The Complete Memories Series Read Free Page A

it out and I nod, satisfied at my appearance.
    I slide my bag onto my arm, grab my phone and make a break for it downstairs. Grammy is pottering around in the kitchen doing whatever it is she does when I get downstairs.
    “Good morning, Lexy girl.” She turns to me with a smile and looks me over. “Off out?”
    “Yeah, I’m meeting Jen in about five minutes on the Bay.” I walk over to her and kiss her cheek.
    “Will you be back for dinner?”
    “I’m not sure. I’ll text mum and let her know, okay?” I open the front door.
    “Okay, love. Have fun!”
    “Bye, Grammy!”
    I walk outside and shut the door behind me. The sun glares at me and I push my glasses down onto my eyes. I can feel the heat on my arms as I walk down the street, and I smile to myself knowing I’ll have the beginning of a tan by the end of the day.
    The bay comes into view a few minutes later and the beach is deserted except for a few surfers in the sea and one lone figure sitting on the sand. The blonde hair lets me know it’s Jen, and I feel excitement rising up at the prospect of seeing my childhood summer friend again.
    Every summer since I was five, I’d play with Jen whenever we were here. The friendship started that year we were both five, and she stole my crab from my net when I was rock pooling. She gave me her fish in return, and we’ve been friends since.
    “Lexy!” she cries and gets up when she sees me approaching.
    She looks the same as she always has. Bouncy blonde hair - which now contains a pink shadow under her fringe - and big, blue eyes. She smiles and we hug excitedly.
    “You look good!” she says as I set my towel down on the sand.
    “So do you.” I smile at her and sit down. “I can’t believe how long it’s been.”
    “I know, seems like yesterday we were climbing over the rocks,” Jen muses. I laugh and shake my hair out, looking out at the sea.
    “Tell me about it,” I agree. “So, which one of the surfer kids is yours?”
    Jen stretches her arm out and points to the guy furthest to the right. “That’s Carl, he’s got the red board. And next to him on the blue board is his best mate, Alec. Oh my god, Lexy, seriously, that guy is hot. He works for your grandma, have you met him yet?”
    She’s looking out to sea so doesn’t realise I’ve frozen. Alec’s here?
    “Yeah, yeah, we met last night. At dinner,” I manage to say.
    Jen glances at me and smiles knowingly. “He’s hot, hmm?”
    “He’s not bad.” I shrug one shoulder.
    “Not bad?” She raises her eyebrows. “What’s up with your eyesight? I think you need to go to Specsavers, hun. Oh oh! I know! Boyfriend back in London?”
    “No.” I laugh slightly. “No boyfriend. I’m just not looking for that right now.”
    “If I didn’t have Carl, I’d be all over Alec.” Jen pulls her dress off revealing her bikini. I follow suit.
    “Does Carl know that?” I ask playfully.
    “Oh, yeah.” She giggles. “I mean, c’mon, Carl has a good body but Alec looks like he should be in a magazine or something. Problem is, he knows he’s hot, and he’s a terrible flirt.”
    I think back to the night before. Yeah, he was polite, charming even. But the sneaky glances he gave me, the winks thrown in and those dimples when he smiled at me...
    I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks. Oh, yeah.
    Alec is most definitely the kind of guy I need to stay away from.
    Him, and his dimples.
     
    ~
     
    The sun beats down on us as we catch up. Jen tells me about being accepted to a London University, and we squeal when it turns out it’s the same one I’m headed to. We’re still laughing about it when Alec and her boyfriend, Carl approach us.
    “Girls,” Carl sighs. “So giggly. We could hear you squealing halfway down the beach.”
    Jen reaches over and swats his chest with her bare hand. “You’re such an ass sometimes, Carl. This is Lexy, my childhood summer friend. Remember I told you she was here for the summer this year?”
    “Of course I