His tone wasn't overly-warm, but I'll take it.

"What's the party boy doing all the way over here?" I asked to his back, trying to keep my tone light. In reality, I wanted to cry. I didn't know how much Daniel truly mean to me, until he was about to go. Wasn't that true of most things?

"Party boy doesn't want to party," he replied, taking a swig from the bottle of vodka.

"You're going to go, Daniel," I said, my tone softening. "Don't you want to say bye to your friends?"

"Bye." His back was immobile, solid. His silhouette rippled with the ocean. What expression did he have on, right now? If only I could see his face...well, actually I knew. He was an actor, after all. His expression would be perfectly unreadable.

"Daniel..." Tears started forming again. I wiped them away, angrily. Why was I crying so much? I didn't even like Daniel, right? That's why I'd broken up with him. "You can't do that...you can't just go without saying goodbye."

He was utterly silent for a minute.

In the silence, I heard laughter and splashing. I glanced back at the party. They were waddling in the water. I turned back to Daniel.

"Daniel, everyone will miss you. You should know that."

I turned around, about to leave.

"Including you?"

I froze.

"Of course," I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Of course I would. Everyone would."

There was an awkward silence, and I had to fill it with the most stupid thing ever.

"You know, before..." I blurted out. "What did you want me to tell Erica?"

I immediately regretted it. His whole body rippled, like he'd just had an electric shock. He held perfectly still, for a moment, then forced himself to relax.

"Oh, nothing."

But it clearly wasn't nothing.

"Daniel, tell me."

"Nothing important...She already knows, anyway...It'll be stupid to tell her."

I frowned. What did I already know? "What do you want to tell her, Daniel?"

"Just...tell her I love her."

I froze, in shock. What did he say?! I must've heard wrong! He can't have said...No...

"You...love...her?" I repeated, the words incomprehensible to me. "You...? Since when?"

"Since when?" he asked, more to himself than me. His voice was hoarse and rough. What expression did he have on right now? I wanted to see his face so much...why weren't my legs moving? "I've loved her since the moment I met her..." He ran his fingers through his hair, and to my surprise, I heard a low chuckle. "Maybe that's just a lazy generalization...I guess I've loved since I...loved her."

The tears were rolling down my cheeks, and I suddenly prayed he wouldn't turn around.

"It's too late now, of course. We're over. It's over."

Oh, God. What had I done?

"Is that why you're moving?" I choked out. "Is that why you're leaving?"

He was silent for a while. He took another long swig of vodka, before he answered. "My brother's dead."

I stumbled back in shock. His brother was dead?

"When?" was all I could say.

He laughed, again, a bitter laugh full of hatred for the world. "The day I broke up with her...he passed away."

I closed my eyes. Oh, God. I had no idea. I had no idea I'd done this to him.

I fell to my knees, into the sand.

I suddenly realized everything. I suddenly knew why this was hurting me so much. Why I felt so lonely without him. Why just hearing his name made my heart beat fast.

"Daniel...I just want you to know...she loved you."

He spun around, his eyes wild. I could see his face now, and it was twisted in anger. He gave a hollow laugh. Don't laugh, Daniel. Don't laugh if you don't mean it. Cry when you want to cry...just don't laugh.

Daniel was so wasted, he wouldn't be able to see my tears.

"If that's really true," he slurred, drunkenly. "Why would she leave me?"

He took another long drink from the bottle.

"I...Daniel...There are more important things than love in world."

I was trying to convince myself more than him.

His blue unfocused eyes bored into mine. "That's not true, Eric. Nothing is more important that love. If you don't think so, then you clearly don't know anything about the world..."

He laughed, again, that broken laugh. "But if you knew, Eric, if you truly understood, you would find that one person for you, find that person, and damn well never let go."

Tears overflowed form my eyes.

What had I done?

I turned away from Daniel, before I could do something I would regret. I looked back at the people in the ocean, splashing and laughing in the cold water. Cold...the sounded like a good idea...I needed to cool down.

I walked past Daniel, straight into the sea.

***

╣Daniel╠

I sucked at the bottle. It was empty. Damn it. I threw it away, annoyed. I closed my eyes, the sounds of the people already fading away into the darkness. I guess I was asleep.

So if you asked me when it happened, I don't know. One minute I was asleep. Next, there was shouting.

"Eric!"

"Oh my God, Eric!"

My eyes snapped open, my mind concentrating even in the drunken stupor.

"Someone, help him!"

I looked out, and I could see a pair of arms, desperately waving in the distance.

I cussed. Eric had swum out too far, and now he needed help.

I dove into the ocean, without a second's thought.

***

"Breathe, damn it!" I yelled, pumping his chest. "Breathe!"

No, this can't be happening! I can't let Eric die! Eric can't die!

Images flew into my mind. My brother. The doctor. A flat-lining screen.

I pumped harder.

Girls cried next to me. Scott, praying. I wasn't paying attention.

Eric!

Tyler ran forwards in the crowd, and pushed me away. Dazed, I fell back.

"I'm sorry, Erica," he mumbled. He ripped open Eric's shirt.

My confused mind tried to comprehend. Did he just say Erica?

Under Eric's shirt...was a bodice.

"Everyone look away!" Tyler ordered. Then, with a single, simultaneous movement, he ripped down the middle of his bodice.

My head spun...I couldn't...what the...

Eric jumped up, coughing up water and spluttering a lot. Slowly, he looked down himself and his hands flew to his chest, his cheeks flaming red.

His eyes met mine.

Eric...Erica...Oh my God.

***

Author's Note: OH MY GOD!!! HE FOUND OUT!!! EVEN I AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!

It's really almost over! Yay, that means I've completeled another task on my checklist! Damn it, I have to end this.

Well, VOMMENT!!! 

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