Good morning, afternoon and evening lovelies ❤️

Happy reading, this chapter is low-key highly unedited because my laptop died and only saved the unedited version and I want to sleep now so-

But here you are !

94

"Come outside." August says, his voice quiet in my ear through the phone.

"I sort of just want to go to bed August."

"Nope, outside, come on."

"No."

"She says no." He says and my eyes widen when I hear Lottie's voice shout through the phone and more voices tell her off.

"Please Emersyn!"

I sit up from the couch, mum and dad were in the kitchen, chatting over I think the model issue, I was just chilling.

"What is going on?" I ask.

"We're going to get ice cream. You are coming." August says.

I pull a face.

It was later Saturday night, everyone had left out house at like six ish, now it was nine and I tried to ignore August's call, like I was tired and feeling grumpy and he- he confuses me but August doesn't understand that if someone just doesn't pick up the phone, that doesn't mean you continue ringing until they do.

I guess it's because I always eventually pick up.

Plus I got worried so-

"I don't want ice cream." I say.

"They do sorbet, it's good."

Sorbet is healthier, I guess.

"Come on, Rayne and Jude are here, we're all going, you are coming."

"You're taking everyone for ice cream?" I ask, smiling a little.

"Yep, and we're outside waiting for you. If you don't come then I am turning off the car and they won't get their dessert and that will be on you."

"That is called manipulation, guilt tripping."

His response was immediate. "This is actually called me feeling awful about earlier and trying to make you feel better."

My eyes widen, fully acknowledging he said that in front of his siblings and Jude.

"I dunno if my parents-"

"Emersyn you are eighteen, just come outside."

I hang up, his tone was annoying me. But because I am silly I get up and reach for my dad's jumper, pulling it over my head.

I head into the kitchen and they both look up from their soft debate.

"I am going out."

My mum pouts.

I smile. "I know, I am just going for ice cream with Rayne and August."

My mum frowns. "You're here for one night though."

"I will be back in an hour. I promise." I tell her.

"Em-" My mum starts and my dad shakes his head at her.

"Go for it Em, make sure you get your favourite. I am sure they do the vegan chocolate brownie, everywhere has started to do it."

I give him a small smile.

"I will see you in a bit?" I ask.

They both don't argue, just let me go and I open our door quietly and I see August stood outside his car, a cigarette in his hand, looking at me.

I frown at him.

"Why are you smoking?"

He shrugs. "Stress relief."

"You don't smoke."

"I do when you stress me out."

I turn around to leave and he laughs, Rayne and Jude are in the car with Lottie, all squashed in the back together. August jogs and catches my hand. "Okay are you still mad at me?"

I throw him a straight look and he smiles, like a genuine smile that he's trying to give to me.

I raise an eyebrow at it.

"I am sorry I was crap earlier."

I blink at him.

"I was sorry I walked away from you earlier?" He says, his voice going up at the end as if he was asking not saying.

I crossed my arms over my chest, looking up at him.

"Emersyn." He groans, his hands lifting to my hips and he moves me around a little which makes me stumble and force the smile to stay at bay.

"I am sorry."

"What for?" I ask.

"Everything."

I pout. "You just feel like you did something wrong but you don't know what."

He nods. "Exactly."

I roll my eyes and push his chest away a little. "That's not good buddy."

He smiles. "I am taking you for ice cream as an apology-"

I deadpan at him. "You are taking me to get ice cream after I've had a bad eating day?"

His smile falls. He smacks his hand on his face and then peaks through it and I can't help the small smile I have on my face when our eyes connect.

"Jude and Rayne wanted to go and then Lottie wanted to join and like it's a treat for her because we never spend much time with her and I just thought that you should be there too and I thought it would be nice for you to be around people that make you smile and I don't count myself in that because you are mad at me and I am a moron but I wanted to see you and-"

My smile was big as he rambles uncharacteristically and my eyes drift from his to Rayne who was sat in the car, Lottie close to him and trying to knock on the window but he was blocking her.

I look at August.

"Let's go then."

He looks at me, curiously. "You sure?"

I nod.

"You get shot gun, if that makes you feel better?"

I mean, no, that doesn't. But it also sort of does.

I move around him, smiling at the people in the car and I open the door and climb in.

Lottie cheers in success and when I look at her surprised, she gives me a small grin.

"Sorry I'm hyper."

I laugh at her, shaking my head.

She hits Rayne in excitement and then turns towards Jude and he jumps back surprised and I laugh at that, she was just getting her seatbelt on.

She must have been forced to sit in the middle

August gets in besides me and I pull my own belt on.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Rayne asks.

I just turn to look at him and shrug. "Dunno. You should have called."

Meaning I would have answered you.

"Jude used my charger and now my phone is dead."

Jude rolls his eyes. "You didn't tell me you needed it, I just assumed you take it if you needed it."

"Well I was letting you have it."

Jude pulls a sulky face. "You should have said."

"Honestly you should have just used one of our chargers." Lottie says to Rayne confused and Rayne laughs.

"I know Lots I am just messing."

I turn back around as August starts the car and I pull my feet up, his hand comes immediately to my knee and he pushes them down.

I frown and he takes his hand off to reverse out the space he was in and then he moves his hand back to my lap and turns it up, asking for mine.

I place my hand in his and he turns our hands over, holding mine and he drives with one hand.

"They're holding hands." Lottie whispers and a small smile grows on my face in amusement.

"Pretend you don't see." Rayne whispers back, just as obnoxiously loudly and my smile grows and August squeezes my hand, then moves it so we change gear still having his hand over mine.

I laugh at him and he fucking gives me butterflies as he places our hands back onto my lap. I can do nothing but just hopelessly move my thumb in soft circles over his skin, he seems to relax more after that, heading out towards the little café Stars. It stays open late Saturdays, not like- doing anything crazy. Just carrying on serving until I think eleven?

I am not sure.

But apparently they have decided to serve ice cream as well now so that's why we were going there.

We were quiet in the front as Lottie and Rayne and Jude were loud in the back, to be honest it was nice being around them, just feeling their energy even though I wasn't necessarily feeling a part of it right now.

"They do smoothies here." August says quietly. "If you don't want ice-cream, they do sorbet or they do smoothies and you've always liked them so-"

"August, I know." I whisper back and he squeezes my hand.

Then he takes it back to drive and I shiver, I had my dad's jumper on, so I was cosy and comfy but I was still just had my dress on under it, so it was a little chilly on my legs.

It didn't take us long to get to Star's, it was almost comical, seeing them all climb out the back of the car. I just hung back as they powered through, Lottie still full of beans and Rayne and Jude were being cute, their hands connected.

I was so proud of the growth in Rayne, it was moving, how scared he was and how he figured it all out.

And thank God he did too, he wouldn't have found Jude if he hadn't had gotten through all his identity issues.

August hand lifts to my back, guiding me inside and I am tired and feeling a little sad so I lean into his side as we pause behind the other three and look up at the board.

"Emersyn?" A male voice asks from our right and I turn my head slowly, surprised and then a warm smile takes over my face.

"Peter hey."

He moves from the table he was sat at and walks towards me and I pull away from August, expecting Peter's intention to lift his arms for a hug and I was right because I walked straight into his arms for a hug.

"Hey you, I haven't seen you in ages." He mumbles into my hair.

Peter was my first and pretty much only boyfriend. We were together from like the summer of when I was fifteen to all the way till the Christmas after I turned sixteen.

He and I never did anything other than make out, I don't really remember why. I think we just never got the chance to, like when he was round mine, Dadda was- well you know him and Peter never asked me round to his.

We sort of just saw each other at school and that was pretty much it.

I dunno.

I pull back and give him a small smile, my eyes flicking down to his table and I see another one of the people who Rayne and I went to school with.

I smiled at her and then looked at him. "I haven't seen you since the end of school."

"I know, I saw all your travelling pictures, it looked great."

"Thanks, yeah it was amazing."

"Where did you go again?" Heather asks from the table and Peter presses a hand to my arm and then goes to say hello to Rayne.

I step froward and give her a small smile, looking around to check on August and Lottie and Jude and August is just staring up at the board, bored.

I look down to Heather and start telling her where we went.

It wasn't long before Peter was back. He was the exact replication of the boy next door, kind, sweet, good looking but in a soft, low key way. He just was an easy person to get along with, he was in all my clubs with me, he gave me attention, affection. It was sort of just-I dunno. I never thought I'd marry Peter, like it wasn't like a 'I think he's the love of my life type thing', even when I was younger. But I was definitely charmed by him for a long time.

I don't really know how we ended.

We just did.

He gives me a warm look. "You tired?" He asks amused. "You look exhausted. How come you're home? Is everything okay?"

I look at him shocked and I nod, I smile. "All good, just Charlotte's birthday." I say.

Peter has dark blue eyes, brown hair, he looked a little bigger right now than he did in school. I wonder what he's doing now?

"What are you up to now?" I ask.

"Em, what would you like?" August voice cuts through Peter's reply and I look at him.

"You can go and sit down, I'll just grab something after."

He nods.

Him and Lottie and Jude get ice cream and then go and sit down, Rayne slides next to me, looking down at Heather and Peter informs us that he's got an apprenticeship and is working along side his uncle in some sort of business that to be honest I was busy getting distracted by Lottie who was waving her arms as me.

I looked at her, lifting an eyebrow.

She pouts exaggeratedly and I smile, confused. I focus back on Peter who was talking and Rayne and him were exchanging stories from back at school.

I smile and lean towards Rayne and Rayne's ice cream was suddenly ready, so he gives me a smile and says a quick goodbye to Peter and Heather, collecting his treat and heading towards a table in the back that the others had sat on.

"I heard you and Rayne finally got together." Peter says, smiling at me.

Heather laughs. "I heard you were with the other one, the older brother. Shit what's his name?" She looks over the diner and I laugh a little shaking my head.

I don't know what the hell to say to that.

"Nah just rumours." I decide to say, shaking my head. "It was really nice to see two."

Heather grins and nods. "Yes, I couldn't believe it was you when I saw you."

I smiled at that and give Peter a little goodbye, turning around to look at some options.

I was just going to get a smoothie.

"Hey." I say softly to the guy behind the counter and he smiles at me.

"What can I get for ya, your boyfriend has paid for whatever really, you have six dollars and then whatever you don't spend I get to keep as a tip. Or I mean, you can spend it all- I didn't."

His college laughs at him from the other end of the counter and I give him a small, tired smile.

I guess he means August, right?

Oh man...

"Can I just get a banana and strawberry smoothie please?"

"Yeah sure, would you like a scoop of vanilla in there as well? It makes it creamy and-"

I shake my head and he stops talking.

"No thank you."

"Coming up." The boy nods and I lean against the counter, watching as he cuts up the fruit and adds some ice to the blender, throwing in some apple juice as well and then he places it back on the side, the cartoon, going back to blend it all together.

I pick it up, looking at the sugar content and then I drop it, telling myself no.

Like the fuck?

I shake my head and he turns back around to me and if the boy just immediately knew, he took the apple juice away and turned it around so the front was facing me on the back counter.

I laughed a little, just shaking my head at myself.

He turns around and hands me my smoothie and I say thank you and head towards August and everyone.

August catches my eye and slides closer to Lottie who was beside him, making room for me on the seat and I sit down, giving Rayne and Jude a smile as they sit on the opposite side.

"Hey." I say.

"Emersyn, Jude and Rayne won't tell me information about their relationship." Lottie says, looking at the two accusingly.

Rayne closes his eyes; I assume trying to be patient and Jude just seems amused.

August lifts his arm, laying it behind me on the back of the seat and I just take a sip of the smoothie, smiling at how the taste reminds me of summer and coming here with him and him helping me through a bad day.

I press my side into his a little and laugh as Lottie slams her hands down on the table in frustration.

"But what happened between you meeting at the gym and then you two getting together."

Jude laughs. "Rayne asked me on a date, then we went on multiple."

I smile remembering our double dating and Henry, god he was so sweet.

I miss him.

I think.

Like I miss how chill it was when we used to spend time together.

Lottie looks at me expectedly and I widen my eyes at her.

"Sorry what?"

"You went out with Jude's best friend?" She asks.

"Er..."

What does 'went out' with mean?

I nod. "Yeah Rayne roped me into the double date. I was ready to fight Henry if he was horrible about Jude and Rayne but he was chill."

"Where did you go?" Lottie asks.

"Ice-skating." Jude says and August leans down into my ear.

"That was the no touch Peter, right?"

I smile immediately, thinking back to when I told him about him. When he told me about his first girlfriend.

"Yeah." I whisper back.

"Pretty." He says and I smile amused.

"Very pretty."

He chuckles and leans to press a kiss on me, somewhere, but I dart back surprised.

He looks unimpressed. "Emersyn."

"August."

"Why are you mad?"

I laugh. "I am not but like-" I gesture to his siblings and August just sighs and then he goes back to eating his chocolate ice cream and I laugh at him.

Lottie turns to me and she smiles, happy and I smile back, laughing at how she was excited about her ice cream.

They all had giant sundaes, Rayne, Jude and Lottie having toppings and Rayne even having some squirty cream. August just had chocolate ice cream and I admit, I reach for his spoon when he puts it down and he chuckles moving the cup closer to me.

I lean against him, spooning the ice cream and August's hand drops from the cushion to softly running his fingers through a few strands.

I lift the ice cream to my lips and smile a little at the taste, I haven't had proper ice cream in so long.

It honestly tasted like sin, but it was nice.

I turn into him more and he does lean down and press a kiss on my head, but I don't stop him, I take another spoonful of ice-cream and Rayne smiles at me, nodding as if acknowledging that I was having some.

I smile back.

Rayne and I have never spoken about it.

But he knows, like he knows that some days I will eat and some days I won't.

I always used to say I felt sick.

"Okay so are you two boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Lottie asks us and I cringe, and I give her a look that I hope, I know she's young, but she's girl and she should get it.

"No Dots, things get a little more complicated than that when you get older."

August's response surprised me, he didn't seem bothered by her question like I did, instead he just answered her plainly and Lottie sent back her version of an apologetic look at me and then turned back to Rayne and Jude.

"Okay but who like asked who to be like official?" She asks and I laugh.

"Lottie leave the poor boys alone." I say.

She looks at me. "I can change my questions back to you two if you like?"

I look at Rayne. "Sorry I tried."

He laughs and answers her, but first tells her about how some things are private and she doesn't need to know them.

August leans down to my ear, the spoon in my mouth and he whispers. "You wanna go for a drive after I drop them home?"

I don't look at him, just nod a little and then I laugh then he takes the spoon out of my mouth and takes his ice-cream back, for a second anyway, he hands it back after he has a spoonful.

"I am interested because Dad won't let me have a boyfriend." Lottie says, pulling a face. "And boys are awful anyway, but now that dad like banned me from having one the other night I am curious."

I laugh, shaking my head and thinking about Jackson just plainly saying no to her.

Like no that's not something you do, agreed? Agreed.

"He's right, Boys are horrible." I say.

She smiles at me. "But you have the experience to say that, I don't."

"You're only thirteen Lots, you can figure that out later." Rayne says.

She just pulls a face. "I am fourteen soon."

"Not soon." August laughs.

She gasps, telling him that her birthday is so soon, and I just lift my hand to August's hand which was in my hair and I pressed my finger tips against his.

I think it's funny, how sometimes with him I can feel so much, like we shoot sparks across one another. And other times like this, it's just plain warmth, comfort.

It doesn't feel odd to hold his hand, it doesn't feel anything other than familiar and utterly close.