pretty eyes ~ newt

chapter 30: finale

"say you'll remember me"
wildest dreams, taylor swift
—

"Holy fuck...." I murmur under my breath in wonder, eyes wide as they struggle to take in the sight in front of me. I hobble unsteadily up to the railing of the boat to get a better look, one hand still intertwined tightly with Newt's.

They were right—the Safe Haven looks exactly like what I had imagined paradise would seem. Vast, rolling hills and massive mountains of rock loom over our suddenly tiny-seeming ship, my lips parting slightly in amazement as my eyes roam over each valley.

As we get closer to the island, I see that there's even a small beach at the coast, the shimmering blue waves washing calmly over the white sand. The closer we sail to the island the more astounded I am at its beauty, and we're all left completely breathless at the sight.

"It's shuckin' paradise, all right," Minho mutters quietly, a similar trace of wonder in his tone. I see Vince grin proudly at us from where he uses one hand to steer the ship, bringing us closer and closer to the sandy beach.

The boat finally rocks to a stop when we reach the shore, and Vince sets back up the wooden plank for us to finally walk onto the beautiful island. Thomas leads the way eagerly onto the walkway, being the first to step onto the white sand of the Safe Haven.

We follow closely after the boy, and a quiet curse leaves my lips as I finally step onto the gorgeous island. We gawk openly at the picturesque view of the beach and mountains around us, and I'm still in shock that this'll be our home for the rest of our lives.

The salty wind whips my hair around my face as Vince is the last to step off of the boat, securing it tightly to the shore with rope while the rest of us curiously wander around. I decide to head towards a beautiful patch of flowers, my boots making footprints in the white sand.

But all of a sudden I feel an arm loop smoothly around my waist, a familiar presence by my side. I glance up to see Newt's dirty-blonde hair, the wind somehow making his hair more messy than usual. His hand rests gently on my hip, and I feel my cheeks turn pink at the suddenly close proximity.

"Hey love." He gives me a crooked grin, and I chuckle at his antics.

"Hey. Sneaking up on me, are ya?"

He shrugs, a playful glint in his eye. "No idea what you're talking about."

I swat him with my hand lightly. We fall silent as the two of us continue to walk closely side by side, ambling aimlessly around the edge of the beach. I'm still in awe at the beauty of this island—it feels like a whole different world here, I can't believe it's real. Newt's brown eyes flick around our surroundings slowly, taking in the environment with a wide gaze.

"Pretty, right?" I echo his own words from last night, watching him with a smile of amusement.

Newt laughs lightly, nudging me back in response. "Shut up. It's bloody insane, and we both know it."

I snicker back, nodding in agreement. "I know, I'm just joking with ya. It's beautiful."

"Not more beautiful than—" he starts, a teasing smirk on his face, but I press a finger to his lips quickly to cut him off. Rolling my eyes, I give him an exasperated smile.

"Don't even try, you smooth fucker. I know I'm beautiful," I wink at him mischievously, before removing my finger from his lips.

He crosses his arms indignantly, retorting back with a small frown. "And what if I was gonna say 'not more beautiful than me', eh love?"

I only shoot him an unamused look, and I hear an annoyingly familiar voice pipe up from behind us.

"Slim it, Newt—we all know you're absolutely whipped for Isa," Minho interrupts, raising his eyebrows. "You're not fooling anyone, shank."