A summer treasure

Absorbed in my book, I turn a page and continue reading when a doorbell rings.

I sigh and go to open it. To my surprise, I come face to face with the neighbor.

"__ Martha?"

She flashes a big smile and hands me a pie.

"__ Maddy! Does she still say that with that radiant look on her face?"

I reply with a smile, though a bit embarrassed. Five years later, she has a few wrinkles, but her face remains the same. It's nice to see her again after such a long time. We haven't come to spend the summer here in a while.

"__ Aren't your parents here?"

I shake my head.

"__ They had something come up at work. They'll arrive in a few days."

I raise an eyebrow as I notice someone else standing there. He detaches himself from the wall and approaches us.

My first impression is a mix of surprise and excitement. I didn't expect to see a handsome young man with light brown hair and amber eyes.

He sighs and leans on Martha's shoulder.

"__ Do you remember Cole?"

I haven't seen Cole since I was 14, five years ago. Why is he here? We were never close. We only talked because our parents forced us to play together. He used to tease me, make fun of my drawings, and call me names.

"__ We'll be on our way. Let me know when they're back," Martha says.

I stop her before she leaves.

"__ And the pie?"

She shrugs.

"__ Cole will come to get it!"

My eyes meet Cole's, and he winks. I raise an eyebrow, surprised, and close the door. I decide not to dwell on the incident and go back to my room. Soon, I fall asleep.

A noise eventually wakes me up. I get up and check the time. It's already 1 a.m.

I weigh the pros and cons but, after much hesitation, I turn on the flashlight on my phone and head towards the source of the noise in the garden.

The noises become clearer, as if someone were digging the earth. I freeze when I notice a shadow, which is soon revealed.

"__ Cole?"

He makes a grimace and gestures for me to turn off the flashlight, which I do hesitantly.

"__ What are you doing in my house?" I ask, wary.

He starts laughing.

"__ Would you believe me if I said I came to retrieve the pie?"

I shake my head negatively.

He sighs and thrusts the shovel he's holding into the ground.

"__ What were you doing?" he asks nonchalantly.

He shrugs.

"__ I... was thinking about you and came to see you."

I raise an eyebrow.

"__ Did you expect to find me a few meters below?"

He laughs again.

"__ Cole, if you don't give me a good reason for being in my house at 1 a.m. digging in my garden, I'll call the police."

He seems hesitant and then sighs.

"__ Do you remember the last time you came here?"

I nod.

"__ I buried something here."

I furrow my brows, understanding the situation.

"__ Are you really going to dig it up?"

"__ Yes."

I frown.

"__ It's been five years. It must be quite deep."

"__ It'll be quick if you help me," he says.

"__ You dream. Besides, I have no intention of letting you do it."

He raises an eyebrow.

"__ You'll stop me?"

I nod. A mischievous smile forms on his lips. He takes something out of his pocket.

I immediately recognize the infamous ring and try to reach for it, but he moves it out of my reach. Since he's a head taller than me, I can't get to it.

"__ Give it back to me."

He smirks and puts the silver chain around his neck. I glare at the ring at the end with anger.

"__ You're the one who stole my ring?"

"__ I'm not a thief," he says. "I found it while digging a few months ago."

"__ A few months ago?"

"__ I was debating between your garden and mine. I found the ring in my garden."

I grit my teeth in anger. There's no doubt that it's my ring. The one my grandmother made for me before she passed away. I was so sad to have lost it, and it turns out it was in this idiot's garden.

"__ First, you help me retrieve this thing," he hands me the shovel, "you start digging."

I furrow my brows, contemplating the best way to kill him. Then I'd just have to bury his body here.

"__ Why didn't you ever call?" he suddenly asks.

I raise an eyebrow.

"__ Why would I have called you?"

He shrugs and digs with more force.

"__ I was afraid that with your bratty attitude, you'd have a hard time fitting in."

I frown. Most of it was nice, but he still managed to get on my nerves.

"__ You don't need to worry about me."

Our eyes meet. With the day beginning to break, his eyes seem brighter than usual. At this very moment, it feels like something is happening, but I can't put my finger on it. I just can't look away.

"__ I'm not worried," he says softly. "You're tough."

On those words, he looks away and continues digging. I'm still a little breathless and my cheeks are flushed. For once, he's being nice, and I'm losing my composure.

He suddenly stops and lets me know that he found what he was looking for. He retrieves the small metal box and dusts it off. I curiously watch him break the lock with the shovel and open the box.

But I'm disappointed to see only a piece of paper inside.

"__ All this for an old piece of paper?"

He smiles and unfolds the paper before handing it to me. I raise an eyebrow as I recognize the paper.

"__ A voucher for a kiss," I exclaim with a laugh.

It's the lousy gift I gave him when I forgot his birthday. I'm about to ask him why he kept it when I notice how close we are. Since when did he get this close?

"__ Maddy," he says in a deep voice that I don't recognize. "I want my kiss."

I'm left speechless and unable to respond as he moves closer, slowly reducing the distance between us. For some reason, I can't push him away. My eyes are fixed entirely on his lips.

I feel our breaths mingle as he suddenly backs away, laughing.

"__ Did you really think I was going to kiss you?" he teases.

I grit my teeth and get up. He approaches me and wraps his arm around my shoulder.

"__ Are you hungry?"

I sigh and then nod.

This guy is a real jerk, but I don't completely hate it.

"__ Do you want me to throw away the voucher?"

I shrug.

"__ Who knows? The summer is just beginning."