After we kiss goodnight, I run inside the cabin and find my aunt August and the Browns sitting at the kitchen table, playing cards. I sit next to Mr. Brown who looks up quickly and gives me a smile, before dropping his head to look back at his cards. I clear my throat to get everyone’s attention.
“Is there something you want to say, Hartley?” Mrs. Brown asks me, setting down her cards.
“I kinda wanted to ask you all something,” I say, fiddling with my fingers that are twisted in my lap. “I wanted to ask, if it would be okay if I spent my summer break here? I know that I have a job and responsibilities at home, but I don’t want to leave the resort quite yet, and I want to try and make mine and Milo’s relationship work. Maybe I could bring Niko and Lisa with me so I would be able to take care of them. I would still drive home every few days to see you and my friends.”
The Browns look ecstatic at my proposal, and when I look at my aunt she surprisingly does too.
“Of course you can stay here for the summer, if you really want to. I mean you’re a grown woman. As long as you hang out with people other than Milo and the Browns,” my aunt admonishes, still smiling.
After telling everyone I wanted to stay at the resort for the summer, we end up watching a movie. I voted for Twilight, but my aunt said she was sick of watching it. So we watched my second favorite movie The Lovely Bones. It’s really late by the time the movie ends, so we all say goodnight and hear to our rooms. I sent Jordan a text to check up on Niko and Lisa, and just to see how he’s doing.
Me: Hey!
Jordan: Hey! I’m so excited for my best friend to get back home :) work has been so boring without you.
Me: I can’t wait to see you either. I have so much to tell you and Laikynn!
Jordan: What happened??!
Me: You have to promise not to tell Laikynn, she will literally kill me if you hear this before she does lol
Jordan: Ok I won’t tell her, I pinky promise
Me: omg you’re such a dork sometimes lol, but anyways I met a guy at the resort and we’ve been hanging out since the first night I got here and some things happened and we went on a date. I GOT A TATTOO!! But we aren’t officially bf and gf yet.
Jordan: WHAT THINGS HAPPENED HARTLEY???!!
Me: Calm down Jordan we kissed a little it’s no big deal don’t worry
Jordan: I have a right to fucking worry Hartley you are my best friend and Ik what you’ve been through with your parents and I’m sorry if I want to make sure your safe and not putting yourself in dangerous situations with some guy you hardly know!
I know Jordan is just trying to protect me, and I love him for that, but I feel like this is the only way to help me get over my past. He needs to understand that I’ve also worked with my therapist, Ilene, for two years to be able to do things like kiss a guy and not feel in danger.
Me: Ik you’re just trying to look out for me but I need to do this to help me. I can’t just stay anti-social hermit for the rest of my life and end up a crazy cat lady, but trust me Jordan I’m safe. I trust Milo he knows about my past and he respects me and the things I’ve been through. I love you Jordan and I appreciate EVERYTHING that you’ve done for me since I moved in with my aunt and I just need you to trust me.
Jordan: I trust you Hartley I really do it’s “Milo” I don’t trust. I don’t give a shit if Ik him or not but you can’t just automatically trust this guy ik you’re not like this Hartley because every time you finish one of those romance books you always tell me how you find it a little creepy how the women fall in love and trust these men as soon as they say hello to them.
Jordan: I want you to get some sleep and you can tell me more about this Milo guy when you get home. Ily Hartley text me in the morning before you head home.
Me: okay ilyt I’ll see you tomorrow tell Grey and Raiden that I said hi.
Jordan: Will do ttyl Hartley.
Well, that did not go as good as I thought it would, but, oh well, that’s just Jordan being Jordan. He’s so overprotective, and I kind of like it. I’ve never had anybody worry about me this much, other than the Browns and my aunt. Since he knows everything that’s happened to me, I understand were he’s coming from when he gets this worked up. I’ll just talk to him more tomorrow, once he lets the news of me having an almost boyfriend sink in.
I wake up the next morning at 8:30 to finish packing and eat a quick breakfast, before heading to the pool to find Milo. As soon as I walk through the gate, Milos sees me and his face brightens.
“Hey love!” he says, jumping down from the lifeguard stand. I can’t help but blush a little when I hear him call me that.
“Hi!” I greet cheerily, standing on my tiptoes, and pecking him on the lips. Looking up at him, I smile. “Guess what?”
“What?” he responds, grabbing my hand and walking over to the side of the pool, then sitting down.
“It’s nothing too big or anything, but I’m coming back to stay at the resort in like two weeks for the whole summer,” I announce, trying to hide my excitement
He whips his head toward me, his eyes looking like they could pop out of his head. “Are you serious?!!” he exclaims, grabbing both my hands and staring at me, waiting for my answer. I can’t hide my smile anymore.
“Yes, I’m serious. It’s all set up. Once I finish up the two weeks I’m scheduled at the record store, I’m packing up my stuff and coming back to the resort. I have to talk it over with Jordan—give him a chance to hire someone part time for the summer to replace me. But as soon as that’s all squared away I’ll load up my car and head down here for the summer. The only catch is I have to drive back home once a week. I made a promise to my Aunt that I would drive up and visit her, because she’s going to be all by herself. I’m also going to hang out with my friends from back home while I’m there, but you can come with me to visit them if you want on the days you don’t work. I’m sure my friends and my aunt will also be able to find time to come here and hang out,” I tell him, taking out my phone to check the time. I have about three hours left until we have to leave.
“I can’t even explain how happy I am right now, Hartley. This is literally the best news I’ve heard in a long time,” he says, before bending his head down and letting our lips meet.
We spend the next two and a half hours talking about my friends and all the things we’re going to do once I get back. He tells me how he doesn’t think he can make it two weeks without seeing me. When the time comes for me to get going, he asks me to wait while he calls someone. Then he looks at me and smirks.
“I called in the other lifeguard to take my place, so I can walk you back to the cabin and wave goodbye when you drive off,” he informs me, grabbing my hand.
We try to walk as slow as we can back to the cabin, trying to savor our last few minutes together, before I leave for half a month. But it seems like we get back to the cabin in a matter of seconds, and before I now it, I’m hugging the Browns and telling them I’ll be back soon. Then I’m kissing Milo goodbye.
I joke and tell him to try not flirt with any other girls while I’m gone. He shakes his head and reassures me that if he did that, I could punch him in the face for being stupid.
“Trust me, if you flirted with any other girl and I found out, you’d have bigger problems than me punching you in the face,” I tease, trying not to laugh.
“And what would those problems be, my love?” he asks, tilting his head to the right a little.
“You would have to deal with Jordan,” I tell him, and I can hear my aunt laughing behind me.
“She’s right, Milo. Jordan is very overprotective when it comes to Hartley, and if he heard that you even laid a finger on her in a way she didn’t like, you wouldn’t have any fingers or body parts left,” she agrees. I feel like she’s trying to prove a point, so I give her a quick glare before turning back to Milo.
“Even though she’s right, I don’t think we’re going to have any problems,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck and pul
ling his head toward me, so that I could give him one last kiss goodbye. Heading to the car, I climb in and stick my head out the window to wave goodbye, until all I can see is the dust coming up off the road.
This has officially been, the best summer of my life.
The End <3
The Happy Endings Resort Series
Check out the other novellas in the Happy Endings Resort Series by following this link:
https://thehersseries.blogspot.com/ & LIKE us on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/The-Happy-Endings-Resort-Series-793762117371160/
The Art of Letting Go: A Happy Endings Resort Series Novella (Happy Endings Resort #15) (The Happy Endings Resort) Page 6
