Last Summer

Everett sat beside me. His laptop lay propped open beside him on the mattress, his lap completely occupied with me laying in it. One of his hands toyed with my hair, the other idly scrolling through his notes.

I turned, shifting slightly so that I could see his screen more clearly.

"What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be on break?" I asked.

He snorted, pausing his scrolling to smile at me. "There's no such thing as a break in college. I still have assignments due."

I sighed, leaning back to look up at him. His hand moved, sliding over my forehead, and brushing my hair back, out of my face, as he met my eyes. It was only the start of December, so the weather was still warming up. It wasn't quite summer yet, but I'd savour our time together as much as possible before he left again for university.

Before I left for university.

"That sucks," I muttered. "You deserve a break."

"It's only for a few years," he said, smiling. He leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss just above my brow. I melted under his lips. "Besides, I'm trying to get my grades up. I need to ace this assignment."

"Is it going to be like this when I'm at uni too?" I asked. He didn't have to answer me. I already knew what I'd signed up for. "How will we have time to do anything else?"

"We'll find time," he replied easily, like it was nothing. Like the thought of going long distance again didn't weigh on his shoulders. Our shoulders. "We've always found time before, haven't we?"

"You're right," I said. I offered him a small smile. "You're always right."

"I try," he hummed, his eyes veering back to his laptop screen.

He resumed his scrolling, occasionally pausing to highlight certain sentences or bold words. I watched him in silence for a few minutes, observing the layout of his notes, watching the way his hand slid across his keyboard.

For a moment, I wondered. What would it have been like if we'd met like normal teenagers? If we'd gone to school together and bumped into each other in a classroom instead of in Shellside Bay. What would it have been like then?

The thought fleeted and I shut my eyes for a moment. There was no point in thinking about those things. They would never happen. But what we did have, it was more than enough. It was perfect.

I opened my eyes again to find Everett already staring at me. We locked eyes and his lips twitched in a smile.

"What are you thinking of?" he asked. His hand drifted through my hair again, combing strands back from my forehead before tracing a path down the edges of my face.

I smiled back at him, memorising the feel of his fingerprints on my skin.

"Nothing," I said.

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"You know, if you started earlier, you would've been done by now."

I rolled my eyes, not bothering to look up and see Everett's smirking face through my screen.

"What was that you told me last time? Can't change the past? Besides, I was busy studying for my final exams."

"Not sure why you bothered. You did amazing on that quiz last time," Everett said.

I looked up, finally, and smiled arrogantly at him. "I did, didn't I?"

"Don't make me take it back."

My grin grew as I turned back to my laptop, continuing my final touches on the last report I had due this semester.

My first semester at university, and it had flown by so quickly. There had been bumps along the way, but I felt I had redeemed myself in the second half. And now the semester break was approaching, and I'd have two months of freedom before I had to subject myself to the same torture all over again.

But first, I had a report due tonight, and my last exam of the semester tomorrow.

"So, what time are you leaving?" Everett asked between bites. He was eating something—lunch? Breakfast? Brunch? I wasn't sure at this point—while talking to me. Multitasking, the most important skill in a long-distance relationship.

"Three," I replied. "Tomorrow, right after my exam."

"And when's your report due?"

"Seven."

"So, that's, what? An hour from now?"

I blinked, my eyes flittering to the time in the corner of my screen before I looked up from my report. "Look at you, you're so good with your Sydney time zone knowledge."

"What can I say? I'm just such an incredible boyfriend."

I deadpanned. "Don't make me take it back."

"One hour," he said, ignoring me. "That's not much time to finish your report, submit it, study for and take your exam, and then pack before you leave."

"Oh, please. River said three, but knowing him, he won't even be packed until six tomorrow."

"Actually, I'm already completely packed."

I spun at the sound of River's voice, finding him leaning against the doorframe to my bedroom.

I frowned. "I'm going to start closing my door."

"Would you, please? I'm sick of hearing you and Everett's 'You hang up!' 'No, you!'"

"We don't even do that."

"Well," Everett inputted.

"We don't," I cut in. I narrowed my eyes at River. He'd gotten a haircut, buzzing his hair down to a neat buzzcut—the kind he always had when he used to visit Shellside Bay. "Why are you already packed? You're not even busy tomorrow."

"He's got someone waiting for him down in Shellside Bay," Everett teased.

River scowled, yet his blood betrayed him, rushing to his cheeks.

"Shut up," he spat. "I just pack light. Unlike somebody."

He gestured meaningfully towards my overly large suitcase spread out on the floor between us.

"Oh, come on. I have to bring back souvenirs for everyone. And I didn't pack any winter clothes when we moved here. I need to bring a lot of jumpers back from Shellside Bay, okay?"

"What, my sweaters aren't enough?" Everett asked.

I frowned at him. "Everett. I love you, but no. Two sweaters are not enough for an entire semester."

"How many do you need? I'll bring you more next time."

"Everett!" I exclaimed, half-laughing. "Stop. You've already given me so much."

"I want to do this for you. I like seeing you in my sweaters."

"No, we have an agreement. I don't want to take more of your stuff from you."

"Screw the agreement, Isla—"

"Gross," River interrupted. He gagged at me, rolling his eyes. "You two are so fucking disgusting."

"Oh, please. You and Connor aren't any better. I hear you at night. 'I miss you, Connor. I can't wait to see you, Connor.'"

"I have literally never said that before in my entire life."

"If you say so."

River blushed, looking away, and I knew I'd caught him in his lie. "Whatever. Just—be ready tomorrow or I'm leaving without you."

"You wouldn't."

"Wanna bet?"

We stared at each other for a moment before I sighed, closing my laptop.

"Change of plans, Everett. I'm packing now. The report and exam can wait."

River smirked, nodding before pushing off the doorframe and leaving. Everett chuckled through the screen.

"You're really going to let him boss you around like that?"

"Hey, I don't have a car, okay? And petrol is expensive."

I knelt down beside my suitcase, leaning my phone against it as I carefully folded my clothes to put inside. We'd be staying for three weeks, and I needed to pack accordingly.

"How many bras do you think I'll need? Six?"

Everett's expression twisted. "What do you even need six different bras for?"

"Well, this one's my comfy daytime bra, this one's a push up, this one's more of a bralette—"

"I don't know what any of those words mean."

I smirked at him. "Do you want me to model them for you?"

"Yes," he replied instantly. "Wait! No. I'm at the cafeteria. Anyone could look over my shoulder and see you. In fact, maybe you should turn your camera off completely. I don't want any passers-by stealing you from me."

"I don't know. That brown-haired guy behind you looks pretty cute."

Immediately, he spun, his eyes growing wide only to meet his reflection in the mirrored column behind him. He turned back to send me a look through the camera.

"Good one, Isla."

"I'm such an adorable girlfriend, aren't I?" I teased.

"Completely adorable," he replied, monotone.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're just jealous that I'm going to Shellside Bay while you're stuck in stinky New York."

"New York is not—okay, it does smell occasionally. But Shellside Bay will smell worse once you're there."

"You're such a bully. A jealous bully."

He laughed. "Alright, you got me. I'm jealous. Extremely jealous. You're going to be having fun beach hopping and surfing while I'm attending classes at eight in the morning."

"Hey, I won't be having that much fun. I'll be too busy missing you." He scoffed, shaking his head with a small smile as if I'd told a joke. I persisted. "Seriously, though. I wish you could come."

"I wish I could too, but I have class. Besides, I've spent most of my money visiting you these past few months and my stepmom won't give me anymore until I visit for dinner next month," Everett grumbled. "As if it's her money to lend."

"Play nice, Ev. Your dad likes her."

"I know, I know. But it doesn't mean I have to. And now she's holding my dad's money hostage so that I'm forced to see them more often—as if that'll make me like her any better!"

"Maybe she just wants to motivate you to visit more often."

"I hate it when you're rational."

"One of us has to be." I shrugged. "And it's not like I want you to spend any more money coming here after all. I don't want you wasting it like that. You're supposed to be funding your education or saving for your future."

"You are my future."

My whole face warmed, every neuron in my body lighting up. But I steeled my face and settled him with a serious look.

"Everett."

"Alright, alright," he said, sighing again. "I just miss you. All the time."

"I can buy you a ticket? You can spend a few days here and re-energise, and—"

"Absolutely not," Everett cut in. "No. You need your money. I'll see my—ugh—stepmom for dinner next month. I'm getting a job soon anyway. Just—just have fun at Shellside Bay for the both of us, yeah? Say hi to my grandma for me."

"I will," I replied before quickly throwing in, "And I'll use my savings to visit you this summer."

Everett didn't miss it. He shook his head, huffing. "Isla, what did I just say?"

"I want to, though! I've never been to New York and—I don't know—my mum is travelling the world. A winter Christmas sounds amazing. I want to visit. Truly."

His lips twitched and I knew he couldn't deny it anymore. "Fine. But you have to bring me Tim Tams."

A smile erupted on my face, matching his, and my folded clothes sat on the floor, long forgotten.

"Okay, I'll bring Tim Tams."

"And Flakes. Oh, and Freddo Frogs!"

"Flakes and Freddo Frogs, added to the list. Anything else?"

"Nothing," he replied, "Just your cute self."

"Oh, that's all, is it?"

"It's all I need, really. If I don't have chocolate to eat, I'd be happy to eat—"

"Everett!"

"I was going to say dinner with you." He smirked. I wasn't buying it.

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

"Me and my cute self?"

"That's what I said, wasn't it?"

Seconds later, River's voice came from the other room.

"You both are fucking disgusting!"

Everett and I shared a smile before laughtererupted from both of us—simultaneous laughter on opposite ends of the globe.And in that moment, it felt good enough. It felt perfect.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey guys! So sorry again for the late update, everything's been crazy lately! I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter anyway! Let me know your thoughts <333