Isla

25.

2 5 | n e w c a s t l e

BY FRIDAY, things were back to normal. Austin was texting me daily again, Everett was less awkward around me, and I was getting used to Mia tagging along to the lagoon.

After I'd texted him, he'd fallen back into routine, sending me stupid memes I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd seen before, texting me in the morning and night. We didn't talk about his fight with Everett. We didn't talk about why I'd stopped texting him, and why he hadn't bothered reaching out.

And we definitely didn't talk about how he'd humiliated me in front of everyone, practically slapping a sign over my forehead that said: Look at me! I'm a second choice! I can't take care of myself!

No, we didn't talk about that. We pretended things were normal.

We pretended this summer wasn't falling apart. Like we were all completely fine with Austin inviting Mia everywhere we went, turning us into awkward third wheels. Like Sky wasn't missing from our group, and Austin was barely there anymore.

Like the burning hazel of Everett's eyes on me didn't send my heart fluttering madly.

With a sigh, I leaned against the rocks, watching as Mia leapt off the cliff top for the fifth time. She screamed, kicking her legs before she hit the water with a loud splash. A second passed before she broke the surface, flipping her dark hair with a bubbling laugh.

"I never get tired of that!" she squealed, grinning.

My lips quirked into an arrogant smile. A flush of pride inflated within me at the sight of her excitement. Of course, she wouldn't get tired of it. Isla was the best spot in Shellside Bay. And it was all ours.

At least, it had been before she came along. It had been our special spot, and I was its namesake. But that didn't matter to Austin, did it? Not in the way it had mattered to me.

"What are you smiling at?"

I blinked, pulling my sunnies off to meet Everett's gaze. He fell to sit beside me, dripping water all over me and the rocks. I ripped away from him with a shout.

"Everett! You're going to get me wet!"

I flushed in embarrassment, realising how loud my screech had been, echoing off the cliff walls and across the rock pool. I glanced subconsciously at the lagoon to see Austin turn to us, his expression hard.

God, like I hadn't embarrassed myself enough around him.

I warmed, facing Everett again. He sent me a smirk, lifting a brow at the suggestive meaning behind my words, but said nothing. I scoffed, shoving him roughly on the shoulder.

"Not like that," I said, rolling my eyes, though my ears felt hot with embarrassment. My hand came away wet from his skin and I waved it in the air exaggeratedly with a scrunched nose. "I'm warm right now and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Yes Miss Monroe," he teased, running a hand through his hair to press the water out of it until it was no longer dripping. He shook it out, spraying water everywhere and I squealed, holding my arms up to protect myself.

"Everett!" I shouted. "What did I just say?"

"It's just a bit of water, Isla," he teased, narrowing his eyes. "Figured since you're not swimming, I might as well bring it to you."

I shot him a sharp glare, rubbing my arms to wipe the drops of water he'd sprayed me with off my skin. Yet a part of me was glad – after the kiss, we'd been all kinds of awkward. At least now things were going back to normal.