A Guide on How to Love Jules Everett

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Last Good Day

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OFF-WHITE SEAFOAM BRUSHED up against the golden shores of the beach. They raced each bubble, crawling up almost too desperately before being pulled back by the constantly shifting azure tides. When they drew back, the rustling rush of the waves sounded like music to my ears. It rippled with calm serenity, nature undisturbed by the hustle and bustle birthed by mankind.

In the skies, the sun was tangerine gold. The rays it sent down were harsh, bright, brilliant, and so radiant that I had to squint to look ahead at the horizon. It had been a few hours since we had arrived, which meant that the sun was already starting its journey of descent. The line where the sky met the sea was soon accompanied by the round ball of light, scrawling gold atop of cerulean waves, darkening the depths into a deep purple that was colored by the magenta skies and marigold clouds.

Despite loathing the water and sand, Jules readily sat by the shore, her eyes fixated on the waters that ran towards and away from her every alternate second. By her side sat Xavier, equally tired out by the volleyball match we just had, a match that Harr and I had won by a slim margin. The ball rested in the dry sand a few feet behind them, untouched by the seawater. The conversation between them couldn't be heard, masked by the waves and their lips were shielded by the shadows cast on their faces by the sunlight.

Although not much could be inferred about their private conversation, I could still tell that meaningful words were exchanged. She looked over at Xavier way too often, and he at her. That was how I knew it was impossible for silence to envelope them.

"What a day!" To my right, Harr sighed, stretching his arms high over his head before locking his fingers behind his head. He laid down on the sand, basking in the remnants of the evening sun right just as it threatened to disappear. "I wish it could be like this forever."

The sun dipped under at his words, the last glow of orange light disappearing to make way for the silver moon. Luminous gray replaced radiant gold, turning the world above us into a star-filled diamond night sky. There were hundreds, thousands of glittering dots above our heads and it reminded me of the scene back at camp. That felt like forever ago.

"Nothing lasts forever," I whispered back in reply. "Things change, tides turn, people leave. It's the memories left behind that I wish would remain untainted."

"Not all memories." Harr shifted a little. "Some are bad, some are embarrassing. But I guess I do wish that precious moments in time could remain just as perfect as they were when in action."

I bit my bottom lip, tugging at the skin a little with my own teeth before blowing out a sigh. The night was cool, a stark contrast to the unrelenting heat from the sun mere minutes ago. All lingering warmth of the summer day had dissipated, leaving nothing but the evening breeze against our skin.

"Aiko."

I turned to face Harr when he called out my name, waiting silently for him to finish his sentence. Yet, he stayed quiet, satisfied with my name lingering upon his lips. We stayed that way for a few seconds, his eyes on the starry heavens and my eyes on him.

"Aiko," he repeated.

"Yes?"

He pursed his lips. "Aiko, what if today was the last good day?"

"What do you mean by that? How can today possibly be the last good day? Even if there are bad days in the future, there'll still be good days around the corner following after." I laughed, chuckling at how silly Harr's question sounded at that moment.