Chapter Text

Save the Last Dance for Me

Another Life

Hey y’all! This is just a super short introductory chapter. Later chapters will be longer!

Maybe Cove had the right idea, Ophelia thought to herself as she self-consciously adjusted the collar of the black, lace dress she chose to wear to The Cypress for the Soiree. Surely something so fancily named meant you should dress to match, right? She found herself regretting the evening all together now. The hot, humidity of Sunset Bird made the velvety texture of Ophelia’s dress cling uncomfortably to her skin. In short, she was miserable, on top of lonely. She briefly entertained the idea of inviting her best friend, Cove Holden, as her plus one to the soiree, but in the end chickened out…besides, the likelihood of someone like Cove returning the feelings for someone like her were slim to zero. Cove was sunshine. He was summer at the beach, popsicles on a hot afternoon, as refreshing and needed as a summer rain. Ophelia was…well, the opposite. Elizabeth had always called her grumpy, her Moms called her “introverted”, her teacher’s referred to her as a problem child. No, Cove deserved better than company like herself, especially not in an uncomfortable place like this.

At least there’s music, Ophelia sighed as she made her way to the dancefloor. She found herself drawn close to the stage, entranced by the violin players. She’d always had a fondness for string instruments, and played the cello herself, though she found herself more drawn to the guitar lately. A small smile crept onto her face as the band broke into a slower rendition of “Moon River”, her Ma loved this song. Ophelia turned to see if she could find her Moms, and made a small oomph of surprise as she found herself face to face with an elegant looking boy. He seemed like he was around her age, but it was hard to tell at times. The boy smiled down at her, and Ophelia felt her face warm…he was like something out of those cheesy teen dramas she’d watch sometimes. “Pardon me,” the boy spoke gently, his voice surprisingly deep for his age, “may I have this dance? I would be greatly remiss if the night passed, and I didn’t ask the best dressed person here for one”.Is he…flirting? With me?? Oh my god “Oh, uh…sure, I’d love to. I’m not that great of a dancer though,” she shot out quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was step on this guy’s shoes and embarrass herself. The boy chuckled softly, with a mischievous gleam in his rich brown eyes as he extended a hand towards her, “You’re in good hands then. I’m nothing if not a capable lead”. Ophelia swallowed, feeling her mouth go dry. Cute and confident . Come on, you can do it… she told herself as she placed her hand in the boy’s with more boldness than she felt. He gave her a smile that kicked her heart into overdrive as he placed her in a dancer’s hold while the band started playing a slow, romantic sounding song. True to his word, the boy indeed was a more than capable lead, managing to lead her into an almost effortless dance with soft murmurs of “1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3” and gentle praises. All too soon, the music began to dwindle down and the boy stepped back with a polite bow, the magical moment seeming to dissipate suddenly. “Thank you for dancing with me”, he says with another heart-stopping grin, “you have nice legs”. She blinked in surprise, feeling her face heat up, “Thank you…” she squeaks. The boy nods simply in response and turns to leave, “if you’ll excuse me”. And just like that the mysterious boy walks off into the night, the first boy who’d ever made her feel beautiful, who made her feel seen, even in a sweaty, velvet and lace dress.
Too little too late, Ophelia realizes she never got his name.

Chapter Text

Lonely Dance 

5 Years later

The harsh Sunset Bird sun beat down on the back of Ophelia’s black tank top as she sat on the sidewalk, next to her one and only best friend, Cove Holden, while she tuned her acoustic guitar. They were initially going downtown to meet Miranda and Terri, but that was before Cliff expressed interest in seeing who the new neighbors would be. New , Ophelia thought, was not a normal occurrence in Sunset Bird, and was always something that should take priority. Hell, she should know better than anyone, seeing as how that’s how she met the most important person in her life.

Cove gently nudged her in the ribs with his elbow, his aquamarine eyes full of warmth, “thanks for waiting with me. You didn’t have to”

Ophelia playfully rolled her eyes, standing and tucking her guitar behind her back as she saw the bright yellow taxi coming down the road. “Yes, you’re so lucky to have me, Cove” she said as she gestured at the taxi with her chin, “head’s up, new neighbor's here”

She giggled as Cove shot up to his grand height almost comically fast. “Honestly, it’s probably just another pair of mean grandpare-” her sentence cut off as she saw the new neighbor step out of the car, his black and white hair a startling contrast against the vivid blue sky. Holy shit, he’s gorgeous, Ophelia thought, picking anxiously at her long, black nails. The new neighbor was tall, not quite as tall as Cove, but definitely taller than her, she noted. He was pale, and clearly had a thing for monochrome, his black and white eyeball covered shirt matching his hair, but it absolutely worked for him. He also had a tiny, but distinctive beauty mark on his neck that gave her a strong sense of deja vu. 

Her staring must have been burning a hole into this poor man’s head, he turned to face the duo and cocked a curious brow before heading over to them. Fuck, Ophelia thought, tensing. This was not the first impression she wanted to make on someone as good looking as the stranger, but said stranger didn’t seem to mind as he looked them both over with amusement and… desire? 

“Hello folks,” the stranger greets, his deep voice laced with humor, “Who might you be?”. She mentally curses at herself, not even five seconds into meeting and he already thinks you’re some kind of creep. “We’re your neighbors”, Cove replies hesitantly, studying the new neighbor warily. Cove’s always been wary of strangers, Ophelia knows, but it can come as rude to people who don’t know him. The new neighbor doesn’t seem to mind much, however, as he rolls his luggage up to the curb.

“Hallelujah,” he practically purrs, a devilish smile upon his face, “I’m Baxter Ward. It’s a pleasure to meet you both, neighbors”. His voice is like warm honey, Ophelia thinks, smiling at him despite herself. She knows Cove likely won’t introduce himself first, so she takes the initiative and holds her hand out to Baxter, “Welcome to Sunset Bird, I’m Ophelia Last”. 

Baxter’s hand feels oddly familiar in hers, she thinks as he lets his hold of hers linger than what’s normally polite, “Hello, Ophelia” he greets warmly, “I look forward to getting to know you this summer. We could be great friends”. Ophelia catches the slight frown on Cove’s face, she knows he’s not really one for confrontation, but he didn’t seem all that thrilled with Baxter’s forwardness. As if sensing her thoughts, Baxter let go of her hand and turned his attention to Cove, “And who might you be?” 

Cove shifted uncomfortably, likely sensing an explanation for his name coming once again, “I’m Cove”. Baxter looks Cove over once again and gives him a sly grin, “Now, is that a nickname or is that your real name?”. Cove lets out a soft sigh, “It’s just my name”. Ophelia fought back a giggle…even when annoyed, Cove was so adorably handsome. Baxter smiled brightly at Cove and gave him a wink, “I can’t imagine a more fitting name for a face like yours. That’s gorgeous, really”. Cove flushed and stammered a bit, clearly taken back by the aggressive flirting. Cove had never really been comfortable with such things, Ophelia knew, she had always been the exception and even that had limits. Baxter’s expression became somewhat apologetic as he noticed Cove’s discomfort, “I apologize,” he said genuinely, “it wasn’t intended to mean anything more than that. I like your name, but you don’t have to mind anything more than that. I’m firmly against stepping on anyone’s toes” 

Toes, Ophelia thinks, something with toes strikes that deja vu sense again. Worried about stepping on someone’s shoes- that was it!! The Summer Soiree! Her mind reeled. It couldn’t be, could it? What were the chances? 

“Forgive me,” Baxter interjected, his attention fixed on Ophelia once again, “but we’ve met before, haven’t we? I never forget a face” he smiled. Ophelia nods at Baxter but is stopped politely before she can respond, “wait don’t tell me. I know you wish to, but it’ll come to me,” he jokes, a moment later he snaps his fingers, “the summer soiree. I had to have been around fourteen then, we shared a dance” 

She nodded, smiling back at Baxter, “that we did. You said I had nice legs,” she says with a laugh. Baxter gives her a wolfish smirk, “That you have nice legs. Cheeky,” he says with amusement. Cove stares, gobsmacked at the pair, before finally stammering out, “you danced??” 

Baxter smiled politely at Cove, “Yes, at The Cypress. I’m a ballroom dancer, hence the phrasing”

Well that makes sense now, Ophelia thought, thinking back on that magical night years back. 

Cove seems to study Baxter again, though this time thoughtfully, “I don’t know a lot about dancing, but that’s really cool”

Baxter leans back and puts his hands in his pockets, “It’s not difficult once you get the basics down. In fact, if either of you are ever looking for a partner, I’m available,” he smiles wolfishly, an absolute devious light in his eyes as he looks between the pair. Cove frowns once again, “Uh, thanks but I think I’ll pass,”. Ophelia brushes a strand of thick, bleached white hair behind her ear, feeling flushed, “I mean, I wouldn’t mind another dance..”

Baxter flashes her a dazzling smile, his eyes aflame as he steps away from them both, “What a coincidence. I find myself thinking the same. Farewell for now neighbors”

And just like that, Baxter Ward, the mysterious dance partner, Ophelia’s second crush waltzed back into her life. 

Amongst a reunion with Terri and Miranda, and lunch plans settled, Ophelia and Terri found themselves in front of Baxter’s condo. Terri managed to get his number, and she boldly did the same. This time, she thought, he won’t get away so easily.

Chapter Text

Chap 3

The Pretender

Ophelia stood in front of her mirror, turning to the side and to the front once again. Miranda had convinced her last week to get a zebra patterned bikini from a local boutique, claiming Ophelia absolutely had to have it. 

“Ophelia, it was practically made for you!” Miranda argued, holding it up to her. Admittedly, she did think it was cute…however, that didn’t mean it would look cute on her. After minutes of fruitless arguing and convincing, Miranda had inevitably worn her down, and Ophelia found herself taking the bikini home.  

However, now that the time had come to wear it, Ophelia felt a sickening panic rise in her throat. It’d show off a lot of skin… too much, she thought as she ran her hand down the many raised scars along the left side of her stomach. She met her dark brown eyes in the mirror and shuddered. There were just some parts of herself she wasn’t ready to show anyone, much less her friends. She shot herself one last look in the mirror, noting how well the bikini top clung to her breasts. A jacket should be fine… she thought as she rummaged through her closet quickly, pulling out a black, zip-up hoodie. She managed to zip it up partly and quickly donned a pair of shorts before leaving her room, and eventually the condo. 

The midday summer sun shone brightly on the streets of Sunset Bird, and Ophelia found herself shielding her eyes. “Ophelia!”, a voice called, and she found herself smiling, recognizing Cove’s voice immediately. The green behemoth of a man jogged over to meet her, a warm smile upon his face. He seemed to eye her quickly and tilted his head curiously, “You’re not going to be too hot in that? I don’t mind waiting if you want to change”. Ophelia shook her head, forcing a warmth she didn’t feel into her expression. The last thing she wanted to do was give Cove a reason to worry about anything, least of all herself. 

Seeming satisfied with her answer, Cove nodded and made his way down to the beach with her at his side. The beach was their true home and had been ever since they met on poppy hill that fateful night. The image of that sad little boy with his bright pink cast would forever be etched into her mind. 

Ophelia laid her beach towel down and made herself comfortable as Cove looked towards the parking lot, likely waiting for Terri and Miranda. Ophelia checked her phone; she had sent a text to Baxter earlier inviting him to come to the beach but hadn’t heard anything in response yet. She frowned. Honestly, what had she expected? He was probably just being nice to her the other day; he hadn’t genuinely been flirting. Plenty of guys in high school had flirted with her in the past, and even men and tourists at work…most were overly suggestive, some even aggressive. Baxter had been forward, but not rudely so. She should’ve known- 

New Message, Baxter Ward

“Hello Ophelia,

I would be delighted to join you and your friends at the beach. I greatly appreciate the invitation. I will be down momentarily. 

Sincerely,

Baxter Ward”

Ophelia chuckled quietly to herself, broken out of her spiral. Baxter’s formal way of texting had been a surprise, but she thought it was cute. You think everything about him is cute, she thought with a sigh. She typed out a response to Baxter before lying back against her towel. 

“I will be eagerly awaiting your arrival, my dear sir.” 

She hoped “my dear” wouldn’t come off too strong, but she supposed it was too late to worry about now. It was sent. He couldn’t say anything worse than whatever she’d told herself over the years. Trash. Pathetic. Talentless. It’s no wonder your family didn’t want- No, stop. She cut her line of thinking off sharply. It never did her any good to dwell on that subject for too long, even after years of therapy and assurances from her Moms. She could never quite shake the feeling of otherness off herself, as if she didn’t belong with her family. She knew they loved her, as she loved them…but knowing no one else in her biological family would or could claim her as a baby had left a seething hole deep in her soul. Maybe the ache would lessen as she got older, but she doubted it. She scratched at the left side of her stomach absentmindedly as she ruminated on her thoughts. Ophelia knew that cutting wasn’t a healthy way to work through her emotions, but the physical pain got her out of her head…even if for a brief moment. It felt good, and it was something she could control, especially when there were so very few things in her life that she could. 

“Sir, hmm ?” Baxter purred, approaching Ophelia, giving her a devilish smirk as she sat up, “now that has a lovely ring to it”

She flushed, pulling the bottom of her hoodie distractedly. Baxter wore a short sleeved, white button up, and black swim trunks…though it took her a great deal of will power to look up from his pinched waist. God, I am no better than a man, she scolded herself before meeting Baxter’s smirk with a playful one of her own. “I’m glad you could make it. We’re always in need of more monochrome,” she joked, running a hand through her bleached curls. Elizabeth had promised her that the hastily done at home job hadn’t turned out terrible, but Ophelia had her doubts. Her curls felt dry to her…dryer than they should have been, but she had wanted something different, and she certainly achieved it. Cove said it reminded him of the moon, so she supposed it couldn’t have been too awful. 

Baxter chuckled, “I am all too happy to fulfill your need of monochrome whenever you need it, dear Ophelia”. She swallowed, she clearly hadn’t mistaken it that time. He was flirting. Ophelia patted the spot next to her on the towel, “please, make yourself comfortable. I’m just getting some sun before Miranda and Terri get here”

Baxter gracefully sat himself down, one of his long legs brushing against the side of Ophelia’s. She watched as he eyed the ocean apprehensively. Most tourists couldn’t wait to get in the water, but it wasn’t too uncommon to find one wisely wary of it. Maybe he couldn’t swim? She gently nudged his shoulder with her own, smiling reassuringly at him, “Our friend Terri is training to become a lifeguard, and Cove is a strong swimmer. You won’t drown, if that’s a concern”

Baxter shook his head, not taking his eyes off the water. “No, that won’t be necessary. I shan’t be going in any time soon. I find it more relaxing to watch the ocean rather than being in it”. 

Ah, she thought, he’s afraid of the ocean in general. Well, that wasn’t a problem for her. Everyone was afraid of something, and she was more than content to sit on shore with him.

A few minutes later, their conversation was interrupted by the sounds of playful shrieking, and the heavy sounds of running feet. Ophelia shook her head with amusement, already knowing who the culprits would be. Sure enough, Terri and Miranda rushed over to the trio, Cove jogging over as he heard the commotion. Terri introduced Baxter to Miranda, and soon enough the pair, along with Cove went off to bury Terri in the sand. 

As the sun drifted in the afternoon sky, Terri popped out of the sand and declared it was time to go find some food. Eventually, they all agreed on going to some ice cream truck Terri found on Facebook in the suburbs of Prism Vista once it was discovered a few of the group had never experienced one. 

And that was how they all had found themselves piled into Baxter’s rental; Cove, Miranda, and Terri squished in the back, while Ophelia sat in the front, tapping her foot to the punk song that blared through the speakers. The volume didn’t seem to bother anyone, though they’d likely become desensitized to it after years of being deafened from Ophelia’s practicing and own musical preferences. As the trio in the backseat practically hopped out of the car and chased down the ice cream truck, Ophelia smiled in amusement but stayed in the passenger seat. It’d be rude to leave Baxter on his own when he was the one who offered to drive them all in the first place. Besides, Ophelia wasn’t exactly known for being athletic. 

They both caught up to the excited trio after parking. After a few tedious moments of Baxter deciding what to get, he managed to pick a bubblegum flavored cartoon head, while Ophelia and Miranda got chocolate dipped cones, Cove a coconut popsicle, and Terri some kind of shaved ice. Ophelia knew Cove would likely want to try some of hers, as sharing desserts had been a tradition of sorts since they were small children, so she hung back with him for a while. Sure enough, shortly after she finished the thought, Cove playfully nudged her shoulder and gave her cone a pointed look. How he managed to look both sheepish and pleading always amused her, though she could hardly ever deny Cove anything in the first place. She let him take a small bite off the top as Cove offered his popsicle to her. It was lightly sweet and vaguely tasted like coconut, but it wasn’t bad. She took her cone back and found herself looking around, seeking those familiar, dark, honey eyes.

“Who could you possibly be looking for?” Baxter whispered, leaning down to be close to her ear. His eyes were molten amber as he took in the blush quickly spreading across Ophelia’s tan cheeks. 

Ophelia found herself looking at the sidewalk and she silently willed her face to cool down. “I was, uh…I wanted to see if you wanted to try some of my cone, since you seemed stuck on deciding earlier…” God, that sounded so stupid. You hardly even know the guy, he wouldn’t-  

“How kind of you to offer,” Baxter said with a wolfish grin before gently wrapping his hand around Ophelia’s and bringing the cone to his lips. He slowly circled his tongue around the chocolate coating, keeping eye contact all the while, before taking a small bite and letting out a content hum. He released Ophelia’s hand with a satisfied smile, “Delicious.” 

Ophelia stood stunned momentarily, before a hiss interrupted her paralysis and both Terri and Miranda’s shrieks filled the air. Sprinklers. The hiss came from sprinklers, she noted with amusement, and giggled as Cove-being the merman he was- ran headfirst into the streams of water without any hesitation. Ophelia offered her hand to Baxter, not genuinely expecting him to take it, “may I have this dance, sir?” she said with an overly formal curtsy. Baxter, to her surprise, returned her curtsy with a bow and took her hand in his, “I would be honored, dear Ophelia”. She laughed as Baxter spun her out away from him, then led her through a playful waltz through the sprinklers. By the end of it, the entire group was soaked through. Cove took his shirt off and blushed and stammered as Terri and Miranda whooped and hollered at him. 

Ophelia wrapped her soaked hoodie around herself but found that it hardly helped. Terri and Miranda huddled close for warmth, and Cove was busy twisting the excess water of his shirt, though as if sensing her watching him, Cove glanced at Ophelia and started to make his way over. Baxter tapped her shoulder gently and held out his button up to her, “The cold doesn’t bother me as much as it does you all, and your jacket seems soaked through”. Ophelia smiled softly at Baxter, it was a very kind gesture…and she supposed it was dark out enough to hide her scars as she accepted the shirt and quickly shrugged her hoodie off. Cove frowned, but stopped in his tracks, seeming suddenly distracted with his phone. 

Ophelia wrapped Baxter’s shirt around her shoulders, and noted the floral, but foresty scent of his cologne clinging to it. It smelled luxurious. She wanted to bury her nose in it. Baxter cleared his throat politely as he looked to the rest of the group, “Might I suggest returning to the car? I would hate anyone to suffer the cold while there’s a perfectly working heater we could make use of. I don’t mind if the seats get wet”. 

Terri, who had also been distracted with her phone, suddenly brightened and excitedly looked at the group, “guys there’s a firework show not that far from here!! We have to go!!”. Cove shifted slightly, seeming dimmer than earlier, “I don’t know, guys…that might be a lot for today...”

Ophelia worriedly studied Cove. It wouldn’t have surprised her if his social battery had run out, but he was normally pretty good about letting her know, and right now it seemed as if he was actively avoiding looking at her…  “Cove, we can go home if you want to. It’s really no problem. We can see fireworks any other time,” she offered, hoping her tone was comforting. Cove shook his head, seeming to come to some decision. “No, it’s okay. Terri really wants to go, we can go”. 

Ophelia nodded but was conflicted. Cove was being weird, and it made her uneasy. Did she do something wrong? Did Cove feel pressured? She resolved to talk to him about it later when they got home. 

The ride to the “show” was short, as it was just outside of some random sports stadium in Prism Vista…but they were indeed stunning. They stood somewhat huddled together, watching color after color explode and spray across the sky, though Ophelia couldn’t help but shiver under the slight breeze. Baxter nudged against her side gently and gave a pointed look to his car, “it wouldn’t be a problem to watch the fireworks from the car if you’re cold. I would prefer it, actually” 

She bit her lip but nodded. The car was both warm and comfortable, she’d be foolish to turn the offer down. The pair started making their way to the car, but were stopped as Cove rushed over to Ophelia, “are you okay?” he asked, his voice full of concern. She nodded at him, “I’m fine, I promise. Just a little cold, you can go back with Terri and Randi” she assured. She thought the concern was sweet, but it was unnecessary. She’d be less than five feet away. 

As the two got in the car, Baxter turned the heat on low and opened an arm, clearly offering her his warmth. Ophelia sucked in her breath but took the shot. Who knew if she’d ever get a chance again if she missed this one? She leaned against Baxter, the center console smashing into her hip. She didn’t mind it much, she found, not when wrapped in Baxter’s arms and cologne from earlier.

Baxter tightened his hold for a moment, then relaxed, “you know, I meant to tell you earlier, but there didn’t seem to be a right time. You look absolutely incredible,” he whispered against her curls, “even incredible feels too insignificant a word. I am not always adept at picking my words well, but I would have deeply regretted not letting you know before the night passes”

Ophelia stared up at him stunned. Without taking a moment to think about it, Ophelia leaned up and pressed her lips to Baxter's. He tensed briefly, but his lips gave way to hers as he brought his hand up to her jaw, as if to take control of the kiss. He breathlessly chuckled and pulled back slightly from her, their lips bare inches from each other, “it is rare that I find myself outpaced, Ophelia. But I can’t say that I’m disappointed. You are positively sublime, and I cannot thank you enough for such a pleasant evening”. 

He gave her another quick kiss, and Ophelia couldn’t help but think he was holding back. 

Maybe she made a mistake? She was no stranger to fuck ups after all. 

Dread filled her stomach the entire ride back home. 

She had ruined everything.

Chapter Text

Sleep did not come easy to Ophelia that night, unsurprisingly. Sleep, actually, hadn’t come to her at all.

She found herself replaying every last-minute moment in her head. Painstakingly thinking of all the ways, she definitely, without a doubt, ruined whatever relationship she had with Baxter. Why the hell did she choose to be bold now of all times? Was she really so desperate that she couldn’t have waited? 

Yes, she answered herself with a sigh. She was, in fact, that desperate. Baxter simply brought that out in her. 

As the golden early morning light slowly filtered through Ophelia’s window, she let out a tired groan. She wasn’t a morning person, far from it, but she had experienced enough sleepless nights to know when another was on the horizon.

Luckily for her, she happened to know a certain green haired space cadet who loved early mornings, and chances were he was already down at the beach. Surfing, probably, she thought bemusedly. Surfing wasn’t something that came naturally to her, but god knew how hard Cove had tried to rectify that. She could keep balance on the board for the most part, but she was hopeless when it came to catching any waves. She eyed the surfboard her Moms had gotten her as a 13th birthday gift warily and settled on simply watching Cove from the sand instead. If anything, maybe the sunrise would give her some inspiration for the newest song she was working on. Ophelia grabbed her guitar case and carefully climbed out her window and down the trellis, making her way down to the beach. 

Sure enough, Ophelia could spot a familiar green dot in the muted blue of the ocean from the top of Poppy Hill. The air was warm, and the breeze carried the scent of the poppies covering the hill and sea salt as she made her way down. While Ophelia wasn’t a morning person, she reasoned she could accept it a little more if all mornings were as peaceful as this one.  

She found a spot close enough to the ocean for Cove to spot her, but not close enough for the tide to wash her away if it so chose and began to strum a soft melody on her guitar, humming to herself. Somehow the melody shifted and turned into something that vaguely reminded her of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Groaning, Ophelia placed her guitar back in its case. Inspiration always seemed to flee her when she went looking for it. 

“Ophelia”, a cheery voice called. Ophelia looked up and, as expected, found Cove hurrying over to her, his smile as radiant as the sun he was so fond of. He plopped down next to her in the sand, a slight huff escaping from his lips. Cove ran a hand through his hair, turning his attention back to the ocean. 

“Couldn’t sleep again?” he asked gently, watching the early morning sunlight dance on the water. Cove was quite familiar with her sleep routine or rather lack thereof. He’d spent many secret nights in her room over the years to be intimately aware of it, and of the really unlucky nights where she experienced night terrors. Those were the worst nights. Ophelia nodded at Cove, moving to slightly lean against him, even if he was still wet and covered in sand. She didn’t mind, and he knew it.

“Just…” she sighed, “a lot on my mind, I guess. I couldn’t get my brain to shut up”. Cove was quiet for a few moments, far longer than he normally would be with Ophelia, before he let out a soft sigh of his own. “Is it because of Baxter?” he asked quietly, his tone hesitant and anxious. Ophelia lifted her head and looked at Cove in surprise. How the hell had he known about that? How much did he know anyway? She watched as Cove swallowed thickly and fidgeted with the sleeve of his wetsuit. “I, uh…well, Miranda and I…we saw you and Baxter… kissing… last night” he admitted, his cheeks flushing a pretty, coral pink. 

Ophelia felt her heart drop into her stomach. They’d all seen. Now all her closest friends knew, they all knew what a fuck up was, how she had ruined everything. 

Cove gave her a concerned look and put his hand gently on her shoulder, “hey, it’s okay,” he reassured her, his voice low and soothing. “If you like him, it’s okay,” he affirmed, smiling warmly though still seeming uncertain, “he’s lucky, you’re a great person”.

Ophelia shook her head, fighting back the hot tears that threatened to spill over. “No, I… I kissed him, Cove. I think I fucked it up, I shouldn’t have-”, her eyes widened slightly as Cove pulled her into a hug. Hugging was a normal occurrence in their relationship, but Ophelia couldn’t remember the last time Cove had hugged her this hard. He let her pull back after a moment, and she found herself surprised again at the stern look on his face. Was he…angry at her? 

“Ophelia… you’re always so hard on yourself, too hard. We saw Baxter kiss you too, you know,” he muttered the last part, “he…Baxter is a weird guy, right? There’s probably a reason he hasn’t texted you yet, but he’ll probably pop up out of nowhere and be his, eh… forward self as usual later”. Cove stood and extended his hand down to Ophelia, flashing his brilliant smile at her once again, “now c’mon, you should at least try to take a nap. It might make you feel better”.

Well, it certainly couldn’t make me feel any worse, she thought as she accepted Cove’s hand and let him pull her up. She sighed tiredly, collected her case, and followed Cove up their hill back to their condos. Waving bye to Cove, she carefully climbed back up the trellis and into her window. As she climbed back into her bed, her mind was blissfully quiet, save for the sound of the distant waves. Home. 

A few hours later, Ophelia found herself waking to the familiar jingle of her phone. She blinked wearily and grabbed it, fully expecting a check-up from Cove, and nearly dropped her phone when she read the name. Baxter Ward. She rubbed her eyes and checked once again. He had actually texted her! 

“Good afternoon, 

I was intending on going sightseeing this afternoon. You are quite welcome to join me if you’d like. You’re welcome to bring anyone else as well.

Sincerely, 

Baxter”

Ophelia hurriedly typed out a resounding yes and jumped out of bed to get ready. Though she couldn’t help but notice the lack of “your friend, Baxter” this time. Did he no longer consider them friends? She took a breath and tried to collect herself. There’s only one way to find out.