2 7 | k i a m a  s u r f

I TAPPED MY PEN against the counter table, the phone silent beside me. Since summer was coming to an end, most tourists had gone home, leaving the Shack unbearably quiet. Even the beach had turned silent, the waves and screech of seagulls louder than any children giggling or drunk European men shouting.

On the bright side, it meant I had time to study and prepare for the upcoming school term.

Now that River had offered me to move in at the end of the year, I'd been getting ahead of myself. I couldn't help it. It was actually possible now. If I studied hard enough, I could get into the course I wanted, and I could actually study. I could escape this dead end town and get a degree.

I could do what my dad never managed.

Just the thought of it set butterflies loose in my stomach and spiked my heart rate until I was grinning wildly to myself. I smiled, flipping my biology textbook to the next page to practice my Punnet squares.

"And why, exactly, are you studying in the middle of summer, Monroe?"

I blinked, craning my neck to see Everett watching me curiously, his lips pulled into a smirk. He leaned over onto the counter, glancing between me and my textbook. I rolled my eyes, beginning to write out a Punnet square.

"I need to do good if I'm going to get into my top preference," I stated matter-of-factly. "Especially in biology."

"Top preference?"

"For university."

I could practically hear the gears turning in his head at that. A moment passed before he asked, "So, you're going, then? You're going to do it?"

I put my pen down, meeting his stare with a quirked brow. "Aren't you the one who told me I could?"

"Well, yeah, and I still think you can." He blushed, scratching the back of his head. "But what changed since then? Just a few days ago you were saying you don't have enough saved up."

I shrugged, a smile beginning to grow on my lips. River's words echoed in my mind, his offer to move in with him at the end of the year.

"I found a place to stay."

"Already?" He raised his brows at me. "Don't you still have a year of school left?"

"Yes," I said pointedly, gesturing to the biology textbook in front of me. "Hence the studying."

He blinked, confused for a moment, before leaning forward to rest his elbow on the counter beside my book. I furrowed my brow, meeting his amused eyes.

"Isla," he said slowly. "I am extremely confused."

I laughed, shoving him lightly. "River asked me to move in with him."

"What?" He sputtered, reeling back in surprise. "River?"

"Yeah," I said, grinning at the idea. At the thought of moving to Sydney. Living in a big city. Studying at a university. I released a dreamy breath. "After I graduate, I'll move into his apartment in Sydney with him and go to uni."

"I mean," I laughed, shaking my head. "Assuming I get in."

I paused, watching him carefully for a reaction, a smile splitting across my face.

I hadn't told anyone yet. Not even my mother – not until I was sure I had the money and the grades. I didn't want any help. I could do this on my own.

But I couldn't hold it in anymore, and Everett deserved to know. He was the one who pushed me – who believed in me, even when I doubted myself. And I wouldn't admit it out loud, but I wanted to tell him first, before the others.

I grinned widely, waiting for Everett to smile, or congratulate me, or have some sort of reaction.

But instead, his lips dipped into a tight frown and a shadow fell over his face. He furrowed his brow, shaking his head slightly.

"River?" he repeated, as if to himself.

I quirked a brow at his unusual reaction, wringing my fingers together.

"Yeah," I started slowly. Why was he acting like this? "He offered and I accepted. Do you know how many doors that opens for me? Now I don't have to worry about paying rent or illegally rooming with twelve other people."

He was silent for a moment, then he said, "I didn't realise your relationship with River was like that."

"We've been best friends for years now." I shrugged nonchalantly, my mind still drifting to Sydney, and his – no, our – apartment, of university. "I mean, I've slept over at his holiday house here a million times. It can't be too different to that, right?"

"Right," Everett said slowly. He shook his head again, like shaking sand out of his eyes, and sent me a small smile. "Congratulations, Isla. I always believed in you."

I raised a brow at him, my lips twitching. "You've known me for, like, a month, Everett."

"And from the start, I knew how strong you were," he teased, rubbing his jaw where I'd punched him the day we met.

I laughed, rolling my eyes, and he smiled at my reaction. He leaned back onto the counter, resting his jaw against his palm, and tilted his head, watching me carefully.

I ignored him, tapping my pen against my textbook as I worked out the next question, but his eyes drilled into my face. The silence was suffocating, and his stare stayed glued on me. I warmed, eventually dropping my pen and turning to face him.

"What?" I asked, raising a brow.

His lips twitched at the corner. "Nothing."

"Stop looking at me weirdly."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"So?"

"So, it's distracting me from my work," I said pointedly.

"Well, you shouldn't be studying in summer anyway." His lips twitched again, and I narrowed my eyes at him. He was trying to rile me up.

"Everett," I said slowly.

"Isla."

"What are you doing?"

He hummed, leaning further into his palm and tilting his head so that he was looking directly at me.

"I was just thinking," he said. "You're amazing."

He paused, as if realising what he'd just said. His face flushed and he quickly continued. "I mean, you work your ass off to go to college. You study during summer. I mean, who does that?"

Warmth blossomed in my chest at his words, spreading up my neck to my face. I smiled, avoiding his eyes, and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm sure lots of people do."

"No, Isla, seriously." His words were so pointed, forcing me to look up and meet his eyes.

Those hazel eyes, always burning with fire now. Where had that cold, distant look from the start of summer gone? Every time I looked at him these days, he had a warm smile and passionate eyes, so hazel in the light I couldn't believe I ever thought they were brown like mine.

"Your dad would be proud," he said finally, his voice soft. "I know it."

It was like something in me cracked. Like I'd been waiting eight years to hear those words. My heart twinged painfully, and I bit hard on my tongue to stop any tears from welling up.

Sensing my reaction, he reached out, resting his hand gently over mine, and sent me a small smile. Warmth shot up my arm at the feeling of his hand in mine and my heart pounded in my ears.

"Thank you," I managed. In a moment of confidence, I twisted my hand, lacing our fingers together and squeezing his hand reassuringly.

His smile faltered at the touch, and he opened his mouth to speak, when he was interrupted.

"Isla."

His hand ripped away from me, moving to awkwardly rub the back of his head. Blushing myself, I turned to the source of the voice – Austin.

He walked towards us with his eyes narrowed darkly at Everett. Behind him, River and Connor followed, a lit cigarette between River's lips.

"Oh," I managed stupidly. "Hey, Austin. Didn't see you much last night."

"I wonder why," River joked, blowing out a cloud of smoke.

I scrunched my nose, swatting at the air around us. "Jesus, River. You're going to have to quit smoking if we're going to be living together."

"Living together?" Austin's eyes bulged as he took a step forward. "What?"

I sent him an uneasy smile. "Surprise?"

"When did this happen?" he sputtered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"After you disappeared last night?" I offered, raising a brow at him.

He released a tired breath, running a hand over his weary face. "Isla, about that... Mia was just – I don't know, she dragged me around all night."

"Huh," I said, emotionlessly. I bit my tongue to stop myself from saying something stupid. Like how she was always dragging him around, not just last night. But my shoulders sagged, and I found myself not really caring – not enough to start an argument.

"What, no congratulations?" River jumped in, filling the silence. He leaned over the counter, slinging an arm around my neck and basically pulling me over to the sand. I pulled back, tugging at his arm.

"River," I chided between a laugh. "I'm supposed to be working."

He loosened his grip, but didn't let go, keeping his arm firmly around me. He sent the others a wide smirk. "Well?"

"Congrats, dude," Austin muttered finally, sending him a nod.

"Yeah," Connor said finally, seeming to snap out of his daze. "When are you moving?"

"After graduation," I said, grinning. I exchanged smiles with River before turning back to Connor. His eyes darted between me and River. "For uni, you know?"

"Oh." Connor's usual smile vanished from his lips, instead twisting into a thoughtful frown. "So, you guys are going to be living in Sydney? It'll just be me and Austin?"

"And Sky," I offered, unsurely.

Austin laughed at that. "Sky's going to be the first one outta this town."

"We'll visit," River said quickly. "Right Isla?"

His grip around my neck tightened and I laughed, trying to shove him off again. I pushed at his wrist, glancing up to meet eyes with Everett.

He watched us with his jaw set, his eyes narrowed at River's arm around my shoulders. What was his problem? He couldn't actually be jealous, could he? My lips twitched at the idea. It was impossible, I was far from River's type.

"Isla, what time to do you finish?" River asked before I could even answer his last question. I blinked, returning to my senses and finally shoving his arm off of me. I huffed, smoothing my hair back.

I glanced at the clock. "Thirty minutes."

"Great!" Connor stepped forward, planting himself onto a stool beside Everett. "We can take the Nauti Buoy and go to Isla."

My entire body ached with fatigue, but the idea of floating in the lagoon as the sun set and the sky turned purple set a kind of energy rushing down my spine. I grinned at him, nodding.

"Sure," I said, pausing to glance around. Austin stood behind the others with his lips pressed into a firm line. "Is Mia coming?"

He blinked at the mention of her and immediately grimaced. His brows furrowed and he wrinkled his nose in distaste. "No. I didn't invite her."

"Oh." That was weird. After spending every day with her for the past few weeks, suddenly she wasn't invited? I couldn't help my curiosity. "Why not?"

"She doesn't have to go everywhere with me," he snapped suddenly, lashing out.

My eyes widened and I subconsciously took half a step back. Immediately, his expression softened. He sighed, shaking his head and pushing past River to reach out to me.

I frowned, ignoring him, and he clicked his tongue, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry," he said, slowly. "I didn't mean that."

I narrowed my eyes at him, and he released another breath, his hand still extended towards me. "Please, Isla?"

Begrudgingly, I stepped to the counter. His lips lifted into a relieved smile and he took my hand into his, his fingers tangling between my own. I furrowed my brow at the unusual gesture.

Sure, we always held hands. It was second nature to us – but now he had Mia. And he hadn't taken my hands into his like this for weeks.

I felt uncomfortably aware of his fingers pressed against mine, the clammy sweat caught between our palms. His grip tightened, squeezing my hand in a gesture that used to be reassuring.

"Isla is our special place. She doesn't have to come all the time," he said gently, offering me a coy smile.

I blinked, processing his words. So now it was our special place? After he'd taken her there almost every day? Why did he get to pick and choose when it was special to us?

I thought of Mia, her peeling laughter as she jumped into the lagoon. I thought of his arms tight around her as he threw her into the water – the way he used to do to me. Except with her, it tended to end in a passionate kiss.

Suddenly, the feel of his skin against mine felt entirely too unnatural.

I wrenched my hand out of his, ignoring the hurt flashing across his face. I stepped back, crossing my arms uncomfortably.

"Alright," I said, hoping my voice wasn't as weak as it sounded to my own ears.

Beside Austin, Connor and River were sending each other mischievous looks, and I flushed at the idea that they'd just witnessed all of that.

My eyes betrayed me, drifting over to Everett. He watched me carefully, his lips pursed, and brow furrowed. I was humiliated, and he'd had a front row seat to the show. I glanced momentarily at his hand resting on the counter, his long, tanned fingers tapping against the chipped wood.

Austin's hand had felt so unnatural in mine. When had that happened? When did butterflies stop erupting in my stomach at his touch? When had I stopped craving the feel of his skin against mine?

My eyes settled again on Everett's hand, before tracing its way up to his eyes. He watched me still, hazel burning into brown, and my stomach flipped.

I had a feeling I knew the answer.

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A U T H O R ' S   N O T E

Hey! Soo things are happening hehe thoughts? Next time: Isla and Austin have a chat 👀 Any guesses???

There's only 4 chapters left! Can't believe how fast this went hahah thank you for reading, voting and commenting! See you! x