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.
At least now we could make the most of our last few weeks together.
"You're too kind, Everett," I drawled sarcastically, leaning back onto the rocks and letting the warmth of the sun wash over me.
"Hey, I try." He shot me a cheeky grin before leaning back so that we were face to face. "So? Why are you staring at Mia with that smile on your face? Planning a murder?"
"No," I snorted. "I was just thinking. She looks like she's having fun."
He turned to watch her send a splash at Austin's face. Her giggle reverberated throughout the lagoon, genuine and high-pitched, before turning into a yell when Austin retaliated. Everett turned back to me, raising a brow.
"I guess she does." He paused, narrowing his eyes. "Does this mean you like her now?"
"What?" I scoffed, crossing my arms. "Are you kidding me? No. It was just an observation."
"Right."
"It was! It's like – she hates me so much, and yet here she is. Having the time of her life on an island named after me," I said. Everett was silent, his eyes narrowed doubtfully, and I shifted uncomfortably, waiting for him to speak. After a moment, I continued defensively. "Not that I care, or anything."
"No, of course not." His voice was teasing, and I felt annoyance rise within me.
I glanced at his expression to find him smiling snidely at me, like he was in on some incredible joke. I rolled my eyes before pulling my sunnies back on.
"So, what? You just came here to bother me, then?"
"It's what I live for."
I exhaled sharply through my nose in a ghost of a laugh. "I can see that."
He laughed lightly, turning back to face the lagoon. Connor and River were playing their usual game of who can drown the other person quickest? Meanwhile, Austin was sending waves in Mia's direction. She squealed, twisting her body in all directions to try and avoid them before shoving her hands into the water and splashing him back.
I frowned, watching them. Just a few weeks ago, that had been me, splashing at Austin and shouting when he'd throw me over his shoulder.
"Why aren't you swimming?"
I sighed at Everett's question, feeling fatigue settle into my muscles. It was always towards the end of summer that the lack of sleep and over activity caught up to me. From working every day, to swimming and surfing with the boys, trying to make our last summer together one to remember, I was exhausted.
"I'm tired," I said simply with a shrug.
That was an understatement. I wasn't just tired. That felt like too simple of a way to put it.
I could feel my muscles ache, even when I laid in bed at night. I could feel my head pound from the lack of sleep. I needed an alarm every two minutes in the morning, so I'd actually roll out of bed and go to work.
That wasn't even figurative. The only way I could force myself up was by literally rolling off the bed in the morning.
Even my fingers felt stiff and crooked – dented from writing and cleaning kayaks and waxing surfboards. Every movement resulted in a creak or a click in joints I didn't know existed.
I was the human embodiment of the bike I rode to work every day – tired and creaky. I glanced at Mia splashing Austin in the lagoon. Easily replaced.
Everett barked out a laugh. "No shit. I have no idea how you do it."
I blinked, confused. "Do what?"
"You know," he said nonchalantly. "Work. Swim. Surf. Every day, you do about a million more things than any normal seventeen-year-old would. My summers are usually just me sleeping in until 3PM."
My face warmed at that. I quirked a brow. "Everett Connolly, is that a compliment?"
"Hardly. If anything, it's an insult," he teased, though a blush had begun creeping up his neck. He turned, avoiding my eyes. "Really, Monroe. Learn to take care of yourself better."
I snorted, turning back to the lagoon, watching the ripples stretch across the sparkling blue waters splash onto the rocks and sand surrounding it. The smell of sunscreen and heat burned my nose, and I listened as the group of teenagers splashed and screamed and shouted.
Mia dove beneath the surface of the water, her long, dark hair turning smooth. She rose, sending a wave towards Austin with her manicured hands. My mouth twisted as I looked down at my own bare, bitten nails. I tugged at a strand of my hair – split ends poking out at the tip, the curls more frizz than anything.
Maybe Everett was onto something.
"So, you're telling me I should be more like Mia?" I asked eventually, trying to keep my voice light and joking. Though I pursed my lips, waiting for the answer. He wouldn't be the only one who preferred Mia over me.
"No," Everett said quickly. He turned to me, wrinkling his brow. "I didn't say that."
I scoffed, staring bitterly as Austin swept Mia into his arms, pressing a wet kiss to her lips before dropping her into the water. My stomach churned and I quickly darted my eyes away to stare at the trees in the distance.
Second choice.
He didn't have to say it. Watching Austin kiss her, watching him hug her and spend all day, every day with her was enough.
"Isla," he began slowly. I turned to meet his eye, noticing the serious look on his face.
"Everett," I teased, but that stern expression of his didn't waver.
"I would never want you to be more like Mia," he said.
I warmed, quickly looking away.
"That would be a first," I muttered bitterly, my eyes settling on Mia and Austin. On Austin's arms around her waist. On his fingers, tight on her skin. On his chest pressed against her back as he grabbed her from behind.
I released a breath, my mood souring even more at the sight – like I wasn't already miserable enough.
"What I said before," Everett started suddenly. "About Mia being like – like Emma."
"Emma," I echoed carefully, wondering where this was going. "Your friend's ex."
I thought about the day he'd told me about her, in this very spot at the lagoon. Why was he bringing her up now?
"Right." He cleared his throat uncomfortably, blushing slightly. "About that. She's actually – err – my ex."
I raised a single brow at him. "Yeah, I kind of figured you were talking about yourself."
"She's not like her," he continued, his lips pursed. "I think I was wrong. Sure, Mia's mean but she's just trying to have good time."
"She can have a good time without calling me a whore," I said pointedly.
"I'm not defending her," he said quickly. "My point is Mia's not your Emma. Austin is."
"Austin?" I blinked, thinking of what Everett had said that day. How he'd said that Emma had used him when she was bored before moving on to the next best thing. I shook my head. "Austin's my best friend. He'd never do that to me."
Everett frowned, his voice lowering.
"When I –" he cut himself off and swallowed thickly. "When I dated Emma, she was great. For the first six months, she invited me to parties and introduced me to people. I felt untouchable. But then she got bored."
He paused to release a light chuckle, shaking his head with the memory. "The worst part was I knew she was getting bored. I saw how she started looking at other people. How she stopped laughing at my jokes."
Another pause. He met my eyes now, that burning hazel suddenly seeming distant and cold – like the boy I'd met at the start of summer. "And then she started sleeping with my best friend behind my back."
He released a haggard breath that morphed into a short, bitter laugh.
"She didn't even break up with me. She kept me around for another two months. As a backup plan, you know? Stringing me along." He paused then, turning to face me fully. The fire had returned behind that deep hazel. Determination. "Like Austin's doing to you."
"I'm not dating Austin," I sputtered out, flustered. "He's not keeping me around. He's my friend."
"I know that, Isla. But I was wrong before. You're not so much his second choice as you are his safety net. He likes keeping you around. He knows, Isla. He knows he's leading you on and he doesn't give a fuck, don't you see that?"
Though his voice never raised, his words were sharp, and I felt like a child being scolded by her parent.
"You're wrong," I managed weakly.
Because Austin would never do that to me. He would never lead me on for ten years.
If he knew, he'd have told me. He'd have stopped pulling me into hugs much longer than platonic. He'd have stopped taking my hand into his and wrapping an arm around my waist. He wouldn't have let my thoughts wander to him, every minute of every day for ten years.
Everett's expression softened and he leaned forward. He hesitated before reaching forward, his fingertips brushing my jaw. They slid up my cheek, resting momentarily against my skin before tugging on a loose curl.
"You deserve better than that Isla," he muttered, his eyes drifting from mine, to the curl in his hand, to my lips. "Now, I see Emma brought out the worst in me. I was always trying to impress her. Desperately keep her attention. I started smoking. I started drinking. I went to parties."
My mind drifted to Austin. Begging me to go to parties with him when I had to work the next morning. Begging me to surf with him before exams. Begging me to spend my breaks with him, even if I was exhausted to the bone.
When had that become routine? When had he stopped having to ask, and I just did it without question?
And wasn't he doing it all again now? Inviting Mia to our special island without asking? Letting Mia use my surfboard without permission?
I furrowed my brow, shaking my head. My voice faltered, losing all the strength it had. "No. He wouldn't..."
"Isla," Everett's voice cut through my thoughts. His eyes hardened and this time, with no hesitation, he brushed my curls out of my face and rested his palm against my cheek, forcing me to look at him. "He doesn't deserve you."
I frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"
I thought we agreed. I liked Austin. Everett was leaving soon, summer was ending, and I liked Austin. So, why was he suddenly trying to make me change my mind?
Now, he hesitated. "I don't know. I just... wish..."
His eyes flickered dangerously to my lips and I hated the way my heart lurched at the sight. And just as quick as it came, his warmth left. He let go of me, leaning back and turning to face the lagoon.
"I just thought you should know," he said quickly. He swallowed thickly, his voice turning quiet. "Before I leave."
"Right," I said, my face hot. I pressed my hands to my cheeks, trying to calm myself down. What was that? That was not the agreement.
I turned back to the lagoon, trying to ignore the uncomfortable silence. Connor and River hadn't noticed. They were still fighting, shoving each other beneath the sparkling waters.
But Austin – his eyes were trained on me. His jaw was set, his fists clenched as he glanced between me and Everett. I stiffened, feeling like a child caught with a hand in the cookie jar.
I shook my head, tearing my eyes away from his. Why was I feeling like that? We weren't dating. If he could mess around with Mia, I could – what? Talk to Everett?
I frowned, chewing on my bottom lip, Everett's words replaying in my mind.
You're his safety net.
The more I thought about it, the truer it began to sound.
How many times had he wrapped his arms around me way too long for it to be friendly? How many times had he taken my hand into his, intertwining our fingers like lovers? Connor and River never held me like that.
And yet, I'd thought he was only being friendly.
Until Everett came along, and suddenly Austin was always there – glaring when Everett came too close, interrupting when Everett made me laugh or when his skin touched mine.
Why would he act like that, while dating Mia?
There was only one answer. My jaw tightened and no matter how hard I tried; Everett's words wouldn't stop replaying in my mind.
He knows.
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A U T H O R ' S N O T E
Hey! Sooo looks like Isla's starting to move on... thoughts? Next time: Isla goes to a party. Any predictions???
As always, thank you for reading, voting and for your lovely comments! Your support means a lot to me! See you soon! 💕