All Along | ✓

Chapter Four

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"Happiness is holding someone in your arms and knowing you hold the whole world."

- Snow, Orhan Pamuk

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Luna's POV

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Seven Months Later

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"Mom! I put on sunscreen only like an hour ago!" I complain as she gently tugs me towards where she's sitting on her beach towel.

"It's been three hours, Luna. I don't want you getting burnt." She says, rubbing the sunscreen into my exposed arms.

I huff, letting her lather me in sunscreen once more, knowing there's no getting out of it. Looking back out towards the ocean, I spot Oli coming up the beach with his surfboard tucked under his arm. A grin immediately lights up my face. He's finally going to swim with me!

Once he's close enough that he can hear me, I call out, "Are you going to swim with me, Oli!?"

He grins at me and nods, jogging over to us. He sets down his surfboard and flashes me a smile. "Once I've put on my sunscreen, I'll race you back out there."

I nod hurriedly, stepping away from Mom once she's done with my sunscreen. I'm wearing my favourite one-piece bathing suit that's bright blue. I steal an orange slice from the container Claire and Zoey bought while I wait for Oli to take his wetsuit off and put on his sunscreen. Dad jogs up to us a moment later, also carrying his surfboard and wearing a wetsuit. He sets down his surfboard and immediately goes in to hug Mom, who has stayed completely dry before now. She complains, but I know she doesn't mind.

Looking back over at Oli, I jump up and run over to where he's sitting on his beach towel, rubbing his sunscreen into his now dried-off skin. "You're taking too long, Oli. I can't wait." I tell him, kneeling in the sand in front of him.

He glances at me with raised brows. "I think you can wait a couple more minutes."

"Ugh, fine." I huff, falling back into the sand dramatically and probably getting sand stuck all over me.

"You can speed it up by putting sunscreen on my back for me?" He suggests and I dart up quickly.

"Yes! Then we can go play!" I quickly grab the bottle and squirt the lotion on his back. I decide to make it into a smiley-face and I laugh, turning to Zoey and Claire. "Look! I made a smiley-face on Oli's back!"

They both smile and Zoey takes a quick picture of us. I rub it in after that, wanting to get back in the water. It takes me ages to rub it all in because Oli's so big. He's way taller than me so his back is big. His skin is also really cold from the water. We both jump up once we're done and he rubs the excess sunscreen onto his thighs. He's only wearing a pair of black swimming trunks, remaining shirtless after taking off his wetsuit.

"Come on! Come on! Come on!" I grab his hand, urging him to follow me.

He chuckles, pulling me back gently. "Race you there, Little Luna?"

"You'll lose." I tell him cheekily.

"We'll see." He laughs.

Before he can say anything else, I take off down the beach, getting a head start. Of course, it doesn't to take long for him to pass me, his long legs allowing him to beat me to the water. I huff, coming to a stop when the tide laps at my feet.