"Krystal, Krystal..."

I stared blankly at Douglas as the words processed itself in my mind. Is something going on between you and my cousin?

The words then mixed with the confusion as to what gave him that idea to ask that question and suddenly I burst out laughing in his face.

"Is something funny?" He asked after I continued to chuckle at the ludicrousness of the question. "I didn't hear a joke being said."

I stopped laughing enough to ask, "That was a joke, right? Because seriously, what makes you think, Will and I have this 'relationship' that surpasses a friendship?"

"You guys just seem..." He furrowed his brows together confused.

"Close?" I offered. "Yeah, that's what you happens when you're friends with somebody."

"But, I've seen the two of you. You seem to be a lot closer than two people who've only known each other for a little over a month."

"That's what happens when you're stuck in a strange city with no sense of where you're going and you just happen to get your burger stolen by some strange guy claiming to have flown over from the UK for said burger."

"Wait...what?" He stared at me, confusion clear in his eyes.

"Forget it. But bottom line is, I see Will only as a friend, and I'm pretty sure he does to, to me that is. And there is nothing going on between us besides friendship."

"But you two are always together. He took you out that Saturday. You guys went to the water park together the whole day."

I could tell by looking at Douglas is that he clearly believed Will and I had this secret relationship going on that he didn't know about. "Firstly, we went out that Saturday because there was basically nothing better to do other than staying here watching a game I knew almost zilch about except for the fact that scoring is named touchdowns. And secondly, we went to the water park because you told us to. Plus, I offered to stay behind but you told me to go because you were waiting for Georgia."

"Fine," he sighed, giving me a half smile. "Fine. But I hope you make that clear to Will."

"What do you mean?"

"Either you're the most naive and oblivious person alive or you're the cruelest."

I smiled innocently despite not knowing what he meant. "I'd prefer neither."

A serious look crossed his face before he leaned in towards me, whilst maintaining a clear distance between us. "Will likes you, Krystal and not just as a friend. And before his feelings get deeper, I suggest you let him know where he stands."

"What?" Disbelief reached me. "No." Will was just a friend. Yes, he flirted but it was all harmless flirting, the type you did to friends that were girls, or any girl really when you had a face like his.

"Believe what you may, but its the truth. Look," he placed a hand on mine on the table, before he removed it when I looked up at him, shocked, "Will... he's like a brother to me and I don't want to see him get hurt. And I most definitely don't want to see him thrown away again. Either you accept him or you tell him the truth, that you only have platonic feelings for him." Then he stood up, "Oh and remember how you still owe him a wish from the golf session before?"

I nodded stiffly, still trying to digest whatever he had just told me.

"Make sure you know when to say no. Sometimes, Will goes overboard and doesn't think rationally when he wants something."

I nodded along despite still trying to grasp everything he'd just said. And what did he mean by not wanting to see Will thrown away again? Did someone reject Will too before?

"Remember Krystal," he stopped just before he reached the door to the house. "Make sure Will understands that you don't see him more than just a friend. And make sure he understands clearly." And with that the confusing being that was my 'ward' disappeared in to the mansion again, leaving me still questioning the happenings of the last ten or so minutes.

* * *

I was a coward. Truly I was.

I couldn't gather up the courage to confront Will on whether he saw me more as a friend and if he did, let him down easy.

First, I was worried that he would just laugh in my face and think I was deranged for thinking he could possibly like someone like me, which was lead to an undeniably gruesome humiliation on my part.

Second, I was worried that he did actually see me more as a friend and that that would totally change everything we've had so far. After all,it would be awkward to still be friends with someone you saw only as a friend knowing that thought of you differently.

And third, this didn't prove that I was a coward, but it still counted somehow. He didn't give me a chance to ask him the question. Actually, it was more like, Georgia did give me a chance really. Whenever I had some time to talk to Will, while I was still gathering up my courage, shed swoon in and challenge him to a game of Mortal Kombat or tell him she needed to talk to me about something, which most of the times involved childhood stories of her, Douglas and Jace, her older brother growing up and how they'd convince her to eat mud, claiming it was just undercooked chocolate cake batter.

Other times the stories revolved around how she missed Phillipa Holden, her childhood best friend and the naughty deeds they were up to when they were kids, such as putting earthworms in Douglas' and Jace's socks because they said girls couldn't play baseball.

Georgia and I had gotten closer than I would have thought possible after knowing each other for two weeks and it always surprised me that she was the one girl that made Douglas hang on every single word she said.

The summer heat was bearing down on us on Wednesday morning and all I wanted was to dive into the large swimming pool housed outside the south wing of the mansion. But as luck had it, today the pool was being drained and cleaned as they did every two weeks.

Using an ice pack as a cap and placing a cold can of cherry cola against my cheek, I begged the clock against the wall of the loving room to tick faster so I could return back home. The AC had broken down two hours ago and it just so happened that the ACs in the entire state of California had broken down, hence the heat stroke that had settled in the living room.

This however, didn't bother Douglas or Will who were busy having a game of billiard across the room, in the secret passage way that was hidden behind the bookcase that led to a game room I had only found out about last week. Leave it to rich people to have a secret passage way in their house somewhere.

"Want some of this, Krystal?" Georgia asked as Quincy brought her a bowl with shredded ice and strawberry flavor added to it.

I shook my head before holding up my can of cherry cola. "I'm good."

"You okay?" She asked as she scooped a spoonful of shaved ice and ate it. "You look flushed?"

I pressed the can of soda hard against my cheek. "Its fine. Just...the heat. Doesn't it seem a little bit hitter than it was yesterday, or the day before?"

She nodded just as Will shrieked and jumped before doing his usual dance of self I congratulation that consisted of twerking and groin movements that made me laugh endlessly.

"I win!" He exclaimed soon after as if to inform anyone that hadn't seen his ludicrous dancing. "I win!"

"Finally," Georgia stood up after another spoonful before placing it on the coffee table in front of her. "Now we can go."

"Go?" I asked, with the desire to not move a single inch.

"To the beach, duh."

"Isn't it too hot for that?"

"The beach may be but the sea is the best remedy for this weather. Besides, were going to rent out a cabana, which makes it even more better. And its summer. What's summer without some beach time, right?"

"Right!" Will exclaimed before he ran over and pulled me out of my seat. "This is going to be so fun. You in, Douglas?"

I turned to look at the one person who was hopefully as against this idea as I was.

Surprisingly he shrugged before saying. "Why not?"