Inevitable Moments ☑

18 | It's Not Your Fault

Hudson pulls up and parks the car that he, Jaden, Olivia, and I rode in. Axel drove the other basketball guys that showed up at our house earlier this evening. They all get out of the cars and walk towards the beach where the bonfire is while I end up hobbling.

"You really did bang up that knee," Axel says to me as he walks up.

Shrugging, I nod my head. "Jared was this close to catching me." I show him the several inches that separated Jared from catching me with my thumb and index finger. "You should've heard the way kids were screaming when they saw him running through the playground."

Axel shoves his hands in his pockets while shaking his head and laughs.

As we get closer to the bonfire, the music that's blaring through the speaker gets louder. Dustin Lynch's song, I'd Be Jealous Too, plays and I see Olivia start dancing. Along with '80s rock, she also loves country music.

Jaden takes Olivia's hand and spins her around on beat to the song. He kisses the side of her head as they get closer to the bonfire.

I can't help but feel a little envious. Not of them because I love them together, but of the relationship they have. They're literally the cutest couple I've ever seen.

Axel, Hudson, and I along with the other guys walk over to the bonfire and find seats in the sand. After dancing to another song, they come and join us with Olivia sitting between Jaden's legs.

Most of the people at the bonfire are from Strayer and Central. Personally I've never talked to the majority of them, most of them being seniors.

A song called Singles You Up by Jordan Davis comes on and Olivia grabs my hand, pulling me up. "We're dancing."

"What?" I ask incredulously, thinking about my knee.

She ignores me and drags me towards a group of mostly girls dancing around the bonfire. Olivia introduces some of them to me and they say hi back. They pull both of us into their group and we start dancing with them.

All the girls sing along to the lyrics. "If he ever singles you up, if he's ever stupid enough." Olivia and I lean our backs against each other as we dance and sing along to the music. The other girls throw their hands in the air while some dance with their boyfriends. We're all laughing as the song ends.

Olivia wraps her arm around mine and whispers something to me. "Axel was watching you the entire time."

My face warms as my eyes widen from embarrassment. "He was?"

"Yup," she says, letting go of my arm. She skips over to Jaden and sits down next to him, resting her head on his shoulders as he puts his arm around her, bringing her closer to him.

Grateful to give my knee a rest, I sit down in my original spot next to Axel. He's watching me, but I refuse to look at him because of how nervous I am. My heart beats a little faster as I think to myself. Why was he watching me?

After dancing and to distract myself, I notice that even more people have shown up. Landon and Seth among them. They're talking to Hudson and nodding their heads towards the basketball court. Probably about to get a game started.

The three of them walk in our direction and I feel Jaden and Olivia's gazes on me. When the guys reach us, Landon's eyes connect with mine but he doesn't say anything.

"Jaden, Axel, let's go hoop," Hudson says as the guys that came with Axel stand up, ready to play. A couple of Landon's other friends walk up as well.

"Nah, man. I'm hanging with my girl tonight." Jaden looks at Olivia as she smiles.

"Simp," Seth mutters. Jaden and Hudson ignore him.