AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It had not been pretty. That particular year, John wanted to drive himself so he could skip being stuck in the car with Amelia and their parents. After four hours on the road, his car sputtered to death and gave up on going any farther.
“And that was very nerve-racking,” Amelia said. “But I do also change the oil in my car.”
“It didn’t need more oil! The car kept leaking it out!”
“That’s . . . not how cars work,” Daniel said.
“I mean, I know that now.” John sighed. “I’m far too pretty to have to worry about changing oil.”
Amelia opened her mouth to inform him that it still wasn’t how the world worked, but her dad opened the door to the restaurant, stopping her before she could even start.
“Okay, my beautiful son, let’s go inside and eat. And the rest of us can be grateful you no longer have a car.”
Their group piled into the restaurant, and Daniel pulled out a seat for Amelia. Her cheeks exploded in heat. When was the last time anyone had done that for her?
“So, John, how is work going?” she asked after they had a moment with the menus. “I feel like I haven’t heard one of your stories in forever.”
“Oh, yes. Let’s hear about it,” her mom encouraged.
John could talk about his job for hours. Amelia used to tire of hearing his wild stories about being a fitness instructor, but she’d been so busy with work lately that she barely had time for anything else—including catching up with her brother—that she welcomed them now.
He began talking about one of his clients, and she was able to listen for the first half of it. Then, a loud family came in, and it was all she could do to keep looking at John. No one else at the table seemed to be bothered.
It didn’t get better as time went on. The restaurant only got louder, and she wasn’t able to remember a thing John said. She wasn’t able to focus, and she knew she couldn’t use the earbuds stashed in her purse without Daniel noticing.
Her mind buzzed as they finally left after the meal, and her social skills had rapidly dwindled. She needed to grab Daniel’s hand. She needed to pretend to like him so her family would see how happy they were.
And yet, she was stuck.
“Why don’t you two go for a walk?” her mom suggested when they returned to the condo. “It’s a pretty night. Very romantic.”
“I’m not sure,” Amelia said.
“The beach has always helped you unwind.”
She wasn’t wrong, but Amelia also didn’t know what Daniel might want to do.
“Daniel did half the driving,” she said. “He might be tired.”
“I’m okay to go,” he piped in.
Amelia nodded. “Okay, then. Let’s head down there.”
They walked through the parking lot and down the brick-laden path to the water. As they got to the dock, Amelia pulled off her shoes.
“It’s very nice here.” His eyes were on the ocean.
“It’s even better when you see the water.” She walked ahead, leading him to the waves. The sun was setting on the opposite side of the water, casting the sky with purple and pink hues that painted the background of the hotels. The waves were smaller today, rushing up the sand until it was inevitably pulled back by the next one.
The air was salty, and the wind blew gently through Amelia’s hair. This was the kind of sound and sensation that she craved.
“I love it,” she said. “I really look forward to this every year. It’s not glamorous, but it’s still nice.”
“Not everything has to be glamorous,” Daniel said. “I got enough of that with my ex-wife.”
“I’m getting some . . . vibes that things weren’t all hunky-dory then.”
“Vibes, huh?” he asked with a smile.
