It was the third day when I went to the beach, wearing a bikini (well, not that revealing like the other one). I stopped walking and lied down on a towel that I prepared. I got my sunglasses and placed it on my eyes. Closing them, I tried to relax and go to sleep so when I wake up, I’d have a nice new tan.
I didn’t know how long I stayed there but I heard someone clear their throat. I opened one eye and cocked my head to the side. Xavier was there, sitting beside me.
I sat up and brought myself to smile at him. “Hey, Xavier.”
“Hi.”
“I haven’t seen you last night,” I said nonchalantly. “We were watching my parent’s show.”
“I never thought you’d like that. Last time I asked you, you said you hated that.”
“Yeah, well… Maybe I have a change of heart,” I said and lied on the towel again.
“I think you’re tan enough,” Xavier pointed out.
I raised my arm and checked myself. “Nah, it’s not enough.”
“Well do you want to be tan like George Hamilton?” he asked, referring to an actor who is really tan.
I laughed. “I think that’s a bit too much. But I’ve just noticed that my whole body looks pale.”
“Well, pale is okay. And don’t you remember you’re a redhead?”
“So?”
“Your freckles.”
“Holy shit!” I gasped as I abruptly sat up, my hands immediately rummaging in my bag for a mirror. I checked my reflection and breathed out a sigh of relief. “I forgot about my freckles.”
Xavier smiled knowingly. “Yeah. You always do.”
“I think I should be off,” I grumbled and arranged my towel. I got up, expecting Xavier not to follow. But he did. I glanced at him over my shoulder. “Why are you following me?”
He frowned and I felt my heart quickened. Does he know the way he frowns makes me want to leap at him and devour his lips?
I shook my head, clearing my dirty mind that was filled with dirty thoughts.
“Well, I wasn’t following you,” he replied innocently. “You’re going back to the beach house and my next destination is also there. So… I wasn’t clearly following you.”
I rolled my eyes. “You sound so defensive.”
“Anyway,” he said, changing the topic, “I’ve noticed that you’re perfectly okay with Sandor last night.”
I pursed my lips. I totally forgot about how he caught Sandor and I making out. “He was just kissing me good night.”
“Well, it looks like he was making out with you – not just kiss you.”
I sighed. “Fine. We made out! So?”
Xavier’s jaw tightened. “So?” he repeated mockingly. “I felt jealous, Goddamn it.”
“Well—”
“No, don’t say anything,” he interrupted. “You have no idea how I got jealous, Autumn. So I think you should just be quiet so I will have my way on you.”
“What are you talking about—” But before I could say anything more, Xavier grabbed my arm and pulled me into a small bare room.
Immediately, his lips went down to mine, kissing me roughly. I dropped the towel and my bag to the floor. I pulled my legs up to Xavier’s hips as he pushed me to the wall. I opened my mouth wider and I felt his tongue.
I know I told him that this got to stop but then he still did it. Does this mean something?
Finally, I pulled away, pushing him away from me. He hesitated but eventually backed away. I took a deep breath before grabbing the towel and my bag.
“I’m so sorry I lost it like that,” he apologized quietly. “I-I didn’t know what came to me.”
“No problem,” I tried to assure him with a smile. “I also gave in so I guess we’re even. Okay, so let’s just forget about it.”
“Um… okay,” he said awkwardly and then opened the door so I could leave.
I stepped out and was gone.
***
“Did you sunbathe? Your freckles…” Summer winced.
I rolled my eyes. “I know. But at least it didn’t worsen like yours before.”
She made a grimace as she remembered what happened five years ago about her freckles. “Yeah, well…”
We were eating lunch outside the beach house with Olive and Mandy. Sandor’s in the tennis court, playing with Xavier. Sandor seemed okay with him now because he thought he had won me over.
“Well, that was just plain nasty,” Mandy tutted.
“Let’s stop talking about freckles,” Olive said firmly. Then she turned to me, a mischievous little smile on her face. “So what’s up with the love triangle?”
I frowned. “Excuse me?”
“Yeah, I kind of noticed that,” Summer said, nodding thoughtfully.
“What the hell are you talking about? I don’t know—”
“Don’t play dumb,” Olive said, rolling her grey eyes. “You very well know about your love triangle with dear old Sandor and Xavier, hmm?”
I almost choked on my barbecue. Okay, scratch that. I already did. Mandy handed me her glass of iced tea. I quickly gulped it down.
“So?” Olive asked as soon as I was okay.
“So there’s nothing to tell,” I said surely, sending her a warning glare.
She didn’t notice it, unfortunately. “There obviously is,” she insisted. “Come on, spill the beans. We’re waiting.”
“Fine,” I said and dropped my spoon and fork on my plate. Summer, Mandy and Olive watched me eagerly, waiting for my response. “Xavier and I are becoming close and, well; Sandor is getting jealous with the two of us. But,” I quickly said, raising my index finger in midair as Olive opened her mouth to interrupt, “nothing is going on, I tell you.”
Summer and Mandy exchanged sneaky glances but before I could give it a second thought, Olive blurted out, “So do you like Xavier? As in, more than a friend?”
“Xavier and I are just friends,” I announced as I started eating again.
“Friends with benefits, that is,” Mandy joked, making all of us (but me) laugh.
I frowned at her, wondering how she guessed about the “benefit” part. “I haven’t kissed Xavier,” I lied smoothly. “I even never gave it a thought, as a matter of fact.”
“Yet,” Summer added with a wink. “If I were you, I’d better go with Xavier. Whatever they say about him being the bad boy doesn’t matter. He has those looks that will make me a cougar.”
She laughed, but the three of us didn’t join her. We just stared at her as if she had grown an extra head.
“What?” she said, as soon as she stopped laughing her head off.
“Dude, that guy is like nine years younger than you,” Mandy said incredulously. “That’s just wrong.”
“Yeah, well—”
“Hello, ladies,” a familiar voice said. We turned and saw my mom, wearing a smart outfit while she walked to us, her hand on the crook of Dad’s arm.
Summer’s face immediately darkened as she ate her lettuce quietly. Mandy faked a smile at her while Olive combed her hair with her fingers. Of course, she needs to look the best when her idols are present, I thought, discreetly rolling my eyes.
“How are you, girls? You having fun?” Mom asked brightly.
I nodded. “Yeah, we are.”
“Where are the boys?”
“Tennis,” Olive replied for me, hoping her idols would spare her a glance.
Fortunately, Mom turned to her and gave her a friendly smile. “Oh, is that it? Well, Henry and I have finished eating lunch and we’re in our way to swim in the beach. You care to join us?”
A vision of my parents acting as teenagers sprung to my mind and I immediately refused in a heartbeat. “Sorry, but no.”
“Oh, well… Some other time, then,” Mom replied. With a little wave, she and Dad left.
“Thank God that’s over,” Summer said, sighing.
“You know you can’t ignore them for all your life,” I said, frowning at her disapprovingly.
“Watch me.” Summer got up from her seat, wiping her mouth with her table napkin. “Anyway, guys, I have to go now.”
She left without another word. Olive smiled at me sympathetically. “I didn’t know it was this serious.”
I sighed, knowing what she meant. I told Olive everything about Summer’s grudge on our parents. “Well, you haven’t seen half of it.”
Mandy cleared her throat. “Anyway, friends, I also have to go. I’ll meet up with that cute bodyguard,” she whispered with a wink, making us laugh.
When she left, Olive and I were alone. She smiled at me secretively. “So now Summer and Mandy are gone, you can tell me the real dirt.”
I frowned. “Now what the hell are you talking about?”
“You know… your relationship with Xavier! You can tell me the real stuff.”
“How many times should I tell you? There’s nothing going on between us!”
“Dude, I’ve known you since you were eight,” Olive pointed out. “And yes, I know we’ve been enemies for over two years, but still, I know when you’re lying or not.”
I studied Olive. She’s the type of person who doesn’t blab secrets to other people. She continued staring at me eagerly. Letting out a sigh, I finally made up my mind.
“Fine, I think it’s time to tell you but,” I warned, giving her an evil eye, “you mustn’t – I repeat, must not – breathe a single word to anyone if you value your life.”
“Okay, okay – just spill the beans!”
I leaned close and she did the same.
“I like Xavier,” I whispered, “more than a friend.”
Olive began squealing like a teenage girl who learned a new secret.
Oh yeah, right.
“I knew it! I knew it!” she squealed. “You need to break up with Sandor – fast. You mustn’t be with someone you don’t love!”
“It’s not that easy,” I sighed, suddenly tired. “Sandor needs me. I’m a vital person in his life.”
“That’s not enough reason!” she scoffed. “Come on, Autumn, I bet Xavier likes you, too.”
“He does… actually.”
“How do you know?”
“After we made out la—” I stopped, gasping as my hand flew to my mouth in shock. Olive’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God, I didn’t mean—”
“So Mandy was right!” she decided. “Oh my God!”
“You mustn’t tell anyone! Swear!”
“You made out—”
“Olive! Swear!”
“I swear,” she said quickly, “but really, Autumn, if you truly like each other then you have to be with each other.”
“I told you… it’s not that easy,” I said firmly. “Sandor doesn’t want to lose anything to Xavier.”
“How come?”
I told her about Melissa – how she truly broke Sandor’s heart to go and chase after Xavier. When I was done, Olive seemed to understand my hard situation.
“Oh yes, you’re in deep shit,” Olive tutted.
I gave her a look. “No shit, Sherlock.”
Oh she doesn’t know how right she was. I was really in deep shit. And I don’t know what to do about it.
***
Sandor approached me, all damp and sweaty. His shirt was sticking on his muscled body as he sat down beside me. I thought his sweat would smell like devil’s poop but then it smelled… sexy.
“Hey,” he greeted me, smiling.
“Hi.” I was sitting on the bench, watching him play tennis with Xavier. He was winning, but that’s because Xavier was playing lousily.
“You want to go out and grab a drink with me?”
“No, thanks, I’d be here.”
“Okay.” He kissed me in my cheek then walked away. In turn, Xavier came by my side, a bottled water on his hands.
“So you and big brother are back to normal, huh?” he asked conversationally.
“I guess so.” I shrugged nonchalantly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means we’re okay,” I said, smiling at him sweetly. “Why do you care, anyway?”
“Nothing,” he said, smiling rather wolfishly.
“I told Olive about us.” The words we’re out before I could stop it. And I made no effort to deny.
To my amazement, he seemed unfazed. “Yeah, well, Olive is a trustable person.”
“The way you talked to her the other night proves it,” I muttered, hoping he wouldn’t hear.
He obviously did.
“You heard me talking to her?” he stammered.
“But I didn’t hear any important stuff,” I lied quickly.
Xavier narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you sure? Are you really sure?”
I faked a smile – I’m so damn good with this. “Yep, I’m sure.”
He continued studying me then nodded. “Whatever. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
I nodded and watched him leave.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Sorry about this very late chapter! :( I was so busy... This is the last month of school and I'm rushing with undone projects. I shouldn't have procastinated.... I regret everything. Oh well, no use of regretting. :)
Not to mention I'm having a serious writer's block with this story. I have plans inside my head but it gets mixed up with Algebra, Biology and Social Studies facts. I wouldn't be surprised if I would write random facts about Shattered Memories in my final exams next week. (Feel free to laugh at my joke.)
Hope you liked this chapter! :)
- Bella, xoxo.