After spending the rest of the day on the beach reading, I wait in the Oasis Moon café and sip my black coffee as slowly as possible. I didn't have the guts to ask the brunette barista from earlier for almond milk...it just felt a little pushy.

So, I sit and sip my black coffee, trying not to mind the bitter taste in my mouth. My watch reads half-past five—he's half an hour late for his shift.

I grab a third pack of sugar and tip it into my coffee, trying to sweeten it some more.

It's weird to think that there was a time in which I would've avoided all sugar and anything overly calorific at all costs...and exercised in all my free time...

I blink, shaking my head at my younger self. That was not a good time for me.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" A voice exclaims after running into the café, and my head snaps up so quickly I'm semi-surprised that something doesn't break, it's Reiley.

"You are 38 minutes and 45 seconds late!" The brunette shrills unnecessarily loudly, "You don't get to pull stunts like that."

"I know, I know. But I—" Reiley notices me and his eyes lock intensely onto mine—sending a shiver of heat through me, "Something came up. Something important."

"Don't do it again." The brunette throws her apron in his face, which he expertly catches whilst still looking at me.

"I won't." He promises, finally snapping his eyes away from me.

I breathe. I just need to keep doing that—breathing; breathing is good, essential, even when his godliness Reiley is around. Keep breathing, Skye.

Where have you been all day?! I want to scream at him. But somehow, I manage to keep my cool and continue sipping my black coffee.

"You want some almond milk in that?" Reiley asks as soon as the brunette is gone, tying the apron around his waist.

I keep my eyes locked on the horizon of the ocean, staring out the window, "That's okay, wouldn't want to impose."

"C'mon Skye." He steps in front of me, blocking my view of the sea, "What's up?"

"Nothing." I blink innocently, "I'm just having a coffee."

"There's definitely something up." He says pointedly, before he has to run off and pour some coffee.

I blow on my coffee, partly to cool it down, partly to cool me down.

I'm getting way too wound up and stressed over a guy I just met. Someone better find me the chill pills; I'm gonna need all of them.

Two sips later, and Reiley's back in front of me.

"Seriously, Skye – what's up?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

"How old are you?" I blurt out unexpectedly.

"I had my 22nd birthday the other month... How old are you, Skye Jameson?" He inquires.

I'm beginning to wish I never told him my full name, especially since I don't know his full name...just 'Reiley'.

"Also 22." I nod, looking down and trying not to be overenthusiastic at the fact we're the same age.

"Hey, um." Reiley begins, and I glance up at him—a glance that holds, "I'm sorry about on the beach earlier...I really did have to go."

I press my lips together firmly, "Where did you have to go?"

"I'd rather not talk about it." He speaks to the tabletop.

"Why not?" I demand, sounding like a total biatch.

"It was...personal." He falters.

Sipping some more of my coffee, I steal a peek at him – he looks sad...lost...lonely. Like he's drifting away from me.

Cole's words reverberate around my head: "He's a bit of a lonely soul..."

"I didn't mean to push." I apologise, placing my hand gently on his.

He shrugs, "I should get back to work."

Right now, there's literally no one else in the Oasis Moon apart from me and Reiley, so I turn to where he's walked off to.

And he's sweeping an already spotless floor.

Alright Skye, I get to my feet, time to exhibit those people skills of yours.

"Reiley? I'm really sorry for pushing you like that—it wasn't fair." I chew my lip.

"Forget it, Skye." He flashes a quick, yet empty, smile at me, still sweeping, "It doesn't matter."

I look at my watch, it's already six.

"I should get back to my van." I tell him gently, aware that I'm walking on eggshells now.

He nods, "See you around, Skye."

With a heavy heart, I leave the Oasis Moon and head along the beach back to Bessie.

A whisper catches on the wind, and I whip around, expecting to see Reiley coming after me. But he's not—the whisper was either a figment of my wishful imagination, or another's shout in the warm night.

I desperately want to run back into the café and fix what I've broken, but it's getting late, and I don't want to screw things up more than I already have.

Bessie's waiting for me, loyal as always, and it isn't long before I boil a kettle of hot water and wait for it to absorb into my couscous.

Feeling the chill of the night, even in my van, I grab my beige shawl and wrap around me.

There's not much point in putting the heating on now; I'll be going to sleep pretty soon.

I sit in the driver's seat of my van, and stare out the windshield. The moon's now risen over the ocean, illuminating it beautifully, sending rippling shimmers across the calm water.

The surf better pick up tomorrow, I sigh—I'm dying to get back on my board, and see if I can actually still ride. God, that would be embarrassing if I get out and can't even do it.

What would Reiley think then?

My couscous is ready now, and I begin spooning it hungrily into my mouth, knees drawn up to my chest.

On my way back to my van from the Oasis Moon, I snatched up a few random pieces of driftwood, planning on using it for a fire—but I haven't got the energy for that tonight, especially with all that's going on between me and Reiley...

When I finish, I rinse my bowl and spoon out with the remainder of the hot water from the kettle. Then I drag myself onto my bed, exhausted.

"What the hell am I doing here, Bessie?" I wonder aloud.

Of course, Bessie doesn't answer—which is probably reassuring that my van isn't talking back to me. I'm left with silence, apart from the distant crashing of waves so small not even a flea could surf.

Okay, maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but the waves out there are tiny.

I've almost finished Wuthering Heights now, and my heart is breaking into tiny pieces as it often does when I finish a good book that involves any sort of romance.

I'm drifting off to sleep when I hear a sound outside my van.

What was that? I'm instantly on high alert; as safe as Bessie is, she's still an old van, and a life on the road has taught me how to be extra vigilant.

I grasp for my pepper spray that I keep beside my bed, and instantly feel relieved when my fingers close around the can.

If the noise is just small animals foraging for food, then I'll leave them alone. If not...well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

On second thoughts, I grab my pocketknife as well.

Part of me wants to just go to sleep, but the other part of me knows too well that I'll never get to sleep if I'm paranoid that someone's outside, about to break into my van.

I glance through the curtains to see a shadowy figure—it's a person.

Okay, I start preparing myself, on the count of three you're gonna go out there and...you're just gonna go out there.

One...

I take a deep breath, not knowing what I'm about to get into.

Two...

I've totally got this—haven't I?

Three!

I spring out of my van and jump onto the intruder's back, sending them crashing to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" They exclaim beneath my weight.

"REILEY?!" I yell as I stand up, getting off him.

"Skye?!" He echoes my tone, though not nearly as loud, as he stands up, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I set my pepper spray and pocketknife down, "You scared the crap out of me."

"You scared the crap out of me as well," He points at my spray and knife, "What were you gonna do with those?!"

"I don't know!" I fold my arms tightly around my body. "But seriously, Reiley. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Coming to see if you're alright. You left the Oasis in a rush." He explains, jamming his hands into his jean short pockets.

"Yeah, well." I shrug, "It was getting late. Like it's late now."

"I'm sorry, but I just needed to make sure you were alright." He's rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, anxiety pouring from him.

"I'm fine." I sigh, "Especially since you're not here to try and steal my van or abduct me and take me to Mexico."

He laughs at that last part, and his laughter cheers me up massively. I play it cool and act like his laugh didn't just give me butterflies.

"So, yeah. I'm fine." I repeat, "You don't have to stay around here anymore if you don't want to."

"Are you telling me to get out of your parking space?" He raises an eyebrow.

I take a deep breath and spill my guts, "I'm telling you that you don't have to hang around my van, that I know that you don't like and think is some sort of way to be a social media influencer, even though the only piece of technology that I have in my van is an iPod Shuffle that's over a decade old."

"Woah, calm down, Skye!" He holds his hands up, "I don't have a problem with your van, especially since I couldn't find a Skye Jameson from Miami, Florida on any sort of social media—if that is your real name, and where you're actually from."

"Oh!" I scoffed, "That's rich coming from you, Teddy – wait no, Reiley, that's your real name, right?"

"Okay, okay." He rolls his eyes, "I get it."

I grab a spare woven-wooden chair and set it next to Reiley, before sitting down in my own woven chair.

"So, you want me to stay?" He lowers himself into the chair.

"No, I thought I'd just put another chair out for no reason whatsoever." I reply, obviously sarcastic.

"Thanks, Skye." He thanks me whilst I'm grabbing the driftwood from earlier.

"What for?" I frown and dump the wood in my makeshift firepit.

"For just, you know, accepting me..." He looks awkward, even in the darkness.

I shrug, "I'm trying not to judge people—struggling, but at least I'm still trying."

Using my matches, I light the fire, and instantly feel the warmth from it.

Sinking into my chair, holding my hands out towards the flames, I notice Reiley staring at me in the firelight.

"What's the surf like tomorrow?" I ask, trying to ignore the rising blush in my cheeks.

"It should be pretty good." He shrugs.

"You want something to drink?" I'm fidgeting, most likely because Reiley's basically in my home, a few feet from my bed.

"No, I'm good."

"What d'you wanna do then?" I bite my lip.

"You wanna go for a quick swim in the sea?" His eyes glint excitedly, illuminated by the fire.

"In the dark?" I raise an eyebrow sceptically, "You sure that's such a good idea? I mean...what if–?"

He cuts me off, "Trust me, I'll be right next to you."

My eyes flick away from him, "I'm not sure, Reiley."

"C'mon, Skye Jameson." He stands up and drags me to my feet. "Get your bikini on, or I'm dragging you into the sea like this."

I huff, "Fine," before climbing into Bessie and drawing the curtains shut so I can get changed into my bikini.

Deciding that the sea will probably be freezing cold at this time of night, I grab my rash vest as well, and pull it over my head.

By the time I'm done, Reiley's already in the sea. A quick glance at the clothes he's left strewn around my campervan shows me that he must've changed into board shorts.

Hopefully, anyway.

He brought a backpack with him, so maybe he was planning on dragging me away from my warm, comfortable bed into the sea.

"You're crazy, you know that, right?!" I yell at him, as I start walking into the cold shallows, arms folded around my body in a weak attempt to conserve body heat.

Reiley laughs and swims back over to me.

He's wearing board shorts and a rash vest—no chance of me seeing those abs yet? No? Okay then...

"C'mon, Skye—you've come this far!" He shouts to me.

I step deeper into the water, before pushing forward and diving down into the dark water. Shuddering as I surface, I look around, and Reiley has disappeared.

He reappears with a splash of salt water to my face.

We spend the next half an hour in the water, splashing around and teasing each other. The water wasn't as cold after I'd acclimatised to it, and the dark wasn't so scary with Reiley with me, because somehow, I knew that he'd protect me.

I practically collapse into my bed once I've stepped out of my bikini and rash vest into a comfy, white cotton bathrobe.

I'm drifting off to sleep again when I remember Reiley, but I'm way too tired to even glance out of my window to see if he's still around.

A song floats into my head before I'm fully asleep...

Drifting away,
Wave after wave,                                                                                                                                                              Wave after wave
I'm slowly drifting,                                                                                                                                                  Drifting away...