Page 115 of Meant to Be

JOSIE

The trip was hot and long. There was a tension in the air. I’m not sure if anyone else felt it, but by the wandering eyes of Harley and the narrowed gaze of Nick, I’d guess I wasn’t not the only one.

A swirling sense of nausea sat deep in my stomach the entire drive. I kept reliving old memories. I was so determined to come back here and make up for all my past mistakes. And yet, I’ve let myself fall into old habits. Habits I wanted so desperately to shake, but can’t seem to.

Some days, I wonder what the hell I’m doing letting this boy into my heart again. And then others, I resign to the fact that I have no control over it.

Shannon tried her best to pump up the group by yelling out encouraging words and playing classic pop songs we all know and love. When we get to the hotel to check in, I suddenly feel like I’m on a school camp without the teachers.

Belle and I share a room. It’s small, offering one double bed, a bathroom and a mini-fridge. It has plain décor, with a pale bedspread and a black and white framed painting hanging on the wall.

We split off into our own groups for the afternoon. Belle and I travel to the local shopping centre. We spend the first thirty minutes in Max Brenner, a café well-known for their amazing chocolate selection. We share half-a-dozen chocolate coated strawberries and a mocha each.

“God, I’ve missed good food.” I grin. “You don’t get this in Fern Grove.”

“You do not,” she agrees with a smile, running her tongue over her lips, getting every last bit of the chocolate dust covering them.

We move onto the shops. I breathe freely, the air-conditioning chilling over my bare skin. I haven’t felt this nice of a temperature for what feels like months.

“I want to find a nice maxi dress,” Belle says. “Something I can wear to, like, a nice lunch.”

“I know just the place.”

When I find the store I’m after, we both end up trying on several dresses, showing them off to each other on a makeshift runway in the dressing room, ignoring the other random shoppers who keep glancing at us.

“Ten out of ten, baby!” she claps and whistles as I strut past her.

I’ve never been one to wear long dresses, but I’m surprised to find myself loving the few I tried on. We exit the store, clutching half-filled bags. It feels so nice to be doing something so normal.

“I needed this,” I tell her. “More than I realised.”

She loops her arm with mine. “Me too.”

“I’m so glad I met you,” I blurt

She smiles, giving my arm a squeeze.

“I’m going to duck into the book shop really quickly. I’ll just be a sec,” she says before darting to the small, corner shop with stacks of books out the front. I used to read a lot, but haven’t for quite some time now, not including study material. I make a mental note to pick that hobby back up.

I lean onto the wall and rummage through my bags, looking down at my new dresses.

“Hey stranger.”

A shiver of excitement sails down my spine at his voice. When I look up, Harley is smiling at me. He has a Boost Juice clutched in his palm. He’s dressed in a loose navy shirt and ripped denim shorts, his hair carelessly messy, as usual.

“Fancy seeing you here,” I reply.

“Great minds think alike.”

“Where’s your sidekick?”

He shrugs. “Lost him about ten minutes ago. Yours?”

I jut my chin over his shoulder. “In the book store.”

Harley’s eyes sweep around him for a moment before he steps closer to me. I feel the heat from him brushing against my skin.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to stay away from you this weekend,” he murmurs, tracing his fingertips down the side of my face.