Enea has countless freckles going down the curve of his spine. I took the liberty to count them myself one night when the two of us were tangled up in the sheets of his bed. He had given me his undivided attention during the gaps we would find in our day in order to be together. We were sometimes forced to meet up in secret, sneaking behind the shelves of the surf shop just to engage in the simple act of holding hands. Nevertheless it was all worth it. We were in love.

"What are you smiling about?" Asked dad.

"Huh?" I was snatched out of my dreams and found my family staring back at me as we sat around the dinner table.

"You were grinning from ear to ear, what was on your mind?" Dad gestured for Kai to pass him the salad bowl. Kai did so displeased, his eyes darting angrily at me.

"No I wasn't." I blushed.

We were having fish soup for dinner, my least favorite, however no food could drain me of the bliss I felt after the day I had spent with Enea. He had driven us around at the outer ends of town where no one would spot us.

"Why are we here?" I had asked, once we parked in front of a doggy looking diner. Enea had led me inside and paid for the food we ordered.

"Because here I can do this..." He said and leaned over the table just to get to my lips. He had kissed me in public and held my hand. The torment of having to hide our affection for each other must have really gotten to him.

"Knock knock." Later that evening mom entered my room. "You were a bit distant at dinner. Is everything alright?"

"Yes mom, everything's A, okay." I said, smiling from ear to ear behind the book I was reading.

"Hmm. Care to tell me about this good mood of yours?"

"No."

"I see. Let me guess then. Might it have anything to do with a boy named Deniz Öncu?"

"No." I frowned, almost laughing at the absurdity. Deniz Öncu hadn't been on my mind since...well since he left for Greece with his family.

"No? Then who?"

I closed the book I was reading and brought my knees to my chest. "You know who." I mumbled.

Mom raised her brow in realization. "I see."

I wished for her to leave now because I could feel a lecture coming on by the way her eyes traveled the room, from the old photos of me as a child, to the medal and diplomas hanging on my wall.

"I am glad that you have chosen to be happy for Enea during the remaining time he is here, however..." I shut my eyes bracing for her wise but responsible words. "...He might not be able to give you what you want."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Mom's smile was vague. "It means that the friendship between you might not be more than that. After all there is an age gap."

I hated her mother for stating the obvious truth, but what did she know? Enea loved me and he would go on loving me despite having an ocean separating the two of us. I will wait for him and he will wait for me. "Once you're eighteen. I whispered, once my mom was long gone and I lay alone in the darkness of my room. I held those words close to my beating heart.

Enea promised that he would wait for me. Unfortunately that promise broke as early as the next couple of days. He had been distant again, no calls or texts, the only messages I got were from Deniz which I left on read. Enea's radio silence reminded me of the time Kai and I spent at grandma's, anxiously wondering if he hated me for kissing him that night. I went as far as looking for him at the beach, bringing Kai along with me as an excuse.

"Okay, stay here:"

Kai was dressed in his wetsuit, ready to surf. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"Just stay here, I'll be right back." Leaving Kai at the beach, I made my way towards the surf and bait shop. The bell to the door rang as I entered.

"Good day, Eleon Uncle Alvaro stood behind the desk and greeted me with a cheerful smile. "Or should I say Aloha!" He chuckled, waving his hand in a shaka sign.

"Is Enea here?" I said, a slight hitch to my voice.

"Sorry, I haven't seen him for days."

"Days?" I said, surprised. "Did he tell you where he went?"

"Him and his mates went up to Orly Bay. He's leaving for the surf tour soon, first stop Hawaii. I bet they're up there trying out some more gear."

"Oh." I said, shoulders withering.

"Didn't he tell you?

"No he didn't." I muttered.

There was a sound of a car pulling up around back.

"Speaking of the devil." Uncle Alvaro said.

Just as we spoke of them, Enea and his friends stumbled into the surf shop, faces golden from all the sun they had gotten up at Orly Bay. The sight of him and Enzo laughing and practically wrestling each other on the way in left a bad taste in my mouth.

"Ellie?"

The wrestling stopped at the sight of me.

"Well well who have we here, your girlfriend?" Enzo teased.

"Cut it out prick!" Unclo Alvaro shouted from behind his desk. Just then Gwendoline and Raul Fernandez entered the shop, both of them also sporting tanlines and bronze faces.

"Ellie!" Gwendoline happily greeted me. "I thought I spotted Kai on the way up here, are you guys headed for a surf?"

"No." I said looking at Enea who stood in between his friends and I.

"I guess she must be here for her boyfriend then." Enzo mumbled.

"Shut up Enzo, you're not even funny." Gwedeline said, however, even her lips were struggling to contain a smile. Shifting my gaze I noticed that all of them were containing their laughter, even Enea. Suddenly I felt light headed.

"I...I have to."

"Ellie, wait."

I pushed past Enea on my way out of the shop. My steps were uneven in the sand.

"Ellie, come on, you know Enzo, he's a dick."

"And so are you!" I shouted, tears in my eyes as I turned around and faced him. "You told them about us?"

"Ellie come on." He sighed.

"No." I snapped, janking away my hand when he tried to grab it. "You told them about us and they...they..." I couldn't get the words out. Mom was right, what I thought Enea and I had together was a lie.

"Ellie?"

"Kai?" I turned around hearing his small voice. He had his little foamboard tucked underneath his arm, his eyes shifting between me and Enea.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing." I said, wiping away my tears. "W..we were just..." I looked to Enea for help, however his face had gone pale.

"You stay away!" Kai shouted.

"Kai please." I cried. What had I done for him to hate me this much? My eyebrows furrowed when he tossed his board aside and made a lunge towards Enea.

"Kai stop!" I managed to contain him in my arms before he could get to him.

"You stay away, stay away from my sister1" He shouted, face red with anger and his eyes filled with tears.

"Hey hey hey! What's going on?" Alvaro emerged from the shop having heard Kai's ripping voice. Enzo,Gwendeline and Raul Ferandez were at his heels.

"What's going on?" He repeated, seeing how Kai was fighting to get out o fmy embrace. Alvaro looked to his nephew for answers, however Enea stood frozen like a statue.

"Please Kai, please." I whispered in his ear, desperately trying to calm him down. Slowly but surely his hyperventilation seized.

"Is he okay?" Gwendline asked.

"Come on." I said, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "Let's go home okay."

Kai nudged me with his elbow to get me off of him. Without a word he picked up his board and made his way down the road. I looked back for a second only to find Enea staring blankly at me.

"He knows." I nod, confirming what both of us already knew. How Kai had found out about the relationship between me and Enea, I had no idea, however this was really really bad.