The Summer I Went Wild Chapter 4 Part 1
Chapter 4 · Part One
The Summer I Went Wild
Charlotte
The beach house was stunning. It was beyond spectacular. Perched on a quiet island off Miami’s coast, it seemed to belong to another world entirely, isolated from everything loud and busy.
The house was all pale wood and massive glass windows, catching every bit of light and practically shimmering in the evening glow. A wide porch stretched along the front, with sleek lounge chairs and a hammock swaying gently in the ocean breeze. Beyond the house, an endless stretch of sand led to the ocean, where the waves rolled in softly, casting that calming rhythm that felt like it had always been part of me.
Inside, the lounge was a dream. Sunlight spilled in through floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating plush sofas arranged around a low coffee table stacked with books, seashells, and smooth stones we’d collected over the years.
The scent of the ocean drifted in, mingling with a hint of salt on my lips as I sat perched on the kitchen counter with Maddy. We watched the sun slowly sink over the horizon, casting warm orange and pink hues over everything.
This view—it had always been magical.
Watching the sunset here had been our tradition, our way of reconnecting after our daily battles over who got to choose the day’s activities. Maddy loved scouring the beach for shells, while Jessica preferred building castles in the sand.
With his crayons and paints, Landon had his world he wanted to draw out. And then there was Caleb and me, content to go with the flow, ready to jump into whatever mischief or adventure we could find.
I could still hear Dad’s voice, calming our arguments with, “Why don’t y’all come watch the sunset with me? I’m sure you guys are going to love it.”
And we did. We’d come out every morning, sitting together, watching the sunrise before our day began. It was our ritual.
“You remember the last day we were here?”
I nodded, memories flooding back. It had been a beautiful, sunny morning, just like today. We’d been building sandcastles by the water, laughing and shouting, when we heard Mom’s voice cut through the peace—sharp, furious.
She yelled at Landon’s mom, who stood there, looking down.
“I don’t want ever to see your pretentious face.”
And that was it. Our summer trips here had ended, and with them, the friendship between our parents. Our friendship grew distant until he started dating Jessica and hanging around again.
“The fight?” I asked. “Or the castle we were building before that?”
“Nope.” Maddy shook her head, a smirk playing on her lips. “While we were watching the sunset, Landon smeared ice cream all over your face, and Jessica cried because he made you look ugly.”
I laughed, the memory feeling like a warm blanket. “Landon was such the prankster.”
“Yet so cute and innocent. He wanted to be an artist, marry someone like Cinderella, and live in some fairytale Disney house.”
“And today, he’s on a completely different path,” I said. “Becoming a lawyer. No longer cute or innocent.”
“I don’t know about the innocence part, but he’s still cute. Cuter than the last time you saw him.”
“Holy hell, I wasn’t talking about his looks. I meant his attitude.”
Maddy’s smirk widened. “I thought you wanted to lie through your teeth that he’s not hotter than your celebrity crush, Timothée Chalamet.”
“Oh, please. Landon is nowhere near him.”
“Char, you know the truth.” She leaned closer. “You used to find Landon so hot.”
My heart pounded.
Once, I’d had a stupid little crush on Landon—an all-consuming infatuation I buried the moment Jessica told me she liked him.
I’d shoved it down deep. Embarrassed. Silent. Forgotten.
Or so I thought.
Maddy’s knowing look sent a chill through me. She’d figured it out somehow, and I prayed she wouldn’t bring it up again.
The last thing I needed was for the past to creep back in.