When I get home I'm breathless and dreamy-feeling. My head feels so dizzy as I walk through the door. My clothes are still slightly wet from the lake, but my hair is dry. Will told me to go round the back way but I think that would just anger my dad even more.
"Where have you been, Alyssa?" is the first question when I step into the hall. He stares me up and down, his eyes fiery and if looks could kill, then I'd be on the floor.
"I'm sorry. I should have told you - I was out with Zara and Reina." I nod, and try to not look guilty.
He only stares, and I begin to walk up to the second floor. Until he exclaims, "Hey! Do not walk away like that! I want to know what you've been doing!"
"I'm sixteen, dad!" I scream suddenly, whirling round to face him. My heart's thumping wildly. I hear Phillip come trotting down the stairs behind me and I move to the side to let him pass. I see the wildly surprised look on his little face. I look back at dad, and say in a quieter voice, "I am sixteen years old and you treat me like I'm six! Why am I not allowed to have a life?"
He coughs, and then sits down, looking shocked. "I'm only worried about you. Next time please, tell me where you're going."
I glare at him, and then turn round to storm up the stairs. When I get to my room I shut the door with a slam for good measure.
It takes a long time for me to calm down. I take a long, hot bath, and, leaving my hair to dry, I start to pack my bag for tomorrow. I put in a bathing suit, towel, sunglasses, and my purse. Then I have to lie down because I'm so exhausted.
What happened to me today?
Today was crazy. The sparks between Will and I are so obvious, I feel like I need to be with him. All the time. Am I falling in love with him? Gosh, the way he touches me. It sends me over the edge. I can't even think straight when he's touching my skin, and I wonder if I have the same effect on him.
All this thinking is making me even more worn out. I decide to switch off the light, and lie down underneath the covers.
Soon I don't remember anything else.
---
I woke up the next morning and I realise it's freezing. I forgot to close the window last night. I check the clock to see it is half six, and I jump out of bed. I change into some denim shorts and a tank top and hoodie, then sit on my bed with my bag and phone and wait.
For Will. He said he will be here in fifteen minutes.
I'm so excited for today. Anything could happen, and this is the last day I get to spend with Will. But something weighs me down - the fact that I have to tell him whether I love him or not today. He's desperate to know, it seems. Do I or not? And also, tomorrow he'll be gone. How can I love someone who's leaving me? How will I keep up with him?
I won't see him again.
I am shaken out of my thoughts when there is a soft knocking on my balcony door. I can't help but replace my frown with a smile as I leap up and open the door. I stare at him standing there for a few seconds. Looking a little like he's just woken up, Will's hair is sticking up slightly and his eyes are shining as they look down at me.
I don't hesitate to lean up and kiss him deeply. I really do want to keep him. I wish I could hide him from the world and keep him as mine. He's so perfect. Am I falling in love with him?
I feel his arms wrap around me, and I place my head on his chest, hugging him tight. "Good morning."
"Morning, beautiful." He kisses the top of my head and then I grab his hand. "Shall we go?"
Blushing from his way of greeting, I nod and squeeze his hand. We climb over the balcony railings and I feel like i am in a spy movie or something when we sprint discretely to the end of the road, turning the corner.
"So do you know what time the bus leaves to get there?" Will asks me. As we walk, with the crisp September air all around us, our hands swing.
I smile, and nod. "Yeah. It leaves in fifteen minutes."
"Okay we'll we had better hurry up then," he chuckles and pulls me out of my daydream, beginning to sprint along. I have no choice but to try and keep up with him.
We get to the bus stop soon enough. Will flashes his card at the driver but I have to pay because I don't use the bus regularly so I don't have a card. It takes only half an hour to drive down to where I want to go, and the bus is pretty empty because it's so early.
It's cool yet sunny down at the seafront when we get there. Will takes my hand and begins to run at top speed towards the gentle blue waves. I just have time to throw my bag onto the white sand before he scoops me up in his arms, running out into the absolutely freezing sea.
"Will!" I yelp. "Stop! You're going to get our clothes soaked!"
He lets out a low chuckle. "Oh, would you prefer them to be off?"
I look at him pointedly and jump down from his arms, stripping off my shirt and shorts. I stand there shivering, feeling a little exposed, like yesterday. I honestly don't know what has gotten into me over the past few days, because since when do I do this?
Right now I'm in a one-piece white swimsuit. So it isn't exactly as bad as yesterday. But suddenly, as I watch Will take off his shirt, I don't care. He steps towards me just in his swimming shorts and I push up onto my toes to press my lips against his. Feeling him smile against my lips, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him towards me more so his arms encircle my waist, warming my insides. He kisses me deeply.
Our chests press against each other and I am overcome by a feeling of want as our kisses become hungrier. I know he can feel it too. I force myself to pull back, breathless.
"We are going to have to stop doing that," I hear myself giggle.
He looks at me with a fake-disappointed expression. "Aw. I was thinking that you were enjoying it."
I smile and stroke the line of his jaw, as he scoops my up in his arms. Gosh, he makes my heart thump just by looking at me.
"I was." I admit. "But I was just thinking we've been doing that far too much." I burst out laughing.
He looks at me amusedly, then his features break into a grin. I realise he is sprinting into the water. When he gets to where it is about waist height, I feel myself being flung into the air, and I splash down into the ice-cold water.
I stay under for a second or two, before leaping up and wiping the salty, icy water from my face. I then open my eyes to see Will's gone. Panicking, I stare around quickly.
"Will?"
Then I feel hands grab my waist and I grin to myself, spinning round to look at a slowly-approaching Will. I jump on him, splashes erupting all around us at the movement and he falls back slightly, both of us laughing.
I manoeuvre round to his back, fluffing up his hair teasingly as I lock my legs around his waist.
"Alyssa. What are you doing-"
He doesn't get to finish, but he does get a face full of water as I begin to splash water into his handsome face. I laugh loudly, as his head jerks backwards. He reaches out to grab my hands, and he forces them behind him, and behind my back.
"That was pretty evil."
"You threw me into the sea!" I argue, laughing.
I just hear him chuckle and i get down from him, before lying back on the surface of the water, closing my eyes. I can feel his eyes on me, as I breathe in and out deeply, inhaling the refreshing sea air. After a few minutes I open my eyes to see him in the same position beside me.
"Will?"
He opens his eyes. "Yeah, Alyssa?"
"Can you call me everyday?" I murmur, feeling for his hand.
He squeezes mine. "Of course I will."
"And don't replace me?" I whisper.
He looks at me and brings me nearer. We both stand up in the water, and he holds me tight. "As long as you don't replace me."
"I never would be able to."
That makes him smile. I watch as he traces his finger down my neck, to my collarbone. He bends his head to plant a gentle kiss on it, and I gasp as he begins to then suck gently. I feel his tongue swirl around my skin and I lean my head back, my arms around his neck tight. How on earth does he do this to me?
He leads a heated line of kisses up my neck, to behind my ear, where my most sensitive spot is. I trail my hands down to his bare chest and draw patterns absent-mindedly everywhere all over his skin, only thinking about Will, and how close he is to me now.
I feel him caressing my hair, and he kisses my earlobe once, before slowly leading kisses up to my lips.
When I feel his lips against mine, stars explode beneath my closed eyes and I feel the blood pumping in my ears. I kiss him quickly, wrapping my legs around him as caresses my thighs slowly. His kisses become heavier, and I press myself tightly against him, plunging my tongue through his lips to explore the hot caverns of his mouth. He tastes of sugar and mint and I can feel his heart thumping hard against mine.
I'm addicted.
-
We don't stay in the water for long, because the temperature is close to unbearable. I wrap my towel around me and Will pulls on his shirt, then we go hunting for a place to have lunch.
We find a small cafe that is at the side of the beach, with a few people outside eating burgers and salads and normal food like that. I pick up a menu and look through it cautiously, and sense Will running his foot up and down my leg. I laugh and look at him, to see he is staring at me with a grin on his face.
"Whatcha getting?" he asks me nonchalantly, sitting back in his chair. I eye his handsome posture, careless hair, warming eyes.
I sigh contentedly and beam. "The seafood pasta. You?"
As the wind ruffles his unruly hair, he taps his chin and then nods and says, "A double cheeseburger."
A small, red haired waitress comes and takes our orders, standing with her hip sticking out as she eyes Will. I ignore her after telling her my order, and look out at the sea, with the midday sun warming its blue colour.
When I feel Will take my hand I realise she's gone, and when I look at him he's smiling at me amusedly. I roll my eyes and he kisses the back of my hand gently, making my cheeks burn.
"She reminded me of Reina."
"Reina's nicer than that," I say firmly, and let a smile through.
He chuckles, and shrugs. "I guess so. So are you good friends with Reina now?"
I sign and nod. "It's kind of weird that I don't remember falling out with Myra and everything and Reina sort of took her place, and it's the norm now, it doesn't feel normal."
Will nods, and a sudden look of sadness comes over his face. Catching it, I reach out my hand to curl it around his, and I make him look at me, telling him with my eyes to explain.
"I'm leaving everyone," he says heavily, and I don't think I've ever seen him look this glum. Suddenly the wind feels colder. "I called Tai last night, and I don't think he'll ever forgive me. I've been ignoring his calls for the past week or so, and now this . . ."
"Why can't you stay?"
"My dad wanted to move anyway," he explains, his voice quiet and all too-serious. "And it's too late now."
I don't want to cry, but I feel like it's necessary at this point. And unstoppable. I lean back in my chair and look out to the sea so he doesn't see the water welling up in my eyes.
I almost jump a mile when I hear a bang beside me on the table, and I see that the waitress has slammed two drinks down on the table. She leaves with a dirty look at me, swinging her hips as she ambles away, probably for Will's benefit.
But he's not looking. He catches my eye, and reaches a hand up to stroke my cheek. "Don't cry. I'll speak to you every night. You have Skype, right?"
I smile, and nod through my tears.
"Well, it's sorted then. You'll be able to hear me and see my handsome face everyday."
I let out a chuckle, and lift my glass of Sprite to my mouth. After a long gulp, and murmur, "After we're done with school, and everything, we'll be together again. Right?"
Will just nods, and caresses my neck. He then trails his hand down to my shoulder, then down the length of my arm to my hand, which he squeezes gently. "I love you, so much, Alyssa. I always will."
I hold his hand tightly in both of mine, as if it's a lifeline. "I love you too, Will."
The rest of the meal consists of light-hearted conversation. I try not to think about Will leaving, but it's always there, nagging at me in the back of my mind. One good thing is that the food is delicious, and after we finish the main course we both manage to squeeze in some dessert - strawberry cheesecake and ice cream.
Afterwards we goto walk along the beach. There seems to be some sort of party ahead, with a fire even though it's the middle of the afternoon.
I recognise the song they're playing. It's Coldplay, and it's Yellow.
It's my favourite.
Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah they were all yellow . . .
"Will!" I manage to find my voice, grinning from ear to ear. I look up at him to see him staring into the flames. I tug on his hand. "Will, oh my God - I love this song."
When I stare up at him, I feel my cheeks blush because he's just staring at me with such amusement in his eyes. I suddenly feel stupid and childlike, to get overexcited about a song. But when he drops his bag and steps round to stand opposite me, grinning, confusion takes place of the embarassment I feel.
"What?" I blurt out impatiently.
My heart stops as I see tears in his eyes, shining tears. He draws me close and my bag falls from my shoulder, bouncing down onto the sand below.
Your skin,
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
Do you know,
You know I love you so
You know I love you so
"It was our song," he whispers into my ear, sending wisps of my hair brushing across my face. I hold onto his shirt tightly, my ear pressed against his chest so I can feel his heart beating in time to the music.
"Who chose it? Because this is my favourite song!" I exclaim, overjoyed. I look up at him to see that one tiny tear has escaped his eye and it's making its way down his cheek.
I hug him tightly, and he laughs softly. "I know. I know it is. And we both chose it." He leans his head down to kiss my hair, and then takes my hands, positioning one on his shoulder and keeping the other in his. Then he places his free hand on my waist.
"You want to dance?" he murmurs to me, his head still close to mine.
I can't help but grin widely. I'd never imagine this to ever happen. Dancing with someone so special, to my favourite song.
So maybe it's extremely disappointing and heart-wrenching that I don't remember him how he was in the past four months. That I can't remember prom, or the friendships I made with Katy and Niall and Reina. But it hasn't ruined my life, because I have the chance to start again.
Will leads me through a series of steps, and spins me under his arm, and holds me close, and I realise I've never felt so special to anyone, ever before, in this way. I rub my head against his chest, full of affection for him.
And the following three words roll naturally off the tip of my tongue as I whisper, "I love you."
-
When it rains in September, it really rains. After dancing for around forty minutes, drops of water start to come down infrequently, gently. I look at Will to ask if he can feel it to, just as the heavens open.
It's as if massive buckets of water are being thrown down on the world. In seconds my hair is straight and soaked through, and I have to squint through the storm to see Will's dripping wet tan face. I look at him for a few seconds, and then lean forward, whispering, "Hey - I wanted to try something out."
"Yeah?"
"Kissing in the rain." I smile and press my lips against his, making my hand ride up from his shoulder, over the back of his neck to his drenched hair. I feel his hands bury themselves in my own soaking wet locks, and I kiss him deeply. I feel him tease my lips with his tongue, and I part my lips to let him in.
Somehow, after a while I end up on the sand, pressed between the ground and Will. The rain continues to beat down on us violently but all I can think about is Will. I allow the rain to soak me through, allow Will to kiss me so hard so he leaves me breathless. I clutch onto him tight, as he runs his hands up the back of my shirt, and over my soaking skin.
"I love you." Is what we mumble to each other, against eachother's lips between kisses, in eachother's ears when we break apart. I allow myself to run my hands up the front of his t-shirt, stretching my fingers over the toned muscle, feeling his violently thumping heart.
And with Will lying on top of me, with his face now resting between my shoulder and neck, him laying gentle kisses on my skin, I know I could take on almost anything.
---
I found this chapter really hard to write. Right now, I've been finding it hard to write all my stories. No idea why.
Anyway, pleeaaase don't forget to vote, at least! There are like one hundred people reading every chapter and only about fifteen are voting! Then there are like six that are commenting. Please don't be a silent reader! Drop a comment giving me your opinion, it really does matter to me.
Hope you enjoyed this.