connor got a jellyfish wrapped around his leg, and Aiden said peeing on it would help.
It's fun, and the perfect last summer night together. Silas even starts to smile and talk to Bell.
Until it’s all ruined.
“Figured we’d find you here!”
I sigh and look up to see Ashton, Jeremy, and Tucker step into the firelight like they’ve been watching from the dark. The glow hits their faces as they close in, and the mood around the fire shifts immediately.
“Hey,” Connor says slowly, looking between them. It’s awkward because we all like Tucker, so we don’t want him to go… just his other friends.
Tucker gives Connor an apologetic look as if to say he knows, and he’s sorry they tagged along, then drops to the sand next to Aiden.
Ashton and Jeremy sit too, and I feel Silas tense beside me.
Seriously… fuck these guys. Of course they had to show up tonight.
Ashton smirks as the silence remains, and the only sounds are the crackle of the fire and the waves behind us.
“What?” he asks, all fake innocence. “We can’t join the fun?”
“You can,” Sarah answers, turning her to look at him. “If you can manage to go one night without being a dick.”
Ashton snorts. “Name one time I’ve been a dick to you.”
Sarah shakes her head. “You don’t have to be a dick to me for me to not like you.”
Ashton’s gaze flicks across the circle and lands on Silas. “If we all keep our hands to ourselves, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Silas doesn’t say a word. He just tightens his grip on his beer can and keeps his eyes on the fire.
“Ashton,” I say with a sigh. “Just don’t, man. It’s our last night together.”
Ashton nods slowly, looking around the fire at everyone. “Yeah. I know. Everyone is leaving…” Then his eyes land on Silas again. “Well… almost everyone.”
“Don’t.” Connor’s eyes narrow at Ashton.
Jeremy lets out a low laugh. “What? It’s true. We’re all leaving. He’s not. That’s just facts. Are we pretending that’s not what’s happening?”
Silas releases a heavy breath and clenches his jaw, and I’m surprised his beer can hasn’t been crushed in his hand.
“No, that’s what’s happening,” Ashton says, still looking at Silas. “Right? Going to count potatoes for a living? Or maybe that’s something you have to work up to. You going to shovel dirt instead?—”
