Nathan asked her to pack light but prepared a few outfits just in case they get wet. So she packed a few changes of clothes and a beach towel. It seemed like Nathan wanted to do the video by the water. It's a remote area where not many people know, it's barely touched by tourists. They packed up all the equipment needed in one giant backpack. Nathan stuffed his seasonings in a duffle bag. They made it as light as possible, but it was quite some baggage. They rode on a pick-up truck that came to take them to the beach. Julie chose to ride on the back, Nathan joined her and leaned on their stuff while enjoying the scenery along the way. She filmed their trip across the island when they pass the paddy fields, through narrow roads in villages, sometimes rocky roads by local farms where there were cows and goats fed on the green grass. She turned her camera to Nathan who at some point fell asleep. The trip to the beach took almost four hours only

She hugged Kelsey as she pass, and then lingered her tight embrace on Preston. "How's my favorite girl in the world?" he put both arms around her and swayed her. "I'm so glad you're here," Julie said. Nathan had his arms around Kelsey but his eyes were on Preston. "Trouble in paradise?" he sensed the hostility from the host. "Please get me out of here," she whispered. "My plan exactly," he said with a naughty grin and kissed her forehead. Preston helped them put their stuff inside before excusing himself. "You have a very lovely home here, Mrs. Sommers, but I need to check-in at my hotel and get some drinks with Julie ... we have a lot of catching up to do." "Oh ... but I hope you'll be joining us for dinner at Ardor? I've arranged a nice private dinner for all of us there at 7," she said. 

Their silence speaks more volume that night. They poured drinks back in the room, browsed through the movie selections they wanted to see. They put on the one they agreed on, not really caring what it was because their minds were wandering to places that don't exist. A place where they would go through life without each other by their sides. She laid her head on his shoulder, stared blankly into the TV. He held her hand and played with her fingers, something he will miss terribly. He took a deep breath. She remembered when she first saw him, his smile, his cheeky comments. His playfulness, his laughs, his annoying ways to get her attention. Those dark blue eyes, and his beautiful face. She glanced over to the tattoo on his chest, and she touched that "J". He looked down and shivered from her gentle touch. He turned to look at her. That was when she pulled him gently and pressed her lips against his. She closed her e

Despite of making up at the end of their argument, Kelsey was distant. She kept to herself. Julie woke up the next morning feeling like a zombie, lost all sense of directions. She had to come up with a new plan for her future. There was no way she could go back to Ardor. She made the report and told the faculty that she had to finish early because of a family emergency. The only time her family was useful for her. She didn't have the courage to contact Nathan, but to her relief, the faculty informed her that he had turned in the assessment sheet for her internship. She passed with flying colors. She texted to thank him, he didn't reply. Two weeks in after she got back to Gastonburry, she started to prepare her final presentation. Finalized her internship report, created slide shows, crunching numbers, drew diagrams, and all the bits and details needed for the final show. She also submitted a new application through the University to find emp

She wouldn't let me take her out on a date. She wouldn't let me kiss her, or touch her. Three months after she came back to Ardor, she went island hopping with Kelsey on her 21st birthday. I wasn't invited, obviously. I couldn't sleep that night, wondering if she was going to get wasted and ended up with some strange guy, willingly or unwillingly. There's no other girl that has kept me up all night as often as she did. For all different kinds of reasons. But to end up with a strange guy was not the problem with her, it was only that one guy. I hate him. He calls her much too often for my liking. They would talk for hours, it burned me, and I couldn't do anything about it. The almost-kisses we had was driving me insane, but I've promised her I'd wait however long it takes. I think she was torturing me on purpose. Six months after she was back, she finally let me in. We kissed. Every kiss was better than the last. I love k