My Perfect Summer

Chapter 9

RENEE

I was different from the other girls. Or at least I thought so. Maddy and Claudia, along with every other girl I've met my age, we're so free-willed and real with the world.

They looked like they had their life in control and absolutely no problems. At least that's what it looked like from the outside.

They weren't like me. They didn't feel like they were broken half the time.

Sometimes, I wished that I could hug my Father just one more time. Tighter, longer, just one more time.

And now my heart felt like it was aching.

How I'd sum myself up is, broken, shattered, and closed-off. Yet, I had absolutely no clue what about me intrigued James Davenport.

We were now by the docks and entering the Fisher' s overly large speedboat.

"And who's going to be piloting their boat?" Claudia then said.

"Me of course," Sam said proudly.

"Samuel Fisher, a helmsman, I would've never guessed," Maddy said dramatically.

"What? I'm seventeen, and my Dad made sure I had my boating license by the time I was 14 years old," Sam said.

"Uh-huh," Claudia said, climbing the steps.

Later on, Sam showed us where all the safety equipment was, claiming it was crucial and that he was just being responsible.

Like I said Sam was the golden retriever, he practically lightened up the room with a simple smile.

When Sam had stopped by an open ocean place by the Bay, not too deep, but enough for us to swim. Trees surrounded us, and this spot was Pinterest board worthy.

"Hey," Maddy called from a storage looking room, "Do you guys want to go snorkeling?" She said holding up the gear with a smile.

"Now you're talking," Elijah said, running to get his gear.

"Of course, you're the one running off first, Collins," Claudia said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh come on Clauds," Maddy said theateratically swinging her arms, "lighten up."

"I am 'lightened up'," Claudia said, making quotation marks with her fingers.

"Sure you are," Maddy said, dramatically turning on her heel.

Everyone had their gear on. One by one dipping into the water. I was the last, or so I thought, sitting on the edge of the boat holding my snorkel tightly. Next thing I knew, strong and lean, hands softly gripped my shoulders, and  I heard a deep British accent close to my ear, "Are you scared?"

I tilted my head to the side so I could see his face, and I was close to him, too close.
"Never," I said not knowing where the confidence came from, "I'll have you know I'm excellent at snorkeling."

"Uh-huh," he said, sounding unconvinced.

"Don't believe me?" I said teasingly.

"A Tad," he said, and that accent immediately made knots tie in my stomach, "I guess I just have to see it to believe it," he then said, dipping into the water.

I released a big and wide grin, before dipping into the water like the others.