The Summer I Found Myself by By: Michelle Stone (best romance novels of all time .txt) 📖

our way out of the city and started driving for the east coast. Shelly had taken over my stereo and began playing ‘Just a Dream’ by Nelly. She was singing along and hanging her arm out of the window. As the streets were winding around we began seeing houses set closer together and kids riding their bikes on the sidewalks. The air grew saltier. The boardwalk came into view and I parked the car and me and Shelly got out.
“Today is such a beautiful day out. I just feel so relaxed whenever I come here.” I said looking up at the sky.
“It really is.” Shelly said peacefully.
We began walking down the boardwalk and came into view of Indian Summer. The cutest little boutique that had some of the cutest clothes I have ever seen.
We walked in and a girl behind the counter immediately smiled at us and asked us if there was anything we were looking for specifically. Shelly asked where they kept the there dresses and we went over and looked at them. Shelly picked out a couple things as did I and we both tried them on.
We did this for over an hour and Shelly ended buying a shirt and a pair of shorts. We walked out of Indian Summer and went over to a nearby bench and sat down.
“I am like so hungry.” She said after a few minutes of sitting down and watching people pass by.
“I think there is a restaurant up there somewhere.”
“Well lets go. I feel my stomach indenting.”
We walked up the boardwalk and a few guys were coming down our way. There were three of them and they were our age, maybe a little bit older. When we got ready to pass them one of them stopped smiling and asked “Did it hurt?” I looked at him confused and asked “Did what hurt?”
“When you fell from heaven?” My face blushed immediately and Shelly started laughing so hard that I couldn’t help but join in.
“I’m Ayden, and this Jason and Carson.” The guy with the pickup like said.
Shelly stepped forward and introduced us.
“Where are you headed?” Ayden asked.
“To the restaurant down there.” I replied.
“Well, we were heading up to the beach, maybe we will see you around?” he smiled down at me and I replied “Yea, sure.”
As soon as Shelly and I got far enough away from them Shelly let out a gasp.
“Oh my gosh Macy, How do you have all these hot guys falling all over you all of a sudden? First that cute boy Matt at the …”
“Mike” I corrected her.
“Right Mike at the party and now Ayden? Someone’s becoming a player.” She laughed as we walked into the restaurant.
Me and Shelly ate as I drifted in and out of the conversation. I wasn’t paying much attention but with Shelly, I didn’t really need to. She filled the silences all by herself. After we paid we headed back home. We finally made it back into Greenville and I dropped her off at house. I instantly felt bored. I texted my friend from school and asked her what was going on tonight, she replied back with Dylan’s. My mood lifted as I got into my room to get ready.
I went downstairs and decided to text Shelly to come and pick me up so we could go to Dylan’s house together.
She replied “I’m already here. Meet me here.”
“I can’t get my moms keys. I already had the car all day.”
“Well, I can’t drive. I’ve already been drinking.”
My stomach went into knots. Well since Dylan’s is luckily in the same neighborhood I decided I would just walk. Its only 9 after all. I set out to walk.
By the time I walked up to Dylans house it was a little past 10. I was getting there at prime partying time. When most people were showing up and plenty of people were already drunk. I texted Shelly to meet me outside. I sat down on the front steps to wait for her when I looked back inside and saw Mike talking to Mariah. He was smiling and she was laughing at something he said and touched his arm the way only a girl flirting would do. My stomach turned into knots and Shelly came up out of nowhere.
“Hey, drink this.” She pushed a beer into my hand. I grabbed it and chugged it down.
“Damn girl, Maybe I should get you another one.” She laughed and walked away.
I followed behind her into the house over to a large cooler. She grabbed two beers out of there for me. I opened the other one and chugged it down really fast.
“Woah there, Why don’t you take a break.” Shelly looked at me concerned.
I glared back at her as I opened my third beer. This one I decided I would take it easy and just drink it normally. That proved to be harder than expected. It didn’t go down as easy and when I drank it slowly the beer had a horrible taste. I cringed almost every time I took a drink. I wandered into the kitchen where there was a colossal size of liquor all over the counters. I picked up a pint of rum and dumped it into a cup with some coke. I sipped it. It tasted so much better. I started feeling really good when my vision started moving around. Whenever I tried to focus on somebody or something they were tilting. I decided to go and sit down on the couch and I horridly drank the rest of my cup.
Some guy came up to me and put his arm around me.
“Hey Girl.” He said.
I smiled weakly back and I couldn’t really focus on him.
He hand started moving up and down my arm when I tried to get up and walk away he pulled me back down on the couch.
“It’s okay. I got you.” He grinned slurring his words.
“No, Stop. I want to get up.”
“Its alright. Your just feeling a little sick.” His hand started rubbing my leg.
“No, seriously, Stop. I don’t want you to touch me.” He ignored me.
I tried to push him off of me and move away but his arm had a firm grip on my leg. He wouldn’t let me go.
“Get off of her.” Mike said as he was now standing in front of us.
“Hey man, she likes me. Just leave us alone." he said as he pulled me closer to him.
I looked up at him which was pretty hard to focus on as he yanked me up, ripping me from the grip of the other guy. I looked down at the red mark he made doing so. I glanced back up at him and glared.
“Please, save it for some girl that’s going to fall for the whole heroic act.” I said feeling the ice in my voice.
“What are you talking about? I was helping you out.” He said back confused.
I started walking away and as I got outside I tripped and fell in the front yard. I was so mad and angry that I just fell in front of who knows that tears started running down my face. My face got beat red as I stood up and looked down at my grass stained knees. I decided the best thing right now is to walk back home. I started down the street when I heard someone yelling my name.
“MACY!” they screamed.
I looked back to see Mike running after me. He caught up to me and looked into my eyes. His greens eyes made my heart beat flutter.
“Hey, I can give you a ride. I wasn’t even drinking. I swear.” He said.
“Why should I?” I asked
“Because…You don’t honestly want to walk all the way home.”
“I don’t know.”
“My truck is back there. Come on?” He said giving me his hand.
For once in my life I decided not to think. I stopped my mind and went with my heart. I looked up at his cute half smile and decided to take his hand.
He walked us back to his truck and helped me in it. He got in and turned on a little background music and started up his truck. The roar caught everyone’s attention if just for a moment. We started driving down the empty streets on Greenville. The stars were shining and it was absolutely beautiful outside, but I could barely concentrate with mike sitting so close to me.
I looked over at him and he turned his a little bit and smiled. He asked me where I lived and I told him. When we pulled up out front of my house he turned his truck off and we sat there in silence for a few minutes.
“I am really sorry for saying that tonight. I feel really bad.” I said as I turned away from him.
“Yea, why did you say that?”
“I don’t know. I just felt like you were playing me and I don’t want to be that girl..”
“What girl?”
“The girl that gets played and everyone knows it except her.” I said shyly turning to face him again.
“Well, I’m not that kind of guy. I won’t do that to you.” He said grabbing my hand.
My heart beat a little faster looking down and seeing his fingers intertwined with mine.
“I hope so.”
He leaned in and I could smell his cologne. His lips touched mine as he kissed me lightly.
My heart started beating so fast that I swore I would have a heart attack any second. My head started spinning and I just felt everything melting away.
He pulled away and sighed.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“It was exactly how I imagined.” He looked up at me and smiled that amazing half smile.
We both stared into each other’s eyes and laughed.
“Do you want to come and sit down on the gazebo in the backyard?” I asked.
“Sure.” He said as he turned off his truck.

Chapter 5

After that night Mike and I were inseparable. He picked me up to go to parties with him and we even double dated with Shelly and Carter.
Shelly and Carter were official. I saw something in Shelly that I didn’t even know existed. Her eyes, every time I saw her, were glowing with happiness. She laughed at nothing and smiled when everyone in the world seemed to be sad. She was this girl that I’ve never met before.
I looked at her through her mirror as she got ready for the day. The life in her eyes was breathtaking.
“So, are we going to go to the beach today?” I asked Shelly.
“Well, I don’t know, because Carter really wanted to take me out to dinner. Do you think we can do it tomorrow?” She turned and smiled at me.
“Yea, That will be cool. Maybe Carter and Mike can come too.” I added.
She looked at me and her face lit up. “That would be great.” She smiled.
“Alright, well I’m going to meet Mike up at his house. I will see you later.”
“Alright, text me.” She turned back to the mirror.
I walked back to my house and on the way Mike passed me and picked me up.
“Hey you.” He smiled at me and kissed me.
“Where are we going today?” I asked.
“I was thinking we could go to Fort Raine today. Have dinner and walk along the beach.” He looked over at me with his beautiful green eyes and smiled.
“Sounds perfect.”
We drove to Fort Raine