《 WATTY'S SHORTLIST 2021 》━ ❝WELCOME TO HART'S BAY.❞ where opposites attract. featuring » » » an ex-varsity swimmer and a hockey player. a once-wealthy server and a surfer on exchange. a daytime cashier and her nighttime counterpart. | presenting...
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Sometimes, there's a storm before the storm.
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Cate has no idea why she invited Alex along. Not even after eighteen hours of no sleep and trying not to think about it. She just knew that she sure as hell wasn't going to stay in a car alone with Sean for the two and a half hours to Alendale and the two and a half back.
Because then they'd have to talk about it: why she's working at his parents' ice cream shop, why she's been sneaking into the shop when it's been closed, why she has to visit Alendale when there's nothing left for her except a deadbeat dad.
And she has no intention of talking about any of it, especially not with Sean. He already knows more than she would like.
Alex, on the other hand, is still a stranger to her. Or at least, he may as well be. And she's fine with that.
When the door is pulled open and he ducks into the car, she doesn't give him so much as a glance before edging closer to the window.
He doesn't take the hint. Only twists around to face her with a bright smile that's impossible to ignore and a warm greeting: "Good morning!"
"If you can call it that," she mumbles to the rain-streaked window.
It's dark enough to be midnight outside and it's already half-past eight. Which means it's already an hour later than when they intended to hit the road and Cate thinks the morning is off to a rather horrible start because of it.
Alex, however, is untroubled by the delay.
"It'll get better once we're in Alendale," he offers.
Nothing ever does, she thinks, lips twisting into a scowl. She doesn't have time to warn him. She's hit with a whiff of coconut sunscreen and wet earth as the car door closes, and she turns her attention back to the window as the engine purrs to life and Sean sets the car in motion.
"If anyone needs a break, just let me know," he says. "Otherwise, it's straight to Alendale."
"You know," Alex pipes up again, "there are some cool places along the way."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. Like Port—"
Cate interjects, "—it's not a road trip."
For the rest of the hour, she's tempted—scratch that, ready—to jump out of the car. While it's moving; she doesn't even care at this point. She listens to the two guys talk about surfing, then tunes out once they move on to everything else under the sun.
Hour two, she finally looks to the right, to where the brown-haired boy is sitting, smiling under the too-bright rays of sun streaming in through the window. Alex has been straining to see everything that passes by, just like an eager puppy dog.
