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The evening is weird, which the parents pick up on. Keanu keeps looking between Leo and I hoping to catch something, Leo and Keanu haven't bickered but instead said one or two nice things, and Keanu is not glued to my side.

"Two nights left," Mrs. Medero says.

Keanu goes to put her plate away.

"You guys think it's too late to go to the beach?" My mom asks.

Mrs. Medero shrugs. "I don't see why not. I haven't been to a beach at night, in years."

"Then I guess we'll go."

"Hey mom," Keanu says quietly. "Can I stay? I don't feel all to well."

"What about Andrew?"

"He'll have Leo. Besides, I've been hogging him all week."

Mrs. Medero just shrugs. Keanu offers a sad, weak smile to me before she leaves.

Never in a million years did I expect her to react so kindly? She's clearly sad, part of me is too because it's the end of an almost two year relationship but it's mainly just relief I feel.

Part of me wishes I'd not been such a freaking baby and done this months ago.

"Go change then," my dad says.

Leo follows me upstairs and closes the door behind him. "Hey, you did it," he says with a toothy grin.

"I also single handedly fixed you and your sisters relationship. Call me the relationship god," I smirk.

"Oh yeah it only took, hm, what, five months?"

"Shut up."

He's so close to me I can feel his breath on my face.

"You know, at the beginning of summer, you were taller. Now your short."

"Now you shut up."

"Make me, Medero," I smirk.

"No problem, Pollock."

On his tippy toes, he leans in. For a solid second I can't stop smiling because it's cute.

A huge part of me wishes mother never suggested going to the beach. For once I can be with Leo without cheating. I want to be all over him, I don't want to leave.

Eventually he's pressed against the wall and he makes a soft moan which makes me melt.

"We have to go," I whisper.

"Uh..."

"Oh. Someone got excited," I laugh softly. I sound calm but my heart is racing. "I can deal with, wait have you ever...?"

He shakes his head.

"Well, did you want me to..."

He gets all shy and shrugs.

"You can say no."

"I mean..."

I press up against him and whisper in his ear. "C'mon, baby, I need a yes or a no."

Heart. Racing.

"Yes."

I smirk.

"You two are slow as shit," Mr. Medero groans walking out the door.

"Jesus christ Leo, I told you to put sunscreen on your face. You will never listen to me will you?"

"I did," he says weakly.

"Whatever, Andrews parents are already waiting outside. Let's go."

I follow Mrs. Medero out of the house to one of the cars we rented. My parents take a jeep and Leo and I go with his parents.

I decide to sit in the middle seat right next to Leo. It's dark and his parents are busy bickering so I hold his hand and sit smugly.

When we get to the beach, Leo and I both jump out of the car and run like idiots to the water.

"Race you to the by."

"Okay loser," he says running into the water.

Second after, I run into the freezing water.

"You started before me! That's cheating."

"Oh, you wanna talk about cheating?" He snickers.

"Hey it's too soon to joke about that."

"Five months is too soon?"

Swimming and talking is tiring.

He beats me to the buoy. Exhausted, we both just tread water there. It's pitch black, I can't even see where the parents went.

"I'm going to ask for like the fifth time, and this time you better answer me," Leo starts. "Now what?"

"I don't know."

"You scared?"

"Yeah, maybe a bit."

"I would hug you but I'm not trying to drown us," Leo chuckles.

"Why is it always us alone in water in the dark?" I laugh.

"The cottage was fun."

"I expect to be aloud to go through your sketchbooks now," I say. Not that that ever stopped me.

"Only special people. Right now you're just my sisters ex."

"Just, I'm offended. Would you let a boyfriend?"

"Hm, I'll have to let you know when I have one. It really depends how much I like the guy."

"Well Kaleo, shall we date?"

"Aw how cheesy."

"I know, I'm adorable."

When we get home I go to Keanu's house to chat. I knock on her door and she lets me in.

"You okay?" I ask.

She shrugs. "Not really." She closes the door behind me and goes to sit on her bed. "Just been thinking and I have a lot of mixed feelings about today's events."

Same.

"Part of me is relieved because for a while you've been distant, part of me is really glad for Leo because even though I don't say it, I'm scared shitless something will happen to him, then part of me is just sad. Oh yes another part is shock, what the actual fuck?"

"Yeah I don't even know."

"As much as I don't want to know, I want to know? You listened to me whine about him and this entire time-- I just can't wrap my head around it."

I shrug.

"Also, what the heck, you guys get to share a room. Ugh so many things make sense now. Is that where you went on your birthday?"

"I went to see Leo."

The sad smile returns.

"I feel so dumb."

"Hey Kea, nothing is your fault. I'm the asshole here. I hurt both of you guys."

"Oh poor Leo. How long now?"

"Er... five months."

"Five months? Holy crap. How the hell did you get his ass to stick around?"

"I don't know," I shake my head. "Everything was a mess because I couldn't just grow up."

"What does that mean for you two now?"

I swear to god, if I get asked that again today...

"I-I don't know."

Fucking hell, why am I terrified to say I've got a boyfriend?

"Well you didn't break up with me for no reason, you going to date."

"Yes..."

"Now you'll know what it's like to date a boy. They never text back, they forget about plans, cheat, ugh fuck this I'll become gay."

"Are you just listing all the reasons why I was a bad boyfriend?"

"I'm aloud to do that, you like my brother dickhead."

"Valid point."

"You going to tell our parents?"

"Hmm well, I'm looking to avoid that as long as possible."

"They're going to know we broke up."

"One, your parents scare the shit out of me. Two, my parents are dramatic and want me to live the life they have. And three, I like sharing a room with him."

She rolls her eyes. "For some reason that pisses me off the most out of everything. So not fair."

"Date Talia and you can share a room."

She raises an eyebrow. "I'm good."

I shrug. "I'm going back now. Want to play cards with Leo and I?"

"Leo always wins."

"I know, I want a chance to get at least second so come and play."

She sighs. "I still am upset and want to wallow in self pity."

"C'mon, lets go."

"Fine."

Back at mine, we end up gathering everyone except my dad and Mr. Medero, to play monopoly. It's a long game and we play till one in the morning. Mrs. Medero actually wins, Leo second, then my mom, me and then Keanu.

"Negotiating trades is important in this game," Mrs. Medero says to Keanu. "You need to be able to persuade someone to give up their property and plan what they want."

Keanu sighs. "That was boring. I don't plan to go into business. Goodnight."

"I'm going to go now too," Mrs. Medero says.

"Night mother," Leo says getting up and walking upstairs.

"He's been awfully nice lately?" Mrs. Medero says.

"Believe it or not, I am actually a good person," he shouts from upstairs.

When I look to Mrs. Medero she's smiling and so is Keanu a small bit.

"Wonder what changed."

Keanu snorts a reply to her mother before leaving. They look to me. I shrug.

I head upstairs to Leo and I's room where hes sat down opening his sketch book.

"I can look through that now."

"I said it depends how much I like the guy."

"Well, if half the photos in the sketchbook are of the guy, I'd say you like him a lot."

"You're so cocky."

"Just a tad. It's one though, when you going to bed?"

He tosses his book to the floor. "Now."

I go brush my teeth and change before I return and flick off the lights. I lay under the covers and stare at the ceiling for a bit.

"I don't want to leave even though I really miss home."

"I'm going to be cheesy again," I warn. He turns to face me. "Let's just pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist. We don't need to go home soon. We're just laying here with a nice breeze."

"Okay."

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