When You Least Expect It

27

a/n split this chapter into 2 bc it was getting too long so hopefully next shoulder should be out soon

please vote it only takes a second of your day x

Chapter 27

The sun hung lazily in the sky, casting a warm golden glow over the town. Holly Dae and I pedaled our bikes down the quiet streets. The afternoon was drowsy with the hum of cicadas and the occasional chirp of birds.

I rode with ease, legs pumping smoothly while Holly Dae followed closely behind. A gentle breeze brushed against my skin, carrying with it the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers. The air was thick with the promise of winter, and it wrapped around us with its icy embrace. My family was no stranger to the "winter blues," especially Dad. I dreaded the days where the sun set at four thirty. It was on those cold bleak days that I'd long to be on the West coast, drinking in the sunshine on the beach.

"Come on, spill the beans! I need to know every little detail," Holly Dae demanded, huffing from somewhere behind me. She'd been pestering me all afternoon about the kiss between Carson and me.

"Not much to say!" I shouted over the wind. "And anyway, let's talk about you for a sec. What's the deal with you and Nik?"

Holly Dae caught up with me. "There's not much to say," she mocked my words. "We're over."

Nik took the breakup pretty hard. When I stopped by his place that afternoon, his grandma let me in and mentioned he'd been holed up in bed all weekend. I suggested that he join Holly Dae and me for a ride, but the mere mention of her made his face go white, so I made a swift exit. Poor guy was really struggling.

"You've moved on pretty quickly," I noted.

"That's not fair, Max." Her eyes widened, glistening with emotion. "It's not like that at all. And I could say the same about you and Harry."

There was a bitter taste in my mouth. "Well, it's easier to move on when you realize your entire relationship was a sham."

We both pedalled along the winding path that led to the one and only lake in our town. We dropped our bikes by the edge of the water and settled down on the grassy bank, our backs against the sturdy trunks of nearby trees. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky transformed into a canvas of pink and orange strokes, painting the clouds with warmth. A lone bird glided effortlessly across the colorful sky, its wings against the colorful backdrop of the sunset.

Holly Dae nudged me and said, "You know, our town can be pretty dang beautiful sometimes."

I wasn't sure why that sentence tugged at my heartstrings. Maybe because there was a small part of me that knew I'd miss these moments when I'm gone.

"Alright, back to our conversation about you and Carson," Holly Dae said, waggling her eyebrows.

I groaned. "Seriously, give it a rest. I'm not in the mood." Besides, I was honouring my self-promise. I couldn't seem to care when it was obvious he didn't. Several days had passed since the kiss, and neither Carson nor I had discussed it. He went back to treating me exactly like he did before, as if nothing had happened. 

"Max, it's not every day a cute new guy rolls into town and shows interest in you."

"He's not interested. He made it clear," I said before Holly Dae could argue. "I've given him plenty of chances to step up, but he's not taking them. Let's just drop it. Besides, as you said, I've got enough Harry drama to deal with."