Summer Love✔️

Hey, U Ok?

Chapter Fourteen: Hey, U Ok?

After our shift finished, Mitchell and I began walking back toward the house, but by the way he kept changing the speed of his walk and sneaking quick glances, I could tell he wanted to say something.

"What is it?" I asked him finally, after the sixth glance.

"What?" He replied rather quickly, glancing at me confused, but the slight pink tint of his cheeks gave him away.

"I can tell something's up, so just spit it out." I answered, glancing at him with a pointed look.

"I was just thinking, what if you and I hung out today, like just the two of us." Mitchell said glancing down at his feet and then glancing at me shyly.

"Just us?" I teased him, smiling.

"Shut up, Hallie." He replied with a quick laugh.

"Yeah, that sounds nice." I replied with an easy smile.

"We can go to the boardwalk, and maybe this time we can actually talk to each other." Mitchell joked.

"Never gonna let me live that down, huh?" I sighed, but still smiling.

"The odds are low." Mitchell admitted matter-of-factly.

"I was..." I paused, trying to figure out how to explain to him what I was feeling. "I don't know, I was hurt."

Mitchell's smile faded from his face. "Yeah... I really messed up, didn't I?"

I fought the gut instinct to tell him he didn't, the urge to assure him it was fine, but reflecting on the past two years, the only way things would get better was if I was honest, if we were both honest.

And honestly, he did hurt me. And Miles was right about forgiving him too easily, it wasn't something I could just ignore or put past me, because it mattered.

Because I'd spent the past two years wondering what was wrong with me, what I'd done wrong, why...

"I think..." I paused, "I think we both could have handled it better, but yeah, you did." I looked over at him and smiled.

"Well, I promise I will spend the rest of the summer making it up to you." Mitchell told me, meeting my eyes. His own held a genuine smile in them, a promise in them, and I hoped that he wouldn't let me down this time.

+++

"Hallie! Come on!" Mitchell called from outside my bedroom door.

"Give me just one sec!" I called back, swiping a clear lip gloss across my lips before stepping back in the mirror to admire the finished product. Though I knew Mitchell didn't really care and was used to seeing me dressed like a beach bum, I still decided to put in a bit of effort for our boardwalk hangout.

"You said that ten minutes ago." Mitchell sighed with a loud thump that let me know he was leaning on the wall outside of my door.

I walked grabbed my car keys off of my dresser and opened my door, "Yeah, but I meant it this time." I replied with a smirk as he not so subtly looked me up and down.

"Wow, you look..." Mitchell trailed off.

"Figured I'd put some effort in, it's been a while since I posted on Instagram. You can take decent photos, right?" I asked him.

"Uh, yeah." Mitchell replied. "So, uh, are you ready to go?"

"Yep, come on." I replied.

++

"I cannot believe you convinced me to go on the Gravitron," I groaned, stumbling into Mitchell.

"Why did you let me convince you? That was actually the worst." He replied, steadying me.