West Coast, East Ivy, and the Boy Who Never Chose Me Chapter 04

West Coast, East Ivy, and the Boy Who Never Chose Me Chapter 04

“Elowen, Liora gets terrible car sickness. Let her sit in the front passenger seat,” Kael said as we got in the car.

“I want to sit next to Elowen!” Liora whined.

“Come on. You always get carsick in the back. Sit up front,” Kael said, opening the door and holding his hand over her head as she got in.

I sat in the backseat and watched him fasten her seatbelt with gentle, careful movements.

“Stay still for a bit. Your lipstick is in the glove compartment, your smoothie is by the door, and I put a lumbar support pillow for you too.” Kael grabbed a handful of snacks and placed them in Liora’s hands. “These are all your favorites.”

He had never paid this much attention to detail when he was with me. I’d complained about it before, but he’d always just said he was a typical guy who didn’t know how to be thoughtful.

I realized then that he was fully capable of caring for someone. He just had never wanted to do it for me.

Kael glanced at me through the rearview mirror and looked embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and passed a few packs of dried fish snacks to the backseat.

“Here, you can have these too, Elowen.”

He’d forgotten once again that I hated fish-based snacks.

We drove for hours and finally reached the beach at three in the morning. Liora hopped out of the car excitedly to feel the sea breeze. Kael grabbed a jacket and hurried after her, his face filled with worry.

A sharp yelp rang out. A sand crab had pinched Liora’s finger and broken the skin.

“We need to get to a clinic now—this wound needs to be bandaged!” Kael’s eyes filled with genuine distress and panic.

I glanced over at them and spoke in a casual, indifferent tone.

“If we take any longer, I’ll heal on its own by the time we get there.”

“Elowen! How could you be so cold? Your best friend’s hurt, and you’re cracking jokes like that?” Kael’s face went red, and he yelled at me.

“You always act all sweet, but underneath you’re selfish and mean.”

He lifted Liora up into his arms and walked toward the car.

“I’m taking Liora to get looked at. Stay here and think about your attitude. Get yourself home.”

The car sped away before I could say a word. No ride-sharing services worked out here on the remote beach in the middle of the night.

Cold sea wind cut through my thin camisole. I curled up on the sand as frigid cold seeped deep into my bones. Memories of every moment I’d shared with Kael flooded my mind. I could no longer hold back my sadness, and I wrapped my arms around myself, crying loudly.

After a long while, the sky began to lighten. The sun rose slowly over the ocean horizon, and the morning glow fell across my face, chasing away the darkness that had trapped my teenage years.

I hailed a taxi to head home and fell into a deep sleep as soon as I walked through the door.

A knock on the door woke me up later. It was Liora, standing on my doorstep with an apologetic look.

“Elowen, I’m really sorry. Kael just got way too worked up over me last night.”

“Don’t be mad, okay? I already gave him a piece of my mind. I’m your best friend—honestly, the way he treats me just proves how much he values you too.”

I let out a mocking laugh.

“Kael? Since when have the two of you gotten so close?”

Liora’s throat went dry. She bit her lip and let tears stream down her cheeks, putting on the act of someone wronged and upset.

Kael appeared beside her out of nowhere. He frowned and shot me an angry glare.

“Elowen, that’s enough.”

“Liora’s on her period and she still showed up for you. Don’t push it.”

“SAT scores dropped—you didn’t even place. You’re not the best, but if you ask nicely, Liora and I could help you prep for another gap year to get into West Coast.”

Anger flared inside me, and I was about to snap back when my phone suddenly rang. I froze the second I answered the call.

A group of reporters pushed past Kael and Liora, holding cameras and microphones and crowding around me.

“Elowen, you’re the city’s top SAT scorer this year—how does that feel?”