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W e d n e s d a y, 27 /3/19

Dear Diary,

For the rest of that morning, Spencer dragged me around the little town bordering the edge of the western Hawaiian island. Don't get me wrong. The town was cute, cosy and bustling with teens carrying surf boards and smoothies but my mind was so overwhelmed by the events of the last couple days that I walked around as if I was in some sort of stupefied daze.

"Hello?" Spencer clicked her fingers in front of my face.

Jolting myself from my reverie, I blinked as I turned to look at her. "Yeah?"

"You completely spaced out," she pouted, sounding disappointed. "I was trying to tell you about the new wet-suit I ordered from that surf shop I told you about earlier."

"We're going there now?" I blurted, inwardly panicking.

"Yup!" she grinned as she shoved a berry smoothie into my hands. "C'mon, girlie, let's go check out the beach."

Oh crap.

When we arrived out front of the shop, I hung back, my gaze riveted to the sign hanging in the doorway.

O P E N.

"You know what? I - er - think I'm good waiting out here. You go ahead..." I started to protest but didn't have time to finish before Spencer flung the door open and pushed me inside.

"Camden!" she called out in a cheery, bright tone. "I'm here for my wet-suit. Did it come in?"

"Yes, it definitely did."

At the sound of the cracked, gravelly voice, I whipped my head around to see an elderly, bearded man enter the room via a side entrance. He was dressed in a pair of patched overalls and was rolling a stick of tobacco between his lips.

Immediately, Spencer's chirpy facade vanished. "Where's Camden?" she demanded. "I want to be served by him not you!"

"Look, I know you're not a fan," the man held up his hands in mock submission. "But I'm his father. At least show me a bit of damn respect. Ohh and who is this beautiful young lady?"

As soon as the guy turned his gaze on me, I almost shrivelled up.

Great. Now, on top of everything else, I was being eyed by some random ass pervert who just so happened to own this surf shop.

Perfect.

"Spencer!" a deep, throaty, oh-so-familiar voice rang throughout the air.

The boy, whose jet-black hair curled around his ears and forehead, whose muscles showed clearly through his thin tee, whose stature was so tall, whose jawline was so sharp, whose moles were so evenly spaced, suddenly stepped into the room.

His words of warm greeting died from his lips as his deep, hazel eyes landed on me. His body stiffened, his hands froze mid-movement, and a flash of irritation passed over his face.

"Camden!" Spencer sighed in relief as she scurried over to him. "Where's my delivery?"

"It's out the back," he returned dryly, not once taking his eyes off me. "I'll go get it for you."

"Aw thanks," Spencer flashed him a bright smile as he turned and disappeared back through the doorway.

Even though it probably only took him a few seconds to locate the package, it felt like hours. The creepy man eating tobacco kept standing at the counter gawking at me. Spencer was shuffling her feet around and sending the man rude looks while I was standing near the entrance with my hands clasped tightly behind my back. The silence was so awkward and so tense that you could cut through it with a knife.

A slight shuffling noise drew my attention back towards the side-entrance where Camden was holding a rather large package stamped in red and done up with string.

"Thank you!" Spencer bubbled as she reached over to seize her prized wet-suit. "I can't wait to try it on! I'll show it to you at the party tonight. You're coming, right?"

Before Camden had a chance to respond, though, his father jumped in. "Of course he is!" he bellowed as he leaned over and slapped Camden on the back.

The boy winced slightly and moved out of his father's reach before nodding at Spencer. "I - I guess it's been decided."

"Brilliant!" she exclaimed as she hugged the packet to herself. "See you there. Bye for now!"

As Spencer guided me back outside, I cast a glance over my shoulder to see Camden staring at me with those large, hazel eyes.

What was going on with this dude?

When we stumbled out onto the shore-line and started back towards the house, I ventured, "Spence. Who was that boy?"

Spencer, too preoccupied with her new wet-suit to notice anything out of the ordinary, responded with a simple shrug, "His name is Camden Foley."

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