seeing the summer out down here. He'll head down to Exeter and Plymouth a couple times to see mates and probably spend most of his weekends in Barnstaple."
"I didn't know you guys had friends down there."
"Yeah, we made some when we were little."
"Oh, right. Well, I gotta go finish getting ready. I'll talk to you soon." She clicks off the line and I take a deep breath, looking at my phone.
I've only been in Devon almost a week, and she's already drifting off.
Stuff her.
CHAPTER FOUR
ALEXIS
Birds are singing. The sun is shining. I have a spring in my step.
Trashy novel lines aside, something about Devon is magical. When I opened my curtains earlier this morning, birds really were singing and the sun really was shining. In fact, the birds are still at it, and the sun just keeps higher, the temperature hotter. Because of this, I'm just not quite Tigger today.
I fall backwards and look at Grammy incredulously.
''How can you carry on? It's too hot,'' I moan, wiping my forehead with my hand.
''It's about six degrees hotter in London, Lexy girl,'' she replies, yanking a weed out and setting it aside.
''Yes, but at home I'm not likely to be weeding a garden,'' I point out.
''Oh, away with ya, girl.'' She shakes her head fondly. ''Go and text Jen and go down the Bay. If you see Alec, tell him not to worry about coming tonight. You kids have fun.''
''You know, Grammy,'' I say as I climb up. ''If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're trying to set me up with him.''
''Is it working?'' Grammy turns to me, that twinkle in her eyes again.
''No, it's not.'' I look at her pointedly and go back inside.
''Then you know better!'' She laughs after me.
I shake my head and grab my phone from the kitchen side. I pull up my messages and text Jen.
Beach?
She replies almost instantly with a resounding yes and we agree to meet in ten minutes. I thank my lucky stars I thought to pack a bag earlier, and I pick it up from its place by the front door.
I step back into the muggy summer heat and slide my sunglasses on.
I pass rows of brightly coloured houses, pink, blue, yellow, green. Somehow, they don't look out of place in the small, tucked away village. Flower boxes adorn the windows with every colour of the rainbow. I find myself smiling and I don't know why. A week ago I hated the idea of coming here, but now.. I'm kinda enjoying it.
My revelation surprises me, and as I approach the Bay, there's another surprise waiting for me.
A surprise in the form of Alec.
I'm undecided whether he falls into the bad or good category.
''Are you stalking me?'' I peer at him over the top of my glasses.
He leans against his surfboard and flicks his hair out of his eyes, grinning.
''Would you like it if I was?''
''I'd be pretty scared if you were, to be honest.'' I sweep past him and find our spot by the rocks. I lay out my towel, readjust the waistband of my shorts and pull off my top.
When I sit down, I feel Alec's eyes on me. Bravely, I look at him. His eyes are slightly hooded as they sweep me from my head to my toe. A shiver runs through me at the look in his eyes.
God damn, this guy is dangerous.
''Please stop looking at me like you wanna eat me,'' I say in a bored tone.
''Just admiring the view.'' He winks.
I roll my eyes and point to his surfboard. ''You do realise you might have a tough time with the surfing today, right?''
''Na, we won't.'' He looks out to sea and points to the cliff. ''There's a bit of the cliff that juts out. When the spray hits that full force, you're good to go with your board.''
''But there's no wind?''
He sighs like I know nothing and props his board up before coming and sitting next to me. His wetsuit is undone to the waist and yes, I admire him yet again.
If he can look, so can I.
''It doesn't necessarily need to be windy here,'' he explains. ''Because the beach is so small and surrounded by cliffs, the waves naturally come in stronger. Croyde is the best place. It's a bigger Bay, so bigger
"I didn't know you guys had friends down there."
"Yeah, we made some when we were little."
"Oh, right. Well, I gotta go finish getting ready. I'll talk to you soon." She clicks off the line and I take a deep breath, looking at my phone.
I've only been in Devon almost a week, and she's already drifting off.
Stuff her.
CHAPTER FOUR
ALEXIS
Birds are singing. The sun is shining. I have a spring in my step.
Trashy novel lines aside, something about Devon is magical. When I opened my curtains earlier this morning, birds really were singing and the sun really was shining. In fact, the birds are still at it, and the sun just keeps higher, the temperature hotter. Because of this, I'm just not quite Tigger today.
I fall backwards and look at Grammy incredulously.
''How can you carry on? It's too hot,'' I moan, wiping my forehead with my hand.
''It's about six degrees hotter in London, Lexy girl,'' she replies, yanking a weed out and setting it aside.
''Yes, but at home I'm not likely to be weeding a garden,'' I point out.
''Oh, away with ya, girl.'' She shakes her head fondly. ''Go and text Jen and go down the Bay. If you see Alec, tell him not to worry about coming tonight. You kids have fun.''
''You know, Grammy,'' I say as I climb up. ''If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're trying to set me up with him.''
''Is it working?'' Grammy turns to me, that twinkle in her eyes again.
''No, it's not.'' I look at her pointedly and go back inside.
''Then you know better!'' She laughs after me.
I shake my head and grab my phone from the kitchen side. I pull up my messages and text Jen.
Beach?
She replies almost instantly with a resounding yes and we agree to meet in ten minutes. I thank my lucky stars I thought to pack a bag earlier, and I pick it up from its place by the front door.
I step back into the muggy summer heat and slide my sunglasses on.
I pass rows of brightly coloured houses, pink, blue, yellow, green. Somehow, they don't look out of place in the small, tucked away village. Flower boxes adorn the windows with every colour of the rainbow. I find myself smiling and I don't know why. A week ago I hated the idea of coming here, but now.. I'm kinda enjoying it.
My revelation surprises me, and as I approach the Bay, there's another surprise waiting for me.
A surprise in the form of Alec.
I'm undecided whether he falls into the bad or good category.
''Are you stalking me?'' I peer at him over the top of my glasses.
He leans against his surfboard and flicks his hair out of his eyes, grinning.
''Would you like it if I was?''
''I'd be pretty scared if you were, to be honest.'' I sweep past him and find our spot by the rocks. I lay out my towel, readjust the waistband of my shorts and pull off my top.
When I sit down, I feel Alec's eyes on me. Bravely, I look at him. His eyes are slightly hooded as they sweep me from my head to my toe. A shiver runs through me at the look in his eyes.
God damn, this guy is dangerous.
''Please stop looking at me like you wanna eat me,'' I say in a bored tone.
''Just admiring the view.'' He winks.
I roll my eyes and point to his surfboard. ''You do realise you might have a tough time with the surfing today, right?''
''Na, we won't.'' He looks out to sea and points to the cliff. ''There's a bit of the cliff that juts out. When the spray hits that full force, you're good to go with your board.''
''But there's no wind?''
He sighs like I know nothing and props his board up before coming and sitting next to me. His wetsuit is undone to the waist and yes, I admire him yet again.
If he can look, so can I.
''It doesn't necessarily need to be windy here,'' he explains. ''Because the beach is so small and surrounded by cliffs, the waves naturally come in stronger. Croyde is the best place. It's a bigger Bay, so bigger
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