"That was cool with you, right?" Derrek asked me when I got out of the pool to join him by the fridge while he made our drinks.

No. "Yeah, totally." I told him.

"Good." Derrek said giving me a smile. "I'm glad you like him. I always hate how he isn't included in anything. He is a nice guy, it just doesn't make sense." He said handing me my drink.

I took a long swig, loving the coconut rum he added. "You know," I said. "You're a really nice guy too."

Derrek leaned over and kissed me quickly on the cheek right as Garrett walked into the backyard. I glanced at him, but then was distracted by his body. How on earth have I gotten myself in this situation? I looked from Garrett, back to Derrek and had to have another deep sip of my drink. Both of them should be bathing suit models or something. They are both so lean and gorgeous, it isn't fair to the rest of the male population.

"So what are you guys up to?" Garrett asked when he joined us. I could feel that he kept looking at me, but I tried to remain disinterested, without seeming rude either.

"Cade and I were just reminiscing on the good times back in California, and how we missed the beach so we decided to have a swim date." Derrek said coolly as he mixed Garrett a drink as well.

"A date?" Garrett asked surprised.

"Not a date-date. Just like, hanging out." I clarified even though I wasn't sure why it mattered if he thought this was a real date or not.

Derrek smacked me on the shoulder. "Harsh." He laughed. "Way to break my heart, Cade."

"Oh my gosh." I said sarcastically. "I am getting back in the pool." I finished my drink and then walked back out to the pool area.

"Show us another canon ball, Cade!" Derrek shouted. I turned to flip him the bird and then I did a swan dive into the deep end. "Oh, ok!" I heard Derrek laughing. "She's classy too." Both Garrett and Derrek sat up at the table for a while longer talking while I floated on my back.

I tried to drown out everything else and just pretend that I really was back home, floating in my own pool, not a care in the world.

It didn't take long for me to start to feel the effects of that drink. I'm not usually a heavy drinker, but I had gotten so flustered by Garrett's presence here that I had gotten a little tipsier than I planned. This is why I don't drink, especially not such heavy liquor.

I'm a lightweight.

I had actually started to giggle at myself and had to stop floating. When I waded over to the shallower end I noticed that the boys were gone. I got nervous instantly. I hate the feeling you get when you know someone is about to try to scare you. I couldn't do anything but just smile like an idiot and look around trying to guess when and where it was going to happen. I figured my best bet was to swim out to the middle of the pool so they couldn't take me by surprise, but that didn't help at all.

I heard the screaming as they came running out from behind the pool house with giant water guns in their hands. They came out blasting me straight in the face. We were all laughing as I tried to hurriedly get out of the pool and run into the house. Derrek jumped in front of the door before I could get inside so I figured my best bet was to try to take his gun from him.

I lunged at him but he turned his back to me just in time to keep me from nabbing it. I jumped on his back piggy back style and tried reaching around him to grab it from that angle, but he just kept shooting me in the face. "That's never going to work girly!" Derrek taunted me.

I jumped down from his back and shoved him hard, causing him to fall backward into the pool, and to let go of his gun. I grabbed it as he fell into the water and I turned it on Garrett as he tried to run from me.

"Don't be a wimp!" I screamed.

Garrett whipped back around and without taking a step toward me, the gun was ripped from my hands, and suddenly he was holding two guns. "I'm sorry, who is the wimp?" He asked pointing them both at me.

Derrek came up from the water laughing and gasping for air. "Dude you got them both back?" He asked sounding proud.

I held up both of my hands and tried to smile sweetly at Garrett. "Truce? Please, truce!" I said around my laughter.

Garrett held them up a little higher but then slowly lowered them to the ground. "Only because you are so cute when you beg." He joked.

"Ah, come on!" Derrek shouted from the pool. "Don't let her off easy just because she is hot!"

Garrett got a mischievous look in his eyes as he looked at Derrek. "Oh, I'm not." He yelled back.

Garrett ran toward me and my mind didn't have enough time to catch up with my body to tell me to run. Before I knew what was happening I was thrown over Garrett's shoulder and he was running for the pool with me. He jumped in and we landed out in the middle of the water.

We spent the next few hours cracking up with each other and having a blast. This was the first real time I have had fun since I moved here.

When the sun went down, the three of us sat outside at the patio table and ate a pizza and drank a little more. Garrett and Derrek actually got along really well. They were both so similar in the way that they seemed to really care about other people, and how sweet they were. They were both serious goofs too. I had laughed so hard that my eyes were watering multiple times. "I wish Stephen could have met you guys." I said out of nowhere, interrupting their conversation. I felt embarrassed that I had said it out loud, but Derrek reached over and put his hand on my leg and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I'm sorry." He said honestly. "I'm sure I would have liked him. We could've fixed up my car together."

I smiled at the thought. "You have no idea how much he would have loved that." I said. "Working on cars was his favorite thing to do." I mumbled. "He would have gotten along so well with you guys. He loved people, and partying, and laughing. He had the most obnoxious laugh you've ever heard." I laughed sadly. "It sounded like a goat crying or something, but it was amazing." I could feel that I was rambling but my mouth wouldn't stop. "I wish I could hear him laugh one more time." I felt the tears falling from my eyes. My face was so hot with embarrassment. "He was just my best friend, you know? Now it's not Stephen and Cade, it's just Cade...Just me." I finally let myself cry for him.

"Cadence, come here." Derrek said gently as he stood up and pulled me to him. He wrapped his long arms around me and I cried into his chest for only a minute.

"I'm...sorry...I'm just, I don't drink...and I."

Derrek squeezed me one more time. "Don't apologize, I understand. It's so hard to lose someone you love, especially when you are as close as you guys were. I know my brother was like my hero to me. He was a year older and I had worshipped him my whole life, and then one day he was just gone. It hurts. Don't ever apologize for feeling something. That's how you know you're human." He gave me one of his billboard smiles. "I will be right back, you are freezing. Let me go grab you a sweatshirt." He turned and went into the house and I sat back down in my chair.

Now that he mentioned it, I noticed I was covered in chill bumps. It was pretty brisk tonight even though it had been so hot earlier. I dared to lift my eyes over to Garrett and I regretted it. He looked so beyond sad. Like he was echoing back my own pain. "Cadence." He said my name gently. He opened his mouth to say more but the sliding door slid open again and Derrek came back out holding a large white hoodie.

"Here, put this on." He sad handing it over to me.

I pulled it over my head and breathed in the smell on it. It was definitely Derrek's. It smelled like chlorine and expensive cologne. "Thanks." I whispered. I was suddenly feeling exhausted after my little break down.

"Let me drive you home." Derrek said sweetly.

"No." Garrett said suddenly. "I mean, that's ok, I can take her." He added. "Cade lives right next door to Carrianne, and I was heading over there anyway."

"That ok with you Cade?" Derrek asked.

I just nodded my head and then gave Derrek a big hug. "Thank you." I said sincerely. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya Cade." He smiled to me. "You too Garrett."

"Yeah, thanks for inviting me over man." Garrett replied.

"Sure thing."

Garrett put his hand on my lower back and led me over to his house to get his car. He opened the door for me to his Jeep Wrangler and helped me step up inside.

The first half of the ride was dead silent, but Garrett finally broke it. "Who is Stephen?" He asked gruffly.

"He's my brother." I answered.

"What happened?"

"He was in an accident." I said. "Drunk driver ran a light and that was it."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He demanded.

I looked over to him with a shocked expression. "Are you actually mad at me right now?" I asked.

Garrett grumbled something to himself. "No, I am not mad." He said. "I do think it's odd that after I tell you, I don't know, the biggest freaking secret ever, you don't even share with me the most basic things about yourself."

"So I am the bad guy because I didn't tell you right away about my dead brother? How is that even the same thing? You know plenty of other secrets about my family."

"So do you." He shot back.

I threw my hands up dramatically. "Ok? So why are we arguing right now?"

"I don't know!" He yelled back.

I rolled my eyes and turned to look out my window. "Whatever." I muttered.

"Yeah, whatever." He repeated me.

We were just about to turn onto my road when he pulled the car over and looked at me. I turned and gave him a questioning look. "I just don't think Carrianne should see me dropping you off." He said. "I'll let you out here."

I had to bite my lip I was so annoyed. "Are you kidding me? You're dropping me down the block like I am some kind of trash you don't want to be seen with?"

"Cade, you know it isn't like that." He tried to explain.

"Screw you, Garrett." I spat. "Why didn't you just let Derrek drive me home?"

"Why? So you could try to kiss him again?" He fired back.

I shook my head and was fuming. I felt like if this was a cartoon I would have steam coming out of my ears. "You. Have. Got. To. Be. Joking." I said. "You don't get to have opinions on who I can or can't kiss. If you'll remember, you have a freaking girlfriend. One that I just saw you with last night. Don't you dare patronize me about kissing someone else!" I yelled at him and then flung the door open and started walking up the sidewalk.

I heard his car door slam too and I could hear his footsteps behind me. "You think I meant for you to see that?" He hollered.

I turned on my heels to face him. "Really? That's what you choose to say? You didn't mean for me to see you about to bang your girlfriend?" I laughed sarcastically.

Garrett ran both of his hands threw his hair frustrated. "That's not what I meant." He muttered. "Look, I'm sorry."

"Why did you stop Derrek from kissing me today, Garret?" I gave him a moment to respond but he just cast his eyes down at the ground. "I can't do this anymore, Garrett."

"Do what?" He asked surprised.

"Be your friend."

"Cadence, please, I am sorry about everything." He pleaded.

"You know how I feel." I shouted. "You know that I like you, and you know that it is more than just as a friend. I can't just keep hanging around you and having to pretend I don't feel more than I do. It's not fair to me for you to expect me to just be cool about it."

"I do know that you care about me, and Cadence, I really care about you too. I wouldn't have told you everything, or said that if I could chose who to be with I would be with you if I didn't really have feelings for you." He said.

"That's just it, though." I told him with tears in my eyes. "You said 'if' you could chose me. You can't, so why put me through the torture of wanting you and then having to be smacked in the face with the realization that I won't ever have you? I love being your friend, I really do, but it's too much for me."

"Then I guess we just aren't friends anymore." He said.

"I guess not." I replied.

I turned and walked home. I snuck into my house and crawled in my bed, still wrapped in Derrek's hoodie.

Today had been a whirlwind of emotions and I just wanted to be done with it.