Timeless Regrets.

Recollection (Chapter - 19)

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

I lay sprawled on the couch while my brother Joseph sat cross-legged on the floor, his eyes locked on the TV. Outside, the world was coming to life—cars humming by, birds singing their early morning songs. The air was still fresh, untouched by the usual hustle of the day. Neither of us had to go to school today. My semester break had just begun, and Joseph had a week off since his teachers were away on an international trip.

I let my gaze wander around the living room, but my mind kept returning to that awkward moment with Samantha—the one where I apologized to her.

Flashback

"You look really good in your swimsuit."

End of Flashback

The memory made my skin crawl. My hands shot up to my face as I groaned in frustration, sinking further into the couch as if I could hide from my own stupidity.

Why did I say that? She probably thinks I'm some kind of creep, staring at her in a swimsuit.

"Arghhh!" I groaned, louder than I intended, startling Joseph. He spun around, confusion and concern flashing across his face.

"What happened to you?" Joseph asked, raising an eyebrow. "Ever since you got back from your beach trip, you've been randomly yelling at nothing." He looked mildly annoyed, but mostly curious.

"So... did something happen with you and Samantha?" He asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

I felt my cheeks burn, and before I knew it, I was hiding my face in my hands, trying to cover up the blush spreading across my skin.

"Bingo!" Joseph exclaimed, his eyes lighting up like he'd just solved a mystery without me saying a word.

"Now do tell! Do tell!" he pressed eagerly, leaning forward like he was about to hear the juiciest secret.

I sighed, knowing he wouldn't let up until I spilled the beans.

"Alright, alright," I muttered, defeated. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Joseph slid closer to the couch, lowering the volume on the TV. His eyes were sparkling with anticipation, the same excited gleam I'd seen in Samantha's whenever she got caught up in something. It made me chuckle despite myself.

Joseph caught my laugh and raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" he asked, his grin widening.

"Nothing, nothing," I quickly said, trying to brush it off. "Your eyes just looked like Samantha's when she's excited," I added, my voice faltering slightly as I explained.

Joseph's grin widened even further. "Is that so?" he teased. "Even at home, huh? Still thinking about her?"

I groaned and threw my hands up in exasperation. "What? No! Just sit down and listen," I said, hoping he'd stop twisting my words.

That's when I started explaining everything to Joseph—how the road trip felt like a strange kind of trial by fire. I told him about Mr. Rossi, how intimidating he seemed when I first met him. I described the way his presence made me feel small and nervous, like I was being sized up for some kind of test.

Then there was the part where Samantha made it even harder for me to feel at ease. She had accidentally shown Mr. Rossi her phone wallpaper, and the way he reacted... well, let's just say it didn't help. I could practically hear Joseph's laughter start to bubble up as I told him that part, and it only got worse when I mentioned how Mrs. Rossi asked Samantha to explain to the entire car how we met. The words felt like they were setting me up for some kind of awkward assassination attempt, and I could already see Joseph barely holding it together.