My Only Sunshine

Chapter 3

The entire morning, I couldn't stop thinking about what I learned about Damien.

I should've never listened in on their conversation, I couldn't focus when I was teaching the children in my morning swimming class, I eventually had to have someone cover for me while I went outside to have a moment to myself.

I had no reason to be upset, I didn't even know him, just his name, so I should just drop it.

Then again, I couldn't when fire was involved, and even though I lived my life as far away from it as possible, I saw the flames every single day, and whenever I saw those orange flames I thought back to that day.

That day and that time I was made to feel like a freak, a girl who lost her mind in the smoke, just another victim seeing things in the flames.

I hated it, I hated that nobody believed me, so I eventually stopped talking about it and then people forgot, it made it easier to pretend that maybe those people were right, and I was just traumatized.

I sigh out and bite into my sandwich and stared out at the ocean, watching an older man play with his grandkids as they built sandcastles.

Today was meant to be a good day, now I just felt like crap.

I hear voices behind me making me turn, then I see who those voices belonged to as I watch a bunch of men come out of the swimming center, but I only saw Damien as he laughed at something one of the other men said.

This was the worst, and I couldn't even explain why.

I silently ate my lunch and enjoyed the warm breeze of the ocean, until I saw someone sit next to me on the wall from the corner of my eye, making me turn to see who it was.

Why was he sitting next to me? I don't know why but whenever he was around me I got so nervous I didn't even know how to swallow properly.

"Hello." I greet him politely, as his eyes lock on to mine.

"You alright?" He asked, searching my face. "I heard you left your class early this morning."

I wonder who told him that? "Yeah, I'm fine, I think it's just the heat, it's been pretty warm the past few days, I was just a little lightheaded." I said, forcing a smile as his dark eyebrows scrunch together.

"I'm fine now, honestly."

I looked at him and saw that he was wearing a 'search and rescue' muscle t-shirt, I couldn't help but glare at the words, I only stopped when I realized the expression on his face from me creepily staring at his wide chest.

Oh my god, what am I even doing right now?

"Are you done for today?" I clear my throat, glancing at him. "I saw your uh... class leaving."

He looked at me confused before his brows rose. "They're just co-workers I'm training."

"Do you do that a lot?" I hum out as he puts his phone away to focus on me. "Train, I mean."

"That's the job." He shrugged. "I take it you know what I do?" He asked and I hesitated at first but eventually nodded my head.

"I'm only doing this for a few weeks to help out a friend, I left the job a few years back."

I could only nod my head and listen as I finished my lunch. "What about you?"

"Me?" I ask, confused as he nodded his head.

"Why water?"

Why water... why was he asking me that? It wasn't a personal question but for some reason it felt like he knew something in the way he asked it.