Sunkissed Serendipity

Chapter 63

Julian

The first order of business is finding an ice cream shop.

Those were verbatim responses to Isla's shout as soon as we met up with our parents in the lobby. My mom had been gleeful at her enthusiasm, while my dad just smiled at her. I knew that both of them were shocked at the energy Isla carries, but I'm not. I've seen this side of her—every time we hang out, I see this side of her. But I'm just so glad that she was showing this side of herself to my parents as well. I wanted her to feel the most comfortable around my parents, and from where she was being openly enthusiastic, I knew that we were a step closer in that direction. It made me smile to know that she was comfortable around here.

I link my hand through Isla's, standing close to her, as I say, "You cannot just make a point to not be by me."

She looks up at me, attitude edged to her voice, when she says, "Why not?"

"Because," I say, hip-checking her, "I like you close to me."

"You said that earlier," she says and then laughs. "I just didn't think you were this obsessive."

"Well, I am," I say, taking her hand fully in mine. I kiss her hand, knowing fully well that she is going to make fun of me, but I also enjoy it all the same. As predicated, something flashes through her eyes, but then she says, "You're so weird."

"And you love it," I say, and at my words, I feel her eyes fly up to my own. The sentence could be said in a general way, but there is little reason for me to believe that she was thinking deeper. She loves it when I do it, and... she blinks once and then clears her throat as her eyes pull away from mine. "Right," she says sarcastically, but I hadn't mistaken what I had seen.

I cannot think further on it because she lifts her fade and finds it. Pointing at the little cafe down the street, she says, "Found the ice cream."

"Yay," Jack says from behind us, running to stand beside Isla now. He gives her a grin. "The first one there gets to pick the flavors for all of us?" Isla blinks at him in confusion, but I say, "It's a thing we do whenever we go out." She looks at me and then shrugs. "You're on, Hayes," she says, and even though she was addressing my brother, I couldn't help but join in on the race as well.

When my steps catch up to Isla's, I send my brother a wink. Right before Isla can outrun my brother, I place a hand around her waist and have her spin toward me. She loses her footing, her eyes wild, as her chest hits mine. I place a hand on her arm, holding her down while another goes to her face. I wipe away the hair on her face, and her eyes catch my every move. Smiling down at her, I move even closer.

She squints at me, not knowing what I am up to. "What are you—"

I place my lips on hers, and she stops moving. Her body softens at my touch, and she sighs against my lips. Right after I pull away, I catch my mom clapping her hand. She gives Isla a grin. "Aw, honey. Julian played you."

"Julian played—", she says, stopping her hand from going to her mouth where I just kissed where she sighs. "He did play me," she says softly.

"And I'm picking everyone's flavors," Jack shouts from the shop. He was sporting a giant grin, and when Isla glared at me, I only shrugged. "The little kid is going to choose our flavors," I say, and she continues to glare at me. But then she grins and says, "Very well."

"Oh?" I ask, confused, but she only continues to walk toward the shop. My mom gives me a laugh as we walk into the shop as well. Isla is talking to Jack when I make it to the store. I push my dad up to a table before heading over to the counter. But Jack is done ordering, so all we have left is to wait. Isla walks back toward us and gives me a smile. I smile back, regardless of my suspicions of her dropping the subject so quickly.