𝗥𝗘𝗕𝗘𝗟 𝗦𝗨𝗡, 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗥𝗔𝗗 𝗙𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥
In which Amber Pearl falls for
the boy she hates─who happens
to be her ex-boyfriend─when
she returns to Cousins two
summers after their breakup.
...
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"I can't believe—" The sound of his phone beeping cut Jeremiah off from what he was going to say. "Oh," he muttered, pulling out his phone from his shorts pocket. "It's Belly." With a bright, Jeremiah smile, he lifted the device for Amber, who walked beside him, to see, and then he looked at it for a moment. "Ah, dinner's ready," he told her with the same smile, pocketing his phone. "Time to celebrate your birthday, Pearly."
"How exciting!" Amber replied with nothing short of sarcasm.
"Oh, come on. It won't be that bad." He put his arm over her shoulder as they turned to go back to the house. "I'm sure the moms will make sure everyone, including Conrad, is on their best behavior," he reassured, not missing how she rolled her eyes at the sound of his brother's name as she leaned closer to him.
Letting out an exaggerated sigh, she placed her right hand on his left shoulder as they continued to walk towards the house. "I guess," she mumbled, watching her feet push through the deep sand with each step she took.
The walk back to the beach house was silent between the two. The only noise to fill the salt-infused air was the crashing waves wetting the sand, the soft breeze blowing through their hair ever-so-slightly, and the laughter and cheers of people sitting on their porches and enjoying the approaching summer night. Amber remembered times like those—when they all would just sit on the back deck, relishing in the breeze and warm air.
She missed times like those.
When they finally reached the house, they walked across the deck to the back door. Setting their shoes down on the ground and then standing up straight to face one another, Jeremiah gave Amber another soft smile. "Are you ready?" he asked.
Amber nodded, inhaling deeply. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"You never know with you, Am," he replied, twisting the knob of the door. He pushed it open, letting her enter the house first before he followed, closing the door behind him.
