quarantined

chapter three

We made good time to the house, getting there in the late afternoon.

"C'mon, April!" Dylan cried from the front porch, boyish excitement in his voice.

I fumbled around my keys, singling the house key out and making my way up the wooden steps. I breathed in the salty air of the coast, memories from when my mom and I would spend time here when I was younger flooding my mind.

I unlocked the door, and Dylan pushed it open.

I locked the car and followed him inside. Everything was just as I remembered. We rented it out for people when we weren't using it (which was a lot, recently), and they always did a good job cleaning up.

There was a kitchen and living room on the left as soon as we entered, and a hallway to the right that led to a master bedroom and bathroom.

Straight ahead was also part of the living room which eventually veered off to the right as a game room and another bathroom. The back porch was through the living room, and I made my way to open the door and look out on the ocean.

"It's so pretty down here."

I jumped as Dylan wrapped an arm around my waist and looked with me.

"Yeah," I managed to get out. Why was I suddenly freaking out from his touch? Dylan was very touchy. We cuddled all the time. As friends.

Of course, I had gone through periods of liking him before. Elementary school, freshman year- it never went anywhere, obviously. I was thinking about it on the car ride here. It would be so easy to get him to like me if I really wanted to. I knew everything he wanted.

But I didn't. It was just a thought.

"April?"

I raised my eyebrows, looking up at him. "Yeah?"

"I asked if for dinner, did you wanna grab it to go and sit on the beach to watch the sunset?"

"Oh. Sure," I replied, giggling.

Romantic, a voice in my head cooed, and I frowned.

"What're you thinking about?" he laughed.

"Oh, nothing," I replied, shrugging.

You.