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

Home at last

*Flashback*

"Dani! Dani! Where are you? Mum's just made her fudge brownies! Dani?"

"I'm over here!" I shout sitting, concealed by a big jagged rock just by the sea shore, clutching my left leg and trying to catch my breath.

"What's the matter Dani?"

I glance up to see Eli stood above me, even at twelve years old, he was the tallest person his age. The sunset is forming behind him seeming to cast a glow all around his body and his golden hair hangs loosely over his glistening blue eyes. I've never noticed before how beautiful he really is. Kneeling down so we're face to face he gently cups my calf forcing me to wince in pain.

"I think you've been stung by a jelly fish, I remember it happened to my Uncle Simon last year." He says concentrating on the reasonably large sting just under my knee.

My eyes widen in terror. "Am I going to die?" Gasping, I can feel my eyes brimming with tears. With a slight laugh Eli smiles the softest, sweetest smile, one so gentle it could easily be missed, he reaches up and strokes a piece of hair across my temple and behind my ear. The kind of touch that assures me that everything will be alright. In all this time, his eyes have never left mine, holding my gaze he gently holds under my arms and lifts me up.

"Can you walk back to the house?" He says glancing down to my bad leg.

"I can hop," I reply "Don't you remember me and Cara kicking your butt in the three legged race?" I giggle nervously. What was wrong with me?Why was I suddenly so anxious around Eli, my brother's best friend, that just yesterday had locked me in the airing cupboard.

"Well a lot can happen in one year," he retorts smiling softly at me. He turns around and bends his knees. "Jump on, we don't want to make it worse."

I clamber onto his back trying not to catch my leg and we commence up the beach towards the house; piggy-back style.

"You know I could have easily walked," I protest swinging my legs back and forth.

"It's no problem," he laughs catching my right leg and holding me tightly "as long as Jeremy hasn't scoffed all the brownies, then you'd owe me." I laugh wrapping my arms around his neck and breathing in his sweet scent. Until only recently I had always looked at boys as annoying and always stealing my puddings; especially boys like Eli. So why now was I holding on to him like I never wanted to let go?

*Present day*

"Hey Dani! You getting out the car any time today?" I'm jumped out of my daydream by my brother's mindless banging on the window next to me. Sighing, I start tying the laces on my white converse and pull on my satchel. Glancing out the car window I pull down the passenger seat mirror to inspect myself. Hmm. My hair is pulled up in a messy bun and I'm wearing my usual minimal makeup. I guess it'll have to do.

Slowly climbing out of the car, I feel the butterflies beginning to fill my stomach and as if I can't quite catch my breath; just like that day on the beach seven years ago. I always feel like this just before I see him, my head goes dizzy and my mouth goes dry.

Licking my lips I shut the door and walk around the car.

"Danielle!" The only person who ever calls me by my full name grabs my arm and pulls my into a big bear hug.

"Aunty Al!" I laugh squeezing her back as she spins me round. She smells like her usual jasmine perfume and the cake's she's been baking. I feel the soft, familiar material of her apron on my belly and all my butterflies seem to dissipate, I feel like I am home.

"Look at you!" She exclaims holding me at arm's length with a huge grin on her face. "Wow! You've absolutely blossomed, even more so than the last time I saw you. See I told you you wouldn't be in an A-cup forever!"

"Aunty Al!" I laugh putting my finger to my lips, she was famous for a lot of things but her discretion was not one of them. She always loves to quote Thomas Jefferson saying: "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom."

"Oh don't be silly you're among family," she laughs pulling me into another hug. Behind her I could see a familiar blonde stood in the doorway with her arms crossed laughing with my brother.

"Cara!" I shout dropping my satchel to the ground and racing across the gravel before wrapping my arms around my best friend. The shocked look on her face is priceless but she is soon laughing and squeezing me tight.

"Oh my god Dani! You've just got you're cast off, don't go breaking your leg again!" I pull away rolling my eyes.

I don't know how I managed it but running late for a train and a lot of steps were not a good combination when I had plummeted down them two months ago and been stuck struggling with a cast and crutches for more than six weeks.

"Come on," she laughs linking my arm "lets get your bag, we have so much to catch up on and so much to plan for the summer." She has the same blue eyes as her brother and they spark with excitement, Cara was the biggest social butterfly I knew. She never gave me a moments peace when I came to stay and I loved her for it.

We enter into the hallway all painted white and polished with Al's current favourite modern pieces scattered about and start up the stairs lugging my suitcases up the thick Persian carpet behind us. Once upstairs, I follow her down the hallway and into her bedroom and breathing in the familiar scent of roses and her Si perfume, I finally relax. She collapses onto her black and white flowery quilt groaning.

"Oh no, have you had a strenuous day already, having to carry a whole suitcase up the stairs." I laugh lying down next to her and staring up at the starry fairy lights hanging from her ceiling, only I knew that she was still afraid of the dark.

"I keep telling mum that a lift would be a good investment," she says elevating her tanned legs and rotating her feet "but then I guess I wouldn't get to see Jeremy's bulging muscles, we should have got him to carry up your suitcases," she laughs fake pouting.

"Definitely not'" I say pushing her arm causing her to almost role off the side of the bed. "That's gross, he's my brother!" I pull a face.

"Hey I let you fawn all over Eli," she makes a fake gagging noise "and its not my fault your brother's got extra fit since last summer" she says wiggling her eyebrows and laughing. Evil. I swear my best friend was pure evil. All she knew was that I had a massive crush on her brother, she didn't realise how it was so much more than that, still every year when we were together she constantly tried to play match maker saying that she hated seeing Eli with all "his bitchy bimbo's."

"Anyway," she announces sitting up "we've booked the usual table at Gianni's for tonight at eight," she says clapping her hands and bouncing up and down. "I swear their garlic breads are orgasmic."

She carries on raving about her favourite Italian restaurant but I don't hear her. Downstairs the door shuts and I hear my brother laughing and slapping someone on the back, then a very familiar voice, the very voice that never fails to melt my insides, and I lose all the breath in my body. Eli.

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