Toasted Marshmallows (A Sweetly Novella)

1 | Water Balloons

Ian was huddled beside me, so he could see my discomfort. He tugged gently on my arm, moving back as he pulled me towards his spot and traded places with me. My knees landed on the soft, cool grass once I got readjusted and brush off my legs.

"Thanks," I whispered. Despite his extreme case of ignorance, Ian was the sweetest guy I had ever known. He often showed it in small gestures like that and I had to give him that he could be observant every once in a while.

Ian nodded, sparing me a glance before focusing back on the front door. He was eager to pelt his sister's boyfriend with water balloons.

"I guess you do have the ability to be a gentleman...sometimes." I muttered with a smirk. It was the equivalent of poking a bear--or more specifically, a teddy bear--with a stick. I knew exactly how to get a reaction out of him and draw his attention to me.

He scoffed, turning to face me. "I'm always a gentleman. You just don't appreciate me."

"I could give you a few examples of when you were the exact opposite of a gentleman," I said, ready to list off my observations.

"Ok, maybe not always," Ian agreed. Then he smiled, "But I am always nice to you."

I blinked, not entirely sure how to respond. I couldn't think of any time when he was a jerk to me and, if anything, I was the one that wasn't so nice to him. We could throw snarky or teasing comments at each other nonstop, but I was having difficulty coming up with a retort for once.

I took an interest in the door, wishing that it would open and spare me. I shrugged one shoulder after a long pause, "So what? You're nice to every girl."

He cleared his throat and from the corner of my eye, I saw that he was staring at the door again too. I fought back a grin at his silence. It may not have been the best, but my response still managed to stump him.

Only then did Wesley Black decide to grace us with his presence.

Reyna's warrior cry was our cue to begin our attack. Ian and I stood up right after she did across from us. She and I started spraying Wesley with water guns while Ian pelted him with the balloons.

Wesley jumped at our sudden appearance. Using his arms to protect his face from being hit, he stood there and took it all because there was no cover and he couldn't go back into the house. We stopped when he was soaking wet from head to toe.

Reyna ran over to give him a hug. "Good morning, Wes!"

He chuckled quietly and wrapped his arms around her. "Good morning."

I smiled, watching the two of them share a sweet kiss. I counted down from three under my breath, knowing that their moment was going to be ruined.

"Break it up, loverboy!" Ian shouted just as I got to one and he aimed for the side of Wesley's head.

'Loverboy' blocked it and the balloon burst on his arm, splashing onto both him and Reyna.

"Hello, Ian," Wesley greeted him dryly. "Ferra," he added with more cheerfulness since I wasn't the one who interrupted the kiss.

"Are you ready for the best summer ever?" Reyna asked him.

He wasn't very social in school until Reyna came along, so it was the first summer in who knew how long that he would spend with friends.

It was also a big summer for Ian, since he took a gap year before college and it was nearly over. While he was going to spare some time for his other friends, he decided to invade in most of our plans. I was happy that he would be around because I wouldn't feel like a third wheel to Reyna and Wesley. That, and the countless times I was bound to see Ian without a shirt on; I could never complain about getting a little eye candy.