: Chapter 26

The boys were unloading their surfboards from the back of the black truck. After school, I drove back home to change into shorts and a bikini. I also ditched Kermit on my street before Stone picked me up.

We had not spoken since our conversation at lunch. It hung in the air between us. It was only a matter of time before the elephant in the room had to be addressed.

As the two boys continued to mess around at the truck, Lana and I started walking ahead onto the sand.

She nudged me with a smile ‘So what was that at lunch? Have you been keeping something from me?’

‘I don’t know what you are talking about.’ I claimed.

Lana laughed again at how blatant my lie was before she mentioned ‘He was totally hinting that something had happened between the two of you.’

‘He is deranged.’ I pointed out before trying to get away from answering the question ‘Did you see him with Chase? He looked like a pure psycho. He was definitely lying about whatever he was trying to hint at.’

‘The only liar here is you. You are lying to yourself.’ She replied, ‘Everyone could see how jealous Stone was when you were speaking to Chase and Biology Boy.’

Looking out to the waves, I pretended to feign confusion ‘That is ridiculous—’

She did not stop her accusation there ‘I think you were jealous too.’

‘Jealous of what?’ I blurted out.

‘You should have seen your face when you saw Lacey talk to him.’

I muttered, ‘I could not care less who Stone speaks with.’

‘She tried to speak with him.’ Lana spoke again ‘He didn’t even say anything to her. He was watching you the whole time. She was extremely flirty, but he never once strayed from you. His eyes were on you as soon as you came into the cafeteria. Just like it was at Chase’s party.’

A small smile made its way onto my face, and I could not fight it.

Lana noticed it and pointed to my face ‘See. You are happy about it.’

‘No. I am not!’

‘It is safe to say that the green eye monster came out today.’ She joked.

My jaw unhinged at her choice of words ‘Did you just quote Shakespeare and use it in the right context?’

‘So, you were jealous then?’

‘Typical that this is the conversation you choose to do it.’ I uttered, still shocked at her Shakespeare remark.

‘Oh my god.’ Lana squealed ‘You have a crush on Stone.’

I cut her off by shouting but it came out all high pitched ‘No!’

The word crush did not feel tight. It sounded immature and insignificant. Which was not what I felt for Stone.

It was more than that.

We sat down at a random place on the beach. The sand was warm on my legs and bottom as I relaxed into the texture, not hating the way it felt.

My best friend’s face contorted to more of a baffled expression as she tilted her head ‘You seem much more at ease than the last time you were at the beach. You seem calmer and happier. What has changed?’

It was because the last time I was at the beach I was with Stone. He helped me dip my toe in the water and then he helped me to jump into the deep end. He supported me and made me face my deepest fear.

I had not even noticed that I was not panicking or anxious about behind here.

Everything felt more than okay.

I answered her vaguely ‘I had a little help.’

Looking around at the stunning scenery in front of me, I thought of my mother. When I was younger and my dad was at work, she would take me here. She would build great big sandcastles and let me bury her in the sand. One day when she was teaching me how to swim and when told me that I was ready to take my armbands off, she said to me Ella, it normal to have these feelings. You can’t fear your emotions. You can only embrace them.

I did not want to fear my emotions. I wanted to embrace them.

All memories about this beach drifted away until only one remained in my thoughts. Stone and I and the kiss.

There was no point in trying to deny it to myself anymore. I felt for Stone.

More than an aqcenemy or even a friend.

The thought made me want to run away and never come back.

It was then that I noticed that both males were standing behind us.

I hoped that he had not heard me, but I was starting to guess that he had heard the conversation. The evidence to back up my suspicion was his smug face.

My decision to go with them to the beach now did not seem like a good one. I was meant to be convincing everyone else and myself that I did not like Stone.

I could not do that if I was too busy staring at the tattooed bare chest.

Stone had an extremely effortless talent to be sinfully seductive. He just stood there and was naturally irresistible. Maybe it was his good looks or his mysterious aura. Maybe it was his artistic tattoos or his toned body. Maybe it was him as a person. A secret nerd that was funny and challenged me in every way possible.

Maybe it was all the reasons and so much more.

I could also feel his gaze on me. His eyes travelled from my being in contact with mine to my lips and then to my two-piece black bikini.

I felt bare under his watch. It was like he always knew what I was thinking about.

He shook out of his trance like state and came to sit down next to me.

Brennan sat down at the other side of me as he grinned ‘See, Little Ella. This is so much more fun than tutoring that asshole, Chase.’

Flipping him off, I replied ‘What is your problem with Chase? I don’t get what he has done to you.’

‘He has not done anything to me,’ Brennan admitted, ‘but I have to support my guy, Stone.’

‘How nice.’ I deadpanned before I turned to Stone and asked, ‘And what is your great reason to hate him?’

The expression of disbelief from lunchtime had returned.

He grumbled his response. It was too low and too quiet that there was no way Lana and Brennan could hear it ‘You know why.’

I shook off the need to ask more on what he meant by that and told Brennan ‘It was actually Lana that tried to push me and Chase together at the start.’

Brennan went wide-eyed in shock as he looked at her ‘Why would you do that?’

‘I thought it was a good idea.’ Lana held her hands up ‘I thought Ella was lonely and needed somebody.’

‘Hey!’ I reached out and swatted her arm ‘I am a pretty cool person on my own.’

‘Of course, you are.’ She agreed, her tone the opposite of sarcastic.

‘I feel kind of lame that my best friend had to go hunting to find me a possible boyfriend and someone that would want me.’

She countered back with ‘That is nonsense! I can name at least five guys that have tried to pursue you—’

Growling cut her off.

Lana held back a giggle and continued ‘You have always pushed people away. You are trying to hide your inner helpless romantic.’

Stone’s jaw unclenched and stopped ticking.

‘Drizella Miller. The Notebook crier.’ The giant whispered in his husky voice.

I rolled my eyes before I stuck my tongue out at him ‘Call me that again and I will give you something to cry about.’

He chuckled deeply ‘So much violence compacted into such a tiny body.’

‘I am not that small!’ I yelled before I lied ‘I am five foot two.’

My argument left out the small detail that five foot two was my height with heels on and that my real height was less than that.

The love birds eventually upped and left in the direction of the water. Brennan and Lana’s disappearance meant I was left with him and the truth.

I readjusted my position on the sand and brought my knees up to my chest as I avoided meeting the eye of the smug Goliath.

Sighing, I surrender to temptation and questioned ‘What are you smirking at now?’

His harsh striking features went slightly softer, and his eyes were not an exception.

However, his voice was evil and taunting. It was also an indicator that he had heard the earlier conversation.

‘So, Medusa, from what I have heard, you have a crush on me.’

‘Crush on you?’ I repeated before tutting ‘You misheard. I was talking about how I wanted to crush you.’

He looked up at the sky and let out a small deep chuckle ‘I think someone secretly likes me.’

I moved my head to hide my smile from him ‘I guess you are not the worst person I have ever met.’

My confession made Stone laugh louder and he smiled. It was not a small one or even a signature smug one. It was a full smile that showed off all his perfect teeth.

It infuriated me how attractive he was.

Even with the big bruise around his eye, he managed to look flawless.

Giving up and deciding not to care about him knowing that I care, I pointed to his eye ‘What happened to your face?’

Stone’s smile dropped instantly.

He blinked twice before answering ‘The hood of a car fell on me at work.’

Leaning back, I put my hands on the sand to match his pose and replied, ‘Yeah and I am the Dalai Lama.’

He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

‘Both of those statements are the same.’ I further explained ‘Complete bullshit.’

‘And what are you basing that judgement on?’

‘Maybe I just know how to read you.’ I replied.

A smirk grew on his face as he casually started caressing my bare hip ‘I think Drizella Miller does have a crush on me.’

‘I think Valentine Stone is asking for another black eye’ I threatened with a sweet smile.

After he threw me a faux glare, I burst out laughing. His gaze softened as I covered my mouth to stop myself from laughing further. He joined in my amusement with a chuckle.

I wondered then if I would ever meet someone that could make me laugh more than him.

He was worth keeping around.

My hand reached out and I gently ran my finger on the darkened part of his eye. I made sure my touch was gentle so it would not hurt him.

‘What is your verdict then, Medusa?’ He asked, amusement in his tone ‘Will I live?’

I hummed ‘You look like you will be fine…unfortunately.’

Stone shook his head and let out another husky laugh.

I studied the eye as I leaned closer and then my attention dropped to his suggestive smirk.

‘I don’t think a kiss heals black eyes, Lurch.’ I spoke.

‘There is no harm in trying.’

My lip gets pulled by my teeth to hide my smile as I rebutted ‘My lips do not have magical healing abilities.’

‘Yes,’ He let out hoarsely as his gaze dropped to my mouth ‘They do.’

‘Then perhaps I should share my gift with the rest of the male population.’ I teased.

‘No.’ Stone growled ‘You should not.’

Our amusement died down and that is when the studying eye of the giant became more heated. More intimate.

‘Why do you dislike your name?’ He asked gently.

I was caught off guard by his question. It was so abrupt and random that I felt my eyebrows raise.

I tilted my head ‘Who says I hate my name?’

He offered me a smug smile. One that silently informed me that he could read me like a book.

I loathed his smugness and his ability to know me better than anyone else.

However, I indulged him anyway ‘I was named after the wicked and ugly stepsister from Cinderella.’

Stone let out a chuckle from deep in his chest. It was like he was waiting for me to laugh as well like I was telling him a joke.

When I did not, his features hardened, and he went back to his usual serious-looking exterior.

Lana and Brennan were splashing around in the water. I was watching them to avoid the pair of obsidian eyes as I revealed the story behind the name.

‘My mother was obsessed with Cinderella.’ I began to tell him ‘It was her favourite fairytale. She watched the movies all the time religiously. It was her obsession while she was pregnant with me. She loved the story so much that she named me after it. Just not Cinderella. Instead, I was named Drizella. The ugly stepsister. The side character. The girl that was desperate for her own fairytale but does not end up getting it.’

I had never told anyone why the name had bothered so much and there I was opening up to him.

He listened like he hung on to every word I spoke. Like what I said was the most important thing in the world to him.

‘Did you know that in the original story, Drizella cut off her toes so the glass slipper would fit her, and she could marry the prince?’ I recited before pointing out ‘Which is ludicrous. Who would cut their limbs off for a stupid Prince? If it was for a sorcerer that could conjure up a massive library, then maybe I would consider it.’

If my life was a fairytale, I would be one of the talking animals that broke out into song. If this was someone kind of coming age of movie, then I would be the character that only made an appearance when the main character needed help.

I had felt this way most of my life. Like a side character. Someone of unimportance.

Books were my escape from reality. I used them to transport into mystical realities much better than mine.

Although, my view has started to shift as I met the dark pair of eyes. The energy between him and I was enough to make my life more intriguing.

‘You were named after the ugly stepsister?’ He repeated, his usual deep voice showing a hint of disbelief ‘You must have been an ugly baby.’

I rolled my eyes ‘I am choosing to see that as a really backwards way of you saying that I am not completely ugly now.’

Stone’s lip quirked upwards as he let his obsidian irises flick over my face.

There was nothing but honesty in his voice and his expression showed no sign of humour. He said his words like they were the undeniable truth.

‘You know that you are stunning.’ He rasped ‘You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.’

I blinked twice to make sure that I was no imagining what he had said.

He called me beautiful. He thought I was beautiful.

The heat rose to my cheeks, and I blushed in stunned silence, replaying the words in my head like a broken record.

I hoped with everything in me that this was not his idea of a cruel joke.

Remember his choice of words, I let out a nervous laugh ‘Creature? Are you insinuating that I am not human.’

‘There is nobody like you, Ella.’

My heart was pounding. It was pounding so much that I could hear it in my ears. Every single syllable he said I focused on just to make sure that it was real and not some kind of dream.

‘There is plenty of people like me.’ I dismissed his idea ‘I am sure if you went out and did not try to scare everyone away then you would see that. You are just too antisocial to talk to new people.’

‘I do not want to talk to anyone else.’

My hands moved to behind my shoulders so I could move my overly long hair to cover my face. I was hoping that the green would hide my red face.

‘I think if you want something then you will get it.’ Stone spoke, his gravelly voice strong ‘So what if you are not called Cinderella. She talked to rats all day and was a push over. You on the other hand are a fighter. You will fight for your fairytale. Whatever that is.’

I smiled at him, a silent thank you.

‘I happen to like Drizella a lot better.’ He confessed.

My smile widened and I was grinning at him. He took his index finger and traced it over my lips and then drew over the curve of my mouth.

Stone added with a smirk ‘You even have the fairytale green hair.’

I closed my mouth and frowned at the mention of the made-up colour.

‘Will you ever let that go and forget about it?’ I asked.

He shook his head twice. His lip twitched again before finally dragging his gaze away from me and then moving towards the horizon.

The contrast between the light from the sun and the darkness of him was overwhelming. The sight was devastating.

I wondered if he knew how badly he was affecting me.

By the way, he carried himself with such authority and dominance without even speaking most of the time suggested that he was aware of his effect on people, but I wondered if he knew his effect on me.

Giving in to him, I voiced ‘Thank you.’

He studied me quietly before he spoke huskily ‘For what?’

‘For making me feel good about myself.’ I admitted before reluctantly telling him the truth ‘You are a good guy.’

Stone smiled. It was small and a little strained, but it was present on his face.

‘I mean that you are a good guy deep down.’ I tried to explain myself so he would not get an even bigger ego ‘Really deep and hidden in the depths of your dark soul.’

‘Was that meant to be a compliment?’ He said, chuckling to himself.

‘I see past the leather jacket and the scary scowl and the overall intimidating-ness of you.’ I laughed ‘I know that you are a big giant teddy bear on the inside.’

He scowled and I laughed. His scowl disappeared after a second and his lip twitched again.

The silence and closeness left no room for lies.

I panicked and I felt the need to say something else. He had called me beautiful and what I had said back was that he was barely a good guy.

I blurted out ‘I guess what I’m trying to say is I like you.’

There was no guessing about it but I did not add that to my confession.

Before he could respond, Lana and Brennan’s laughter as they approached us interrupted the moment.

The two lovebirds sat on the sand next to us and they both stopped chatting as they noticed the atmosphere.

Brennan appeared a little scared as he looked at Stone but quickly recovered by laughing like he was trying hard to contain his amusement.

‘Sorry, have we interrupted something?’ Brennan asked, grinning.

‘No. Of course not.’ I quickly disclosed before changing the conversation back to them ‘You two were not in the water for long.’

Lana looked slightly uncomfortable when she shrugged ‘We wanted to make sure you two had not killed each other.’

‘Or other stuff.’ Brennan added while wiggling his eyebrows ‘Sex on the beach should just be a cocktail. Not a Stone and Ella Monday evening.’

Picking up a handful of sand, I threw it at Brennan.

He threw some back and chuckled while doing so.

Stone sat there silently watching me with a look of deep thought for the rest of the day.

I wished that I could explain the comfort that I got from the dark eyes following my every move.

It did not make any sense, but it did not need to. I did not want to unravel the mystery that was us. I feared that it would end whatever it was we had. I did not want it to end. I wanted it to last for as long as possible.