2 9 | h y a m s

I WOKE UP TO LIGHT streaming in through the curtains and Everett's arm tight around my waist. I blinked through the tired blur of my vision, immediately remembering what happened last night.

Austin had kissed me. He'd admitted to knowing about my crush on him all along. And after ten years of waiting, I'd ended it myself. I wasn't going to be his second choice anymore.

And then I'd come here for Everett. And his skin had scalded mine until we fell asleep on his mattress, our legs tangled together, my face pressed against his chest.

I stilled beneath his grip, not wanting to wake him – not yet. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. His face was settled into a gentle smile, the corners of his lips tilting up. His hair was messy and fell onto his forehead in a way that made me want to run my fingers through it.

Instead, I scanned the rest of him. The blanket had been pulled away to reveal his upper body. My face flushed as I realised Everett was still shirtless from last night.

Carefully, I rested a hand against his chest, tracing the barely-there abs and freckles across olive toned skin. I smiled, pressing a palm against his chest, feeling his heartbeat slowly, feeling the gentle thrum against my fingertips – a reminder that he was here, and this was real.

Then, it was speeding up and his eyes were open, looking at me.

I warmed, realising he'd caught me practically fondling him in his sleep.

"Everett," I started to say, my voice raspy with sleep. I moved to pull my arm away, but he stopped me, taking my hand and pressing it back against his chest.

His heart was racing like crazy now and he leaned closer, his voice a raspy whisper by my ear.

"See what you do to me?"

I swallowed thickly, ignoring the embarrassed heat spreading from my chest to my neck. I pulled my hand out of his grip and sat up, the mattress shifting beneath me. He watched me from his pillow, his lips tilted in an amused smirk at my reaction.

"So," I said slowly, unsurely. I hated the way he made my stomach churn – a mixture of nervousness and excitement. "What does this mean for us?"

He sat up with me, taking my hand into his and tangling our fingers together. I smiled at the gesture – at how comfortable our palms felt pressed against each other.

"Isla," he said, his voice still husky. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

My heart leapt into my throat.

"But you're leaving soon," I said.

"Doesn't matter." He squeezed my hand and despite the blush kissing his cheeks, he settled me with a determined look full of fire and confidence. "I want to be with you. I want to spend my last few weeks here dating you. I'll take you anyway I can get you – for a minute. For a day. For a week. I want you."

"Not Charlotte?" I half-joked.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes and sending me a snide smirk. "She was never an option."

He leaned closer, briefly brushing his lips over my mouth before resting his forehead against mine.

"You'll never be my second choice, Isla," he said, his voice dropping to a low drawl.

I smiled, leaning forward to press my lips against his in a quick, chaste kiss. He leaned into it, but I pulled away, my face warm and smile growing.

"Okay, fine," I teased, rolling my eyes. "If you insist, I'll go out with you."

"I guess you do like Americans after all."

I laughed, slapping his arm. He caught my hand and held it there, raising a brow.

"Always violent, Isla."

"Only around you," I shot back.

His lips twitched into a smirk and his eyes danced with mischief – turning a bright hazel in the morning light. "Good."

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We left Clemente House when the sun was high over the horizon and the sky had turned a bright blue. Mrs Clemente had been serving customers behind the counter, but I didn't miss the smug grin she gave me when I passed.

I'd muttered a good morning, my fingers subconsciously smoothing my hair down and fixing my shirt.

By the time I'd gone home and showered, Everett was waiting for me in my living room, sitting on the couch like he belonged there. He'd showered too and changed into a casual t-shirt and shorts.

I raised a brow at him, patting my hair dry with a wrinkled cotton t-shirt.

"Make yourself at home," I joked.

He spun, his smile growing at the sight of me. "Not like I haven't been here before."

"Right," I said, narrowing my eyes about him. "So, when you said you had tea with my mum that time..."

"Wasn't joking." He sent me a snide look. "Are your sheets still pink, or have you changed them since then?"

My face warmed and I shifted slightly to cover my open bedroom door, revealing the hot pink sheets covering my bed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right."

I cleared my throat, eager to move the conversation along. "So, what are we doing today?"

"No work?"

"Not today," I said, grinning.

Ever since River had offered me a place to stay, I'd been taking less shifts. Besides, summer was coming to an end and Tom didn't need as many workers on at a time. Our only customers these days were the few straggling tourists that hadn't left yet and were running out of things to do in Shellside Bay before leaving.

"Good." He stood, taking my hand into his and grinning foolishly as he swung our arms together. "Let's go out."

"What?" I laughed. "To where?"

"I don't know, you're the local here," he said, quirking a brow. "You tell me."

"I'm not your personal tour guide, Everett," I teased.

"Aren't you though?" He sent me a challenging smirk and I narrowed my eyes in a glare. A second passed before I gave in, rolling my eyes with a small smile tugging at my lips.

"Well, there's the grocery store. And the Shack. There's the café, but my mum works there, so that's a no." I paused, levelling him with a look. "Small town, remember?"

"Alright, the beach it is." He tugged my arm, swinging our hands happily as he led me out of the house and down the hill.

"It's a bit of a trek," I said, squinting at the ocean in the distance.

"Plenty of time to talk then."

"And we might see Austin there."

His jaw tightened, but his smile didn't waver. "So? He'll have to find out eventually."

"I was just hoping that eventually would come much, much later," I muttered.

He tilted his head towards me, frowning. "Did he say something dumb yesterday?"

"When doesn't he?" I joked, releasing a forced laugh. His brow wrinkled at me and I sighed, dropping my smile. "You were right, Everett. He knew. He knew all along and just kept leading me on like it was nothing."

He was silent for a moment, then his grip on my hand tightened and he tugged me closer, wrapping his arm around me.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I didn't want to be right."

"It's not your fault," I said, shaking my head. "I just feel so stupid, you know?"

"He's the stupid one." His arm grew stiff around me. "He's the idiot for leading you on like that. You deserve better."

I smiled, leaning into his side. He softened, relaxing against me. "I already have better."

It was almost noon now, and the sun was beating down on us heavily. We reached the bottom of the first hill and began climbing the second that crested at Clemente House, when we passed a small, family-owned convenience store.

I hummed, an idea coming to me.

"Ev," I said, tugging his hand and leading him to the shop. "I have an idea."

A muscle in his jaw clenched and he turned to me with that familiar fire behind the hazel of his eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Emma – she used to call me Ev."

"Oh." I paused. Suddenly, the atmosphere felt tense. I pursed my lips, searching for a way to lighten it. "What should I call you then?" I hummed as if in thought. "Rhett?"

"Rhett?" he wrinkled his nose.

"Yeah. Sounds like rat. I think that suits you pretty well."

"I take it back. Ev is fine."

I glanced at him and he sent me a teasing smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. I paused my steps, turning to him and taking his face into my hands.

"If Ev makes you remember her," I said, pressing our foreheads against each other. I sent him a devilish smirk. "Then I'll just have to overwrite that memory."

I pressed a kiss to his lips, pulling away briefly. "Okay, Ev?"

He laughed, the grin finally reaching his eyes and crinkling at the corners. "Got it."

"So," I started. I pulled back, grabbing his hand and marching through the shop doors. Aircon hit us immediately, cooling my sun kissed skin until goose bumps rose on the back of my neck. "It's about time you try the best part of summer in Australia."

"I already have," he teased, his eyes dropping to my lips.

I rolled my eyes, ignoring him and gesturing towards the small freezer at the centre of the tiny shop. "Zooper Doopers."

He looked down, following my gaze to look at the colourful sticks of ice wrapped in plastic. He frowned. "Aren't those just icy poles?"

"What?" I sputtered, my eyes widening.

He leaned down smugly, pushing the glass open and grabbing a red one. I blinked, shaking my head in disbelief.

"First of all, they're called Zooper Doopers." I plucked the Zooper Dooper out of his hand and placed it back into the freezer, taking out two pastel pink ones instead. "Second of all, fairy floss is the best flavour."

"If you insist," he shrugged.

"Oh, I insist." I grinned widely, leading us to the counter. "Besides, I thought I was the tour guide here."

The convenience store was small and rickety – owned by a family that had lived in this town for generations. It had creaky flooring, and the air conditioner was leaky and too loud and due for a replacement, but it was familiar, and I knew I'd miss it when I moved to Sydney.

We paused at the counter, Everett and I racing to get our wallets out and pay before the other, when the bell rang, and the glass door was pushed open.

Hot air flooded the entrance, sending a chill down my spine at the sudden change in temperature.

"Oh, great," a familiar voice said. "It's you."

I blinked, looking up from my wallet to see Mia.

She scrunched her nose at me, scanning me with unusually red eyes. She folded her arms over her chest, frowning at the sight of me.

"Mia," I managed stupidly. "Hey. How are you?"

"Oh, please," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't pity me. I know what you're thinking. Austin broke up with me for you, after all. You must be pleased with yourself. Turns out you were right. I guess I was just a plaything for him."

She paused, eyeing Everett standing at the cash register, Zooper Doopers in hand.

"You know, I think I'll go somewhere else," she grumbled.

She turned, tugging the door open and leaving the shop. I glanced at Everett who was in the process of paying the cashier. He wrinkled his brow at me in confusion and I sent him a sorry look, making a split second decision and chasing after Mia.

The bell chimed as I stepped out into the sweltering summer sun.

"Mia!" I shouted. She stopped, turning on her heel to settle me with a dangerous glare.

"What? Was my humiliation not enough for you? Come to gloat?"

"No," I faltered, blinking. "No, I just – I wanted you to know. I turned Austin down."

Her eyes narrowed further. "Great. So, he broke up with me for nothing. What are you trying to do? Make fun of me? Punish me? I guess I wasn't the nicest to you these past few years. Is this pay back?"

"No!" I said quickly, stepping forward. "No, I just wanted to tell you. I don't agree with what Austin did. I think – I mean, no one deserves to be led on like that. To be a second choice."

Her glare wavered and her lips twisted unsurely. She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I should've seen it coming. He kept looking at you whenever the American was around. Kept talking about you, asking me if I thought you liked him."

"What?" I sputtered an awkward laugh. "Seriously? But you're – you were – his girlfriend."

"Well, I guess he was a pretty shit boyfriend." She shrugged, her lips twitching.

"He was a pretty shit friend too," I joked, quirking an uneasy smile at her. "Left me for you, you know?"

"Oh, trust me, I know," she teased drily. She paused, allowing herself to send me an unsure smile. "I think I'd better stay off of boys for a while now."

Behind me, a bell sounded and suddenly Everett was behind me, looking at Mia with a raised brow and narrowed eyes. He snaked an arm around my waist, two red Zooper Doopers gripped in his hands.

Mia blinked, her eyes darting from his arm around me, to his hip pressed against mine, to his fingers tight on my waist. Then, a smile stretched over her lips.

"Good luck telling the boys," she teased, arching a snide brow at me.

I laughed, recognising that look in her eyes – understanding who she really meant. Good luck telling Austin about it.

"Thanks," I said. "I'll need it."

"Yeah, well." She shifted uncomfortably on her feet and sent me one last almost-smile. "See you at school?"

"Yeah, see you."

With that, she turned and made her way up the street towards the beach, her long, black hair brushing her waist as she walked. Everett's grip on my waist tightened, squeezing me to grab my attention.

"What happened?" he asked quietly, offering me a Zooper Dooper.

"Nothing," I said, honestly. I glanced at the raspberry ice block in my hand and quirked a brow at him. "Raspberry?"

He grinned widely, shrugging. "It's the better flavour."

I rolled my eyes and sucked at the Zooper Dooper, hiding my growing smile. He took my other hand then, his skin cold and clammy from holding the ice blocks.

My stomach fluttered at the touch of his skin against mine, at the way he stupidly swung our hands, clasped together, like kindergarteners. The raspberry flavour was tangy on my tongue, but I smiled stupidly as we continued to walk, our legs knocking clumsily together and grins on our faces.

He was right. It was the better flavour.

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A U T H O R ' S  N O T E

I think most of you guessed they'd bump into Austin, but it was Mia! Surprise! I hope you liked this chapter, let me know your thoughts!! Next time: Isla clears the air

I ended up writing an additional chapter because I love these characters so much, so know we've got 3 more chapters to go! (Plus an epilogue and some bonus chapters 👀) Any predictions?

Thank you for reading, voting and commenting! It means so much to me! See you! 💕

ps fairy floss zooper doopers are the best flavour and that's on that