Ken felt like he's about to stand in front of a firing squad and is about to die.
He didn't know how many times he rubbed his sweaty palms at the sides of his pants alternately and he was sure it already created sweat stains on the fabric. He tapped the left side of his chest, telling his heart to calm down.
"Ken, you can do this," he whispered to himself as he bounced on his toes.
He finally took a deep breath and rang the bell.
In his past short relationships, he never felt this nervous before that he felt he was going to have a cardiac arrest. Well, maybe because he never met his past girlfriends' parents. It wasn't the norm, but he felt the need to meet them personally now, because he had never been this serious for a girl before.
He stepped back in shock as the door suddenly opened and revealed Tessa who was quite surprised with his sudden appearance. The beautiful woman's eyes widened at the sight of a bouquet of roses in his hands.
"Oh, Ken. What made you come by?" Tessa asked.
Of course, Tessa thought, he came for Kaycee. She and Scott had known Ken and Kaycee's relationship alright, which really surprised the both of them given their daughter's stand on relationships and her personality in general. Or maybe they just didn't expect him, if they were to be honest.
Ken smiled nervously. "H-Hi, Tessa. I'm sorry if this is sudden," he said, sweat lining his forehead and he was unknowingly gripping the bouquet tightly.
Tessa laughed at his behavior and she opened the door wide. "Why are you shaking? Do I look like I bite?" she grinned. "Come on in. Wait, I'll call Kaycee –"
"No! Uh, not yet..." said Ken, still smiling sheepishly. "I want to talk to you, actually. You and Scott. Uhm, this is for you," he smiled, handing her the flowers.
Tessa was taken aback at the gesture. "For me?" Ken nodded. "Wow, thank you –"
"Hey. What's the meaning of this?"
Both of them turned to Scott who was walking over towards them, with arms crossed and with a scowl on his face. Ken smiled nervously at Scott as the latter stood beside his wife, staring at him from head to foot.
"Hey. Didn't you know that this goddess is taken since before you were born? I didn't know you're into married women, Ken –"
Tessa slapped her husband's arm, laughing. "Stop being ridiculous, babe," she said, rolling her eyes. "Kenny wants to talk to us," she sweetly smiled and clung to her husband's arm.
"Babe. I was kidding," he said, kissing her forehead.
Then he turned with a stern look on his face to Ken who was still standing awkwardly by the door. "You. Come on in."
"Y-Yes," Ken nodded rapidly and followed the couple.
Scott raised his brow as soon as Ken sat in front of them.
"Don't mind him, he's just being overly overprotective," Tessa said, chuckling at her husband's overprotective dad mode.
"That's an understatement, actually," Scott said. "Now, what do you want to tell us, Ken?"
Ken looked at the expectant faces of Kaycee's parents and taking a deep breath, he summoned all the confidence he had. "It's just...I only just want you to know that I'm serious about Kaycee,"
Scott and Tessa looked at each other, with the former raising a brow. "Are you asking for my daughter's hand in marriage?" he had to ask.
The boy's eyes widened. "N-No! I just want to let you know, that's all..." he trailed away, embarrassed.
For all the years they have known the boy, they see him as an outgoing, happy-go-lucky type of guy. They always see him and their daughter in endless bickering, so it was kind of refreshing for them to see this side of him.
"I see," Tessa now spoke and smiled gently at him. "You didn't have to do all this, Ken. I'm pretty sure Kaycee trusted you enough to date. And we trust her more than anything else in this world. But, thank you."
Ken smiled back, shrugging. "I guess it's the Asian in me. I know I've never been always nice to your daughter all these years, so I just wanted you to know that you can trust me, too," he said.
"You weren't particularly bad to her. You were friends first, so that was kinda normal," Tessa assured him.
"Speaking of trust," Scott said, giving him a look before standing up. "Come with me."
Ken swallowed hard, but obeyed, nonetheless.
"Babe, be nice," Tessa said teasingly, smiling at them.
"I am nice," Scott shot back.
Scott stopped by the foyer, out of Tessa's earshot and crossed his arms as he stared down at Ken who stood stiff nervously.
"Let me get this straight, Ken," Scott started. "It doesn't mean that you're Cheuk and Miya's nephew, and that you're practically family to us, that I would go easy on you," he said.
"Yes. I understand," Ken said, nodding.
Scott took a deep breath wearily, also nodding in response. "I have just a few things to say. I don't allow sleepovers. Yet. But if you both get to that point in your relationship..." Scott sighed while Ken was standing rooted with eyes wide open. "Just remember your safety. Rubbers. Understand? Pulling out is never –"
"Oh my god. DAD!" Kaycee's voice boomed through the house.
Scott rolled his eyes as his daughter practically flew down the stairs.
"What? I'm just giving him the talk," Scott shrugged innocently.
Kaycee was so red in the face and was drowning in embarrassment that she couldn't talk at first. "We've just started dating!" Was the only thing she could say before burying her face in her hands in embarrassment. "Let's stop this, okay?" she said, her voice muffled.
Scott sighed. "Okay, okay. But I'm just being a dad, honey," he said, pulling his daughter into an embrace and planting a long kiss on her head. "And you," he looked at Ken. "Remember what I told you," he was about to say something else, but he decided not to.
"Of course, Scott. Thank you," Ken said.
Kaycee gave her father a weak glare, still red in the face before pulling Ken with her out of the house. Scott watched them go, lost in thoughts, not noticing his wife taking her place beside him.
"You know," Tessa started. "I've always thought it would be Sean," she admitted.
Scott wrapped his arm around her shoulders and nodded silently. "Me, too. I really thought..." he paused, taking a deep breath. "It may be just two things, actually. Maybe they just really see each other as best friends. Or Sean is just like who used to be me."
"God, I'm so sorry for what happened back there," Kaycee said, still embarrassed.
Ken chuckled, shaking his head. "It's nothing. I kinda expected that, to be honest. Just not that direct."
"You didn't tell me you were coming," Kaycee said as she and Ken were silently strolling down the park.
The sun had just set and Kaycee had no idea where they were heading.
"Well I really wasn't going to visit you," Ken said, smiling at her softly, and earning a confused glance from her. Ken breathed out and held her fingers in his. "I just wanted to talk to your parents and let them know my intentions."
Kaycee opened her mouth to voice out her thoughts, but she thought otherwise. She only continued looking at Ken who was staring ahead, with a small smile on his lips.
She didn't expect this, not at all, and she appreciates it. She smiled to herself and squeezed his hand back.
*****
"I wish y-you c-called this work-out, not a-a d-date..." Kaycee grumbled as she panted, taking Ken's hand as he helped her up as they climbed over a rock.
He chuckled, out-of-breath, too, as they now stood up high on a cliff, feeling the wind blowing against their bodies.
They were on Point Dume State Beach, and Kaycee had thought that it was just another ordinary date, walking along the shore, not until Ken instructed her to wear comfortable shoes for rock climbing. The earlier exertion was soothed immediately by the cool, strong breeze against their bodies.
"Well, this is a date. Here," he handed her a bottle of water before he sat down, and patting the space beside her for her to sit down.
Kaycee took her time looking around at the place, occasionally closing her eyes to feel the wind. "It's beautiful here, to be honest. I've never been here before." Not with Sean, anyway. She smiled at Ken, "Thank you."
They both kept silent as Ken just stared at the girl who was watching the sea with a serene expression on her face from where they were seated. Before they started dating, the girl rarely displays other emotions other than that of irritation or anger towards almost everything, and so it warmed his heart to see her like this and to see her smile more at him.
The truth was, this was the first time he felt he had impressed Kaycee with their dates. It seemed like she had almost visited every place and tried every food or adventure with his cousin.
"Ahh..." Kaycee said, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes and leaned back on her outstretched arms. "This is so relaxing."
Ken only smiled as he followed her every little move with his eyes.
"We should bring Sean next time," the girl casually said.
Realizing what she had just said, she suddenly sat upright, retrieving her phone and checking if there were any messages from her best friend. But there was nothing.
"And speaking of him, where is he? Is he really that busy? He isn't responding to any of my messages again," she said so softly as if she was just talking to herself.
She understood that he was busy, but would it really kill him to reply to her? The last time she talked to him was when he came over when she had cramps, and she remembered falling asleep in the middle of their conversation.
His warmth was her comfort, and even in her subconscious she dreamt of walking under the sun, with the wind blowing, as he held her hand. But then, as expected, he wasn't there when she woke up, and she would only have a glimpse of him around the campus when he is with his classmates.
He had completely stopped picking her up every morning, with the excuse of getting to school early for his project, lending the car to Ken who told her that her that he would be using his old bike again to university.
Kaycee couldn't understand Sean's logic behind it, but one thing she knew she didn't like it at all.
Why does it felt like he was avoiding her? Wasn't he the one who asked her to not forget him?
She hated the fact that she already had less than two weeks to spend time with him and the rest of her friends. She hadn't told anyone yet, but she decided to accept her NYU scholarship. She was planning to tell Sean first but it was getting difficult for her to do so.
"Earth to Kaycee," Ken's voice penetrated her mind.
Kaycee jerked, looking up to see a confused Ken, and she blinked. "Uh, I'm sorry. What were you saying?" she asked, guilty. She was never preoccupied like that.
Ken just looked at her. He recently noticed that Kaycee often zones out especially when she's facing her phone. He faced the sea and sighed.
"I said Sean spends most of his time in his dark room nowadays," Ken said.
"Oh," the girl said softly.
She was starting to worry about her best friend. It just couldn't be all about his school requirements. There must be something else.
But she would worry about that later. She felt guilty enough as it is being on a date with her boyfriend but her mind was somewhere else. She shook her head and cleared her throat.
"So," she started, looking around the place again. "Why this place?"
Ken smiled softly at her as she looked on to the sea. He took a moment before answering her, thinking if it was alright to tell her his thoughts. But Kaycee was no longer a stranger to him; in fact, he knew he could tell her everything without the fear of being judged.
"I always come here to free my mind," he said.
"From what?" Kaycee asked him curiously, looking at him.
"You know," he started, looking down. "From everything."
Kaycee frowned. She never knew Ken felt something like this; he had always been too carefree and happy. She realized she never ever really got to know him growing up.
"Like –like what?" she found herself asking.
Ken looked at her, his face devoid of emotions and she thought she might have asked a question she shouldn't have asked in the first place.
"I'm sorry –"
"No, it's alright," Ken said and moved closer to her. He took a deep breath before looking out into the sea again. "It's nothing major. I just have this feeling of being unwanted. All the time."
Kaycee's eyes widened at his confession. She would never have thought that he thought about that.
"I guess it all started when my parents died. I knew everything was an accident, but when they died, I actually thought they left me on purpose. But I know it wasn't like that. And I know Cheuk and Miya gave me everything and treated me as their real son, but I felt like, they were just doing everything to save me. Sometimes I feel like they were forced –"
"Ken," Kaycee faced him, making him look at her. She just stared at Ken numbly as she heard those words. "We may not be close growing up, but I know Cheuk and Miya love you. Sean loves you. They may be a little stricter with you but that's probably because they wouldn't want to let your parents down, too. They only want the best for you. I hope you believe that."
"Maybe," Ken shrugged. "It's just that –sometimes I think they don't really want me. I just popped into their lives so suddenly and I don't want to be some sort of obligation."
"Ken, you said it. 'I think'. What if Cheuk and Miya think differently?" she gave him a soft, encouraging smile. She took a deep breath of courage before she scooted closer to him and gazed into his eyes. "Stop thinking like that, okay? I don't know what you're seeing, but from what I see, many want to be around you, Ken."
Her heart clenched after hearing his thoughts, but at the same time she didn't want him to wallow in his own miserable thoughts because she knew it's not true.
Ken remained silent as he returned her gaze deeply. Her words comforted him, his heart warming with her understanding.
He was right that beneath all her tough demeanor was a beautiful heart.
He reached to grasp her face, thumb grazing the fullness of her cheek as he muttered a soft thank you. The girl avoided his eyes, seemingly embarrassed at the proximity, nodding in response. He smiled at this, feeling his heart beat change.
It doesn't take a genius to know that he was falling in love with her this fast. When she said that many want to be around him, he did hope that she meant herself, too. And even though that they were still getting to know each other, he hoped he would make the girl fall for him completely. Even if he had to beg Miya and Cheuk for him to go to New York with her should she accept the offer, he would.
The sound of buzzing interrupted the silence for the fourth time that night inside the car and Ken looked to the side and found Kaycee still sleeping peacefully, tired from their tour around Point Dume that day. He smiled; it was his first time to witness the girl looking angelic in her sleep. He looked at the source of the buzzing and saw her phone receiving a call.
Finally deciding, he retrieved her phone and saw Kaycee's mom on the screen. He gulped before answering.
"Kaycee," Tessa breathed through the phone. "Sweetie, where are you?"
"Uhm," Ken started. "Tessa, this is Ken. Kaycee is sleeping and we're already on our way home," he said softly, glancing at Kaycee and being careful not to wake her up.
"Oh," Tessa said. "Oh well, be safe, Ken. Thank you."
"Yes," Ken replied and ended the call.
He was about to return the phone to Kaycee's pocket when an unexplainable feeling rose up as he saw her phone wallpaper.
It was a goofy photo of her and Sean.
Ken stared at the photo for a few good seconds, and remembering he was driving, he quickly returned her phone and focused on the road.
He shook his head as he pushed the thoughts that suddenly plagued his mind. The only thing he would never share to Kaycee is his sense of insecurity with his cousin. Sean, who is good at almost everything, who impresses every person they meet despite his reserved and quiet nature. Sean, who knows everything about the girl beside him and gets to spend almost every waking moment with her. Sean, who always have been giving, understanding and kind to him.
These thoughts come and go, especially when it comes to Kaycee Rice. He knew he could never replace Sean in her heart, but he wished a special place in hers, too.
They were nearing her house and as if she sensed it, she stirred in her sleep and woke up, sitting up straight. She smiled at Ken, her eyes still drooping.
"Good morning," she joked, voice heavy from sleep.
Ken only smiled back. "We're almost there."
And after a few turns, they arrived in front of her house and Ken quickly opened the car door for her. Kaycee stretched after she alight the car and turned to face Ken.
"Thanks for today," she said, yawning slightly. She wouldn't lie, but she really did enjoy being with him today.
"No. Thank you," Ken said softly and he just returned her stare with a soft gaze.
He loved how the light from the crescent moon reflected on the girl's eyes. He was well aware of how beautiful she is, but right at that moment, she was even more.
"Well, good night," Kaycee said, smiling softly.
"Yeah," he breathed, eyes not leaving hers.
And without hesitation, he took her face and captured her lips with his.
"Are you sure you won't wait for Kaycee, Sean? She will be home any minute now," Tessa asked Sean by the foyer.
Sean smiled and nodded. "Yes. I just came by to borrow something from Josh and I know she must be tired from their trip," he said.
"Oh okay," Tessa said as she watched the young man, noticing his movements – slow and weak. "Be safe on your way home," she said.
Sean smiled. "Thank you, Tessa. I'll be going."
The boy turned around, heaving a deep breath. The truth was, it was better that he won't see his best friend. Despite all the internal dialogues that he had to try and accept everything that was happening, his hurt was outweighing everything. Now, he wasn't sure when he would be okay, or if he would ever be okay. He had to avoid her, thinking it was good for everyone – for her and his cousin, and for himself.
He's learning to numb the pain, and he was more than grateful that there were a lot of things he had to do to take his mind off his current situation. He started to build walls around his heart from all the unwanted emotions as he thought of her again.
But as he opened the door, those walls shattered immediately.
His insides started to twist, his chest tightened, suffocating him from all air and his camera suddenly felt so heavy in his hands that he had to tighten his hold onto it.
He looked down, not knowing what to do. He blinked away the oncoming tears as he hesitantly stepped down the porch, wanting to be invisible at the moment.
Ken and Kaycee heard the little footsteps as they broke apart and they both turned to see Sean by the door, looking away. Ken let out an awkward laugh as he scratched his head.
"Hey bro, sorry we didn't notice you were there," Ken said, chuckling awkwardly.
Numb it, Sean told himself, pushing back his tears before he looked up and let out a smile, only looking at his cousin. "I just borrowed something from Josh. But I'm going home now. Hi there, Kayc," he said, but he was not looking at her, the girl noticed.
Kaycee just stood there and stared at her best friend, taking in his every movement, even his voice. She never thought they would meet in this kind of situation, and it made her awfully uncomfortable.
Her chest ached with the fact that he wasn't meeting her eyes.
"Well, let's go together," Ken offered.
"Uh no, no. It's okay, I have my bike anyway. And mom wanted me there ASAP," Sean said. He mounted the bike and nodded at his cousin, still not sparing the girl a glance.
"Sean –" Kaycee started, but it was as if he didn't hear her as he started to pedal away.
*****
"Oh, Kayc –" Ken started in surprise as he answered their door.
"Is Sean here?" she interrupted as she stepped inside their house with a determined look on her face.
She texted him the moment he left the night before and a couple more, but for the nth time around, Sean did not reply to her messages. She had enough.
"Uh yeah? He's in his room. Is there a problem?" Ken asked.
"Nothing, not really. I'm just going to give him a piece of my mind," she said calmly but was practically storming towards his room.
Ken started to follow her but decided to not interfere. He sighed as he sat on the couch again.
Sean jumped on his seat as his door banged open, revealing a surprisingly calm Kaycee. His heart thundered for a moment, seeing her at his room, seeing her close.
But that painful scene played in his mind, and swallowing the hurt that surged in his chest, he willed to be casual as he turned back to his computer again.
"Hey," he greeted monotonously.
"Hey?" Kaycee scoffed as she closed the door and crossed her arms. "Hey?" she asked incredulously. After not speaking to each other for what it felt like a month, she would only get a hey? "Why the fuck are you not replying to my texts?"
Sean retrieved his phone and showed her that it was dead, his eyes still on the computer screen.
"Wow, are you telling me that it is dead for the whole week?" Kaycee fumed.
She was so mad right now.
"Yes –"
"Are you avoiding me, Sean Lew?" Kaycee asked, her voice now quivering.
The sound of her voice made Sean look up and he regretted it, seeing her red nose and the tears clouding her eyes that morphed into pure sadness.
Numb it, he told himself again, forcing himself not to feel anything. He was tired of all the pain that was consuming him even if it hurts like hell to see her like that.
"I'm sorry, but I just really had a lot of things to do, Kayc," he said, and Kaycee could actually see it, noticing the dark circles under his eyes.
If only she knew the real reason.
"Yes, you are avoiding me," Kaycee spat. "Whatever the reason is, it is utter bullshit."
Sean made no response, avoiding her gaze and Kaycee couldn't deny that her heart is slowly breaking with his actions.
She couldn't understand him at all. Or maybe she just couldn't understand herself.
There were many points in their lives that Sean would distance himself for a while in the past years because he took his studies and passion so seriously, but it never affected Kaycee much as it is affecting her now. So what was the problem?
"You asked me the other night to not forget you since I have Ken but aren't you a little hypocritical shit?" she said angrily, her voice trembling.
Never, ever in her whole life had she felt a lot of emotions at once, and so she wondered where all of these came from. She let out a frustrated sigh, thinking why she was so riled up in the first place.
"I'm accepting NYU," she just said instead, slightly hoping that the boy would react to her going away.
And for a while there, she saw how Sean's expression turned into a grim one as he looked at her, his face hardening, only it disappeared right away.
"I'm happy for you," he just said instead.
"Yeah, I can totally see it," she said sarcastically, her breaths getting uneven because of her best friend's indifferent behavior. And unable to hold it anymore, she burst into tears, sobbing.
Why are you doing this? She wanted to ask, but somehow she couldn't. She was afraid of his answer. She buried her face into her hands as she was trying to figure out the reason why she was crying. The only reason she could think of was the person sitting in front of her.
And suddenly, warmth enveloped her and she couldn't help herself but sob even more.
"Why are you crying?" Sean asked, his voice soft.
I don't know, she thought. "I –I h-hate y-you right n-now..." she cried.
Sean took a deep breath, his hold on her tightened. "You know you don't mean that."
Kaycee gasped in breaths. "I –I'm trying t-to m-mean it...
"Kaycee," he started. "I'm so sorry. It's just...inevitable. I'm getting busy; you're going away. Circumstances change. We won't be together forever, you know that right? In a few years' time, you will have a career, maybe a family, and I will have mine."
The thought scared her. She never even thought that far yet. She is always used to live in the present, and even just going away scared her.
But his answer was not enough for her; it wasn't what she was looking for. But she doesn't know what she was looking for in the first place. She just couldn't accept that.
"Y-You're m-my best f-friend," she said instead, hoping that that will remind him who he is, and that he would always be there.
But Sean kept silent, drawing her to his chest tightly. His tears leaked to the side of his eyes, and he had to quietly wipe it away as he swallowed that huge ball in his throat.
"Yes. I am," he said, his chest on fire.
Kaycee looked up to him, her red eyes making it hard for Sean to breathe. "Spend the day with me tomorrow?"
And Sean nodded, giving her a small smile. "Okay."
*****
"Just don't think of your project for today, okay?"
He sighed. "Okay."
"Sean," she said, getting his attention, pretty unconvinced with his response. "I'm going away in two weeks. Can I have my best friend back?"
His soft eyes melted into sadness at the reminder. She is going away, and it didn't fully sink in yet, so he had to do this with her.
Let her be mine just for today, he prayed. Just for today.
And so he smiled at her, nodding.
They both paused in their tracks, breathing in the sea breeze as they took in the sight of the ocean and shore teeming with people. Sean looked at her, her hand in his, eyebrow raised and a smile threatening to break out from his lips.
Kaycee hated crowds; she would only go to the beach to just watch the waves or the sunset and never to swim. So it surprised him when she suggested that they would go to Main Beach that day.
"Kayc, we can back out you know?" he said, with humor in his voice, watching her take in the many people. For the record it wasn't as crowded as Santa Monica's.
"Are you kidding me? That was a long drive! Plus I won't get to see a beach while I'm in New York. Come on!" she tugged on his hand, but he stood on his ground.
She turned to him and met his soft gaze. "Honestly," he started, "I don't want a crowd, either. I want you all by myself today," he admitted quite bashfully.
Kaycee smiled at this, her heart full. She took a step towards him, gazing right into his eyes. "Don't be such a drama queen, Lewser," she teased, but her voice was soft. "I'm yours today. Come on," she tangled her fingers in his and pulled him through the people.
As soon as they picked a spot, Sean immediately settled their bags and spread their blanket when he got a shock of his life when Kaycee started stripping off her shirt and denim shorts, revealing a black two-piece bikini that he never saw her in. As a matter of fact, he never saw her in a bikini since they were 15, back when she didn't have these curves and legs that could go on for days.
He blinked, realizing that he was staring, and sheepishly looked away, clearing his throat and got himself busy.
"What are you doing?" his best friend asked.
"Uh, arranging our things?" he said, feeling stupid.
Kaycee rolled her eyes as she untied her hair, her thick curls immediately dancing away with the wind. "Oh my god, Lewser, don't make me strangle you!" she exclaimed. "You promised!" she pouted, stomping her feet in frustration.
That actually made him laugh, considering how cute she was despite wearing that bikini. He stood up, smiling, removing his shirt and missing how her eyes darted towards his chest down to his stomach and how she looked away in a millisecond with a cough.
"Okay then," he grinned at her. "Last one will drive tonight!" he said before making a run towards the water, laughing.
"Hey!"
They talked and laughed throughout the afternoon, catching up on what they had missed on each other. Somehow, they never talked about her relationship with Ken, nor did Kaycee offer any details. She shared what she looked forward to in New York, about her plans and the new dreams that birthed in her heart over the summer. And Sean could only watch her –watch how her bright eyes reflect the sun, not minding how he drowns in them like he would in the sea. He listened to her, memorizing her hopes, wanting to see them come true in the future. He wrapped himself with her presence, knowing he would soon be deprived of it and for the years to come.
He took a deep breath and focused on her, savoring her voice and the sight of her smile. His heart ached, and at that moment he regretted the times he had to avoid her, how he lost the times when they could have spent more time with each other. His mind betrayed him towards the thought of his cousin, and he had to swallow the bitterness to push those thoughts away.
They swam and talked the day away, and taking breaks to eat and play beach volleyball with some strangers they met. At some point, Sean wished they hadn't – he could see how other guys' gazes lingered on his best friend, and a sense of possessiveness run through his chest.
So when he stood close beside her, wrapping an arm around her bare waist, she looked at him in surprise. He just shook his head at her, not wanting to give it away that he was just sending a message across to all the guys who dared to look her way. And this is what he didn't like –Kaycee is oblivious all the time, unaware of the admiration thrown her way, unaware of her beauty and how it affects people. He shouldn't be surprised, she was unaware of his feelings as well.
She would only know when someone would flirt straight up in front of her or when someone declare their intentions just like Gentry and Kenneth did, and he was somehow scared that this would be a disadvantage for her while she's away. He knew she was headstrong, but it didn't sit well in his stomach that such incidences would happen.
"Where are you going?" Sean asked, as he plopped down on their beach towels.
"I'm getting ice cream. You want some?" Kaycee asked, her hair dripping, looking dazzling at the water on her skin.
"Okay, I'm coming with you –"
Kaycee giggled. "Don't be ridiculous. I can get ice cream by myself," she said, starting to turn away.
"Hey. You're going in that?" he called, his tone ridiculous.
"In what?" she asked confused.
Sean let out a frustrated breath as he stood up, getting his shirt and rolled it to put it over her head. Kaycee chuckled incredulously. "You do know this is a beach, Sean, right?" she said. "And I have my own shirt."
"Don't fight with me in this, Kayc. At least wear this if you don't want me to go with you," he said, instinctively planting a kiss on her forehead.
Her clear gaze met him when he pulled away, a tinge of rose on her cheeks with a small, faint smile on her lips. "You have to stop doing that," she whispered so softly as she looked away.
"What?" Sean asked, not catching what she just said.
She shook her head, still with a faint, sad smile. "I'll be back."
Kaycee had always found comfort in his presence. With him, she would be like a calm sea after a raging storm, peaceful and safe. So she didn't understand why she needed to get away from him for a while. She knew she insisted that they hang out that day, but after spending that too much time with him, feeling him near, feeling burned with his touches, she just needed air to breathe.
She didn't know when that feeling started; she only knew it felt wrong to feel those things. So she took a deep, calming breath, pressing her eyes shut to push back all those thoughts running in her mind.
She bought their favorite flavors, grateful for the coolness of the dessert, momentarily distracting her. She stayed for a while, thinking about Ken and gathering her thoughts. She took a step back and turned, when she collided into a hard body.
She gasped as Sean's ice cream smacked straight into the man's bare body before it slid down to the ground.
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," Kaycee apologized, and quickly asked for tissue from the ice cream vendor.
The man and two of his friends just laughed it off as the girl offered the tissue, apologizing again.
"It's okay, gorgeous," the man said, grinning at her. "It's not every time I bump into a beautiful lady like you." His eyes were running through the length of her body down to her legs.
Kaycee cleared her throat, starting to feel uncomfortable and chose not to say anything as she started to turn away. But the men followed her.
"Where are you going? Are you with someone, doll?" the other guy asked.
She chose not to answer, but could only brisk walk, pushing the fear that crept up in her throat.
"I'll take that as a yes," said the guy who blocked her path. "But you're not with him right now. Why don't you play with us for a while?" he grinned menacingly.
Kaycee could only take a deep breath, summoning her patience, as she was feeling trapped by the three strapping guys. They were way taller than her, way bigger, and she knew they were using it to intimidate her. She glared right at the guy in front of her, her chin up.
"This is fucking harassment. Have you no life? Get out of the fucking way, or I'll report you," she spat.
The three guys laughed. "A pretty little thing with a dirty mouth. What else could that dirty mouth could do, huh?"
And he gripped her wrist and pulled her forcefully to him. Fear twisted on her insides, and out of pure adrenaline, she shot her knee up straight to his groin, sending him staggering back, releasing her.
"Fuck you, bitch!"
But she was held again, this time, with the other two guys. Now, she was unable to conceal the fear in her eyes, starting to paralyze her, making it hard for her to breath.
Sean. Sean! Her mind screamed, when her voice was unable to.
The sun had completely set, and they were in a deserted area of the beach away from the stores and vendors. She couldn't think, her mind in a fog of fear, hoping against all hopes that Sean had come looking for her noticing that she was taking a long time.
"Kaycee!"
Her head whipped towards the voice, her breaths shaking as he appeared, his jaw hardened as his gaze landed on the two hands on her wrists. She saw him draw a controlled breath as he looked at them in the eyes.
"Just –just let her go, man," Sean said, breathing hard in fear. "And this won't end badly," he said so calmly, but deep inside he was raging in anger. His gaze met her fearful ones, silently telling her that everything will be okay.
Then suddenly, the girl was pushed towards him.
"You can have your slut, then! She was no fun anyway!" the guy she had kneed on the groin yelled, but kept his glare at the girl. "You're gonna pay, bitch," he spat.
And with one last glare, he and his friends turned away, making her sick to the stomach.
She didn't realize she was shaking so hard, her tears contained in her burning eyes as she gasped out breaths. If it weren't for Sean's arms around her, she would have fallen into the ground, weak.
"Kayc. Kayc," he breathed, hands on her face, making her look at him. But now, tears continuously dropped from her eyes, her gaze unfocused. She was trembling in fear. "Baby, fuck. Look at me," he said, voice hard.
Her eyes now met his, full of tears, as she held on to his hands holding hers. "S-Sean..."
"You're okay. You're okay," he said, panting as he engulfed her into a tight embrace.
"I-I'm s-sorry, S-Sean. I sh-should've listened t-to y-you..." she sobbed into his chest.
Sean shook his head. "No. It's not your fault," he said, kissing the top of her head. "They were high, Kayc. You can see it in their eyes. Don't blame yourself. And I'm sorry, too."
"P-Please," she started. "L-Let's g-go h-home. I –I don't w-want them t-to come b-back –"
"They're not coming back, Kayc," he said, his voice gentle. "Let's go," and without a moment's hesitation, he scooped her up, because he knew she was trembling and weak in fear. The girl didn't make any kind of protest, but could only bury her face at the crook of his neck, tightening her hold around him.
He opened his car with her in his arms, and he set her down gently, observing her. Her eyes were still cast down, and he realized this was the first time he ever saw her like this. She may act tough all the time, but she never experienced any kind of these things; her family and friends made sure of that, he made sure of that. He was feeling all kinds of emotions all at once and he so wanted to lash out and find those men who did this to her, but she was his priority.
He stooped down in front of her, gently cupping her cheek. "Kayc," he whispered. "You're okay now. You're with me. You're safe," he reassured her.
Tears filled her eyes again. "I-I h-heard h-him, Sean. H-He said I-I'm going t-to pay for w-what I-I..."
Sean shook his head. "That was just an empty threat, Kayc. They were high on something, I doubt they'll do it," he sighed. "Did –did they...touch you?" he asked. He had to, and even if she didn't answer yet, anger spread like wildfire.
Kaycee could only shake her head. "They j-just g-grabbed me and told me things."
Sean pressed his eyes shut, containing himself. He planted a tender kiss on her forehead, before he leaned his forehead on hers, breathing her in.
"I'll never let anyone harm you again, Kayc. That's a promise," he whispered.
He pulled away, giving her a consoling smile, and closed the car door on her.
And when he turned, Kaycee screamed, as she watched in horror the guy from earlier hit her best friend with a crowbar on the head, sending him limp on the ground. Seeing the blood at the metal, the faded guy widened his eyes at the realization before throwing the crowbar at the car and ran away with his friends.
She didn't know how long she was crying and screaming, but when she regained the little of her senses, she weakly alight from the car and crawled to her best friend's unconscious form on the ground.
"H-help..." she choked. "Help!"
**********
Author's Note
Thank you for waiting!
I know you don't like the parts of Ken and Kayc, but bear with this for a while. And I'm sorry for that dramatic ending, but it serves a purpose.
Thank you for reading this big book of angst, and I hope you'll continue to support as this ends in 3-4 chapters.
Til then!