Pretty & Perfect

Chapter Eighteen

"What about this one?" I asked Colin as I modelled the dark blue bikini for him. I was trying to choose which bathing suit to take away with us that weekend. A whole group of us were heading to Cabo for a weekend of sun and sand at the beach. Luckily, Logan's family had a beachside mansion for us to reside in. I had invited Rory to come but had warned her that Logan was going with a girl with fake blonde hair named Addison.

"I like it. Let's see the other one." Colin said from his spot lounging on the bed. He had his hands behind his head and his ankles crossed as he watched me with an amused expression as I tried on multiple bathing suits for him.

"You just like watching me get changed." I replied with a scoff but still I undid the string that was holding the top together and threw it at him when it fell loose. I grabbed the purple bikini top and tied it on. I modelled it in the full length mirror.

"Now the pants." Colin ordered me playfully and I raised an eyebrow at him but complied. I quickly changed the blue bikini bottoms to the purple and looked in the mirror. I felt Colin's gaze burning into my back and looked up to meet his eyes in the mirror. I grinned saucily when I saw the heat swirling in his eyes. I turned around and stepped towards him.

"What do you think?" I asked him seriously, feeling a little self-conscious. He slowed started clapping in appreciation and I laughed gleefully as I walked over the bed. I let him pull me down on top of him and kiss me hungrily. I put my hand on his chest to stop him when I heard my phone ring. He groaned and threw his head back in frustration as I climbed off of him and walked over to answer the phone.

"Hello?" I said into the phone as I answered it.

"He's dead." I heard my mother say on the other end and I immediately became worried.

"Who?" I asked in concern and Colin leant forward when he heard the worry in my voice.

"Old Man Twickham." She informed me and I gasped in disbelief.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"It's got to be a mistake." I said to her and Colin sat up in bed, looking over at me carefully. I waved away his concern and walked over to sit next to him on the bed. I mouthed the word 'Mom' to him and he nodded in understanding.

"It's not. The man is gone." She told me and I frowned.

"I don't believe it. I mean, are you sure?"

"There's no breath left in him. The light's gone out of his eyes. He smelled the burnt almonds. He's feeding the worms. He's chatting up his grandpa. He is the old man formerly known as Twickham."

"Wow. I can't believe he's gone. I mean, he's been dying my whole life." I said in disbelief and Colin stopped playing with my fingers and looked at me in confusion. I kissed his cheek and shook my head at his concern.

"And I just got my good-bye in. He was about to close shop for the day but we got in, told him good-bye and that we'd miss him, we left and then apparently he just closed his eyes. Muttered something about Lori Loughlin and that was that." Mom told me.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"He's never died before." I stated stupidly.

"I guess there's a first time for everything. Kirk's happy, though. His dying caused a run on souvenirs."

"Tacky." I said in mock disapproval. I bit my lip to keep for giggling as Colin traced little love hearts on my bare stomach.

"Oh, yeah. Tacky." She agreed with me.

"Did you buy me some?" I asked excitedly and Mom laughed at me.