Unseen

Chapter 27

Laughter surrounds me as I watch my family scattered around the beach. Most of the adults formed teams so they could play beach volleyball, and the kids are either splashing around in the ocean or building sand castles.

"Hey, Dalton." I look over to see my cousin, Rebecca, sitting down in the sand next to me, her brown hair twisted into a braid that falls halfway down her back. "Long time, no see," she says as she nudges me with her shoulder and I chuckle as I nod, returning my focus to the sparkling, endless expanse of water in front of us.

"How's uni?" She just finished her first year at the University of Sydney, studying to become a psychologist.

"Exhausting," she huffs as she falls back on the sand. "I'm so glad year one is over and it's finally summer. What are your plans for when you graduate? Still planning on travelling the world?"

"I think I'm going to go to school. I applied to a few, and I'm hoping to get a scholarship I've been working towards. If the whole writing thing doesn't work out, I'd like to get a job in a publishing house."

"If the writing thing doesn't work out?" she scoffs and rolls her head to the side to look up at me through her giant sunglasses. "Please, we all know the writing thing will definitely work out." My cheeks flush slightly as I turn my attention to the volleyball game happening to the left of us.

"You never know. Are you ever going to come visit us in LA?"

"Maybe after I'm done with school. Hey, Maddie." I look over to see my sister walking over with a bright smile as she flops down in front of us.

"It's so hot," she sighs as she leans back on her hands, head tilted up to the clear blue sky.

"It's summer," I deadpan and she looks over at me with a glare.

"I know that, Captain Obvious. I'm so not looking forward to going back to winter." Her nose scrunches up and I can't help but laugh as I shake my head.

"We live in Los Angeles, Maddie. We've never experienced real winter before." She shrugs and closes her eyes as she soaks in the sweltering summer sun.

My phone pings with a new message and I quickly pick it up to see a new picture from Flynn. I smile when I see him all bundled up with snowflakes resting on his eyelashes, Big Ben in the background as he beams at the camera.

"Is that your girlfriend?" Rebecca teases as she looks up at me and I roll my eyes as Maddie snorts.

"Boyfriend." She gasps and sits up quickly, lifting her sunglasses so they're resting on the top of her head.

"Since when?"

"We've been together for about two months now. He's in London with his parents."

"Well what are you waiting for? I want pictures!" I laugh and turn my phone so she can see the picture he just sent me.

"Aww he looks so cold!" I laugh again and nod before going to my gallery so I can find one where he isn't all bundled up and red from the cold. I find one from a couple weeks ago of us at a café and show her, and she beams as she wraps an arm around my shoulders. "You guys are so cute! You look so happy."

"I wanna see," Maddie whines as she sits up and makes grabby hands for my phone. I roll my eyes and hand it to her and she inspects the picture with a small smile. "She's right. You guys are so cute, it makes me want to vomit." I snort as I take my phone back and quickly reply to his message before locking it and putting it back down.

"We should go clubbing tonight," Rebecca states and I glance at Maddie before looking back at her with a raised brow.

"We're eighteen," I state in a 'duh' tone, and she looks at me like I'm stupid.