All Chapters of Where The Summer Wind Blows (book One): Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Eben’s already sprinting toward the waves, surfboard tucked under his arm like he’s about to win the Olympics. “Last one in has to buy snow cones later!” he shouts over his shoulder.Gemma groans. “Not fair, I didn’t even put sunscreen on yet!” Still, she drops her bag and kicks her sandals off, charging after him.Josh sighs, shaking his head, but there’s a grin tugging at his mouth. “Idiots.”“Go,” I nudge him with my elbow. “You know you want to.”He gives me a look but drops the cooler anyway, tearing off after them, his laugh catching in the wind.Which leaves me standing there in the sand, towel in hand, with Gavin at my side.The waves crash, kids scream and play, and our friends are already specks in the surf—but all I can feel is the way Gavin’s silence seems louder than everything else.“You’re not going in?” I ask, trying to sound casual.He shrugs, eyes still fixed on the horizon. “I will. Just… not rushing.”I bite the inside of my cheek, nodding. “Yeah. Me neither.”We s

The group races across the moonlit beach, laughter and shouts carrying over the waves. Eben sprints ahead, already daring anyone to catch him, while Josh takes off after him, hollering like he owns the night. I glance at Gemma, who grabs my hand.“You coming or what?” she teases, tugging me along.I swallow, adrenaline hammering in my chest. “Yeah… yeah, let’s go.”The path up the mountain is steeper than I remember, rocks loose underfoot and roots twisting like obstacles. Every step makes my legs tremble, but the excitement is intoxicating. The group scatters ahead, some slipping and catching themselves with laughter, others daring one another to climb faster.Gavin walks beside me, calm as ever, hands stuffed into his pockets. His eyes are scanning every footstep I take. “Careful here,” he warns softly, pointing to a loose stone. “One wrong move and you could twist an ankle — or worse.”I roll my eyes, half annoyed, half grateful. “I’ve got this,” I say, though my stomach knots with

The night air is cooler now, the hum of cicadas filling the silence between houses. Gavin sits on the steps of the Miller place, elbows on his knees, staring at the gravel driveway like it holds all the answers he doesn’t want to say out loud.The screen door creaks. He doesn’t look up until Mara eases it shut behind her, wrapping her cardigan tighter around her shoulders.“You disappeared fast,” she says quietly, settling a few steps above him. “Figured you’d rather sulk out here than in there.”Gavin exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. “Didn’t want to be part of the yelling match.”Mara watches him for a moment, her expression softer than the sharp edges she usually carries. “You always run when things get messy.”He lets out a short laugh, humorless. “And you don’t?”“Touché.” She tucks her knees to her chest, resting her chin there. For a while, they just listen to the crickets. Then, almost hesitant, she adds, “You don’t make this easy, you know.”Gavin glances at her. “Make w

Eben’s jaw works like he’s chewing on words he can’t swallow. Finally, he leans back in his chair, voice cutting across the yard louder than it should.“Hey, Gav!”The sound makes me jump. Gemma drops her phone into her lap, eyes wide. Across the fence, Gavin’s head snaps up, his shoulders stiffening. Mara startles too, her hand still resting lightly on his arm.“You planning on staring all morning, or you actually gonna say something?” Eben calls, tone sharp, daring.The silence that follows is thick, like the air’s been sucked out of the backyard. Gavin’s jaw tightens, his hand dragging once through his hair. He doesn’t answer right away.Mara looks from him to us, suspicion sharpening her features. “Who are they to talk to you like that?” she asks under her breath, but loud enough for me to catch.I can feel my heart hammering, my skin prickling with heat. Gavin’s eyes lock on mine for a split second — just a flicker, quick and raw — before he looks back at his brother.“Eben,” he

[Ari]Josh finally landed on a movie, triumphant as if he’d solved the world’s problems, but the low hum of the TV only made the silence inside me louder. Gavin’s warmth at my side should’ve steadied me—it usually did—but instead it felt like a question I couldn’t answer, a weight pressing harder the longer I stayed still.Eben’s laugh drifted over the room, light and careless, and yet… not. I knew him well enough to read when he was just being himself, and when something sharper was tucked underneath. Tonight, it was different. And I couldn’t shake it.My stomach tightened. I couldn’t sit here any longer, not with Gavin’s gaze lingering on me, heavy as if he could see right through my skin, not with Eben pretending nothing was wrong when I knew better.I swallowed, forcing my voice to stay casual, light enough not to draw suspicion.“Hey, Eben,” I said, pushing myself up, brushing invisible lint from my jeans. “Can you help me with something in the kitchen?”I didn’t look back at Gav