SEVEN

"Come on, just one," Charlie pleads with me as I run away. "No!" I shout, running further down the shore of the beach, hearing Charlie catch up. Just as his arms wrap around me, I scream, my clothes now wet as Charlie laughs. "I didn't want to get wet," I mumble, lightly shoving Charlie away as he pecks the tip of my nose. "And no, I'm not going in the water." "Just one round. I'll even help you." Charlie wants me to do one wave on his board, saying he hardly ever gets to see me do so. As his arms around around my body as we face the rest of the group, my eyes catch Axel's, his filled with jealousy as I lean back in Charlie's hold. "No, I'm not in the clothes to get soaked," I retort, turning around to face Charlie as he pouts his lips. "And thanks to you I'm a tad wet." "One wave!" Franke yells as she stands beside Tanner, pressuring me. "Just one!" Sighing, I pick up Charlie's board from the ground, hating how Axel watches me. Peeling off my wet shirt, I reveal my dark purple bra, already feeling Axel's eyes on my body. Why does he do this? Why does he want to get me back? Is he so low to be friends with a guy whose girl he wants to steal? To steal just for one night and then dump like yesterday's trash. "Let's go," I mumble, leaving Charlie at shore as I head into the cold and crystal blue water. "God be with me," I mutter to myself, rolling my eyes as I hear Franke ask Tanner for his board. As she gets it, she follows me out into the water. Why don't I like the water? Because I'm just not the biggest fan of the ocean. Hell, my plans are to live inland and never next to the beach when I get a job. When the water reaches my waist, I hop onto the board, swimming deeper into the water as Franke is right on my tail. By the time I'm out the farthest I should go, I sit up on the board, waiting for some action as the shore before me is tempting me to swim back. Why? Because right now, Axel is swimming out to meet us, his shoulder muscles working perfectly as he quickly catches up. "Let me guess," Franke begins as Axel sits on his board right next to mine. "You're here to try and tell us how to surf?" Axel shakes his head, those eyes meeting mine, only to glance down towards my chest. "Or you're here to be a perv," I comment under my breath. "Come on now, Winifred, I'm not that much of a jerk," Axel chuckles. How did he hear that? My voice wasn't even a whisper. Just as I look behind me, Franke is getting onto her stomach, ready to ride the wave that she has claimed as her's. Taking the wave, she gets to her feet as she rides it, heading back to shore as I'm left all alone. "Let's see how good you can ride a wave," I comment, looking at Axel as a cocky grin is upon his face. "I can do that pretty well, though I doubt I'm as good at riding waves as you would be at riding me- "Shut up!" I snap, my face turning red at his perverted remark. Seeing the next wave coming in, I get onto my stomach, hearing Axel whistle at me as I roll my eyes. I take the wave, soon enough getting to my feet as its shaky underneath me. The mist of water seems to calm me though, my muscles relaxing as a soft smile spreads across my face. It feels like freedom. As the wave ends halfway to shore, I fall off, the water taking me under as another wave passes above me. Getting back to the surface, my small laughs go silent as Axel is off of his board beside me, a wave coming at us as we go over it. We're hidden from sight. "Nice job," Axel comments, treading water as he gets closer to me. "Though I have to say you've not really improved since I last saw you." He last saw me surf four years ago. That's why I don't surf, because that was our activity. That was what we would do school nights when we couldn't take the stress of his parents or school. His parents ordered him around constantly, telling him who to act, dress, make friends with. That's why he went away, because his parents wanted him to become a mold of what they imagined. "Sure," I mumble, grabbing into the board as I float in the ocean. Just as I'm about to head on back, a hand wraps around my foot, pulling me right next to the devil himself as I get ready to land a punch on his face. We float side by side, Axel silent as he holds my board in his hand, making sure I cannot go. "You know you deserve better, right?" "Will you please just drop your game of wanting to just have a quick bang with me and then drop me. I have a boyfriend and college is right around the corner. Nothing will ever happ- As another wave secluded us from the eyes on shore, lips land upon mine, gentle and soft as he pulls me in, my chest pressed against his as his arms wrap around my body tightly. I try and break free as sparks run through every inch of my body, my heart skipping a beat in shock. "Stop doing that," I hiss, pushing upon the male as the wave crashes. "You're never getting me back, Axel, never," I snap. "Charlie has me and you never will. You will never get me." I swim back to shore, riding a few smaller waves as I leave the cocky male back in the ocean. As I land my feet upon dry sand, I look back to the ocean, seeing Axel there, just floating as he allows the tides to take control. He looks sad. He looks broken. "His poor ego," Franke whispers next to me, a soft giggle escaping her lips as I nod. Yet something tells me it's not only his ego that was broken today. By the time I'm laying on a towel next to Charlie, my arms wrapped around his torso as we listen to music, I hear Axel coming to shore. It's been nearly an hour. All he did was ride wave after wave. Most would see it as him enjoying himself, but I know it as something else. As a child he would ride wave after wave to forget what had happened, to try and take his mind off of something. Tanner goes up to Axel, talking about some of the tricks he pulled. I shut my eyes, leaning more into Charlie as Charlie plays with the stands of my hair. "Winifred," Charlie whispers in my ear, causing me to open my eyes and meet his gaze. Lips are upon mine, Charlie rolling us over to where he's propped up on his elbows, kissing me as I close my eyes tightly. This is the kiss you want under the stars. This is the one cheesy movies want you to wish you had. This is the kind that is too good to be true. Hell, Charlie is too good to be true, how he cares for me and puts me first, always making sure I'm okay and that I'm happy. He makes me smile, laugh, feel loved. As the kiss ends, I open my eyes, only to spot out a pair of angry ones, Axel's eyes practically black as he stands beside Franke. "Ready to go?" Charlie asks as I nod. Getting to our feet, I help pack up as Tanner begins assigning us things to take back to the jeep. His jeep is parked like all the other cars, behind a small layer of forest area, a sandy path leading back there. It's barely a walk, yet I don't want to do the trip with anyone but Charlie. Taking the cooler, I begin my trip, ready to head back home as Tanner assigns the next thing. By now the sun has begun to go down, beautiful colors illuminated in the sky as I reach the jeep, placing the cooler in the backseat under the boards as I can hear Franke and Charlie laughing in the distance. "Frowns don't suit you." "Didn't know I was frowning," I remark, watching as Axel loads up the umbrella we took. We both watch the sunset, both leaning against the jeep just a foot from the other. "Do you remember what my mom said about sunsets?" He asks, causing memories to flood my mind of years and years ago. "What she said they symbolized." I nod. "She said they symbolized promises, I remember," I answer, turning my face to look at the beautiful male before me. "Why?" Axel shrugs, looking my way as a soft and lopsided smile crosses those lips. "I just wanted to know you remembered something about those years ago." I do. I remember one night we watched the sunset as he promised me he would always love me, that no matter how much time had passed, he would always love me. "I remember enough," I comment, crossing my arms as his smile vanishes into thin air. "Then let me promise you something again," Axel whispers, turning to face me as his lips are inches from my own. His toxic scent overwhelms me as he stares down into my eyes. "I don't want another hollow promise." "I won't give you a hollow promise," Axel whispers, tucking a strand of my wet hair behind my ear as the sun begins to go down further now. "I'll give you something to hold onto." "And what might that be?" I ask, getting irritated as he c***s his head to the side. A smirk plays across his lips as those eyes have a hint of mischief. "I promise I'm going to get you back."