*Kate's POV*

I wake up to the sound of commotion, which is strange considering I'm all alone in the house with my parents out for work. It's the first day of the summer holidays.

'No school, no alarm, no stress.' That's my holiday motto. Just eight weeks of pure bliss. 

I scramble out of bed, cursing the noisy neighbours. When I part my bedroom curtain, I see a black Jeep parked in Mrs. Argos's driveway.

It's some kind of rugged, old Jeep, but don't ask me what model it is—I'm clueless when it comes to cars. Curious, I lean closer to the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the visitor.

The door of the Jeep swings open, and a dark-haired boy steps out. He stretches lazily, as if shaking off a long journey. There's something about his posture—confident yet relaxed, with a rugged charm and a distant look that catches my eye.

He turns, and our eyes meet briefly before he busies himself with unloading his bags. I duck down, embarrassed and caught red-handed.

The mystery stranger doesn't seem to care. I hear bags being dropped on the driveway. Great, just what I needed—more noise.

I take a quick shower and whip up some blueberry pancakes for myself before inviting Rachel over. Ten minutes later, she's here, and we settle in for some catch-up. We've both been so busy lately that these cosy chit-chats are long overdue.

'Did you see that guy in your neighbour's driveway?' Rachel gets straight to the point.

'Tell me about it,' I reply, rolling my eyes dramatically. 'He ruined my first day of summer holidays with all that racket.' I pause while more bags are unloaded outside.

'Who is he anyway? And why is he staying at Mrs. Argos's place? Isn't she living alone?' Rachel asks.

'I'm not sure. Mrs. Argos is pretty nice. I've been to her place for tea a few times, but she never really talks much about her family,' I explain.

'On the bright side, you'll have a new summer buddy. 'Who knows, you might even end up hitting it off,' Rachel says, sounding sheepish. 'He seems to have brought quite a bit of baggage.'

Since I broke up with my ex a few months back, Rachel has taken it upon herself to find me a new boyfriend.

I roll my eyes again before changing the subject. 'Why don't we go for a walk on the beach?'

I slip on my sandals and make my way to the beach, passing by the mysterious boy. We exchange waves across the street with Mrs. Argos, who's engaged in conversation with him.

'Kate, darling! Come over here and meet my grandson, Aiden!', she waves back at me.

With a resigned sigh, I cross the street. Mrs. Argos's warm smile making it impossible to refuse.

Up close, Aiden has a perfectly chiselled jaw. His tousled black hair falls to his forehead, almost nearing his intense green eyes.

'Hi, I'm Kate and this is my friend Rachel,' I say, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

Aiden nods, his lips curling into what appears to be a half-smile. 'Hey.'

Mrs. Argos beams, clearly pleased. 'This is my grandson. He's here for the summer. Maybe you can show him around? Keep him out of trouble?'

'Sure, why not?' I nod reluctantly, clearly thinking that it's a bad idea.

Aiden shrugs, noncommittal. 'Sounds good.'

'Nobody's forcing you to come' I mutter under my breath. Walking with Rachel while Aiden follows behind us.

Aiden shoots me a teasing look. 'So, you're the one I caught peeking from the window earlier.'

I raise an eyebrow, unimpressed. 'And you're the one making a grand entrance with all that noise.'

'Hope you enjoyed the show.'

I arch an eyebrow, matching his tone. 'Oh, I did. You're quite an entertainer.'

Rachel chuckles, stepping in. 'Alright, you two, let's play nice. We're all just getting acquainted here.'

Aiden shrugs. 'Just trying to make an impression.'

'Yeah, we wouldn't want anyone to feel left out of the fun,' I say, without missing a beat.

'That's enough, you two.' Rachel throws a stern look. 'We'll do a quick tour around the town. After all, Seabrook isn't that big of a town.'

We wander around small streets, passing a few cafes and some significant landmarks before reaching the beach.

'This is Seabrook Beach,' I say, gesturing towards the scene before us. 'It's the main attraction for tourists around here. We've got all kinds of water sports and activities—swimming, diving, snorkelling, sailing, surfing, you name it.'

Aiden nods, his eyes scanning the shoreline with interest. 'Sounds like there's plenty to keep busy.'

'Plus, the sunsets here are unbeatable. You'd love them.' Rachel adds.

Just wait until you try our ice cream. It's the best in the state.' I boast a little.

'Speaking of it. We should get some.' Rachel immediately agrees, surprised why it didn't come up earlier.

Only Aiden looks baffled. 'Ice cream? Now? The sun isn't even properly up yet.'

I'm already ahead of him, turning back to meet those intense green eyes, 'Aiden, It's never too early for ice cream.'

**

A/N

The first chapter ends here, but the story goes on!

Please comment and vote if you enjoyed the first chapter.