Summer Promise || Nathan Sykes

Chapter One

Once I had applied the right amount of makeup to make my grey eyes stand out I joined Jake in the living room. I was satisfied with the white crop top and denim shorts I was wearing. I had finished off my outfit with a pair of simple white flip flops.

“Isn’t she ready yet?” I asked receiving a shake of the head from Jake. The door of the cabin opened and Bryan, Taylor and their two friends entered. I smiled at each of them as April finally came out of her bedroom.

“We’re all finally ready,” I announced standing up from the sofa. I ushered everyone out of the cabin and locked the door before throwing the key to Jake. The seven of us made our way down to the beach. When we arrived it was almost dark and the campfire lit up the large group of partying teenagers.

“Well,” I started as I cracked open a can of beer, “let’s party.” I left my group of friends and joined a bunch of dancing teenagers.

After three beers, two guys failing to flirt with me and some heavy dancing I jogged up the beach and collapsed in the sand. I took another swig of my beer as I looked around at the few people around me. There was a couple involved in some serious drunken tongue action to my right. And on my left there were two girls and a boy. The two girls were chatting away to each other while the boy looked ahead of him clearly bored. I watched as the two girls headed down to where the party was taking place before standing up and walking over to the boy. I dropped down into the sand beside him and smiled. He didn’t smile back, he just acknowledging nodded.

“Hi,” I tried and he smirked at me.

“Hi,” he replied.

“Well…what’s your name?” I asked him and he raised an eyebrow at me.

“Nathan,” he answered, “yours?”

“Rebel.” He laughed and I looked at him questioningly.

“Your name is not Rebel,” he said and I rolled my eyes at him.

“Lilia,” I told him with a mockingly sweet smile and he returned it.

“Nice name,” he mumbled and looked down the beach at the fire.

“Want some?” I asked holding out my beer can for him.

“Sure,” he replied and took a swig from the can.

“So why aren’t you down there with your friends?” I questioned gesturing to the party. He looked at me and shrugged. I noted that he had beautiful green eyes.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said and I smiled.

“I’ve been dancing for hours. A girl needs a break. Do you know what time it is?” I asked and he checked his watch.

“Just gone eleven,” he told me and I sighed as my eyes searched through the crowd for my friends.

“Are you on holiday with your friends?” Nathan enquired just as I spotted Jake who had a girl attached to his lips. I tore my gaze away and returned to Nathan’s green eyes.

“Yeah, you?” I answered.

“Family. Those two girls who were sat with me before are my sisters,” he explained to me and I nodded.

“Awesome. Well, I’m gonna go back to my cabin now as I’m pretty tired,” I said and he nodded understandingly.

“Wait, is your cabin on the east side?” he asked me as I stood up and nodded.

“My cabin’s that way too. I’ll walk with you,” he told me as he pushed himself up from the floor. The two of us walked up the beach together and headed up the long dirt track towards our cabins.

“So is it just you and your sisters?” I asked him trying to make conversation.

“Yeah. I got dumped with babysitting duty. If I didn’t come on this holiday then they couldn’t go. I’ve had them cleaning my house for the past week,” he explained and we both laughed.

“That sucks. My best friend and my cousin go away together every summer but this year four other people tagged along. I tend to stray from the crowd anyway.” He nodded.

“So what do you do? As a job, I mean,” he asked.

“I’m a massage therapist.” He smirked and I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

“What about you? What do you do?” I quizzed.

“I’m a songwriter,” he answered and I shook my head.

“There’s no way you’re a songwriter.”

“I am!”

“Prove it.”

“Okay then, I will. I’ll write you a song,” he told me and I smiled.

“This is my cabin,” I said as I came to a stop.

“Now I know where to find you,” he replied and I laughed while searching for the key in my pocket.

“Shit,” I cursed while rubbing my forehead.

“What?” Nathan asked.

“My cousin has my key,” I told him and he looked at the cabin.

“Any open windows?”

“Yeah, but the cabin is elevated so I’m not tall enough.” He walked round to the other side of the cabin and gestured for me to follow him. He held his hands in the form of a step below an open window. I raised my eyebrows at him and he smiled.

“Come on,” he hurried. I shook my head at him while smiling before taking my flip flops off. I deposited them through the open window before stepping on Nathan’s hands. He pushed me up and I hauled myself through the window. Once my feet were firmly on the ground I leant out the window to talk to him.

“Thanks,” I said and he smiled.

“No problem.”

“I’ll be waiting for that song,” I told him and he chuckled.

“And you’ll hear it soon, Lilia,” he replied and I smiled.

“Bye,” I called after him as he walked away. He waved behind him before disappearing out of my view. I shut the window and looked around the room I was stood in. It was Jake’s room. Not wanting to find any dirt on my cousin, I quickly left the room.

After changing into an oversized t-shirt and mini shorts I got into my bed. I put my earphones in and fell asleep to the sound of my favourite band.