NINETEEN

Getting ready for my interview, I collected my bag with my birth certificate in it. I needed at least a form of identification.

As I began to grab my coat from the hook, my leg vibrated, telling me I had a notification. Sliding my hand into my jean pocket, I clasped my phone and took it out. An unknown number had sent me a text message.

To: Leia Owens

Have plans?

From: Unknown number

Frowning in confusion, I replied hastily back.

To: Unknown number

Who is this?

From: Leia Owens

To: Leia Owens

A really dashingly handsome man ;)

From: Unknown number

Quirking my eyebrows up, I shook my head secretly disagreeing with him. I knew who it was because I only knew one person from the male species.

To: King of Idiots

So, where did you get my number from?

From: Leia Owens

To: Leia Owens

For me to know and for you to never ever find out...

From: King of Idiots

To: King of Idiots

OK, I'll just ask everyone on my contact list, shall I? Any way, what do you want?

From: Leia Owens

To: Leia Owens

Don't bother, it isn't anyone from your contact list. I know some people alright. Btw, I would like to start our project.

From: King of Idiots

To: King of Idiots

What're you in the mafia or something haha? And sure let's start our project after my interview. How about the beach? 11:00?

From: Leia Owens

To: Leia Owens

Or something and yeah that's cool. 11:00 it is.

From: King of Idiots

After checking the time, I quickly hurried outside, slammed my front door and locked it. Chills ran up my spine as I began my walk to the Café.

Feeling like eyes were watching my every move, I quickened my pace. I still hadn't forgotten about them and how I owed them money. That was mostly why I was trying for a job. I needed the money and hopefully if I got the job then I would be able to pay them back with no complications.

But what still was going through my mind, was that would they leave me alone? I heard how some people paid them and they came back for more. Would that happen to me?

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"So, let's start shall we?" The manager, Stella, smiled, whilst sitting back in her seat. "Why do you want to work here of all places?"

Shaking with nerves, I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat and started to answer the question.

"I always wanted to work as some kind of waitress," I smiled back, fiddling with the hem of my skirt. "It just seems like such a fun job in general."

She nodded along with what I was saying and fired back another question. I replied back with ease and after swiped bits of my hair behind my ear anxiously with my trembling hand.

"Congratulations you have been successful. Here are two letters, one for you and the other is for you to pass on to your parent or guardian."

With that one sentence, my whole face dropped and turned sickly pale. Swallowing once again, I nodded one last time before collecting the letters and hurrying out.

Walking out the Café into the fresh air, I started making my way to the beach. I was meeting up with Mason to do our project. Sadly, it was the same beach I had went to when I was little.

I knew instantly memories would plague my mind and I would get all upset like a toddler going into nursery for the first time without their mother to guide the way.

The smell of seaweed greeted my nose when I was drawing closer to the beach. I tried smiling, but it didn't reach my eyes because the smell reminded me of my childhood. The childhood before my mum was taken from me and my dad.

Sensing that I was near sand, I slipped my shoes off. The sensation of my feet plunging into the sand was nostalgic. I had been to that beach so many times and once my mother was kidnapped here I never went again.

A lanky figure was just slouching against the railings that were five feet away from the beach huts. Immediately noticing who it was, I rushed my way over there, trying to be careful not to stab my foot with any glass that idiotic people scattered around the beach.

"Hey!" I called out, catching his attention. "Let's get this started."

Mason stood up quickly and grabbed my forearm. Dragging me onto the concrete where the beach huts were, he trailed his fingertips down my arm to my hand, which sent instant shivers down my spine.

"I have the camera. We're going to get two ice creams now so it actually looks like we did something," he explained what we were doing in a monotone voice.

Tilting my head to the side, I stared at Mason in the eyes. I wanted to know why he was being so impassive. It was like we were strangers.

"Ok..." I trailed off, whilst my eyebrows shooted up.

Letting him drag me to grab ice cream, I carried on watching him with a stern look on my face.

On the way there, I had had enough of the painful silence between us and spoke up, breaking it.

"Seriously, what's wrong?" I finally asked him, smacking my hands onto my jean clad legs.

"What do you mean?" He questioned back, smirking at me.

"Don't answer me with a question!" I yelled back, getting extremely aggravated. "You know what's up. Why are you being so...unlike you?"

Mason, yet again, smirked with amusement. He was enjoying annoying me and I was playing right into his game.

"I'm tired of speaking to you about pointless things," he replied back with honesty.

That statement brought a pang to my chest. We didn't always speak about pointless things. Was my breakdown really pointless? Was everything we had done meaningless to him?

Keeping quiet, I remained grumpy the whole walk there. Boys were so oblivious and ignorant. He had unintentionally hurt me and didn't even realise it. I thought boys knew the double meanings to everything.

"Do you want a Mr Whippy?" Mason asked me once we had got to the ice cream parlour.

Grinning widely, I nodded cheerfully. I loved Mr Whippy ice cream. Especially with a chocolate flake on top. Licking my lips, my eyes were quick to light up once a Mr Whippy cone appeared in my vision.

After paying, I contently licked my ice cream cone. Leaving the flake til last was my method of destruction when it came to Mr Whippy's ice cream.

"Calm down, Craze," Mason chuckled half-heartedly, watching disgustedly as I demolished the ice cream.

Scowling at him with disbelief, I replied, "I'm declaring my love for ice cream."

Mason rolled his eyes and slipped his hand into mine. Whilst intertwining our fingers, we both strolled along the promenade. The feeling of our hands connecting had me melting inside. I felt so alive with us holding hands whilst the sun shone brightly.

Slowly letting go of my hand, instant coldness welcomed them. I watched as Mason took his camera out of his bag and snapped pictures of my half-eaten ice cream. Tugging me to his chest, we began to take photos of ourselves with different poses each time.

He even pecked me on the cheek, which had my cheeks flaming with a heavy red colour.

Passing by a familiar beach hut, I stopped and stared at it for a moment with furrowed eyebrows. My family's beach hut? They didn't knock it down.

"Leia, you ok?" Mason appeared in my vision, shaking my shoulders gently to grab my attention.

Smiling briefly, I walked on, staring down at the ground as I suddenly felt tears begin to overflow in my honey eyes. I missed those days where I had no debts to pay from your parent's mistakes that costed them their life. It was so wonderful.

I somehow ended up on the sand with tears leaving my eyes. They dropped onto the sand, leaving small wet patches. It easily suggested that I had been crying and I wasn't ashamed of it.

Feeling arms wrap around my small frame, I curled further into them for comfort. I let the tears slowly drizzle down my cheeks that were flushed from the cold wind that blew.

"Shhh," he hushed, pressing kisses to my head.

He didn't say 'everything would be ok' because he couldn't guarantee it. He just comforted me in a way no-one did before. He made me feel cared about for once. He encouraged my snappy side that I had hid for so many years. I had built tall walls and for some reason, he got over them.

For so long, I was weak and insecure because I had lost all hope in making friends.

However, Mason turned around how I felt because these past few weeks I believed that I could take on anything. He, along with Ashley and Sara, had found my old self back and I couldn't had been more grateful.

*

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We were sitting cross-legged on the sand with our feet grazing each other's. Poking his arm, I cheekily grinned at him once he had turned to me.

"Do you want to know about my sudden mental breakdown?" I curled my lips into my mouth as I watched his expression change from happy to curiosity.

"I mean you don't have to tell me if you feel like you have to!" He quickly spoke up. "I-I mean it's your business. Do whatever makes you comfortable."

Chuckling at him, I covered his mouth when he started rambling again.

"Quiet, Daniels!" I whispered to him. "Let me tell you about a story, where a little girl with great parents would take her to this exact beach every Saturday afternoon."

I continued on, trying not to let my wobbly voice faze me.

"She was so happy and loved her parents both dearly, but one day the happy girl died and didn't come back," I explained, my lips trembling. "She..."

I stopped for a moment, beginning to feel a lump in my throat. Noticing my loss for words, Mason began rubbing my back in circles.

"She lost her mother. On this exact beach," I huffed out a breath, letting a tear slip, whilst I looked around the beach in despair. "Her beautiful mother w-went to go get her little girl and herself an i-ice cream, but on the way there she got caught up. Some people apparently saw her get knocked down and pulled inside a van that shouldn't had even been on the promenade!"

Mason nodded along, seeming like he understood my pain in some way.

"And that was that, she was kidnapped and soon killed by some bastards who needed bloody money because my dad was in debt!" I yelled out, gritting my teeth bitterly.

Mason kept quiet throughout my little rant. I was glad someone could listen without judging me.

When I looked at him though, I noticed that his jaw was tight and he was gritting his teeth. His face was a little pale as well. Thinking it must had been the cold, I ignored it and carried on spitting hateful things about them.

Afterwards, he cupped my cheek and began stroking it when I began to sense tears in my eyes. Tears of anger and years of pain.

"Don't cry," he whispered into my ear. "They aren't worth your tears no matter what they did to ruin your life."

A smile made its way onto my face and I started to lean into his warmth. I glanced at his parted lips for a few seconds and soon stared at his eyes, which were calming to look at. There was just contentment in his eyes. No stress and no worry.

Leaning in even further, I reached my hand up to stroke the scar on the side of his head. I hadn't noticed it because I hadn't been as close to him before. I closed my eyes, but straight after something I would never forget happened.

His warm lips crushed onto my own chapped ones. Mason passionately kissed me as I began to soon kiss with him in sync.

Curling my arms around his neck, I brought him closer to me. Letting him take the lead, I would often kiss back with the same amount of passion.

After a while, we pulled away, desperately trying to catch our breaths.

"Wow," he ended up gasping out. "That did not go how I planned to be honest."

I chuckled a bit, "Me neither."

We were quiet for a second before I spoke up.

"Mason?" I murmured. "Do you think it will ever be ok? Will I recover and heal?"

Mason turned to me and said, "It depends what makes you happy. Whatever does, you should keep it."

He was my happiness though even if he didn't know it.

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Woah! So how was that? I know I am crap at writing kissing scenes but oh well. I hope it made your insides tingle because that was my aim. Anyway, don't forget to VOTE and feel free to COMMENT and I will see you soon my lovelies <3

Gem Gems