The Tale Of Hearts

Chapter 86

Hazel's pov

"We need a game plan," she said as we entered the beach house, her voice serious and laced with anger.

"Definitely," I agreed, my eyes narrowing as I spotted the two annoying best friends trailing behind us, now entering the beach house with our luggage. One wore a smug smile, while the other still looked pissed. Tash gave me a quick look, and I could tell she was already thinking of a plan. The air in the room grew tense as the two guys set down our bags, their presence only adding to the unease.

"We should stick together," Tasha whispered, keeping her eyes on them. "We can't let them mess up the trip." I nodded in agreement, stealing a glance at Hyden, who was still watching me closely. Kevin, meanwhile, seemed too pleased with himself, as if he knew something we didn't. The tension between the four of us was almost palpable, and I knew this trip was going to be anything but peaceful.

The tense silence broke as I heard the distant voices of Aunt and Mom. "Kath, everything still looks the same," I heard Mom's voice as she and Aunt returned from their tour around the house.

"It's been years since the four of us were here together," Aunt said, her sigh heavy with nostalgia. "We were around their age back then," Mom added, her tone wistful. "Yeah, we were so young and so in love" aunt added with a giggle slowly elbowing Mom as she spoke. 

"your dad, Aunt kath, Uncle Collin, and me. The four of us came here when we were young, full of dreams and plans," Mom continued, her voice tinged with longing seeing us there. Her smile was soft, but the sadness in her eyes spoke volumes. I could feel how deeply she missed Dad, I could tell she was missing Dad more than ever, likely thinking about all the beautiful memories they had made here.

"Those were the happy days," Uncle Collin added as he joined them, wrapping his arms around Aunt from behind. The way they held each other was so tender, I couldn't help but admire their genuine love. I imagined my eyes might have turned into little hearts as I watched them.

"Yes," Aunt muttered softly, a shy smile forming as she slowly tried to pry Uncle's hands away, a bit embarrassed in front of us. Uncle Collin's arms tightened around Aunt Kathy as he whispered, "Remember, it was after this trip that we found out you were expecting Hyden." 

Aunt Kath's face softened, and she let out a small laugh, "Yes, I remember. This beach house holds more memories than I can count." Aunt Kath's cheeks flushed slightly as she cast a shy smile over at Mom. Both of them exchanged a knowing look, and soon they were engaged in their usual teasing eye conversation.

"You know," Aunt said, her voice soft but playful, "it seems like this beach house has always been good at bringing people together." 

Mom's eyes sparkled with mischief as she added, "It certainly has a way of making things happen. We might just need to keep an eye on these two." both started giggling.

My face turned red, and I felt like I wanted to vanish at that moment. I couldn't help but blush, looking down as I tried to hide my face looking so interest on the floor.  

The three of them were clearly enjoying the teasing, and as I swallowed hard, my gaze unknowing drifted to Hyden. His eyes were locked on me with a piercing intensity, making me feel like I was the only one in the room. The way he looked at me was almost unsettling, adding a layer of unspoken tension to the lighthearted moment. I could feel my heart racing. It was as if he was silently challenging me to respond to his unspoken message. I glanced back to the floor trying to steady my breath, but even without looking at i could say his gaze remained fixed, filled with an intensity that made me feel exposed. The playful banter from Aunt and Mom seemed to fade into the background as the tension between Hyden and me grew. I could see the frustration and something more complicated in his eyes, a mix of emotions that I wasn't sure how to handle.