Chapter 1
Ellie
I hopped along the river stones, Isla leading the way, and David, my boyfriend, just behind me. We were sixteen- our own little trio. Well, mostly. On days like this, Isla was the third wheel, though she never said a word about it. Still, I could tell she hated it deep down. Whenever David suggested hanging out, and Isla happened to be nearby, we always felt like we had to include her. We never kissed in front of her, never acted like more than friends- but when it was just the two of us, it was different. Always.
It was a warm, sunny day when Isla, David, and I finally reached the grassy hillside nearby. We spread out our picnic blankets and sat down, sharing sandwiches and biscuits while taking in the view. Sunbeams filtered through the gap between two tall trees, casting a golden glow over the countryside. It felt like the whole landscape was quietly shimmering.
Once Isla left, David and I finally had a moment to ourselves. We shared a quick kiss and snapped a selfie, caught up in the feeling of having a bit of romance without an audience. Later that night, as I scrolled through the photos, something made me pause. In the background of the picture—barely noticeable at first—was Isla, watching us. Her expression was tight, almost angry. It looked like a scene straight out of a love triangle movie poster—like that shot from The Summer I Turned Pretty, where Jeremiah kisses Belly’s cheek while Conrad watches from the side, seething.
I stared at the photo in disbelief. Isla knew David and I were dating—so why did she look so angry? What made it worse was that we had plans to watch the new episode of the Summer I Turned Pretty finale at 9 p.m., and it was already 10. She still hadn’t shown up. I called her, and she answered casually, saying she’d be over in ten minutes—she’d just lost track of time. Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe she’d just turned around at the wrong moment and the sun was in her eyes. That could be it... right?
True to her word, she arrived ten minutes later, arms full—with a giant bag of popcorn and her usual Team Conrad flags in tow. That night, she stayed over. After finishing the new episode, we ended up binge-watching a few older ones, just like always.
When I woke up, I noticed three missed calls from David. I figured I’d call him back later. His name was saved with a heart next to it—of course. Isla and I had matching phone cases, matching lock screens, even the same phone model, so I didn’t think twice. It wasn’t until later that night, when I finally called him back and asked why he’d tried to reach me, that everything shifted. “I didn’t call you,” he said. That’s when it hit me. It wasn’t my phone.
It was Isla’s.
