"Hi," I jump over to her. "You must be Sophie? James' sister?"
"Um," she takes me into a light embrace but jumps back a bit too suddenly for my comfort. "No."
"My name is Kirstie."
"Yeah ..." James drags. His jaw clenches, gaze diverting to the ground. "This is Kirstie ... she's my ex-girlfriend."
*****
The start of this chapter is James' P.O.V when he saw Kirstie.
James P.O.V
"See you later, Hazza," I wave my OAP goodbye. Why I've been summoned to the water collection point by the creek, I don't know. Maybe for a surprise, or phone calls from home?
I trail down the humongous hill, take a few whisks through brambles and thorns to the ever so familiar creek.
Sat perched on a rock, dressed in blue denim shorts and a tank top, sits another thing that is ever so familiar to me - not in a good way.
"Hi,". Even the tone of her soft voice causes memory after memory to come flooding back. "I bet you didn't expect to see me."
My whole body tingles. "Hi, Kirstie."
My ex-girlfriend.
"Why are you here? Isn't my sister supposed to be here instead?"
"Yeah," she bites her lip subtly. "About that ... I begged the producers to reconsider - I flew out to Australia to see how you were... I told them I was your girlfriend. How are you keeping?"
"...Why?" I panic, sitting on a rock a fair distance away. I divert away from her question - she's the type of person that would walk over me like a carpet. "We broke up ... remember?"
Her eyes glint in hope. "Only a few weeks before you came in here. Besides..."
"Besides what?"
"... I," her voice cracks. She pushes herself up from the rock she's sat on, stands, walks closer to me, and sits back down again. "I miss you."
Oh shit. Her fingers begin to creep onto the skin of my bare knees. I swat them away like a fly.
"Well ... I have a girlfriend now."
"But do you?" She frowns. "James. You've known each other for three weeks! All you do is mess around with each other! We were together for four years!"
"But we broke up!" My voice begins to rise. Rage builds like deep water currents. "Because you cheated on me with Tristan!"
There's silence. Every inch of her remains in stone - the smug and devious look doesn't suit her. "I..."
Silence, again.
And then my ex leans into my body, throwing her lips onto mine carelessly and hurriedly. The only contact is a slight rush of breath and a bite of my lip in hers.
"Kirstie!" I launch myself backwards in a heartbeat, almost falling back into the water but managing to catch myself on a rock. "Why did you kiss me?"
She throws a pigtail over her shoulder. "I want you back, my pup."
"I'm with Emma now, Kirstie. Get your head around that! I'm not your pup anymore! Oh ... F*ck! What am I supposed to tell Emma?"
Her body seems to pour out with a sudden anger, unleashed without thought of consequence. "Why are you such an idiot! You tell her that you want to be with me, or I'll break you two up myself."
"You never could." I clench my fists together - my uncut nails dig and pierce the skin of my palm. "I love Emma with everything I have. No amount of malice or violence would come between us."
She looks amused. "We'll see about that... speaking of the girl ... let's go back to camp. I'd love to meet my temporary replacement."
Back at camp ...
When we arrive back at camp, my rage has transformed into anxiety. What the hell am I supposed to say to Emma?
"Hi!" My breathtaking Emma bellows. She's up on cloud nine, and that makes me feel a little more content. "Oh my god, you must be Sophie!"
Emma jumps into Kirstie's arms, who stands there and takes it to her advantage. My gorgeous Emma in the arms of a wicked witch - all the little things that could go wrong.
"Um actually, I'm Kirstie."
My stomach clenches. "This is my ... ex-girlfriend."
Everyone seems to fall silent just as the words spray from my lips. Fleur, John, Harry and their loved ones just peer at each other, not sure of what to say.
Cassy, Emma's sister, places a hand gently on Emma's arm.
Emma looks broken.
"It's okay." Kristie breaks through the tension with her sharp tongue. "I just thought I'd come and say hello to you all. It's nice to meet you ... Emma."
This is the quietest I've ever seen my girlfriend.
"Um ... You're not the type I thought James would go for?" She bites. "The girls that James dates are usually ... well, me."
Her lips purse together.
"And I mean, James I'm pretty sure still likes me? Isn't that right ... pup?"
"I don't like you, Kirstie." I breathe, trying my best not to lose my temper. "I broke up with you... in fact, you shouldn't be here.
Her upper lip twitches like a rabid cur. "But you kissed me, James? Why would you do -,"
"I'll be back in a second." Emma whispers, dashing down the path. She doesn't look at me, or anyone by that matter. She just runs off.
"You," Cassy - the mirror image of Emma - lays a finger on Kirstie's chest. "You stay the f*ck away from both James and my sister, or I'll rip your fake eyelashes out make you eat them."
Emma P.O.V
I don't look back. I just keep running. I run to the wooden shack in the woods, shut the telegraph door, slide down the wall and cry.
I cry so much.
Why is she here? James never mentioned an ex-girlfriend? As she said, she's so much different to what I am.
And he kissed her?
"Emma?"
"Go away." I croak, not holding back any tears.
I look up, expecting to see John, or Cassy, or James or Kirstie. But it's not.
"Oh ... hi Sandra."
"Oh dearie," she examines my tear-stained face and wretched hair. "Come here."
Sandra pulls me into her chest and cocoons me in her warmth. "I know all about love, sweetie."
"I just ... is James doing this for publicity?"
"Doing what?"
"Getting a girlfriend?" I bawl, letting Sandra's floral jacket soak up my salty tears. "Why else would she come in and see James? Why would he kiss her, and,"
"Can I tell you something?" She sits me up. I regain my posture, and with a hankie in her pocket, she absorbs a few teardrops. "You and James, you remind me of Harry and me when we were your age."
My voice hitches. "Really?"
"Oh yes. He was a handsome young chap - the girls drooled over him."
"Sandra, I don't think you're helping." I chuckle, trying to clear Kirstie's image.
"But," she stops me. "When I met Harry, it was like he gave me the world. I've seen you and James on the TV darling - he never stops saying that he loves you."
"If he loved me, he wouldn't ... he wouldn't have kissed her."
"But he loves you, and you're right."
After calming down a little, Sandra and I head back to the main camp. The cool breeze is exemplified on my cheeks - the sky is darker than it was before.
"Emma?"
"James."
James doesn't stand there and stare at my awful surface. My boy rushes over to me, grabs my hips, and pulls me into his chest.
"I'm glad you're safe." He whispers into my knotted hair.
"I'm sorry, Emma." His heads fall into his hands. "I'm sorry that Kirstie said that shit to you."
"...Why?" I reply blankly, tracing my tongue over my chapped lips.
"She's horrible. She shouldn't have said that to you, and I never thought that she'd be the one to come and meet me in here."
"Why?"
"... huh?"
"Why are you sorry?" I shrug, feeling a tear drop from my chin to my lap. "She was right."
"No ... no, she wasn't -,"
"Yes! She was," Look up at him. James' eyes are collapsing, his fragile face cracking into tiny pieces. "I'm not the type of girl you go for. I'm not blonde or short or muscly or anything Kirstie is..."
He breathes. "But Emma?"
I sigh.
"I loved you from the very beginning."
My baby-blue eyed boy pecks my forehead. "Kirstie and I, in four years, were never as good as you and I are right now. I didn't tell you about her because ... I just didn't want to think about everything that happened."
I can't stay upset. I rest my head on his abs, listening to his rapid heartbeat - I can hear the adrenaline flooding through his veins.
"So you didn't ... you didn't kiss?"
"No, of course not." James' hand hooks under my chin. He pulls my head up, purses his lips and pressed ours together passionately.
"Wait ... where is she?" I frown. "Where is Kirstie?"
"I think your sister is taking care of her."
She might be dead then.
*****
Hey everyone! There is a bit more drama coming up, but it's in the next chapter!
Thank you to the lovely SamanthaWatson025 for the comments and votes!
Xoxo