Summer Nights in Huntington Beach

Waking Up in Paradise

CHAPTER FOUR: Waking Up in Paradise

When I woke up I had no idea where I was. I was sleeping next to a really fat cat in a room surrounded by instruments. I reconized the cat, though. It was my best friend's cat. Then it all came back to me.

I rushed out of Keaton's room, still wearing my pajamas, to see Keaton, Wesley, and Drew sitting on the kitchen stools talking about their band.

"Morning, Beautiful," Keaton said, as he greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. Wesley looked away and started fiddling with his tea bag.

"You truly are Sleeping Beauty," Drew said, as he smiled.

"We're going to the fair tonight!" Keaton said, as he smiled as wide as he could. I wouldn't mind waking up to this every morning. 

"Awesome," I said, still concerned about Wes.

"It's already one-thirty and we're heading over at five. Do you just wanna shower here? I still have some of your clothes in my drawer," Wes laughed.

"Sounds perfect," I smiled. The only thing keeping me from being the happiest girl in the planet was Wes' tone. Drew was happy. Keat was happy. I was happy. Why can't Wes be happy, too? It was all too unfair. Everything else was so surreal. So perfect.

"Come with me," Keaton blushed, as he escorted me to his room.

He closed the door behind him. 

"Okay so my shower is back there and I have towels back there. If you need anything just yell. I'll be right over," he smiled.

I reached over and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You're really cute, you know that?" I asked.

"Probably not cuter than you," he smiled.

I kissed him on the mouth for a couple seconds. He broke away.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked.

"No. Why do you think so?" Could he tell I was bothered by Wesley? Would he think that I have a thing for Wes? I was so confused. I loved the feeling of being with Keaton. I would hate to lose it now.

"I know you're worried about what this is between us. I am too. It's always awkward to be the one that tries to define the relationship," he blushed.

I kissed him on the lips for a couple of minutes.

"How about that for defining the relationship?" I grimaced.

"Girlfriend?" he asked, still stunned from the passionate kiss we just shared.

"Girlfriend," I stated, as I kissed him again. Every kiss I had with Keaton only got more passionate. I wonder what our kisses will be like later on. 

"Ivy here's yo-" Wes walked in on Keaton and I kissing.

"Shit, sorry," he said, as he shielded his eyes. I quickly broke away from Keaton. 

"It's okay," I said, as I grabbed the clothes from him. "Thank you."

Wes quickly exited Keaton's room and closed the door behind him.

"Do you think Wes is gonna be mad when he finds out we're dating?" Keaton asked. When Keaton looks at me the way he is looking at me right now, it's hard to focus on any other situation. Nothing else seemed important. I snapped out of my gaze and recalled the situation at hand.

"I don't know. Did he say anything about me before you met me that sounded like anything more than a friend?" I whispered, just in case Wes was listening at the door. 

"He just said that you were the coolest girl he's ever met. He mentioned that I would really like you. I mean, he joked that I would try and go for you but I don't know if he thought I actually would. Wes likes to put up a shield that blocks any feelings from coming in. Maybe he really liked you and was nervous about it so he tried to play it off like he didn't?" Keat did make a good point.

"I think Wes has never been best friends with a girl before and doesn't really know how to act. I don't think he likes me. I might just be everything he wants in a best friend and that makes him think he likes me more than a friend," I stated.

Keaton nodded his head in understanding.

"Well he was right about one thing," Keaton leaned closer. He grabbed my waist and locked eyes with me.

I touched both sides of his face with both of my hands. "And what might that be?"

"That you're insanely cute," he smiled. We briefly kissed.

"I should go take a shower," I laughed, as I walked over to the bathroom.

I abruptly turned around before I opened the door. He was right in the middle of 'watching me as I walked away.'

"Keaton!" I yelled.

"What?!" he blushed, and put his hands up like he was under arrest.

"I saw that," I laughed.

"I was just checking out my girlfriend," he said, shyly. I absolutely adored him flirting. His shyness overpowers everything he does, so everything came across very cute. 

I smiled then slipped into the bathroom and locked the door behind me.

The shower was where I did all of my thinking and I definitely had things to think about.

What was I going to do at the fair tonight? Keaton Stromberg is now my boyfriend. I want to be able to kiss him in public without being hounded by the paparazzi. If they ask, "are you and Keaton dating?" what should I reply? What would Keaton want me to reply.

Was having Wesley Stromberg as a best friend, Keaton Stromberg as a boyfriend, and Drew Chadwick as a figurative older brother a fantasy that had become a reality? Did I want this to be my reality? I've always been Emblem3's number one fan.

Lastly, what was I going to do about Wes? I think it's kind of clear now that he likes me. Does he only like me or is it something more then that? I know that I'm so very into Keaton but I don't know what I would do if that affected my friendship with Wes. 

Everything was coming at me too fast and too hard. 

When I got out of the shower I had plently of questions flowing through my mind. Was waking up in paradise exactly what I needed? Was it even paradise?