FOUR

Rolling over, I shove my face into the pillow, groaning as the sunlight streams in. My arms spread across the surface of the bed, grabbing at the familiar sheets as I stretch my legs. Maybe a long night was not the best decision. Not to mention today is a long day at the beach for surfing and sports with everyone I graduated with. "You okay?" Tilting my head up, I smile as Charlie enters the room, drying his damp hair with a towel. "Shower already?" I ask, sitting up as I stretch out my arms, the blanket falling off of my front. He nods, walking over to his dresser, throwing me a shirt as I grab my bikini top. Another day at the beach awaits after a night of partying and being tangled in the sheets. A day followed after seeing the boy who broke the girl I once was. "Went for a run this morning, I woke you up, but you didn't move really," Charlie explains, chuckling. As I put my top back on, followed by the shirt, I get to my feet, grabbing my bikini bottoms. Once finished, I walk over to Charlie, running my hands through his newly-cleaned hair. "Do you want some breakfast before we head out? William stopped bye earlier and brought some pancakes with him." We eat in his room, watching the local news as we're too comfortable to move and group the remote. In fifteen minutes we're driving to my house for a change of clothes, my parents already gone for the day. With a fresh pair of shorts over swimming suit and a tank top now on, we head back out, prepared for another long day. For all I know this could either be a great day where I don't see Axel at all. But I doubt he will even be there. It's a group of just graduated classmates. No one more. No one less. Axel showing up at last night's party is only because it was a party open to more of the public sector of people my age in the town. By the time we arrive at the beach, it's packed, old classmates everywhere as they do a variety of items. From volleyball to lounging around, surfing to eating, and rugby to just chatting, there's much to do. I'd guess around seventy are here already, half the size of our town's just graduated high schoolers. Charlie takes my hand, walking with me to the area a group of his buddies have called him over to. Looking around as we walk, I scan the crowds of people for a familiar face that I do not want to see at all. "Dude, did you hear about Amanda?" Charlie's good friend, Asher, asks right off the bat. His tone is strange, concerned, worried. "Amanda Potter?" I ask, gaining a few glances from Charlie's old teammates. Asher nods, an emotion of despair crossing his eyes as I begin to worry. Was she drugged? r***d? Just last night I saw her, smiling and laughing as her boyfriend greeted her with a hug. I look around for James, Amanda's boyfriend. A theater kid, one of the sweetest around, and a childhood friend. A childhood friend like everyone here. "You won't find her here," Asher comments as I look around even more, worried for the popular soccer player who Asher seems worried about. "Why not?" Charlie asks, his grip on my hand tightening. He's worried. He's worried for a girl he barely knows. That's another reason why I fell for him, because he cares for every soul no matter how much of a stranger they may be. Asher looks down for a second, shaking his head before he looks back up to meet Charlie's gaze. "Two moms found her this morning." "Passed out?" I ask, my heart thumping in my chest as my skin pales. "Dead. Police are still keeping it under wraps but from what the news is saying, it was some animal attack," Asher explains as the bright smile of a once beautiful girl passes through my mind. I had met with her a couple of times this year, either due to a school assignment or group get together. My shoulder is grabbed, causing me to turn around and meet the bright blue eyes of Rosie. "Come on, Wini, you're missing all the fun." I'm pulled from the group of chatter, Rosie holding my hand tightly as she runs with me on her tail to a group playing frisbee. Still, I'm shocked by the news of Amanda's death. Shocked that someone I knew for so many years could one day just be gone forever. But an animal attack....that's not the way anyone should go. "Did you hea- "About Amanda?" I ask for an interruption as one of the girls greets me. I think she's from the softball team, her older brother being one of Charlie's best friends. "About the guy at the party last night," she corrects, flipping her blond hair. "Quite the view. Quite the guy too, for sure no longer a boy. I'd love to see what he has packaged." I choke on the air I breathe, almost turning blue as she raises an eyebrow. "Sorry, swallowed some insect." She nods, moving on to discuss Axel, what he looks like, what his voice is like. Without even meeting him face to face for more than a minute and he already has her around his finger. "What was his name anyway?" She asks, trying to remember. "Adam? Aaron?" "Axel," I mutter, watching as her face brightens up as she nods in agreement. "Axel indeed. Not to mention half the cheer squad now wants to bang him," she comments, throwing the frisbee to me. I take it, throwing it across the group playing as someone goes for it. Turning back to Rosie, I drag her out of the group, the sun beating down upon my skin. "I'm going to head off and find Franke." Rosie nods, waving me off as I walk through the sand. Multiple people say hi as I pass bye, causing me to reply with the same word as I slide on my sunglasses. Ever since the first news that reaches my ears today made my day turn sour, I just want to leave. I want to crawl under my covers and just plan for the college year ahead. "William, have you see Franke?" I ask, reaching a group about to head out for a surf. "Check the bar." Makes sense. Franke being the one who loves a good bottle of beer and quite the great fake ID maker as well. Heading over to the bar where the off-dust lifeguards converse, my eyes catch the head of lilac hair. The sand burns my feet as I get closer, the shaded region so close. Just as I'm about to wave at Franke for attention, my arm is grabbed, pulling me away. Right before I can even turn around to face whoever grabbed me, a pair of lips land upon mine, a gentle kiss laid upon mine. The moment I spot those warm brown eyes, I close my own, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Where did you go?" Taking a step back, I offer Charlie a smile, only for it to fade as I catch a glimpse of a figure. He even stands beside the lilac-haired girl, flirting with her as she smiles and laughs back. It's like a stab to the heart. "You okay?" My attention is drawn back to where it should be. Back to the boy I'd rather spend my time and thoughts on rather than the boy I've tried to evade from my mind and memories. "Peachy." Charlie laughs. "Who the hell still says that?!" He remarks, throwing an arm over my shoulder as we turn to face the crashing waves. Suddenly, I'm hoisted off of my feet, thrown over a shoulder as I let out a playful scream. That's until I look up to meet those eyes that entice me even more every second. He stands there, just watching, his body tense, his body language tell me he's not pleased. Just as my body crashes into the water and my clothes become soaked, his voice floods my head. His words. How he told me he liked me the first time he ever grew a pair to do so. But why is he back? No, I'm not asking about back in town to one day take over his family's business. But why is he back here? At this party? With Franke? Watching me? Why did he follow Charlie and me last night back to Charlie's car? Why did he watch? Why does he follow me when he never even bothered to catch up with me all those years ago? As I reach the surface and take in a deep breath, I forget all about Charlie as I look past him and to the boy. He's gone. Gone like how he once was. Charlie helps me out, pulling me up as the warm hair blows across my wet skin. "Come on," he whispers as I'm close enough to hear, pulling me out o the ocean and onto the sand. I'm picked up, bridal style, carried as heads turn. Many know us as the high school sweethearts, the two doomed to fall in love, have two kids, a dog, and then divorce once things turn bitter. For five more hours we remain at the beach, laughing, playing sports, snacking, and just catching up before we all go out own separate ways. As the sun begins to set soon enough, I find myself spotting him in the most random of places, whether it be in a crowd of people just chatting or out in the ocean. I can't help but let my eyes roam to find him, to discover where he has gone off to once more. Grabbing a beer from Franke's hand that she offers, I put on a mask. Yes, she flirted with a boy she knew broke me apart years ago, but although it is girl code to not do so, I've decided to push it behind me. At least for the summer. The time we have left before she goes of nineteen hours away. As I take a swing of the beer, wanting to know where Charlie is. No doubt with his friends, but still, I'd rather have him around me right now than a load of people I've just said hello to in the halls. "I'm going back to get another drink," Franke informs, leaving me once more as I stand all alone. After five minutes I've migrated to the edge of the crowd, near the more sheltered and secured area of the beach. Palm trees line the area I stand next to, looking out over the people who go into the water. "I always thought you would enjoy these gatherings." I jump. Right before I even land a foot in the opposite direction of the male, my arm is grabbed, pulling me back into the line of trees. "Maybe because your boyfriend isn't here." Right away I land a slap to his face, watching as his lace clenches in the process. His head barely even moves, his features only becoming sharper due to my action. "Leave me alone. I have barely even two months left here and I would really appreciate it if you didn't show up anymore." My brown eyes meet his, that beautiful swirl of blue, the color that tempts my mind to always keep him in my memories. "And why? With so little time left you should live a little," he remarks, pulling me closer as some type of feeling runs through my body, one that causes what could be described as sparks course through my body. As he stares down into my eyes, another feeling causes my heart to skip a beat. "Living a little gets people killed," I snap, shoving on his chest, only for him to move no where. Hands suddenly cup my face as a pair of lips land upon mine. Unlike the type Charlie gives, the kind you would expect from star gazing or a romantic date, this one is filled with utter and raw need. A need so passionate and raw that a certain feeling goes down south. Arms wrap around me as if a python, pulling me tighter against a hard body as I try and break free. As his hood loosens and I'm able to leave his hold, my eyes lock upon his. "You need to leave," I snap, looking back to the crowd as I spot Charlie from afar. "And there's the golden boy, the little mommy's boy." My chin is grabbed, forcing my eyes to meet his as my blood begins to boil. "And now we part for the rest of our lives." Grabbing the collar of his shirt, I pull roughly downward, causing him to bring his head down. "f**k off." He smirks, one that makes the hairs on my neck to stand tall. "I love it when you go all dominatrix on me." A punch, one right to the jaw as I watch his eyes darken, as if some strange effect of the sunset upon his orbs. The back of my neck is grabbed, lips smashing against mine as I struggle to break loose. "I said, f**k off." He pulls back, looking at me, inspecting every ounce of my face as he lets me go. Just as I head back to the party, to find Charlie, to escape, the devil himself speaks. "You will be mine." Over my dead body, I think to myself, running right over to Charlie as the tears are just about to begin. The boy who broke my heart and never wrote me back has now claimed he wants me. He wants a second chance to take me as his, to declare he wants me back. But as Charlie's arms wrap around me and I burry my face into the crook of his neck, I know where I stand on the matter. I know what side I'm on. "You okay?" "Can we just leave?" I practically beg, the tears beginning as his face is flooded with worry. Charlie nods, hugging me tightly as his shirt absorbs my tears. As I'm carried back to the parking lot, set into the passenger seat as Charlie makes it quick to get the car started. As we drive away, I catch one last look at the male, how he watched me, how he lurks in the trees like a predator, how he keeps hidden except for the prey that knows where to find him. Axel is the perfect predator, how he can blend in, becomes completely invisible as he blends in, and can make anyone fall for him in the blink of an eye. Axel is trouble, trouble that I do need whatsoever. Trouble that could only harm me in the end like it did before.