*Ray

The message was from Zach.

Call me. I love you.

"Lokela." She hated to interrupt time spent together with someone for a phone call, but the whole reason she was out with Lokela was to understand how Zach felt. And he was trying to tell her at that exact moment. She caught Lokela's eyes with hers. They were so dark, they looked black, and the sun across the ocean lit him in gold. It was like being at the fire pit at the lanai again. So close, surrounded by people, and only the two of them for a split second.

She backed away. "I have to make a phone call. I'm sorry. This is so uncool, I know, but I'll make it up to you with a smoothie."

Holding out her hand to stop whatever he might say, she hit the icon to call Zach.

"Hey, babe," he said, almost instantly.

"Hey." She covered her other ear to block out the noise of Aloha tower, but there was more noise coming from his end. Music. Laughter and voices. Someone crying...

"Screw you, asshole," a girl said, voice breaking in tears.

"Is everything all right?" Ray asked.

But Zach wasn't listening. He said something to the girl about leaving him alone. There was a crashing sound. Zach yelled in pain.

Should she call the Californian police?

"Zach? Zach! Are you all right?"

"Hey, babe, I'm fine. I'm fine."

"I can't really hear you. Do you want to call me back?"

"No," he said. Another bang, but like a slamming car door sounded, and the noise died. "Is Lokela there with you?"

"Lokela?" She spotted him in the shopping arcade next to the tower. He was leaning against the wall, foot propped up and arms crossed. He was glowering at the grass, but as she watched, he met her gaze. Her heart squeezed, but at the same time he continued to scan the area to glower at the ocean on her left. "Kind of. Do you want to talk to him?"

"No. I want to talk to you. Listen, I hate to do this, and I don't want to do this, but something happened, and we have to call things off. For now. Just for now. When I get back to Honolulu, I'll explain and I'll make things up to you."

"I have no idea what you're saying. I hear the words and I know what they mean, but put together like that, they make no sense."

Zach sighed. Or started crying. What the?

"We're done. We're done for now. It's Lokela, he—"

Slivers of fear bit her stomach. "What about Lokela?"

"It's not just him. It's me, too. It's me and I can't be with you anymore. For now. We're over, Ray."

"You just sent me a message saying you loved me," Ray said.

"I do love you, but I'm breaking things off with you." His voice rose higher and the sound of suppressed sobs came through the phone. "For now. I'll be in touch when I come back next semester. I want to be with you, but I can't right now."

"We're done because you're breaking things off until you come back in a month?"

"I know it sounds bad, but believe me. I love you so much. I'll make it up to you, and we can be together again, but until then, I have to break up." He coughed of smothered a cry.

"You have to break up, but you'll make it up to me? Do I understand correctly?" she asked. "Can I at least ask why?"

"It's not you, it's me."

"That's not really a reason."

He groaned loudly. "It has nothing to do with you, but when I get back, I will prove how much I love you."

Unbelievable. "Don't bother getting in touch."

"Ray—"

She hung up. Then she stared at the phone in her hand. What the hell had just happened? Had she really just hung up on a guy who was crying for her? After he broke up for apparently no reason, but wanted to get back together in a month?

Yes. Yes, she did.

She stalked across the lawn to the arched way.

"Ray, is everything all right?" Lokela asked. He followed when she didn't stop. "Ray, what happened? Is something wrong?" He touched her arm.

"Do you want to know why I asked you to come have ice-cream?" She asked, but didn't wait for him to answer. "It was to ask if Zach was really in love with me, and if so, why didn't he send any more letters or poetry like he did before the accident."

"No, listen, I'm sorr—"

"He just broke up with me."

"Fuck. Let me explain."

"Explain what? That he makes no sense? That he has no idea who he is or what he wants? That he thinks he can sweet-talk me to get my heart and keep me on a string while he's gone and the second he changes his mind it's over? Except for when he comes back. Does he think I'll be sitting here, pining over him, sick with love, just waiting for him to say he wants me again? I'm supposed to be at his beck and call? What does he really think?"

By then she was yelling and several tourist families had to usher their children out of the way. She yanked at her bike lock, but she couldn't see the numbers to do the combination. She swiped at her eyes.

Then Lokela's hands were on hers. He moved her away from the chain in order to unlock it for her.

Then his arms were around her. She cried into his tee-shirt, his shoulder warm and sturdy underneath.

Everything she believed about Zach was in ruins. The words, the promises, the sweetness of being utterly adored by him was smashed to pieces. By him.

"I'm sorry," Lokela whispered.

"He didn't even say why, except that breaking up with me had nothing to do with me. I don't understand."

"He didn't deserve you, that's all I know."

"All he had to do to deserve me was live up to the things he said. No one made him write that letter or the poem, or send me a thousand messages saying how bad he wanted to see me again. All I ever asked was that he follow through on his own promises," she said.

He held her tighter, and they swayed in place for a long moment. Her crying turned into sniffles and then hiccups.

How embarrassing.

Snot faced, red-eyed, and diaphragm spasms.

"Need a drink of water?" he asked, letting her go.

"I need more to drink than water."

He frowned. "You want a beer?"

"No. I want a strawberry smoothie. With tequila."

He clicked his tongue and a smile broke out on his face. "Well, since you are still underage for a few more months, might I suggest meeting me at the house in twenty minutes?"

***

*Lokela

The nearest liquor store on the route back to the house had a line of three customers. Lokela grabbed a mid-range priced tequila since he didn't want to give her something too cheap, but couldn't afford anything too nice. Besides, after a shot or two, no one would know if it tasted good or not.

I will not take advantage of the situation.

He got in line. It was taking a lot longer than a corner store that only sold liquor and cigarettes should take. He shifted his feet and suppressed his sigh of impatience. The clerk was very fastidious about scanning and wrapping the bottles, checking I.D., and even making small talk. Did he not understand that people just wanted to get their bottles home and start drinking?

I will not take advantage of the situation.

Ray was upset. Her heart was broken. She needed a friend and a shoulder to cry on, and he would provide.

Fucking hell, he would give her his shoulder—she already had his heart—and let her talk and have a drink, then he would make sure she got to bed safely.

It was finally his turn. He grabbed the bottle and paid, not letting the clerk wrap it or chat. In the tiny parking lot, he shoved the tequila in his bike bag and took off as he zipped it closed.

The house was quiet when he arrived. Ray's bike was already there. She had beat him home, of course, but he was there now. Would she prefer talking in her room? Could he concentrate if he had to sit on her bed? Fuck.

In a couple of quick steps, he was at the front door.

From the backyard, a chorus of voices cheered. Frowning, he went through the house to the lanai.

Every single roommate was in the backyard under the strings of garden lights, doing synchronized vodka shots. Nice.

Obviously, they had started without him, since who the hell cared whether he was there or not. He fisted the tequila, turning for the kitchen.

*** Synchronized vodka shots - for your every after-break-up party! Hit the star, leave me a message, or whatever, thanks for reading! ***