After brushing my teeth, I sweep my damp hair into a messy bun on top of my head, and make my way through the tiny cabin toward the guest room I’m sharing with aunt August. She’s already fast asleep in her bed, as I climb in my twin bed directly beside hers.
I decide to send Jordan a text before I go to sleep to make sure my hedgehogs are doing okay. I put off texting him earlier when I was messaging Laikynn back.
Me: Hey! How are Lisa and Niko doing?
Jordan: Hey, they’re doing fine. I did everything you said to do and when I left your house they were sleeping in their cage.
Me: Okay thanks again for keeping an eye on them while I’m gone.
Jordan: Np, how’s your trip going so far?
Me: It’s great it was so nice to see my foster parents again and my aunt seems to really like them so I guess that’s good. But we didn’t do much today other than just catch up with each other and swim a little, but tomorrow were all going to just hang out at the pool.
Jordan: Cool! I’m glad you guys are having a great time make sure to send pics lol.
Jordan: I’m going to get some sleep, miss you… see you Saturday. Stay safe, okay?
Me: Goodnight, miss you too! I will <3
Jordan: lol goodnight
Chapter Four
I wake up to the smell of bacon and jump out of bed then run to the kitchen. My aunt and Mrs. Brown are making plates, and Mr. Brown is sitting at the table reading the newspaper. I make my way over to the drawer where they keep their utensils, grab four forks and set them at each seat. I walk over to where they’re making the plates and take the one that has the crispiest pieces of bacon on it, then stride back over to the table.
“I hope the bacons is crispy enough for you, Hartley. I remember how much you loved your crispy bacon,” Mrs. Brown says, turning her head to look at me and give me smile.
I pick up a piece and take a bite. My eyes widen because once again I forget how good Mrs. Brown is at cooking. “Oh my God! This is delicious, thank you. And yes, it’s definitely crispy enough,” I tell both my aunt and her, which makes them laugh.
“Okay, good,” Mrs. Brown replies, turning her head back to the counter.
After we all finished our food, I washed the dishes. Mrs. Brown asks me what I want to do today, and I quickly to reply I’d like to go to the pool. They assume it’s because it’s close to eighty already this morning. But the truth is, I’m hoping to see Milo again.
Heading into the guest room, I dig through the drawers I unpacked all of my things into. Pulling out a black and purple bikini and a pair of jean shorts, I slip everything on in record time, before grabbing my Reckless Serenade concert t-shirt off the bed, slipping it over my head. Sliding my feet into my black flip-flops, I grab my bottle of sunscreen from my nightstand, tossing it into my bag along with my sunglasses. Grabbing one more thing, Milo’s sweatshirt, I stuff it into my pool bag and head back out everyone. They’re all sitting outside on the deck, waiting for me when I push open the screen door, and slip my sunglasses on to shield my eyes from the blazing-hot sun.
“Well, everyone, let’s all pile into the golf cart. It’s hotter than Hades out here. There’s no way I’m walking in this heat.
I help aunt August carry the tiny cooler full of water down to the gold cart before climbing in beside her in the back bench seat, while Mr. and Mrs. Brown climb into the front, starting the golf cart up.
It only takes us about two minutes to get to the pool in the Brown’s golf cart. We park in a small parking lot next to the pool area. The pool is surprisingly empty except for one girl who’s sunbathing and Milo who’s sitting in the lifeguard chair. I’m guessing everyone else is either sleeping in or out enjoying the lake this morning.
Opening the gate, I hold it open for the Browns and my aunt, who go over to a set of lounge chairs and sit down. My aunt sets her towel down on her chair and a bag, which includes sunscreen, tanning lotion, and whatever else she has in stuffed inside, and heads toward the pool. She uses her foam pool noodle to float around the pool and tan.
Setting my bag down beside my aunt’s, I dig Milo’s sweater out of it before walking over to his lifeguard stand to return it to him.
“Hey! Catch!” I shout, as I tilt my head back, gazing through my sunglasses up at Milo, who’s wearing cargo shorts and a tank top that says Lifeguard across the chest. Tossing his sweater up at him, he reaches out with one hand and catches it.
“Thanks,” he says, looking down at me and flashes me a blinding-white smile.
“No problem,” I tell him, as I start to walk toward the pool. I hardly know him, yet every time I see, talk to, or even allow my mind to wander to thoughts of him, I get butterflies in my stomach.
But I need to snap out of it. No matter what Laikynn says, I can’t have some meaningless summer fling with a random hot guy. That’s not who I am.
I can’t like this guy. I have a life back home that I need to focus on.
I see my aunt floating in the middle of the pool and quietly climb in, trying not to make too much noise. I swim toward her and when I’m almost next to her, I go under the water and grab the floaty she’s laying on and tip it over. I hear her scream and I pop up from under the water and start laughing hysterically. When she emerges from the water, she just glares at me. I can’t stop laughing until I find myself under the water because she took my legs out from underneath me. I come back up and notice that everyone’s staring at us. The Browns are chuckling, the sunbather is giving us a disapproving look, and Milo is just smirking at me. I swim away from my aunt and get out of the pool so I can get a floaty to sunbathe on.
We stay at the pool for hours before we all start to get hungry. Finding a picnic table, Mrs. Brown grabs the picnic basket out of the golf cart and we all sit down to eat and talk for a while. After we put everything away, the Browns excuse themselves to go to their friend’s house. My aunt mentions she wants to go into town and explore Endings. She asks me if I want to go, but I tell her I want to stay here and tan a bit longer.
I walk back to the pool, lie down on one of the lounge chairs, and take out my phone to listen to music. I put on my head phones and hit shuffle on my playlist. Panic! At The Disco’s cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” starts playing as I closed my eyes. I could listen to Brendon Urie all day and never grow tired of listening or staring at him. Smirking to myself, I picture my phone’s background in my mind of Brendon on stage, shirtless, wearing tight leather pants.
I lie there in peace for about half an hour before I feel something cold and wet hit my leg. My eyes shoot open as I whip my head over my shoulder to find Milo grinning at me from in the edge of the pool. I pause my music, take off my head phones, and climb up from my lounge chair and walk over to the side of the pool. I flash him an impish grin before jumping in, splashing him in the face with a massive wave of water. After wiping the water from his face he starts laughing and it’s one of the sexiest laughs I’ve ever heard. It sends those stupid butterflies fluttering in the pit of my belly again.
I swim away from him toward the other side of the pool, but notice that he’s swimming straight for me. In a failed attempt to get away, I try to swim faster than him and make it to the edge of the pool before he reaches me. I guess part of being a lifeguard is being a fast swimmer, because it only took him three strokes to catch up to me. My back presses against the cool pool wall, as he floats up in front of me. His green eyes twinkle in the sunlight as he flashes another blinding smile down at me, as his arms cage me in, coming to rest on either side of me and his hands grip the edge of the pool.
His face is so close to mine that our faces almost touch. I look up at him and stare into his eyes, afraid to blink because I might bat an eyelid and find myself waking up from this crazy dream. The entire world around us fades away as I find myself lost in his gaze.
Is he going to kiss me?
Do I want him to kiss me?
His left hand leaves the pool wall as he moves it toward my face. His f
ingers lightly touches my face making me jump slightly, and my heart begins to race in my rest.
Oh my God. He’s most certainly going to kiss me….
I nervously lick my lips, trying to calm my racing heart and will my shaking hands to chill the hell out. Sensing my nervousness, as fast as Milo’s lips are moving toward mine, he’s suddenly pulling them away from me. I reach out, grabbing his arm as his hand begins to leave my face in a desperate attempt to try and save this moment.
Shaking his head, Milo lets out a light chuckle before dipping his entire body under the water. I watch as a million bubbles float to the surface from his mouth. Letting out a frustrated groan, I dip myself under the water too, opening my eyes to find he’s staring at me too. I raise my hands up in front of me, silently asking him what’s going on?
Reaching out he takes my hands into his before resurfacing above the water. “I gotta go back to my chair.” Releasing my hands, he brings his hand back up to my cheek, gently stroking the beads of water sliding down my cheek with his thumb. The gesture makes my breath catch in my chest, as a warmth sparks from his thumb and straight to my heart.
Turning away from me, he swims toward the stairs, but stops before climbing out of the pool and turns back to me. “Meet me here tonight at ten.” That’s all he says before turning back around and climbing out of the water.
The remainder of my time at the pool Milo didn’t speak two words to me. Stopping into the arcade a few minutes after our moment in the pool, I grab a Gatorade and a bag of chips. I wasn’t really hungry, but I needed to get away from him for a few minutes. The pool filled with people as the day went on, I didn’t miss the number of young girls and even older women who flocked to the area Milo was sitting at. I have no right to be jealous. I mean I don’t even know the guy. So, I have no reason to be jealous over a few bimbos vying for his attention.
The Browns are already home cooking dinner when I stroll in a little after six-thirty. Not long after I returned to the cabin, my aunt pulls up and comes in with arms full of souvenirs she found while in town.
It’s still light out when dinner is ready, so we decide to eat on the porch. After supper, we gather around the picnic table outside beside a cozy fire and play Mrs. Brown’s favorite game, YAHTZEE! She used to make us play that game for hours on the weekends when I lived with her.
Finally around eight-thirty the Browns say their goodnights and head to bed. I’m too nervous to simply sit on the couch and watch TV with aunt August, so I change into my running shorts, sneakers, and tank top to go for a quick run around the resort. It’s the perfect time to go since the sun’s setting. Nothing helps me clear my head and destress like a good run. Plus it’ll be a good excuse to go back to the pool later. So I can cool off before bed.
A little over an hour later, I’m rounding the corner back to the Brown’s place. Jogging up the stairs and into the house, I head inside to change. I find aunt August in bed reading as I enter the bedroom and toe off my sneakers.
“How was your run?” she asks, peering over the book at me.
Bending over to peel my socks off, I toss them next to my sneakers. “Great. But now I’m all sweaty, so I’m going to head up to the pool for a quick swim to cool off. Then I’ll be back.”
She gives me a skeptical look but only says, “All right. Just don’t stay gone too late,” before going back to reading.
Retrieving my swim suit from the clothes line outside, I head into the bathroom to change quickly before heading back up the winding dirt roads to the pool.
Milo’s already in the pool, and wanting to surprise him, I quietly slip through the gate and strip down to my swimsuit. His back is to me as he pops up out of the water. Breaking into a full-on sprint, I run toward the pool and jump in, splashing a gigantic wave of water onto Milo that knocks him back under the water. When he resurfaces he looks at me and gives me a devilish smirk before lunging at me and pulling me under as well. We fool around like this for a little while, playfully trying to drown each other, with me finding myself climbing onto his back more than a few times and wrapping my arms around his neck as I try and fail to dunk him, but he successfully dunks me each time.
Finally with us both spent and out of breath, we call a truce as we swim to the steps of the pool. The same spot we were last night when all I wanted was to get away from him as fast as I could. Tonight, I’m wishing time would slow down so that this night wouldn’t have to end so quickly.
I can’t believe that I’m falling for a boy I know nothing about other than he lives here, he’s a lifeguard, and his name is Milo. Besides that I know absolutely nothing about him.
Biting my lip, I rest my hands under my chin as I shyly turn my head toward him. My heart skips a beat in my chest when our eyes lock.
“Tell me about yourself,” I blurt out at him out of nowhere, which takes him a little by surprise. But the smile on his lips never falters. Leaning a little closer to me, he takes a deep breath before slowly licking his lips, which makes me wonder if he’s a good kisser. I’ve never kissed anyone before, so I have no idea how the heck I am. What if I suck at kissing?
God, this is all so new and terrifying.
He begins to speak, pulling me from the thoughts swirling in my head.
“Well my full name is Milo Kent Joseph. I’ve lived here my whole life with my parents. I went to Endings elementary, middle and high school, I’m an only child. I have three cats named Bob, Ray and Mikey, and two turtles named Gerard and Frank. My parents are Jessica and Roger Joseph, and my favorite color is blue. I like pop punk, rock, metal, emo and goth music even though I don’t dress like I do other than wearing band shirts sometimes, and that’s about it,” he says, leaning his back against the step behind him. “Okay, now you have to tell me about yourself.”
“Okay.” I respond. “My full name is Hartley Rose Ruslan. I used to live in Minnesota with my parents, who were really bad people and did some really bad things. The family I’m visiting right now aren’t really my grandparents. They were actually my foster family, and they helped me divorce my parents when I was seventeen. When I turned eighteen and finished high school, I moved out of the Brown’s home and to South Carolina to go to college. I started living with my aunt, who I didn’t know existed until after my mother wrote me a letter from prison a few months after I became emancipated. She claimed that she’d been clean for six months, and was seeing a therapist at her women’s prison and was doing better. She claimed she didn’t want me to be alone with no family, so she gave me the name of her sister, who she hadn’t spoken to in ten years. I was so young I guess I forgot about her. But the second she flew to Minnesota to meet me, it was as if she’d been in my life forever. We just clicked. She’s amazing and does everything she can to help me move past the things from my past and focus on my future. Oh, and I don’t have as many pets as you do, but I do have two pet hedgehogs named Niko and Lisa. Last, I work with my best friend at a music store that his father owns. And that’s about it,” I tell him, shrugging.
His eyes widen slightly, which I was fully expecting. It’s a lot to take in. “Oh, sorry if I’m being nosey, but why did you divorce your parents? What did they do that was that bad?” he asks me.
I suddenly feel really overwhelmed from talking about my past, even if it wasn’t in detail, though I’m not going to cry. I have to be strong even if my parents can’t see me. I don’t want them to know that they’ve made me weak, so I just decide to tell Milo everything.
Straightening my back, I let out a long shaky breath, and close my eyes for a moment to get my head on straight. I feel Milo’s hand take mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. Opening my eyes, I force a smile and take the leap.
“I don’t really like telling this story, especially to people I just met. But you seem trustworthy, so here it goes. Since I was born I’ve had to deal with abuse and neglect. My father was an alcoholic and my mother was an addict. They abused me both physically and mentally. In elementary school, teachers started no
ticing bruises all over my arms, legs and face, and had me talk to a school therapist and a social worker, who later got me put into foster care. That’s how I met the Browns. But once my life started going good again, my parents found a way to get me back. They claimed to be better and ready to give me the loving home I deserved. I went back, thinking maybe it would really happen. I’d finally get the home I’d always dreamt of with a loving mother and father. But that isn’t what happened, sadly. Things were okay for a couple months because both of my parents kept their word and stayed clean, both even had jobs. We had a woman from child protective services come by weekly to check on me. Then everything started going downhill again after my parents began fighting regularly, and they started using alcohol and drugs again. The visits with our social worker had started to be just once a month after the first six months went okay. So my parents made my life a living hell every single day, aside from that one day a month. That’s when they’d put on the act they needed to in order to keep me. I know now they never really wanted me. They wanted the things they got because of me. At first it was things like help with housing and food. But it then turned to something much worse.”
I wipe away a tear that escapes from my eye against my will. I inhale a shaky breath as I try to find the strength to continue.
Milo’s hand finds my cheek, and his thumb slides across the spot still damp from my tear. “You don’t have to tell me anymore if you don’t want to. The last thing I wanted tonight was to make you cry.”
Shaking my head, I lift my eyes to look at him. The empathy in his eyes and the true feeling of caring about me are overwhelming. We’re complete strangers, but he cares more about how I feel than my own two parents ever have.
“I want to continue. I need to let the pain and anger go. The only way for me to do that is to tell the story. Taking the power from them and giving it back to myself.”
The Art of Letting Go: A Happy Endings Resort Series Novella (Happy Endings Resort #15) (The Happy Endings Resort) Page 4