A Nightmare's Fate

Wipe Out

Chapter Thirty-one: Wipe Out

“Is she going to be okay?” I hear a faint female voice. Periwinkle, I think. From getting hit by the tide, I suppose I washed up on shore, blacked out. Keeping my eyes closed, my left side feels an indent in the sand and the light dims.

            Breathing begins as the person’s breath respires onto my skin. The sound of waves pierces into my ears as it’s the only thing I hear. Until the person’s lips comes to my earlobe and whispers, “Please come back.” Taking a deep breath, I feel his palms on my chest between my breasts, and the feeling of pressure presses down. I know my mouth opens, but I feel nothing that comes out. Force is put on my body once again, and I repeat the same task I did, but water oozes out from my esophagus and out of my mouth.

            Coughing, my eyelids slowly open and Errik’s smile is bigger than I have ever seen. For right now, it’s just him and his beautiful smile and gorgeous eyes, and the sound of waves kissing the shoreline and sending it away. This is the moment that I want to stay in; the time that I just want us to be alone and the feeling my abdomen has with its butterflies fluttering around like they want out, like they are trapped, but it’s like a sign that tells me that the insects are wanting to get out of a crush I have; isn’t that the reason why I feel this way?

How can you have a crush on Errik? What about Kenton?

            The voice in my head argues, and for once, I want to disagree. But it’s right. What about my fiancé; the man who died? The man that meant everything to me? He’s gone and I’m acting like this now? I’m acting like a selfish woman whom wants to cheat, who wants to be with another guy whilst her fiancé is in heaven. How can I act like this?

            Briskly, I stand up, and wipe the small particles off my thighs and stomach. The feeling of this infatuation seems quite awkward with Errik standing in front of me. At least he didn’t do full CPR on you, I think. My arms fold and I take in a few big breaths before actually calming down. “It was quite a show,” says Freddy, on the verge of smiling. But he quickly hides it as he realizes that I could have died. “You’re here though, that’s what matters.” He pats me on my back with his lips curled up.

            “Yes.” I nod, agreeing. “So how long have I been out?”

            Jessie waves her hand. “Not too long, about five minutes really.” From where I stand, I see Xavior’s arm curve around the back of her waist and holds her hand that is on the other side of her. A small pinch of jealousy rises through me just by watching them, but I quickly hide it before anyone notices my covetousness.

            “So . . .” I gaze out into the sunset. “Does anyone want to go out for ice cream?”

*~*~*~*~*

Our first night isn’t so bad. For me, at least—but with the happenings from earlier today, makes me keen and now I can’t sleep. Sleeping in a nice queen-sized bed is nice, but with what my heart feels for Errik, just can’t go on. My fiancé is dead, yes, but that doesn’t mean I should sleep with other people or even get together with others. If Errik had done CPR on me today, I don’t know what I would do, how I would react. Besides, a relationship isn’t going to get me anywhere with recovery.

            Standing out on the balcony, the same one I was on earlier this morning is like a déjà vu. But it wasn’t the fact that I was here this morning or even when I was younger. But it feels like when Kenton was alive, and we were here for our last time, I was standing in this same spot, wondering how life would be when we both get to New York. Since I overthink through things, especially life decisions, being here made me think of what would we do and how things would go. Of course, being a seventeen year old girl with tons of fantasies didn’t pay out, but I got some of it.