5- "Affair..."

I embraced myself as I walked along the beach, feeling the cold breeze of air on my skin.

Everyone is now inside the resthouse. For Zack, on the other hand, I have no idea where he went, if he had plans, or when he would return.

"Irryn?"

I turned to face the person who had called me. Ryle was walking near to me.

I smiled at him. "Ryle!"

"What are you doing here? It's late already, and it's cold here."

"I'm just enjoying the sound of the waves and the cold wind."

He smiled, too. "Is that so? Then would you mind me joining you?"

"I don't mind."

He walked beside me, grinning widely. We went for a walk together.

"You love seas, don't you?"

"Hmmn..." I agreed. "No one doesn't."

"So, we're basically the same. I suppose you're always going to beaches, don't you?"

"We're different in a way, Ryle. I don't get to go to the beach all the time. I went to the beach for the first and final time when I was in kindergarten. This is only my second time doing so."

He stared at me, a look of complete surprise on his handsome face. "Really? Is this your second time going to a beach?"

I nodded. "Yes. Aside from not being able to afford such seaside resorts, transportation fees are outrageously costly. Instead of wasting money on unnecessary spending, we must save for our everyday needs as well as for my school's finances."

"Wow. I can't believe I hear this mature reasoning from a sixteen-year-old like you! Are you really just sixteen?" he sounded so impressed.

I chuckled. "Sure! Don't I appear to be?"

"Speaking from looking simply at your appearance, you look younger than sixteen, but the way you think at things looks like you aren't just sixteen. You speak more maturely than your actual age."

"Are you kidding me?" Still smiling, I shook my head. "It could just be that we'd had a particularly rough go of things in life. When my dad passed, I had to put my own interests and desires aside since I had to consider firstly what was best for my mother and me."

"But now, Irryn, we're here for you both. Rhian, my father, and I. We're here for you, and we're now family. You must enjoy things while you are still young. You don't have to think about it all that much. You don't have to think about the critical and complicated problems that only adults should think about. "Enjoy your teenage years while they last."

I felt grateful. "Thank you so much, Ryle. Thank you for accepting us to be part of your family."

He smiled at me and nodded.

I then remembered the seriousness of his expression when his father and my mother had previously discussed getting married.

I'm concerned about how he feels about it, but he couldn't explain himself clearly enough to give his honest opinion.

"Anyway, I observed you were silent and serious when uncle Alanson and my mother were discussing their wedding plans. I was concerned because you didn't say anything. Is their decision okay for you?"

"How about you?" he asked in response to my question. "Is it okay for you to see your mom marry someone else after your late father?"

"My father has been gone for three years. My mother never abandoned me and never stopped caring for me. She supported me entirely on her own. I believe it is time for her to be happy again."

He smiled as he glanced out at the sea. "Even though it's only been a year since we lost mommy in a car accident, dad never failed us, nor did he neglect us. Even though he lost mom, he still chose to stay strong for us. If auntie Fidelia is the one to bring back the happiness in dad's eyes, I will have no problem with their marriage, and I will approve it wholeheartedly."

"You mean you're not against their marriage?"

He glanced at me with the affection of a sibling.

He looks exactly like his younger brother, but he's a little taller, and he's the gentle and kind version—almost having an aura of a good angel.

"Ryn, I have no reason to be against it. I've seen how pleased Rhian gets and how excited she is to look forward to daddy remarrying another woman who has a lot of potentials to be our second mother. Rhian is very young, and she primarily needs the care of a mother."

I was relieved. Knowing that Ryle is not going against our parents' wishes is a great relief for me.

A strong wind blew, and I embraced myself since it was so cold.

Ryle took off his coat and put it on me, which surprised me.

"Ryle, you don't have to—"

"It's always been cold here, especially in the middle of the night. Let us take a seat on the bench."

I agreed as he brought me to one of the benches in front of the cottages.

"I haven't asked you this question yet, Ryle, and I hope you don't mind. But how old are you already?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Twenty-six. Way ahead to go over the calendar digits!" he joked around.

I laughed. "Hey, you're being exaggerated! Twenty-six is still young!"

He nodded, never disagreeing with me.

"How 'bout, Rhian? How old is the youngest?"

"She's only twelve years old and will begin Grade 7 in June. So, how about you? "I'm guessing you're in grade 11?"

"Yes. You? You're through with school?"

"Been years already since I got my degree. I have been in charge of this resort's operations for some time now."

Speaking of the resort, I saw that there had been no other tourists or travelers since we arrived this morning. It was just mom and I and the Lamonts.

"I haven't seen any guests here since mom and I arrived. Why?"

"Dad intended to close this resort today for tourists. He reserved it just for his family." I was surprised. So, that was the reason why this place was limited to only a few people today.

When I noticed the fishing boat approaching us, my heart began to race. I couldn't go wrong with whoever was driving the aforementioned watercraft. Standing tall on his boat in that white t-shirt, faded jeans, and wet boots. He looked like he was the king of the seas and oceans.

"Zack! Did you have fun on your boat trip all by yourself?" Ryle humorously remarked.

The boat stopped at the shore, and he went down. He ignored his brother and, again, pretended to be deaf as if he didn't hear anything at all. He fixed the boat's rope and tied it to the nearest tree's trunk.

Without a trace of a smile, his aura was as dark as usual when he came passing us by. He would probably go back to the resthouse.

"Where's Rhian, bro?" he spoke to his brother, at last!

"She's already inside the resthouse, Zack."

"Glad that you didn't bring her here to witness your night of passion. It's already late at night," he said mockingly.

Wait, what did he say? Night of passion? Was he implying that Ryle and I were having a romantic affair with each other?

Oh, he must be kidding! The two of us, actually, the four, including him and Rhian, are about to become siblings! I'll be about to be their stepsister!

Before he left, he merely smirked and stared at me sternly.