In Deep Waters (The Summer House series #1)

22

I'd never found my birthday any particularly different to any other day. It wasn't that I hated my birthday, it was just that it was just another day to me. Most of my life my birthdays had been spent with Grier and Drew. I'd never have imagined that I would be at the summer house this time. Fulfilling a childhood dream that I was starting to think that that's what it had really been all along. Because it was turning out to be nothing like I'd imagined.

"Haaaaapyyyy BIRTHDAY!" Grier said, jumping onto my bed all of a sudden. She pinned me down, almost crushing me. I gasped for air jokingly, before sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

She always did this on my birthday in the morning. I hadn't spent a birthday without her yet.

"Thanks," I just said. "You're up early."

The clock next to me said 6am.

"Get up! We got a surprise for you," Grier said. She was already dressed, wearing one of her baggy knit sweaters over her shorts.

"Now?"

"Now!" Grier said in excitement. I had no idea what it could be but I wouldn't turn down a surprise.

I splashed my face with some water in the bathroom, before chucking on a t shirt and some overalls. They made me feel like a farmer girl but they were so comfy.

My hair didn't look all too great. I really had just rolled out of bed. I'd fix it later. I needed to look decent enough on my birthday.

I followed her down the stairs, expecting her to stop in one of the living rooms or the kitchen. Maybe she'd made me a coffee or something. But she didn't stop there, she kept on going, opening the doors to the patio and then leading me down through the garden of wildflowers and the walkway onto the beach.

"Grier, where we going?"

"You'll see just come," she answered.

The sun was just coming up. Like the sunset on one of our very first nights, the sunrise soaked the edge of the Newport cliffs in gold as it rose, the beach beginning to sparkle.

"Over here," Grier said, leading me down the beach slightly until I saw what she was meaning.

It was just Drew, sitting there on a large beach rug at the cliff's edge. He smiled when he saw me. My heart started thumping when I saw him.

Stop it.

As we got closer I could spy 3 coffees in small white mugs sitting perfectly around the rug, and little bowls of fresh fruit and strawberries in the middle along with croissants and cheese. All of my favourite breakfast foods.

Wow. We hadn't done this in a long time.

"Happy seventeen," Drew said, standing up. Was he going to hug me? He didn't. Instead he puts his hands in his pockets, almost like he was stopping himself.

"Thank you," I just said, forcing out a small smile in amongst my surprise.

"Alright, we didn't get you much I'm sorry Keels. Kinda hard cause we're not at home," Grier began as we sat down.

"I don't expect anything. I didn't even know you were doing this...thank you."

"I'm not done! Close your eyes," Grier demanded.

I did as I was told. I closed my eyes, listening to the sound of the waves in the background hitting the sand. Now that I'd been for a swim, I think I could do it again. I kept the thought in my mind for later.

"Open!" Grier squealed as I felt the weight of something be placed in my lap.

I opened my eyes and looked down. It was a book, covered in a purple starfish pattern and when I opened it, I saw that it wasn't just any old book. It was a photo album.