Summer Love

Chapter 5

July 2011

Carter's POV*

My feet dangled above the water as I sat on the edge of the dock and watched the reflection of the moon in the water. After telling Gabbie and Zayn about my encounter with Niall and how he apologized to me, I decided to be alone for a while. Of course they were excited that I was making progress with Niall, considering it was only the second day I had known him.

The sound of strings on a guitar sounded in the distance and I closed my eyes to listen. I didn't recognize the tune, but for some reason it sounded somewhat familiar. As if I had heard it in a dream before.

I rose and began padding down the dock in my bare feet towards the source of the music. When I reached the center of the campsite, I spotted a large bonfire crackling in the summer air.

The Irish bloke was seated on a log with his back to me, guitar in hand, strumming along to his own beat in his head. I crept up behind him, trying not to make him stop playing the sweet melody.

"Can't I get some peace and quiet for once?" He snapped at me, without even turning around to see me. My shadow that was being cast over him by the fire must have given me away.

"Sorry." I apologized once again. Wow, I've known him for two days and have already apologized a total of three times.

"You say sorry too much." He replied, still plucking at the strings on his guitar. I took a seat next to him on the log and let out a small breath of air.

"Yeah. Um, was that you playing?" I asked, desperate to make any kind of conversation.

"Obviously. I'm the only bloke on the camp site with a guitar and you are literally watching me play right now so." Niall said. Right, of course. Stupid question on my part. Come on Carter, get it together.

"Right, my bad."

"Mhmm." He paused his tune for a moment as he took a swig from his beer bottle and cleared his throat while resuming his melody.

"Are you even old enough to drink?" I questioned, considering the legal drinking age in America was twenty-one and he looked no older then sixteen by the looks of his pale blonde hair and clear braces.

"I'm eighteen. I'm plenty old enough darling." He said with a small smirk plastered on his face.

I turned my face away from him so he didn't see my now rosy cheeks caused by one simple word. Darling.

I'm assuming he's had plenty drinks before since you can legally drink at sixteen where he's from. Whatever, legal or not it's not my problem.

"What? You've never seen an Irishman have a drink before?" Niall said while pressing the bottle to his lips again.

In one swift movement, I snatched the bottle from his grasp and took one big gulp, then passed it back to him while wiping my mouth free of the beer that drizzled out.

"Nope, I just fancied a swig." I replied with a smile.

He seemed shocked, probably assuming that me being a eighteen year old girl, I hadn't had a drink before because the legal age to drink is twenty-one. I'm a teenager, of course I've had a drink before. I'm positive almost every teenager has.

"Be my guest." Niall passed me the rest of his beer, while popping open another one from a cooler beside him. I silently thanked him, then finished the beer.

"So why are you here?" Niall asked as he continued to strum a few chords.

"It's like I said before. I heard you playing and-"

"No, not now. Why did you decide to come to this dump? I'm sure you had plenty of other options for summer vacations, unlike me." Niall added.

Shit, he wants to know why I'm here. Well I promised Gabbie that I wouldn't tell him I'm only here to fix him. Just be yourself. You will be fine.

"I liked the idea of peace and quiet. I needed a place to gather myself without the weight of the world on my shoulders." I smoothly replied.

He nodded his head slowly and seemed somewhat impressed. I didn't lie to him. I spoke the truth. I had no idea what Gabbie wanted me to do when I came here. I needed an escape and this camp was the perfect place.

"What could possibly be weighing you down?" Niall asked. I swallowed hard as I tried to gather what to say.

"Mostly family things. I have to think about college for next year and I have a lot of family things going on now." I opened up.

Gabbie was the only other person who knew about my family situation until word got out at school and everyone began to confront me about it.

"Family issues? Like what?" Well he had no problem being completely nosey, now did he.

I fiddled with the empty beer bottle in my hand and shifted uncomfortably on the log.

"Just..things. My dad has been away and, yeah. Just family things that's all."

I placed the beer bottle on the ground next to me and began shaking my leg, trying to stop the tears that were bound to form. I rarely talk about my family because of how devastated I was when the event occurred.

Niall stopped playing his guitar for a minute and I could feel his eyes on me. He placed a single hand on my thigh, forcing my eyes to meet his.

"I'm sorry for asking." He softly spoke. I swallowed hard and pushed the loose strands of hair behind my ears.

"It's fine. I just don't like to talk about it."

"I understand. Well it's getting late, we should probably head to bed." Niall said standing up and gathering his cooler full of beer.

"Yeah, we should." I grabbed my empty bottle and we both froze in our positions, standing silently in front of each other, until Niall cleared his throat and shuffled his feet.

"Night." He said as he turned to walk back to his cabin, guitar hanging off his back and cooler in hand.

"Niall?"

"What?" He turned as I called his name.

"Thank you. For asking." I called out.

He gave me a slight smile then opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it and replied with a nod of his head. He disappeared into his cabin, leaving me by the bonfire alone.

He was kind for once. He's changing and I can see it. But something inside of me is shifting and I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing.