My best friend's brother and my brother's best friend (2016)

A game of volleyball and ex-girlfriends

*Picture of Cara*

All night I dream of Eli. The way his warm breath caressed my cheek, his hands on my waist. His lips so close to mine. I've never slept so deeply or dreamt so much before and I can feel the smile on my face.

"Dani, Dani! Wake up!" I feel someone rocking my shoulder.
"Ugh ..." I moan half asleep, burrowing my face in the countless pillows Al had laid out for me. There are plenty of spare bedrooms in the house but me and Cara always insist on sharing a room, like having one big sleepover, even if it means me sleeping on a mattress next to her bed. It doesn't sound the most comfortable but Al makes it good enough for a Queen.

"Come on, It's so beautiful outside!" I hear my best friend insist. Slowly I sit up feeling like death warmed up, it takes me a lot to move in the morning. I glance over at the alarm clock and groan. "It's only half past nine!"
"Yeah and I've been up since seven and been for a run on the beach. The water looks great," she says stretching out before laughing at my current state "what time did you get in last night? I didn't hear you come in."
"I have no idea about three?" I reply. Thinking about it brings a small smile to my face, regrettably. I forget my best friend can read me like a book.

"Oh my God, what happened? You leave with Eli and then stumble in during the early hours, something must have happened!"
"No nothing! Well not really." I confess, I look up to her expectant blue eyes and know that I need to divulge more.
"Well we left and he said he wanted to walk, knew a great route home and then we walked back by the beach." She rolls her eyes at this before grinning. "My God Dani! You know he uses that line on all his girlfriends, though you are honoured I don't think he's ever taken a girl on one of his midnight beach strolls before, that's his special place."
I sigh, "Cara, I don't want to be one of those girls. How long do they stay in his interest?" She nods slowly with a sympathetic smile on her face.

I tell her about our midnight sea frolic and the numerous almost moments. Cara sits cross legged in front of me, still in her running gear, she's a great captive audience. I shrug as I tell her about him pulling away from our maybe, almost kiss.
"Anyway what about you and Jeremy?" I grin nudging her "will I be calling you my sister soon?"
"No way!" She laughs pushing me back before fiddling with her perfectly painted nails,"I mean I don't know, he's giving me all the signs that he likes me but he won't make a move."
"Haven't you always been the first one to initiate? You're fearless." It was true Cara was afraid of nothing, she said it how it was and was the most honest person I knew. It wasn't like her to act so nervous around a boy, I guess I didn't realise how much she liked my brother. I smile knowingly at her and squeeze her knee before rolling my eyes. "Come on then!" I laugh "fancy the beach?"

***

"What time will you be back?" Al shouts to us as we walk out the front door.
"I don't know mum!" Cara yells back, twice as loud, "we'll probably be at the beach all day!"
"Alright, just stay on your phone." Cara rolls her eyes as she she shuts the front door and up the shortcut to the beach.
"Aww," I laugh "she just cares about you!" Cara's dad worked in the navy and was gone at least six/seven months of the year, due to this Al had her little over protective moments.

"Yeah exactly. I'm so worried about leaving her for Uni," Cara says struggling with her bundle of beach supplies, she didn't know how to travel light. "It's been bad enough with Eli gone this year but at least she had one of us around. She keeps saying she'll be fine but we'll both be hours away you know." She has a pained look on her face, I've always admired her loyalty to her family.

"Hey," I say grabbing her shoulder and pulling her into a half-hug "don't worry you know your mum, as soon as you're gone she'll be inviting all her famous chef friends round for party after party." Al was no stranger to being a social butterfly, I always say it's where Cara gets it from. Especially when she'd got her own small cookery show and started selling her own recipe books, she'd thrived and become even more of a socialite.
"Yeah." She sighs putting on her designer sunglasses and flicking her hair behind her shoulder. "Imagine though, three whole years at Uni living together and partying together!"
"That is if I even get in." I say, now it's my turn to sigh.
"Oh come on! Cambridge have already practically given you an unconditional offer. Your mum's one of their top professors for God's sake! We'll both make it!" I smile at my best friend's confidence and spirit, she never failed to make me feel better.