Chapter One
I could already smell it. The fresh air, the fishy lake smell, the sand that is too hot to stand on, but everyone still does it barefoot, the smell that I love. It’s been a long time without smelling it, I’m surprised it was so easy for me to recognize.
I loved the fresh air, especially from here. Here had been my second home for so long.
We were still about a half hour’s travel away from the lake house, but I was already grinning from ear to ear, imagining just how amazing of a summer it would be.
Summers at the lake house, with all of us kids, were always fantastic.
“Wipe that grin off of your face! I’m still mad at you!” Joshua yelled from just beside me, smacking my hat off of my head.
I looked to him and flashed him an even bigger smile. His moodiness wasn’t bringing me down.
“Don’t hit your sister,” my dad growled from the front seat. My father always was my protector, that’s why when I suggested the lake house; he didn’t give it a second thought. He knew I needed to escape. The entire family knew.
I didn’t want to focus on that right now. I didn’t want to focus on that ever, and Sam, he understood that.
Sam was the oldest, just turned eighteen. This was his summer before college, but he didn’t care, he gladly packed up and was ready for the lake house, too. Plus, he probably didn’t want to spend his entire summer in our boring town that had only one traffic light, anyways, no eighteen year old does.
Sam also was one of my best friend’s. He always looked out for me and understood the things I did. He wasn’t like Joshua who resented me in some ways. And because of that, I will always love Sam a little bit more than Joshua.
“I can’t wait to have some Kay’s,” Sam said, licking his lips. I laughed, and nodded. All five of us in the car, nodded.
Kay’s Cream was the best ice cream anyone would ever have. We would look around the entire lake house for spare change when we didn’t have enough money for all of us kids to go get some ice cream on our own. We’d get brain freezes to the max, but we didn’t care, because Kay’s Cream was just that good.
“Will Brandon be there?” Sam asked to no one in particular.
Ah, Brandon. He was Melanie‘s and Rick’s oldest kid.
Melanie and Rick was best friend’s with my parents growing up, heck, still are. They moved to the lake house just after Brandon was born. We’d all been going to the lake house every summer just up until three years ago. I don’t know why we stopped, but I’m definitely happy we’re back. It’s a tradition that always needs to stay.
Brandon was pretty geeky back then, I doubt he’s changed. He was always nice and he and Sam were practically inseparable.
Brandon isn’t their only child; they’ve got two more, Brooke and Bryce.
“I’d reckon,” my mom said as she changed the radio station. I hadn’t even noticed what was playing until she changed it. “He just finished his college finals last week, so he should be up there already.”
Sam hadn’t even been able to reply because we had pulled up into gravel driveway. I was in awe. The house was still as light blue as ever, the sand and water smell was almost nauseating because I had missed it so much. It was just after noon so the weather was at its hottest and it definitely proved it as I jumped out of the car. I almost forgot how uncomfortable I had been in the back with two fully grown teenage boys next to me for six hours, but my wedgie reminded me.
“God, I’m in paradise now!” I yelled, giggling and laughing as the rest of the family got out of the car. Dad was already getting all of our bags out of the back trunk, as Joshua grabbed one of mine and threw it at me.
“Geez, thanks for the heads up,” I muttered sarcastically, putting my bright pink duffel bag onto my shoulder. I swear it weighed almost as much as I did, probably a little bit more.
But, we would be here for two and a half months, and a girl could never have too many clothes. Or at least that’s what I kept telling myself as I tried to stuff more and more in there the night before.
“Here let me take this,” a strong, deep, manly voice said from behind me. I turned around and saw the face I hadn’t seen in three years.
“Bryce,” I cooed, wrapping my arms around him.
“Christa,” he cooed back. I laughed letting go of him and happily handing my bag to him.
“Oh, my, God, what do you have a dead body in here?” Bryce joked as he walked towards the steps of the lake house.
He didn’t know what he had just said but everyone in my family did and we all just put on a big, happy smile and followed behind him, even Joshua.
I wouldn’t let anything ruin this summer. Nothing, at all, especially my past.
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<3 Hunter.
