Page 10 of The Summer of Us

“Bags of shells! I used to love collecting these as a kid,” Olivia said, dragging Paige over to one of the souvenir shops. Netted bags full of auger shells, whelks and the occasional sun-bleached conch were on sale for £4 each.

“Want a bag?” Paige said, picking one of the conches from the basket and pressing it against her ear. The familiar whooshing sound inside made her smile. Her dad had once managed to convince her that she could hear the ocean through the shell, until she had learned about sound resonance. Still, it was nice to think that there might be a whole other world hidden inside those pearly walls.

“I’m good,” Olivia said as Paige returned the shell to the pile. “Maybe I’ll bring something back for Beth.”

“Just don’t expect her to appreciate it,” Paige said, knowing Olivia’s little sister was approaching her rebellious pre-teen stage.

Olivia pulled a face. “That’s true. She’s turned into such a brat lately. I miss the days where she thought I was the cool big sister.”

“Were you ever the cool big sister?”

Olivia turned away with a sulky sigh. “I’m totally a cool big sister.”

Paige touched her friend’s shoulder to let her know she was joking. “You totally are. She’ll realise that soon enough.”

Olivia glanced over her shoulder, a twinkle in her eyes, and Paige felt her breath catch for a second, her heart fluttering in her chest.

Paige was still trying to figure out what was making her feel like this when Olivia snapped her fingers in front of her face. “Earth to Paige?”

“Huh?”

“Are you alright? You look a little out of sorts,” Olivia said, pressing the back of her hand to Paige’s forehead. “You don’t have heat-stroke do you?”

Paige waved her hand away, a little dizzy. “I haven’t been in the sun long enough yet,” she muttered, taking a step back and almost bumping into someone skirting behind her. “But maybe a break from the heat would be good.”

Olivia nodded. “Sure. Let’s go find somewhere to cool down.”

“Thanks,” Paige said, following Olivia out of the giftshop with her gaze downcast, trying to figure out these weird, complicated feelings that had risen to the surface. All of this heart-fluttering and palm-sweating was strange and unfamiliar. Paige had never experienced anything like this before, with anyone. So why now? And why Olivia?

These things she was feeling—it sounded like the kind of thing that girls used to talk about at school when they had a crush on someone. Is that what was happening?

Or was it simply a misunderstanding of feelings? She hadn’t spent time with Olivia like this since they’d started college, so maybe it was just her mind—and body—re-adjusting to being around her again.

Whatever it was, she wasn’t going to let it get in the way of enjoying this holiday. She wasn’t going to overcomplicate things by giving into this strange, unbidden attraction that she should not be feeling towards her best friend.

No. She would enjoy the rest of this holiday with Olivia, as friends.

Just like they’d always been.

CHAPTER FOUR

Breezehome Cottage was a small, white-bricked bungalow sitting at the top of a sandy slope. The sea, bright and glistening, was visible from the wooden deck, a short walk away across the rocks and sand. In the distance were the marble-white cliffs that gave Whiterock its name.

“Wow,” Olivia murmured as she climbed out of the car, pulling the sunglasses off the top of her head as she gazed at the view. The sky was a deep summer blue, golden sunlight bouncing off the waves to create a stunning vista. “It’s beautiful.”

Paige climbed out after her, using her hand to shield her eyes from the glare. “I didn’t realise we’d be so close to the sea,” she said, circling around the car’s bonnet to stand beside Olivia on the edge of the gravel driveway. They had gotten lost a few times on the way, with the navigation system pinning their location in the middle of the ocean at one point, but they’d finally made it.

“Oh man, I am so excited,” Olivia said, shimmying her hips in a little dance. “As soon as we get unpacked, we’re going down onto the sand.”

Paige wrinkled her nose. “Do you think we could have a quick rest first?” she said, nibbling on the edge of her lip. “I’m still a little tired from travelling.”

Olivia pouted. “I guess so,” she said. “But after you’ve had a rest, we are going down to the beach, right?”

The corner of Paige’s lips twitched at the imploring look Olivia was giving her. How could she ever say no? “Of course. That’s what we came here for.”

Clapping her hands together, Olivia unlocked the boot of the car and began to haul their bags down onto the gravel. “Thanks,” Paige said, grabbing the handle of her case and lugging it up the wood-slatted porch, before returning to help Olivia with hers. “The key should be in the safe, right? Do you have the code?”

By the side of the door was a small, electronic keysafe, the buttons rusted from the salt air. “Yeah, hang on a minute.” Olivia pulled out her phone and squinted at the screen. “Oh, here it is. 5383 should be the code,” she read out, and Paige diligently pressed it into the keypad, hearing a faint beep before the tumblers unlocked and a compartment popped open. Inside was a small silver key.

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