Sunkissed Serendipity

Chapter 26

Julian

"So that was—" Isla gets out before the both of us look at each other and burst out into laughter. Dinner had wrapped up half an hour before, and my mom had made Isla sit there and eat dessert while she pestered her about school and family life. I didn't really sit there and instead went up to my room to check on something and came downstairs to rescue her.

Now, the both of us were standing on the porch, where Isla started to debrief on how it went down with my parents at dinner. They were both crazy about the idea of us not being able to be just friends, and Jack didn't make it any better. The little kid had kept his mouth shut for the entirety of dinner and then decided to open it at the worst time.

Everyone was against the idea of the two of us being friends, and even though sometimes I feel things whenever we get too close or she touches my arm, I knew we were better off friends. We barely knew each other, and the last time we kissed, it turned out to be a mistake. It's also the fact that Isla didn't ask to hang out with me when she told me that she would see me once school started. We lived in the same state, and if she wanted to hang out with me, she would've asked for my number, and when she didn't, I knew that we couldn't be more.

It's not unsettling to me anymore because her friendship was nice anyway. I liked being able to hang out with her and laugh about mundane things. We could stay friends, and I wasn't bothered by the idea. I didn't want to risk putting myself out there just for her to reject me when I could see that she was coming from a mile away. Which I'm not even mad about; she had a type, and I didn't fall into that category. She usually hung out amongst the well-known people in our school, having a close knit of friends, and those people were not me.

Isla shakes her head as she continues to laugh, grabbing my hand and saying, "You should've seen your face. Your mom kept going, and Jack didn't make it any better."

"Jack!" I shout in agreement with her. "That little sneak came out of nowhere, right?"

"Yeah, he did," Isla says, her laughter simmering down. She bites her bottom lip, running a hand down her hair as she calms down. I feel my chest rise and fall, and for a second, I wonder if my parents and brother were not too crazy to think we could be together. Could we? But as I looked at her, from her wild hair to her carefree attitude, I knew I didn't fit in with her type. It's not a bad thing, but I couldn't help but notice it.

Would she have hung out with me on the trip if I wasn't the only other person there? I didn't think so, considering that the entire trip she didn't say anything to me or even know me until we were alone.

It was okay, though. Being able to hang out with her here was nice, so I didn't even mind.

Isla sighs, looking over at where the sun was starting to set, and says, "Well, maybe I should get going."

I step forward, having an incline to find something to keep her here longer because her company is something I've started to look forward to. But I only place my hands in my pocket, and she gets in my driveway and picks up her bike. Placing her bag in her basket, she gets in the vehicle. I walk over to see her, and as she pedals, her eyes go out to the dock that leads out to the water.

She stops, glancing over at me, and says, "You live on the water."

"Yeah," I answer here, looking out at the calm water. The sky above it was a light pink, and it looked pretty, and I knew the sunset wouldn't disappoint later today. "Lucky," she says, flashing me a grin. "I live in the city. I cannot even see the sky due to all the pollution."

I laugh, feeling remorse for her, and say, "Well, I saw your house. It's very nice and...big!"

She looks past me and toward my house. Her eyes still hold the same fondness as she says, "Well, I'd take a smaller house to live on the water." I only give her a shrug, and I watch as her eyes light up at a thought. "Do you guys come out on the water often?"