Chasing Sunrise: A Sweet YA Enemies-to Lovers Romance (Inn for the Summer)

by Sara Jane Woodley

  Then our laughter dies as his eyes meet mine. There’s an intensity between us. One I haven’t noticed before.

  Is he going to kiss me?

  My heart speeds up as I realize that I want nothing more than this very moment, his lips on mine.

  He places his hand tenderly at the back of my head and I lean in. The warmth of his body is intoxicating.

  My teeth chatter together loudly, a repetitive clack clack clack that completely kills the moment.

  Am I cold? I didn’t realize.

  Jonathan examines my arms, which are covered in goosebumps. “You’re freezing.”

  “I’m fine,” I say through my chattering teeth.

  “Let’s swim to shore. It’s time we get back to the Inn, anyway.” Jonathan smiles and lets me go.

  Ugh. Way to ruin the moment, Kiara. I’m cursing myself as we swim, wishing we could go back to just seconds before.

  Jonathan wraps a big towel around me and rubs my arms up and down, warming me up. I smile as I take in his lovely face creased in concentration.

  This morning is the most alive I’ve felt since… forever.

  Then, a crazy thought comes to me. Could Jonathan help give my photos some life?

  31

  Kiara

  I clutch my camera to my chest and run down the path towards the Inn. My white Converse kick up dirt, and I’m hoping they won’t look too scuffy by the time I get to the garden. I’m wearing a butter yellow mini-dress that Ava forced me to buy ages ago. It’s the first time I’ve worn it, and I have to admit, she has an eye for color.

  I smooth my dress as I approach the bustling chatter in the garden. I glance over my shoulder at the lake — the sun is going down and we’re just about at the evening golden hour. It’s the perfect time to capture photos of the guests.

  I walk into the garden party, a giant smile on my face. I’ll admit — I’m excited to see Jonathan.

  It’s been a few days since we jumped into the river, he held me in his arms, and we shared our secrets on the mountain. Since then, every day with him has been exhilarating. My face hurts from the constant smiling and laughter. Wild butterflies break loose when he catches my eye.

  And when I think about our almost-kiss? My lips tingle and I blush. It was almost a kiss, wasn’t it? Will he ever kiss me?

  Silly, Kiara. Don’t go there. Past Kiara, the Kiara from last week — the one who never jumped feet first into a mountain creek, the one who hid her rejection from Glacier Journal, the one who hated Jonathan Wright — would never think or hope for such things.

  Yet, as I head to the dance floor and gaze over the guests, I’m practically giddy with excitement.

  “You okay, Ki?”

  Nath’s voice breaks me from my reverie. I stop biting my lower lip and gazing dreamily into space, standing up straight instead.

  “Why do you ask?”

  Nath gives me a skeptical look. She can see right through me. “No reason. You’re just looking a little... flushed.”

  I cough to hide another blush and turn away to look over the crowd once again. I can’t see Jonathan anywhere, and my heart falls slightly.

  Where is he? I thought he wanted to hang around with the guests tonight? The crowd is a mass of colorful blues, pinks, yellows and greens. But there is a distinct lack of the one person I long to see — though I’d never tell him that.

  With a sigh, I turn on my camera and get ready to take photos of the guests.

  This afternoon, Jonathan and I were hanging out in the hammocks, swinging lazily. Jonathan convinced me to skip the Legacy summit so we could stay up late with the guests this evening.

  “I think I’m gonna go to my cabin,” I said with a yawn. “It’s too bright out here to nap.”

  Jonathan chuckled, and his chest rumbled beneath my cheek. “We can do something else if you want.”

  What did he mean by that? I sat up straight in the hammock and glared down at him. His blue eyes widened for a second as he realized how that sounded.

  “No, no.” He laughed. “I meant we can, like, play soccer or pool or something.”

  I hopped out of the hammock and slipped my flip-flops back on my feet.

  “You don’t want to play pool with me. I just don’t think you’ll be able to handle losing again.”

  Jonathan burst into laughter and then circled his arms around me, bringing me close. His face was almost level with mine as I was leaning over.

  “Is that what you think?”

  His arms were strong around my waist. I glanced down at his lips. Ugh, I wanted to kiss him so bad.

  And then he leaned away, swinging back into the hammock. “You may be winning the social media posts. But I have a few tricks up my sleeve, Garcia.”

  “We’ll see about that, golden boy.”

  With that, I jogged back to my cabin. My heart was racing and I couldn’t keep a blush off my face. It’s no wonder all I can think about is kissing Jonathan Wright.

  When I woke up after my nap, the feeling was much less pleasant. I was already late for the garden party and I couldn’t find my camera. In a panic, I dove to the ground to check under my bed. I checked the dresser, the nightstand, my suitcase, everywhere. My camera was nowhere to be found.

  Heart racing and feeling nauseous, I threw on my dress, brushed out my hair and ran outside. I looked on my balcony, in the bathroom block, at the student picnic table, but it wasn’t there.

  My panic was rising quickly, and my vision was hazy.

  The hammocks! I ran full-tilt towards the hammocks.

  When I arrived, my heart exploded with relief. There it was. Sitting on a small table by the hammocks, exactly where I left it, untouched. Jonathan had vacated the area, and I figured he must not have seen it before he left.

  “You’re fine!” I whispered to my camera, cradling it like a newborn.

  Now, as I click on my camera — my beloved camera — I’m shocked for a moment that such a thing could have happened. That’s another thing Past Kiara would never have done. Leaving her camera behind, and with her nemesis? Blasphemy.

  The screen powers up, and a photo appears.

  The photo on the screen shows a piece of paper with my name.

  Kiara

  Heart racing, I click through. There’s another photo after this one.

  meet

  Another word on a piece of paper.

  me

  My heart races as I click through the rest of the photos. My breath is shallow, my face hot. Butterflies are no longer contained to my stomach, it’s as if they’re swirling around me, a nervous tornado.

  I click through the photos again to make sure they say what I think they say.

  They do.

  Kiara, meet me at the gazebo at midnight. Yours, Golden Boy.

  32

  Jonathan

  The full moon shines bright into the gazebo as I wait for Kiara to arrive. It’s midnight and I’m smiling even as my insides are twisting with nerves.

  It’s been a few days since we cliff jumped and shared our secrets on the mountain. A few days since I had her in my arms. A few days since we almost kissed. It’s a moment I can’t get out of my head.

  I should have kissed her. What if I don’t get another chance?

  My feelings for Kiara have grown stronger every day. Every minute with her feels effortless and wonderful. We’ve fallen into a comfortable rhythm — in a way similar to our banter at school, but the emotions behind our conversations are so different. It’s crazy to think that my perceptions about her were dead wrong. At Edendale High, we were all about nagging each other. But now, she’s the only person I feel truly myself with.

  We’ve also developed a routine, just the two of us. We wake up early most mornings to catch the sunrise on the Legacy summit. Somehow, it feels brighter and more beautiful each day. In the afternoons, we nap in the hammocks close to the cabins while the guests have lunch.

  Today we took a day off from our routine. We skipped out on the sunris
e this morning in order to stay up later with the guests. Or, that’s how I justified it to Kiara when I suggested it.

  “Come on, golden boy, you just didn’t want another early morning!” She laughed as we swung together on a hammock this afternoon.

  “Guilty as charged,” I said, holding back my smile.

  Yesterday, I decided it was time to ask her on a date. I have a whole evening planned out, and I got a lot of inspiration from stories my dad used to tell me about when he met my mom.

  To drum up the suspense, I showed up to the garden party early, took a few photos, and left before she arrived. For the first time this summer, we didn’t spend the evening working together.

  Now, it’s past midnight and I’m hoping that my plan worked.

  And that she wants to show up. I remember her words from one of our first days here. She joked that she only dates photographers or, at the very least, “artsy types”. Whatever that means. She never said she would date a soccer player.

  The minutes tick on and the world around me is silent. A small voice nags at me. Is she coming?

  I check my watch. 12:10.

  What if she still sees me as “golden boy Jonathan” from Edendale High? I wouldn’t blame her. I could’ve been kinder to her in the past. I regret those times now, but an apology only goes so far. She might’ve seen the note and thought it wasn’t worth it. I can understand why she was angry with me for so long, and why she wouldn’t want to date me now.

  I fiddle with my hands, looking out towards the lake and listening for any sound coming down the path.

  12:15.

  With every minute counting down on my watch, my heart sinks further, and the voice gets louder. Did I read her all wrong? All I’ve been able to think about lately is kissing her, showing her how much she means to me. Is it entirely one-sided?

  I sigh and my shoulders slump as I stare at the ground. What do I do? How long should I wait?

  12:20.

  The world is still around me. Even the surface of the lake doesn’t have a single ripple. There are no birds or bugs making noise. It’s just me and a deafening silence.

  Then I hear a crunch in the distance.

  Footsteps down the gravel path. Is that her?

  I shift from foot to foot, the nerves taking over. Please let that be her.

  12:25.

  The footsteps are getting closer, and my heartbeat is rising. What if it’s Delia or Vin? I’m definitely not meant to be out here right now. They’ll be mad. Will they send me home?

  The gravel path crunches loudly as the person turns the corner. I’m holding my breath, praying that it isn’t Delia or Vin.

  My stomach drops. I’d recognize that hair anywhere.

  It’s Kiara, wearing her jean shorts and a lacy top. Her hair is tumbling down her shoulders in waves. She catches my eye and smiles shyly, the moon illuminating her features beautifully.

  Relief floods my senses, and I could almost kiss her right there and then. “You look amazing.”

  “Sorry, I’m late,” she says at the same time.

  I take her hands in mine and her half-smile breaks out over her face.

  “I truly am,” she whispers, blushing.

  Right now, I could believe that we’re the only two people in the world.

  Feeling giddy and light-headed with happiness, I take her hand and lead her down the gravel path towards the lake.

  Here we go.

  33

  Kiara

  Jonathan’s hand is warm in mine as he leads me along the moonlit path. My heart is beating so loud, I wonder if he can hear it.

  Despite my distraction tonight, I got some great photos of the guests. I’ve taken a page from Jonathan’s book and have started speaking with the guests and engaging them. I’m not scrambling to get the shot anymore; the photos come naturally now.

  I smiled like an idiot throughout the evening as I thought about him. Jonathan has this incredible way of relaxing me and making me feel at ease. When I’m around him, I want to be carefree. He brings out a side of me that feels alive.

  Finally, when the last guest went to bed, I ran to my cabin to get ready. I debated keeping my dress on or wearing a skirt, but I always feel best when wearing my shorts. I let my hair down so it’s falling in nice waves and then reapplied a bit of mascara.

  The end result feels good to me — natural and confident.

  Now, as Jonathan leads me along the lakeshore, I’m grateful for my choice. He’s wearing his cute hoodie and board shorts. He must prefer this style to the designer shirts and fancy slacks he wears at Edendale High. We round the corner and I open my mouth to compliment him when a beautiful scene unfolds before me.

  A secluded part of the beach lies ahead of us and the stars above are unobstructed. Jonathan has placed a bunch of candles in a circle. In the middle, a picnic basket and a blanket are laid out on the sand.

  He sits on the far end of the blanket and shyly motions for me to come and sit next to him.

  “Do you like it?”

  I realize my mouth is still open and I clamp it shut. Speechless, I sit down next to him, gazing out over the lake. The calm surface mirrors the billions of stars above.

  “Kiara?”

  “It’s incredible.”

  I take in the tapestry of stars above us. It feels like every constellation in the universe is visible.

  Jonathan opens the picnic basket and takes out a container of food and some orange juice. My stomach grumbles.

  He opens the lid of the container. “Mac and cheese.”

  “Fantastic choice. Jonathan.” His name rolls off my tongue.

  “Woah, Garcia, this is huge! I don’t think you’ve ever called me by my name before!”

  I roll my eyes dramatically. “There’s a first time for everything.”

  We dig into the mac and cheese, eating by the light of the fake candles and the moon. We talk about everything and nothing. The more I get to know Jonathan, the more I realize that he’s never what I expect. He has interesting perspectives on things I’ve always taken for granted.

  In return, I get the gratifying feeling that he listens to what I have to say. He pays attention and asks intelligent questions. Our conversations flow easily, and sometimes I believe we could talk forever.

  After we finish the mac and cheese, Jonathan turns to face me with a twinkle in his eyes. “We have one more thing to do.”

  He stands up and grabs two candles. He then runs down to the water’s edge.

  “You’re insane!” I exclaim, and then laugh as he motions for me to follow.

  But I guess I’m insane too. I grab two more candles and follow him down to the water. Together, we line the four candles by the water’s edge.

  “Now what?” I whisper excitedly.

  Jonathan looks at me, a smile on his face. “We light the water.”

  He carefully grabs one candle and places it in the lake, pushing it out and away from us. I watch, mesmerized, as the candle floats away from the shoreline, creating ripples that disturb the perfect reflection.

  As the light comes to a stop, the reflection on the water is unreal. It looks like a star, shining bright from beyond, or below, our atmosphere. The ripples fade, and I’m breathless.

  “Can I try?” I ask, still spellbound by the beautiful sight.

  “Absolutely.”

  Jonathan sits behind me, his legs around mine. We send the other three candles into the water together and I watch as the scene changes. My hands instinctively reach for a camera that isn’t there. I’d left it in my cabin.

  A smile spreads across my face and I lean back onto his chest, appreciating the moment for all that it is. I rise and fall with his breath, his body warm against mine.

  “So, Jonathan.” A happy feeling overcomes me as I say his name. “I think you owe me something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You owe me your top bucket list item.”

  He chuckles easily. The sound floats across the surf
ace of the water. “You’re right. I never told you that.”

  He pulls me closer, wrapping his arms around me. I lean into him, feeling at home.

  “My top bucket list item,” he whispers into my ear, “was to watch a sunrise with Kiara Garcia on a mountaintop.”

  I laugh and a blush spreads over my face. We sit in silence for a moment, feeling content. The stars reflect perfectly in the water, the moonlight illuminating the peaks in the distance. Everything about this moment is perfect.

  “I have a new bucket list item...” I say, feeling brave.

  “Yeah?”

  Jonathan’s voice is low and encouraging. I take a deep breath and I’m sure he can feel my heart racing. I’m not one to shy away from what I want, but I’ve never been this forward before.

  “To kiss Jonathan Wright.” My voice is more confident than I feel.

  He’s gone silent, stock still.

  Did I go too far?

  Then, he shifts me gently to the side so I can look up at him. The moon, the candles, and the stars reflect in his eyes. It’s like they’re holding the key to the future.

  I tilt my chin.

  He leans in.

  Then, in the silence of the mountains, his lips meet mine, and the world stops.

  It’s just me, Jonathan, and the stars.

  34

  Jonathan

  Knock. Knock.

  My knuckles make a gentle sound on Kiara’s window. It’s dark out, but we’re used to this routine.

  We’re a month into the summer, and Kiara and I are up early to catch another sunrise. It’s part of our pattern. We wake up early and find each other in the dark, our hands fumbling together at the trailhead. After the sun rises, we spend our days snapping photos of Legacy Inn and its guests — and sneaking in a few kisses in the meantime. At night? We lay on the beach, stare into the stars, and talk.

  By now, I know this trail by heart. I understand where the bumps and ridges and tree roots lie.