It was now about eight o'clock when they all ran into the house.
"Hey guys we're all going swimming want to-" Cassandra stopped and looked at Linden. "Who's this?"
"This is my boyfriend Trevor. Trevor, this is my good friend Cassandra and her boyfriend, Nick."
"Nice to meet you," they both said.
"You guys want to come?" Cassandra asked again.
"Actually, we're going to head back to my house," said Linden.
"Okay, see ya," said Cassandra. Linden and Trevor got up, said their goodbyes, and left. "How about the rest of you?" Coreene, Devon, Emalia and Kevin declined the offer, and said that they would just stay indoors. Just then, Jonathan walked in the door and sat down on the couch. "You wanna go swimming with us?" He only shook his head.
"All right, suit yourselves!" said Brian, and the seven of them ran upstairs to change.
"What's wrong?" Coreene asked Jonathan.
"I kinda, sorta, told Nicole earlier, that we should probably kinda see other people." Everyone in the room's mouth dropped open.
"You did what?" said Emalia.
"We didn't really officially break up, though."
"I thought that you liked Nicole. Why would you say something that?" Coreene asked him wide eyed.
"I do like her, even love her, but it doesn't erase the hurt in me."
"Hurt?"
"Yeah, you guys wouldn't understand."
"Yeah, I guess that you're right." When the seven of them that had changed blew right past the people in the family room, on to the beach, and into the water, Coreene got up and grabbed Devon's hand.
"That looks like fun. Let's go for a walk." He got up and followed her outside. They were walking down the beach when Coreene stopped. She bent over, took off her sandals, and threw them towards the house, and Devon did the same.
"Hey, where are you guys going? Wanna join us? We need one more person to help gang up on Brian!" yelled Nick.
"No thanks Nick! That's okay!" said Coreene. Nick only shrugged and turned back to ganging up on Brian. Devon took Coreene's hand and they walked down the beach. The sun was half set. When Devon felt that they were far enough away from the splashing group trying to get Brian, he sat down on the beach and Coreene sat down next to him. He put his arm around her, and she leaned against him.
"Hey guys, it's getting dark out," said Cassandra.
"And cold," said Mercedes.
"Are you guys quiting on us?" said Nick.
"Yup," said Cassandra walking out of the water.
"Well in that case, wait for me! Bye guys! Have fun!" said Nick as he ran after her.
"Me too," said Brian.
"Well then that's no fun," said A.J., and he, Isabella, and Nicole also got out of the water.
"You're right, it is cold out," said Isabella, so A.J. put his arm around her. She just smiled at him and they continued to walk into the house. They all went upstairs to change. Mercedes was the first one down wearing a one piece bathing suit with shorts over it. She grabbed her jean jacket, and headed outside. She walked down the beach, and onto the dock. She slowly walked all the way down to the end of the dock, and sat down, dangling her legs off the edge, and sticking her feet in the water. She pulled the sleeves of her jacket over her hands, and raised her head to the sunset. When Brian ran downstairs he looked around for Mercedes. When he didn't see her, he looked out the window and saw her sitting on the edge of the dock. He took his shoes off and headed out on to the beach.
When he reached the dock, he silently tip toed down the dock and touched her shoulders. She jumped a little and turned her head around to see him looking at her. She turned her head back around to watch the sun fade, and he sat down beside her and looked at her.
As the radiant sun set, casting a fiery hue across the water, Mercedes and Brian turned to gaze in each other's eyes, with a passion to match the glowing embers of the setting sun. Their golden glow, from a day in the water, reflecting in their lustful gaze made them ache to be in each other's arms. A screech of a seagull overhead, could not drown out the beating of their hearts, pounding harder and harder each second, then beating as one. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. Holding her so close, she felt like she was going to melt into him. He spoke softly in her ear.
"I love you so much that I can't even comprehend it. I know that it is love because love is the discovery of ourselves in the one that we love, and I feel like my whole self is within you." She could only gaze deeper into his eyes. There were no words for what she had to say. "You know, they say that some loves last a lifetime, but that true love lasts forever. We must have something more for it to last an eternity."
"Oh Brian," she said as she could feel her heart melting inside of her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. His voice, his words, were like sweet music to her that played continuously in her CD player.
Nicole, Isabella, A.J., Emalia, Kevin, and Jonathan were all sitting in the living room talking. Nicole and Jonathan were at opposite ends of the family room, and the rest of them could feel the tension in the room, but could find nothing to talk about. Nick and Cassandra were standing by the window, holding each other, and looking outside.
"How sweet," said Nick looking out at Mercedes and Brian.
"Don't stare!" said Cassandra pushing on him lightly. "Let's go outside." They both went outside and sat on the double beach swing. Cassandra kicked off her shoes and dug her feet into the sand. Nick did the same and started to rock the swing. She leaned on him, and put her head on his shoulder. "This is our last night here, on the beach."
"We can always come back, can't we?" he asked her.
"Yeah, maybe. But not for a while. It may take me a while to get over just this weekend. I hope you understand. I know that he has been gone a long time, and that it just seems like it shouldn't hurt anymore, but it does. This place holds so many memories of us, of Andrew and I." He nodded his head and kept rocking.
"I do understand. I'm here for you." She picked her head up, and looked at him and smiled.
"Don't stare!" she said laughing. She put her hand on his face and turned it towards her. "That's not very polite."
"Then what am I supposed to look at?"
"Don't look at anything," she said and put her lips on his.
"I like this idea. Okay, I won't stare anymore!" he said smiling and returned her kiss.
The sun had set when Devon pulled Coreene up to her feet. He held out his hand for her and she took it, shocked at how perfectly the two fit together. They both walked, neither one knowing where they were going, neither one caring. The water caressed their feet as they fell into each other's arms. Devon's head moved closer to Coreene, and she could feel his breath on her cheek like a butterfly flapping its wings. When their lips touched, it inflamed a light inside of Coreene. Her hands that were placed on his muscular back, moved their way up to his neck and she entwined her fingers into his hair massaging his head. Then from that moment, they knew they were meant to be, that they were now one.
Brian hugged her tighter. He began to kiss the top of her head.
"Brian, I love you," said Mercedes with a tear in her eye. Brian began to feel weepy himself. His voice trembled.
"As do I." Brian leaned in to her lips and kissed her, and kissed her. Mercedes' arms crept up around his neck. Her chest heaved and her breath came in catches.
"That's so cute!" said Cassandra.
"I thought that we weren't supposed to stare? Isn't that kind of contradicting yourself?" said Nick.
"Oh! Look who's using the big words now! I think that I'm starting to rub off on you!"
"Yeah right!" said Nick. Cassandra's mouth dropped open and she stood up. Sarcastically, she put her hands on her hips and walked away. Nick only sat on the swing and laughed, and continued to rock back and forth.
That night when everyone had gone to bed, Jonathan and Nicole lay awake on one of the air mattresses.
"I loved her and still do. Through nights like tonight I held her in my arms. I have kisser her so many times under the infinite sky. How could anyone not love her great brown eyes." Jonathan stopped himself. He couldn't believe what he was thinking, but regardless, he kept thinking. "Nicole is my abyss." He lay very quietly. His mind went in big swoops over his friendship with Nicole from the very first meeting until now. Then he went back to the beginning and did it all over again. Each time was a different story. Different scenes, different moments, different words, different looks in Nicole's eyes stood out with significance. What he lingered over longest was the one time held her in his arms, the time that they had really kissed. He ought to have her in his arms.
Should he really? He searched himself more deeply. Did he really love her? All that love meant? The eternalness of it, the each-one-for-the-other for good and all? The end of ever thinking seriously of any other girl or woman? Was it just puppy love, or did he want Nicole for keeps?
A pain shot through him, and the pain was because it could even be questioned. It was a belittlement of his darling, of his sweet little love. Of course he wanted her! Anyone would want her! She was the only girl he had ever known or talked to who seemed important, who even seemed real. The other girls he had been friends with throughout his lifetime, seemed sort of made up out of curls and eyes and giggles and pretty legs, but Nicole was real.
"I think that I do not have him. To feel that I lost him. My eyes search for him, trying to bring him close to me. My heart searches for him, and he is not with me," thought Nicole. The feeling inside of her was as if she were groaning because she sort of knew she would never marry anybody but Jonathan, groaning because there filled him a great wave of possessiveness.
They both turned their faces to each other at the same time. Their eyes locked and could not become unfixed from each other. They leaned in and their lips met ever so gently, and ever so quickly. Their faces lingered near each other for a second, but they quickly rolled over and turned away from each other. Dare they admit their true feelings? To give into their feelings would be to give into weakness, and neither of them were weak. A burning ache flamed between them. Neither of them slept. They were up all night, listening to each other's breath, waiting and hoping that the other would make a sound that they could listen to.
They had both finally fell asleep after realising that neither of them were brave enough to actually say anything to one another, so it was their last resort, when Nicole sat up.
"Jonathan!" she screamed. He quickly woke up and turned to her. She was breathing hard, and he so wanted to touch her. He thought to himself.
"The hell with this! She's gone through enough." He put his arms around her and hugged her tight. When she realised that Jonathan was holding her, it was like a shock. Of all people, she would have wanted to be with Jonathan. To say something to him about what she had done. To touch him and feel his eyes looking at her. They both sat there, her hair hanging over her shoulders and tears streaming from her eyes, her arms creeping up around his body, forgetting about her nightmare.
"Oh Jonathan! I'm so sorry!" she cried to him. Bewildered, thrilled, weary, excited, Jonathan tightened his grip around her. How far did he dare go? He thought the hell with that question too, and leaned his head down on hers. She cried and sobbed, and it made him feel like crying, too. He pulled her face up to his and kissed her. They both laid down, and not saying another word, fell asleep in each other's arms.
Early the next morning, Cassandra rolled over and looked out the window at the rain.
"Oh great. I hate rain," said Cassandra. She turned back around and watched Nick as he slept. She smiled to herself, and gently brushed his hair off of his face. She softly ran her fingertips along the side of his face and across his lips. He opened his eyes, took a deep breath and stretched. "Good morning!"
"Hi," he said in a daze and collapsed back on the bed and closed his eyes to sleep again. She continued to play with his hair. With his eyes closed he said, "It's raining out today."
"Yes I know that."
"Oh! Well, sorry!" He smiled. "What time is it?"
"I don't know."
"Well do you think we should get up then?"
"I don't know."
"Can I go back to sleep?"
"I don't know."
"What time are we leaving today?"
"I don't know."
"What do you know?"
"I don't know." She laughed as he got even more frustrated.
"Well then I'm going to get up."
"Okay."
"I'm going to take you with me."
"Okay." He got up, wearing only his boxers, and lifted her up out of bed.
"I'm taking you downstairs now."
"Okay," she said as she put one arm around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Do you love me?
"Yup."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"It's short answer day, isn't it?"
"Maybe."
"Thought so," he said.
Everyone else was already up, and Nicole and Jonathan were making breakfast. They all watched as Nick and Cassandra entered the room and he smoothly put her down to the ground.
"Couldn't walk down the stairs?" asked Nicole to Cassandra.
"Nope."
"Hungry?" asked Jonathan.
"Nope."
"Can't you say anything else?" asked Mercedes.
"Yup."
"Well what can you say?" asked Brian.
"I don't know." They all sighed loudly and gave up.
After breakfast, and after almost everyone had gone upstairs, Brian stopped Nick.
"I got something on my mind, and I need to talk to someone."
"Yeah sure, let's-" he stopped and looked outside. "I guess that we can't go outside, so just talk to me."
"I need to know if Mercedes is mine," said Brian.
"You know that she is! Why would you think that she isn't?" said Nick.
"I don't know. It's just that, well, it's not that I feel that she isn't mine, but it's just sometimes, it doesn't feel official."
"But you asked her to be your girlfriend right?" Brian nodded. "And she accepted, right?" Brian nodded again. Nick shrugged. "So what's the problem?" Brian looked at the ground for a minute.
"How do you stay with he feeling that Cassandra is yours, purely yours?"
"I don't know. I guess that you could feel that way out of insecurity. I love Cassandra and I don't feel that I have to be worried about anything."
"That's cool man. I'm happy for you two. I think that I should get her a ring. The most beautiful ring in the world. How about you?"
"I don't need jewelery to prove that I love her or that she's mine."
"Yeah, but, it'll make me feel better, and maybe you'll find something. Just come with me." Nick reluctantly agreed, but then asked,
"But we don't know what kind of rings or jewelery they like!"
"I guess that presents a problem. I'm sure that we can find out."
"Hey, let's ask Isabella!" said Nick. Brian smiled and agreed that they would talk to Isabella when they got back home, later on that day.