Page 18 of A Twist in Fate
“Do you like watching me sunshine?” I feel my face flame as I turn away, looking at the waves ahead of us. “Don't be embarrassed, Ivy. I like watching you too." I look at him again and it feels as though I'm in a trance until we hear the sound of the girls over in the distance.
“Are you sure she's not your girlfriend?” Daisy yells at us. See the Millers’ are stubborn. If they have an idea or a goal, they will stick to it.
CHAPTER 9
Ivy
Song 9
New Years Day – Taylor Swift
14/07
I have been in Pennsylvania for a whole three weeks and honestly, I do not think I have ever had more fun in my entire life. I love it here. When Bailey asked me to come for the summer, the only thing I was worried about was not enjoying myself if I had to spend time away from her, but it has been completely different. Every single night we sit in each other's rooms, with Abby too, which means I am actually spending more time with her than I thought I would be. When she has a day off and she cannot trade it, so it aligns with mine, I still have a fun filled day with the kids and Lucas. Some activities we are repeating now, like archery, which I must say I am becoming aprofessional at.
One hundred percent.Okay, well, I still kind of suck but at least I can hit the target most of the time now.
Apparently, I am a lot better at helping the kids do things than actually trying to do them myself. I'm also getting close with Lucas and Bailey's friends. James is absolutely hilarious and I'm pretty sure he doesn't even try to be most of the time. He is at college on sports scholarship for football and struggles with his other studies. He needs to get his grades in marketing at a certain level to stay on the team but he doesn’t seem too worried about it.
Abby is the same age as Bailey and she is so kind but when she gets comfortable around people, her favourite way of showing affection is being blunt or trying to annoy them. She forever stands up for those she cares for and I love her for that. Next year is her final year in high school and I think her and Bailey want to go to the same college next year. I am a little jealous that they get to.
Alec has been working hard to get his law college degree and he swims a lot as he is a part of the swim team, which means that when I run, he often is swimming in the lake. He seems to understand the need to succeed at school and apparently swimming is the thing that calms him down. He is also one of the best people with thechildren. From the oldest to the youngest, they all adore him. Lucas understands me too. I don't know how, but he understands me in a whole other way.
I'm also completely over that whole kiss thing. Whatever I was feeling was just as he said. We were caught up in a moment. I mean who wouldn't get swept up with the way he held his arm round my waist and the fireworks above us. I was being one hundred percent, absolutely insane.It was the setting, not the person or what I actually wanted.
Anyways, with the peace I have been having for the past few weeks, especially considering how well I sleep in the quiet of the countryside, the last thing I expect is to be woken up to the sound of my door being softly knocked on and maybe… crying?
I get out of bed, trying to readjust my eyes to the darkness that surrounds me, and open the door to see a blonde girl crying, a duck in her arms, in her hello kitty pyjamas.
“Violet? What's wrong?” She doesn’t say a word but grabs my hand and takes me across to their cabin in the dark. When I walk into their room, Daisy is sitting next to Mila on her bed, with Lucas crouched in front of them. He stands up and turns around to me.
“Violet has been sick. I was just telling Daisy and Mila to go into my bed and once we have cleaned Violet and her bed up, I was hoping she could go into yours for the next four to five hours?” That means it's about three am now. That also means I will not be getting any more sleep tonight.
“Of course.” I smile down at Violet, who I have only just realised has vomited on her hair, bunny and pyjamas. “Go hop into the shower, I will get you a change of clothes and we will wash your bunny.” She gives me a small smile and walks away into the bathroom as Mila and Daisy go to Lucas’ room. Lucas and I move towards the bed, immediately stripping the sheet and pillow covers.
“You don't have to do this part,” he says.
“I don't mind and I'm definitely not letting you hold a sheet that has been vomited on by yourself.” He laughs, moving the sheet to the side and picking up a new clean one. I look up at his face, our eyes meeting across the room as they have too many times since the kiss. He is wearing blue fabric shorts and a grey T-shirt and his messy hair suggests he didn’t wake up long ago either. His smile is infectious and bright. His hair has been growing lighter in sun, glowing closer to the colour of his sisters’. Suddenly, the moment we realise we’ve been staring ateach other hits us both and we both look away at the same moment. It’s embarrassing how many times we have done that.
I clear my throat before speaking, “Do you think she will be okay? She doesn't seem to be enjoying being here and now I think she's homesick. I feel bad."
“It's obvious she misses home but, Ivy, you are missing the most important part. She could barely say a word to anyone when she arrived and now, she's joining in on activities and constantly gossiping with Daisy and Mila. Those three have become the best of friends. They honestly remind me of you, Abby, and Bailey.” The smile on his face widens as he continues to say, “You are the one who helped her do that, sunshine. You brought that out in her.”
“I think you've done the same for me.” I walk up to him and help line up the sheet with the duvet. Our hands brush against each other as I do. An electric feeling passes between us.Fuck.I definitely should not be feeling this way by a simple touch or a simple smile. There is something very domestic about us here, making a bed together. It feels like it's something we could do every day. My heart leaps in my chest, almost with hope at thethought, but it deflates as the same reasons that have been haunting me come back rapidly into my mind.
He is your best friend's brother.
He agreed your kiss was a mistake.
You're not allowed to be with a camp counsellor.
You're only going to get hurt.
You are leaving in five weeks.
That number changes every single day, and I can't even take a moment to think about my life changing. I know I cannot stay, and I cannot live every day like this, but if I pretend for a moment, it means I can enjoy being here so much more. I don’t think I mind pretending for now.
“Sunshine?”
