Before I even realize what’s happening, Silas is on his feet, and his beer can hits Ashton right in the chest with a loud thud. Beer sprays everywhere, and Ashton lifts his arms too late to protect himself.
I jump up and grab Silas by the arm before he can launch himself over the fire at Ashton. Connor and Aiden step in to keep Jeremy back as Tucker grabs Ashton.
“Fuck you, Silas,” Ashton snarls, wiping beer off his face. “This is exactly why you’re going to spend the rest of your life on a potato farm while the rest of us actually become something.”
Silas is practically vibrating as he tries to hold himself together, and I tighten my grip on him.
Jeremy steps forward, and Aiden places a hand on his chest to keep him back.
But Jeremy just gives Silas a dark smirk. “It’s obvious why your mom left you.”
Silas tries to yank his arm out of my grip and lunge at him, but I wrap my other arm around him and pull him back.
Tucker shoves Jeremy back. “Enough!”
“It’s time for you to go,” Jaelyn says, pointing towards the dark path and glaring at Ashton and Jeremy.
Bell inches closer to Silas with a worried look on her face as she glances up at him, but he continues to glare at Ashton and Jeremy as I hold him back.
Jeremy rolls his eyes. “Whatever.” Then he grabs Ashton by the shoulder and nudges him toward the path to leave.
But Ashton can’t help himself from getting one final dig in.
He glances back over his shoulder. “Oh, and I don’t know if you’ve heard. But Jeremy and I are both going to UPEI. So, I’m sure we’ll see you around.” Then he winks at Bell, and they disappear down the trail.
Well, fuck.
Bell lets out a quiet sigh, then looks at Silas again. But he just shrugs out of my grip and keeps his gaze down at the sand as he turns towards me. “I’m going to go,” he says quietly. “You can stay.”
“No,” I say immediately, shaking my head. “I’m coming with you.”
I know it’s useless to convince him to stay after that. Once he shuts down, it’s hard to get him back. Especially around everyone else.
“We should all probably go anyway,” Sarah says. “It’s getting late.”
I flash her a grateful look, and the others start murmuring their agreement. They could stay longer, and they probably would have… but they get it. They know him too. They know he’ll carry the guilt for days or even longer if he thinks he dragged me away from them and turned the night into something it didn’t have to be. Even thoughnoneof this was his fault.
As we start in on our goodbyes, with hugs that last longer and a new kind of emotion hanging over us, it hits me.
This isn’t goodnight. This isn’t “see you in school on Monday” or “meet you at the falls on the weekend.”
This is goodbye.
I won’t see my friends again for months.
“He’s an ass, Silas,” Aiden says as he releases him from a hug. “Don’t listen to a thing he says. I could never do what you do, and you’re really fucking good at it.”
I smile and blink back the tears in my eyes. Because it’s true.
Fuck, I’m going to miss my friends.
And my heart hurts even more when Silas doesn’t even look at Bell as she hugs him. But he’s not doing it to be a dick. He’s shut down and trying to protect himself… and her. He doesn’t think he deserves happiness, and he thinks she deserves more than him.
He couldn't be more wrong. And we all know it.
They all take off down the path, and Silas and I head the opposite way along the beach towards home. The waves gently lap against the shore, and the breeze rustles the tall grass on the dunes as it brushes over my skin. I listen to the rhythmic sound of the sand shifting beneath our feet as we walk and watch the silver moonlight twinkling on the water with each roll of the waves. I latch onto all the sensations of the island, as I try to etch this into my memory to take with me.
It would be peaceful… if it wasn’t for the anxiety and sadness swirling deep inside me.
