Finding out that JJ will be staying for the summer is bad as it is, but knowing I could see him almost every day? I need to get out of the house as much as possible.
When my toast pops up, I slip my phone from my pocket and call Daisy.
“Ugh, Ivy,” she grunts into the phone. “It’s so bloody early.”
“I’m sorry, but I really need to get out of the house.”
Daisy exhales a breath. “Okay. Meet me at the beach huts in twenty.”
I nod and butter my toast before taking it on the go. “Please bring Rufus. I need the extra love.”
Her soft laugh echoes in my ears. “Okay. I’ll bring him. Let me get ready, and I’ll see you soon.”
“Thank you,” I say before taking a bite of my breakfast and heading out the door.
The sun has just risen over the horizon, projecting the most beautiful shades of orange and pink across a cloudless sky. Sunrise is my favourite. Everyone cries over sunsets, but never when the sun rises; it’s severely underrated.
In those few moments, it feels like time stands still and we’re given a new chance at yesterday.
As soon as I reach the beach front, I suck in a large breath of air and smile. The waves gently crash into the shore. My eyes close for a second. Peace. So much peace. It warms my heart, and I didn’t realise how cold it was before now.
I’llalwaysbe a seaside girl.
My shoes touch the grainy sand. It’s a lot lighter than I remember, but still stunning. Every inch of this beach is shining in its own glory.
I snap my head to the sound of a barking dog. Rufus bounds towards me along the beach huts. I grin and lower to the ground as he rushes into my arms, knocking me backwards. A laugh bursts out of me, and I give him a big hug as he attempts to lick my face.
“Stop it,” I chuckle. “I won’t taste good, Rufus.”
He licks my hand, and as I gently push him away, he pants with his large tongue extended. My heart melts. Such a big softy. I wrap my arms around him and give him another hug.
Soon, Daisy catches up to us and I stand from the ground, dusting off the sand from my ass. “He’s very excited to be out today.” She flashes me a smile as she holds out an arm and brings me into a gentle embrace. “What’s going on? Because getting up at this time should be illegal.”
“What should be illegal about this?” I say, gesturing to the rising sun and orange-painted sky.
Daisy glances and places a hand on her hip. “True. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten up for the sunrise.”
My lips twist into a frown. “Why?”
“It was always our thing, and it didn’t feel right doing it without you. You’re the only person who could drag me out of bed at 5am to see a sunrise.”
I beam at her. “But worth it, right?”
Daisy nods and looks back to the sky. “Right.”
We walk down to the beachfront and sit by the dry sand, watching the water come and go in gorgeous, quiet waves.
“What’s been going on?” she asks, patting the spot next to her for Rufus to sit, but he darts into the sea and splashes around in the shallow water.
A smile creeps up onto my face as I watch him. Oh, to be a dog and have absolutely no care in the world. At least I wouldn’t be in the predicament I’m in right now.
My face drops within a second. “Well…” I clear my throat and focus on the sunrise. “One of Finn’s friends from university is staying with us for the summer.”
“Right,” she says as I pause.
“And he—” I cut myself off and turn to her. “I kind of met him last week without knowing who he was, and we went on thisnon-datedate.”
Daisy’s green eyes widen in shock. “Oh my god, what?”
