I scrunched my toes into the sand in joy feeling the sun soaking into my skin. The sound of the waves crashing onto the shore felt like natures lullaby, soothing me into peace and tranquility.
The sun was setting in the sky, casting its pinks and orange hues across the sky and into the deep blue ocean which rippled with silver tipped waves occasionally.
Feeling a tug, I looked down to see Gracie, her tail wagged slowly as she looked ahead of us. "Gracie?" I questioned making her head snap up to me.
The big brown eyes held excitement, on cue she sat and waited for me to remove her leash. Complying, I did and watched as she bolted across the sand towards the two figures in the distance.
I narrowed my eyes working out the height difference, a small body and a large body. A child and a man.
"Avari? Zak?" I asked stepping forward. "Zak?! Avari?!" I called ahead waving my hand in a hope that they would turn.
But they hadn't and when I looked at my hands, I realised I didn't hold a dog leash anymore, I broke into a run only to look back and see no footprints.
I stopped, panting I lifted my foot inspecting the sole which was dry, the sand was damp, almost wet. It would have given me a footprint...
"I don't understand."
"Zak?!!" I shouted for some support, answers, hope that he would know what was happening. Where were we?! Why didn't I have footprints?!
They had them! Gracie had them too but what about mine?!
A loud buzz filled my ears causing me to grip my head in pain. I doubled over crying out when the pain filled my body causing me to fall into the sand.
"A-Avari!" I screamed watching their retreating figures in the distance.
I lifted my hand out trying to reach them but it fell and the sky fell landing on me.
~~~~~~~~~
My eyes sprung apart as pain soared through my body causing a scream to fill the air.
"SCARLETT!" Zak yelled filling my view. "GIVE HER SOMETHING DAMMIT!"
His hands grabbed my face making me look at him as nurses hurried around the room. "I'm here, Lettie I'm right here. Don't you go anywhere okay? You're gonna stay awake because I'm scared right now and I need you to calm me down."
"MY LEG!" I cried grabbing hold of his arm as the pain got worse.
"I know sweetie, I know but keep looking at me cause right now is not a good time! Okay?! Yo-you're gonna be fine. Aaron has Avari, she's okay."
"M-make it stop!" I sobbed causing his face to flood with pain.
"I'm trying Lett. H-here look, look take this. This will help okay?" He asked as I was giving pain gas.
I sucked on it hard looking at Zak, nodding with him but still clenching his arm.
"Don't leave me!"
"I won't, I won't go anywhere without you! Just keep taking that." He instructed brushing my hair back looking at his hand in worry.
"It's not a lot, just a little blood okay? You're gonna be out in no time. C-cause I need you to come help me. Don't I?" He asked.
I nodded.
"Yeah. And Avari and Peanut will be excited to spend time with Gracie right? You just keep taking that-"
"We need X-rays done immediately!" A voice shouted behind Zak making my eyes widen.
"You've got a bad leg, but I'm gonna pay for you to get better. Got it? So don't worry about a damn thing, I got this and you are gonna have all the medical care and medicine you need." He soothed.
I frowned as his voice began to distort, worried I would lose those hazel eyes, I pushed the tube away.
"Zak-"
"No don't speak, I'm right here with you. T-take this, keep taking it." He instructed.
Following his advice I continued until the sound of waves came back and the warmness of the sun took me again.
"Shh! Shh! She's waking up!"
"Shh."
I groaned as the beach dwindled away in my mind and the warmness of a bed took hold. Rolling my head to the sides I looked for Avari and found her sat on a lap with a smile.
"Mommy!" She called excitedly clambering down and running over to me.
"H-" I paused and tried to swallow when Zak appeared with a bottle of water.
"Slowly." He whispered tipping it slightly to give me a drink.
I sipped the cool liquid and set my head back against the bed of pillows surrounding my head.
"Hey baby." I spoke finally making Avari smile.
"Mommy you have been asleep a long time. Are you turning into Snow White?" She asked making me smile.
"Unfortunately not. Sorry baby."
She smiled and shrugged "Oh well. Zak your kiss didn't work."
I looked over at Zak who laughed slightly "I kissed your forehead."
"Right.. Hospital?" I guessed seeing my gown.
"Oh yes." A voice spoke making my eyes snap around the room until blonde hair caught my eyes.
"N-Nancy." I whispered as she came over. Her icy blue eyes were almost the same as Avari's only with a small ink drop of blue to tint them.
"Hello Scarlett." She smiled softly whilst brushing Avari's hair back as they both looked at me.
I swallowed hard ready for a slap at the very least from Zak's mom.
"Zak explained... Everything. But no more running."
I blinked looking up at him as he smiled "She won't be, for a long time at least. A broke leg has seen to that. How are you feeling?" He asked me.
"Tired. Confused. I- how long have I been out?"
"2 days. I was beginning to worry." He admitted.
"That's why Zak's mommy is here. Because I couldn't stay at Aaron's house, he has baddies. And Zak needed to stay with you. So I stayed with Gracie and Ridley at Zak's mommy's house. Mommy, Ridley is funny." She smiled.
"He is. Cute though isn't he?" I asked holding her hand.
"Yep." She nodded looking at my hand with an IV in.
"It doesn't hurt. It's just medicine to help me." I spoke making her nod slowly.
"Zak has been holding your hand. Is he your friend again?" She asked making me nod.
"Yeah, Zak my friend again."
"Good because he told the police man what happened. Holly was naughty and she is a baddie, told you mommy." She replied making Nancy giggle.
"You're a character." She sighed watching Avari with pride. "How about we go and get some food? Maybe some fruit for mommy?"
Avari looked at me for consent and I nodded.
"Leave you both to talk," she whispered taking Avari's hand and leaving the room with her on the conversation of Frozen.
"Hey." Zak whispered making me look over to him.
"Hey you."
I reached out for his face and soothed the dark mark under his eye. "You're tired."
"Don't worry about me." He frowned back.
"Have you met me?" I asked playfully.
"Yeah, yeah I have and I'm still mad about you, even after 5 years." He mumbled.
"So Holly hates me that much?" I asked.
He scoffed "Yeah, coke head too. Been stealing from me, the watch was just the beginning from the look of it. I can't believe I've been so naïve."
"Don't."
"Don't what?" He asked looking at me.
"Don't blame yourself. Zak she's sick, it's an addiction."
"Are you defending her?!" He asked bewildered.
"No, I'm just saying. She's not well-"
"She tried to kill you. Driving at you wasn't some mistake! If you could see yourself..." he shook his head looking away.
"Not vogue worthy huh?" I asked.
"Not right now. But you're still gorgeous to me.." He replied.
I stifled a laugh "On my death bed and you're still trying to get a lay."
"Would you expect anything else from me?" He asked playfully.
"Maybe."
"Like what?" He asked playing with my hair gently.
I reached out and gripped his top pulling him towards me. Craning my head up I kissed his lips. I inhaled his scent and felt the softness of his lips against mine causing the endorphins to awaken. I released him and settled back against the pillow.
"One of them." I replied as he kicked his lips.
His mouth connected with mine a little harder making me moan and push him back.
"Sorry! Sorry, I just... Sorry." He replied sitting on the bed as I touched my lip to see the blood on my fingertips.
"You're still as horny as a rabbit." I muttered making him grin.
"You used to love that about me." He nodded cockily.
"I loved a lot about you.. Your sexual experience wasn't that high up. Not saying you aren't good cause..." I trailed off.
"Cause I gave you Avari." He grinned.
"Yeah. But you're not all about sex. If that's how you think, they you're selling yourself short."
"Really? So dashing looks, money and decent body?"
"Low on my reasons too."
"Then what was on the top. You know? Just out of curiosity?" He asked.
"Your caring nature. Meeting the real you."
His shoulders sagged gently "And what? It's not there anymore?" He asked.
"You are, it's me that's changed now. I had to. But you're still the most amazing man I've ever met and although I didn't have you. I had a small piece of you, integrated and weaved with my DNA creating our beautiful daughter.
"You think people change?"
"They do."
"So they have the ability to change back?" He asked making me shrug.
"I guess."
Zak nodded slowly. "What I am asking, is if you would ever fall back in love with me?"