The next morning, I wake up to the sound of an obnoxiously loud lawnmower going off. I peek one eye open and push the curtains to the side to get a sense of the time, but the darkness outside tells me that the sun hasn't even risen yet.

I nestle my head in between my two pillows, hoping that'll counteract the sound, but it's no use. I grumble and reach for my leather-strapped watch that's on the nightstand. 6:28 am. Fabulous.

Knowing that I won't be able to fall back asleep, I decide to make my morning a productive one and head for the hallway bathroom. I brush my teeth and wash up, then go downstairs to grab one of my suitcases. I'm trying my hardest to keep quiet as I roll the heavy luggage upstairs, but that's hard to do when the wooden floor is already creaky to begin with. 

I make it to my room and unzip the suitcase to find that all my clothes are still in perfect order, just like how I arranged them. I hang up my blouses first and then situate them by color before heading downstairs to get the rest of my stuff.

"Good morning, sweetie," mom says, stopping me when I pass the kitchen for a second time.

"Morning," I say, rubbing my eyelid. I enter the room, take a seat at the table, and watch her brew a pot of coffee.

"I was going to whip up some scrambled eggs. Want a plate?"

"Thanks but I'm not hungry right now. I'll help myself to a bowl of cereal soon."

"Little problem," mom says with her thumb and index finger pinched together. "Fridge is empty."

"Ah, that would make sense considering we got here no more than 12 hours ago."

"I can run to the market. I just need to answer a few work emails. Can you wait 30 minutes?"

"I can do it," I offer.

"Yeah?"

"Mhm. Just tell me where to go and what you need."

Mom does a quick Google search and tells me that the nearest supermarket is less than a mile away. Next thing I know, I'm grabbing her car keys and heading out the door.

I take in my surroundings as I drive down the long road. Newport encompasses a small-town vibe, but with a cool and modern twist to it. The architecture is something spectacular and the waterfront scenery is truly breathtaking. It's a picture-perfect setting, really, but that doesn't make being away from Cambridge any easier.

I find a parking spot right in front of the grocery store and grab the things that I need from their respective aisles before heading for the register. The market is small so there's only one checkout line, which is pretty long considering how early it is.

"Next," the cashier shouts as my eyes take in the room.

"Next," she repeats, only this time louder.

Oh, that's me. I'm next.

I take a step forward only to be intercepted by some blonde-haired guy dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt, and white sneakers.

"Uh, excuse me," I call out from behind.

He immediately whips his head around, and I wasn't expecting him to be so cute...or so young. I'm terrible at guessing people's ages, but this guy has to be 16. He's holding a bag of gummy worms and a can of Sprite in his hand, and genuinely appears confused. So, I gesture to the people that are behind me and say, "There's a line. And you just cut it."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize." He glides his hand in the air and then says, "Please," like he's giving me permission to go in front of him. I give him a small yet sarcastic smirk and stride forward, turning around and looking over my shoulder as he walks toward the end of the line.

The cashier rings my items up, and woah, this place is expensive. 30 bucks for a carton of eggs, milk, and a box of Chex Mix. It's a good thing that mom handed me $40 when I argued that I only needed $20.

Once I make it outside, I unlock the car doors and carefully place the plastic bags in the trunk before sliding into the driver's seat. That's when I notice the paper slip that's attached to the windshield wiper.

"No, no, no. Please don't be a ticket," I say to myself as I frantically exit the car. I rip it away, noticing the $100 charge. "Crap!" I yell as if I'm not in a public place.

"Everything okay?" a voice calls out, and I pick my head up at the sound. I make eye contact with the blonde-haired boy from the grocery, who's looking at me with concern etched across his face.

I itch my forehead with my thumb as I look back down at the piece of paper. "Uh, do they always ticket you here on Sundays?"

"For parking?" he asks. "They shouldn't."

I hold the paper up in the air, but he's standing a few feet away, so he steps a little closer to see it better.

He studies the ticket and they says, "Well, the good news is that this ticket isn't for skipping the meter."

"And the bad news?" I wince.

"The bad news is that you parked in front of a hydrant." He steps to the side and gestures to said hydrant. "Ta-da." If I wasn't so preoccupied by the cost of this thing, I'd laugh at his silliness. "Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this into a joke."

"It's not your fault. I should've paid better attention to my surroundings." I close my eyes and shake my head. "I can't believe I parked illegally. I'm usually smart about things like this."

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. If it makes you feel any better, I actually did forget to pay the meter last week and got charged $200."

"$200?! Where are we?"

"Welcome to Newport," he laughs, but it's not his sarcasm that strikes a chord with me; it's his smile. And the rest of his features. Like his blue eyes that illuminate when the sun hits his diamond face shape.

"Is it that obvious that I'm new here?"

"A little. I mean, Newport's a small town, and I've never seen you around before. Plus, you stand out."

"Stand out?" I repeat in a worried tone.

"That's a good thing," he tells me otherwise, dipping his chin down. "Newport could use a little change." I smile at him with closed lips, and he smiles back. Something about his demeanor is welcoming. "I'm Teddy, by the way. Well, Theodore, but Teddy for short."

"Lily," I say back, taking his waiting hand as we continue to smile at each other.

"It's nice to meet you, Lily," he says.