0 3 | s u r f e r ' s  p a r a d i s e

I PEDALLED MY BIKE HARDER UPHILL TOWARDS CLEMENTE HOUSE. My hair was still wet from my morning shower, dripping over my t-shirt to reveal my bikini underneath.

I'd begun working at the Shack every summer since the week I'd turned fourteen, so I was used to the early morning rises – although that definitely didn't make it any easier.

My eyes threatened to drift shut, desperate for a few more minutes of sleep. I pedalled faster, hoping the cold breeze on my cheeks would flush any sort of fatigue out of my body before my shift.

Clemente house was still dark, and when I hopped off my bike to walk the last few metres, I expected the American to have stood me up. Yet, as I reached the porch steps, his figure came into sight.

He stood in a t-shirt and shorts today, leaning against the wall on his phone. I wheeled my bike to a stop, pausing at the bottom of the short staircase and cleared my throat.

He blinked, craning his neck up to glare at me.

"I didn't expect you to be up so early," I said, raising a brow. It was barely half past five. The sun wouldn't even rise for another thirty minutes.

He shrugged at me, hopping down the steps to join me on the footpath.

"Jet lag."

"Right," I muttered. We stood awkwardly in silence for a minute before I cleared my throat and nodded towards the beach. "Shall we?"

He shuffled beside me without a word and I grabbed my bike by the handles, slowly wheeling it down the hill.

"So," he began, his voice cold and distant as we walked. If anything, it was more of a grumble. "Where are we going?"

"Well, I've got work, so we're going to the Shack."

"What?" he spat, furrowing his brows. "We're going to your work?"

I pursed my lips. "It's not like I want to go. And it's not like I want you to come with me."

"It's not like I want to go with you either," he snarled. "If it wasn't for my grandma, I'd –"

"You'd what?" I interrupted, quirking a brow. "Sit inside all day? Until, what? When do you go back again?"

He stayed silent, fuming as we continued walking the short distance to the beach. It was less than fifteen minutes from his place, and the downhill walk made it easy.

Before long, the ocean came into view and our feet were digging into the sand. I locked my bike in its usual spot before making my way towards the Shack.

We opened at six, which meant the sun was barely beginning to rise by the time I'd unlocked the doors, pulled open the metal shutters and prepared the front. My co-workers began slowly filing in, taking their own stations in the air conditioned backroom or by the kayaks and boats we rented out.

Everett had taken one of the bar stools in front, glaring at his phone as I began to work.

We didn't say a word to each other, and I was fine with that.

It was the middle of summer, so the mornings were a very popular time to visit the beach. It wasn't long before the beach filled up.

"Isla!"

I blinked, turning away from our bookings directory to see Austin Wright's shaggy brown hair speeding towards me. He'd already gone for a surf, by the looks of it, and wore his surf suit rolled to his hips, his chest bare and glistening.

My heart flipped in my chest.

Behind him, Connor and River raced through the sand until all three boys were leaning over the counter, grinning at me.

"Morning, boys," I smiled, nodding at them.

River's eyes twinkled as he nodded his head towards Everett.

"Who's this, Isla? Got yourself a boyfriend?"

Connor snorted at his joke, nudging Everett roughly on the shoulder. "Run while you still can, mate."

Everett sent me a look, his eyes glittering mischievously. My face warmed in embarrassment and I turned to snap at the boys.

"Shut it, you two," I scolded. I shook my head, avoiding Everett's raised brow. "He's Mrs Clemente's grandson. I've been assigned as babysitter for the summer."

"Babysitter?" Everett began to protest, but I interrupted.

"He's just been sitting there on his phone, anyway."

"What?" Everett spat, flustered. He shoved a hand through his dark hair. "I was just –"

"What's your name?" Austin asked.

"Everett," he replied. "Connolly."

I blinked, realising I'd never asked him that. Everett Connolly. Huh. Austin slapped hands with him, offering a welcoming grin.

"Everett?" Connor echoed. "Like the mountain?"

"What?"

"Y'know," he said thoughtfully. "Mount Everett."

"I think it's Mount Everett's," Austin chimed in.

"You're both a bunch of idiots," River sneered, whacking the pair over their heads. "It's Everest."

"Alright, Bennett. Stop acting like you didn't fail year five geography," Connor shot back.

"Year five?" I raised a brow in amusement. "Forgot what the capital of Australia is, River?"

"Shut up," River muttered, slapping Connor again. He smirked in response, proud of getting a reaction out of him.

River leaned closer to me, water dripping from his skin onto the counter.

"Well, good luck with your side job," he snorted, rolling his eyes and nodding towards Everett, who was pretending he wasn't listening despite the amused tilt of his lips. "When are you off?"

I swatted him away, drying the water from the bench, and he sent me a cheeky smile.

"My break's at eleven," I said, glancing at the clock. Five more hours. The day seemed to drag on so slowly. River groaned and Connor thwacked him over his buzzcut head.

"We'll meet you on the Nauti Buoy," Connor said.

Everett's eyes widened. "The what?"

Austin stepped beside him, ignoring his confusion and flashing me a grin. "Catch you later then, yeah?"

"Yeah, definitely," I smiled, melting under his gaze.

They turned then, brisking past Everett in a gang of teasing and bustling laughter. They ran towards the spot they'd left their boards, River leaping onto Connor, tackling him to the sand as Austin laughed at the idiots.

I sighed – five more hours before I could join them.

Sky would've kept me company, if she were here. But instead I was stuck with Everett.

A shrill ringing sounded, and I frowned, turning to the phone and back to work. I didn't miss Everett's glare as I grabbed the phone, forcing my tired frown to morph into my customer service grin. Sucking in a breath, I pulled the phone to my ear and immediately perked up.

"Good morning! Shellside Lagoon Surf Shack, Isla here. How can I help you?"

I nodded, listening to the customer as I scribbled into the booking's directory. I was half-way through writing the customer's name under our kayak bookings when I glanced up, my heart dropping.

Everett had disappeared.

"Right, four people for Thursday," I said into the phone, struggling to keep the panic out of my voice as I frantically searched the beach. "Thank you so much for calling. Have a good one!"

I slammed the phone into the receiver, sliding over the counter and onto the sand.

Where the hell did he go? Mrs Clemente would have my head if I'd lost him.

I had one job and I'd messed it up on day one.

My mind drifted to Bondi Rescue and the number of tourists who had almost drowned on Australian shores, or worse – the children who got lost and were never found. My heart began to race.

I anxiously scanned the beach, the worst possible scenarios beginning to flood my mind.

I took two steps forward before my eyes fell on his dark hair, further down the beach. He was watching me, his lips twitched up in an amused smile, a cigarette between them.

My panic was replaced with anger, my skin burning with fury. I flushed in embarrassment beneath his gaze and narrowed my eyes into a glare.

He'd wanted to get a rise out of me.

I huffed, turning my nose up at him and striding back into the shack. He watched, still smirking cockily, smoke dragging out from his mouth. Anger continued to bubble up inside of me and I turned away from him, glaring down at the booking's directory.

If he wanted to wander off without saying anything, that was his call. He could get lost for all I cared. I'd deal with Mrs Clemente myself.

Hell, I'd probably be doing her a favour.

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By eleven, Everett had disappeared further down the beach, surrounding himself with a group of busty blondes.

I rolled my eyes, tapping my pen against the counter until the back door creaked open and Tom entered the front.

"Good work, Isla," he said in his gravelly voice. He patted me on the shoulder, nodding towards the beach. "You can take your break now. I'll take over."

I grinned, thanking him and leaping over the counter, grabbing my sandwich from my duffel bag and racing through the sand. The sun was already becoming hot, heating the sand to the point that I was basically hopping from foot to foot.

The boys were already on the pier, River sleeping on the tinny beside Connor as Austin stood waiting for me.

"Hey," he said, smiling when he saw me. "You ready?"

"For?"

"Isla!" Connor shouted when he spotted me. "We're going to Isla!"

My smile grew and I hopped onto the tinny, shaking the boat and causing River to stir, glaring at me. The beach was already bustling with tourists – Isla would be empty, and it was only a few minutes ride away.

"Let's go!" I hollered, falling to sit in the Nauti Buoy.

"Shut it," River groaned, slowly sitting up. "Let me wake up first."

I grinned as Austin found a seat beside me, waiting impatiently for River to start the boat up.

"Where's Everest?" He asked, quirking a brow at me.

"Everett," I corrected subconsciously. He grinned teasingly at me and I sighed, glowering. "He's probably off destroying his lungs somewhere on the beach."

"Huh," he said simply.

I paused, my gaze drifting from the sea to the sand that I'd come from, landing on Everett's distant figure.

He still sat with the group of girls, but his smile had vanished. He crossed his arms, glaring in my direction.

Something in me stirred – I couldn't leave him alone, could I?

Mrs Clemente had asked me to show him around Shellside Bay and instead I'd left him on the beach to figure his own fun out for five hours.

I sighed.

"Wait," I said, standing from my seat. The boat wobbled. I groaned. "I can't leave Everett here."

"What?" River asked. "Who?"

"Her boyfriend," Connor grinned, shoving his arm.

Blood rushed to my face and I subconsciously turned my stare to Austin who seemed as if he wasn't even listening.

"He's not my boyfriend," I blurted. "Just –" I sighed. "Just give me a minute."

I stepped off the boat, running down the pier and across the beach. The sand was hot on my skin, and I was in front of Everett in seconds.

I paused, crossing my arms and staring down at him. He blinked up at me in confusion.

"Yes?" He drawled out in his smooth American accent, the girls around him falling quiet.

"We're going."

"What?"

I held out my hand, gesturing for him to follow. "We're going."

He blinked, his gaze drifting past me to the tinny, then back.

"Where?"

I sighed. I didn't exactly want to reveal Isla to the group of tourists surrounding us. "Just come on."

"I'm happy here, thanks," he shot back, flashing a charming smile to the girl beside him. She giggled and I rolled my eyes, bending to grab his arm and pull him to his feet.

His eyes widened as I dragged him to stand, surprised at my sudden show of strength. I'd been a Nipper as a kid, and then a junior life saver for a while – I'd had my fair share of training.

I turned, releasing his arm and stalking back to the boat without a word. It was only when I reached the pier that I glanced behind me to see if he'd followed, and to my surprise, he was right behind me, grovelling and frowning with each step.

"Why's the American coming?" River shouted from the steering, nodding at Everett.

"I didn't ask to come," Everett shot back.

"So, leave."

"River," Austin scolded, glaring.

"What?"

"Look," I interrupted, stepping onto the boat. "He's coming. So, suck it up and start the boat, River."

River rolled his eyes, starting the engine with a roar as Everett stepped onto the boat.

He was barely seated before the tinny lurched into the ocean, rolling over the tides towards Isla.

"Whose boat?" Everett asked, nudging me.

"River's dad's," Connor replied, shouting. "He's loaded."

"Shut up," River rolled his eyes, whacking Connor over the head. Connor laughed, grinning cheekily.

"You're telling me," Everett muttered to himself, his eyes wide. "This is basically a yacht."

"Yeah, he's proper rich," I shouted to him, grinning snidely at River.

River rolled his eyes, deciding to tune out of our conversation as Everett nodded in astonishment. It was true. River's family owned a business down in Sydney. In fact, River spent most of his time in Sydney too. He only came back to Shellside Bay during summer break – and also on the not so rare occasion that he decided to run away from home for a week and jig school.

I didn't understand why anyone would want to leave such a bustling city like Sydney to stay in this stale town. Even the tourists got sick of it eventually – that's why they all left at the end of summer.

There was nothing for them here.

Nothing for me here.

"Where are we headed?" Everett shouted suddenly over the rumbling engine. I blinked, realising we were already halfway to the island. Blue waves surrounded us, and far on the horizon, Isla could be seen.

Austin smiled at him, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "To Isla."

"What?" Everett blinked, turning to me. He furrowed his brows. "She's right here."

"Isla is what we call the island," Austin shouted back, shaking his head with a grin. He glanced at me and I felt my lips twitch up in a smile.

Everett snorted, smirking at me condescendingly. "Can't be that good if it's named after her."

I rolled my eyes and his smirk turned into an annoyed glare at my lack of a reaction. He crossed his arms, his eyes trained on the floor of the boat as it rocked over the waves.

The boat rumbled to a stop and my heart picked up speed – we'd arrived.

We jumped out of the boat, the water soaking us to our knees as we dragged it onto the sand.

Isla was the most beautiful spot on Shellside Bay, brimming with verdant trees and wildlife. If this didn't amaze Everett, I wasn't sure what would.

I turned, a smug grin on my face, ready to tell him I told him so, but I paused.

Everett stood behind me, his eyes wide with wonder, his jaw slack. I blinked, the smile on my face slowly falling.

His expression seemed so open – so different from his usual glaring broodiness.

No, his eyes were large and twinkling, a bright hazel – hazel. I hadn't realised the small tint of green in them before. The sun seemed to glow on his skin as he frantically took in the entire view of Isla. Even his hair had turned to a deep, golden brown in this light.

His lips twitched up in an open smile – a smile of amazement, not his usual condescending smirk.

My heart panged at his expression. He looked surprisingly attractive like that.

"Isla."

I blinked, turning to see Austin raising a brow at me.

"What?" I stammered out, my heart leaping in my chest. I swallowed thickly, glancing at Everett.

He'd snapped out of his gaze, falling back into his usual brooding demeanour – but I didn't miss the glistening of his eyes now, or the new upturn at the corner of his mouth.

I shook my head, turning to see River and Connor already speeding through the trees towards the lagoon.

"Right," I cleared my throat, grinning widely. "Let's go."

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A U T H O R ' S N O T E

Hey! So, what do you guys think so far? Of Isla? Everett? The other boys? Who's your favourite?? Let me know!

Also, thank you so much for 1000 reads! Your comments are always hilarious and appreciated! See you next time! 💕