The next morning, Mercedes awoke to find herself in someone's arms. At first she was confused, then she remembered everything that happened last night. She smiled slowly. Brian shifted in his sleep. She thought about getting up, but decided she'd rather just lay there.
"Mercedes," Brian said.
"Yes?"
"You're still here?"
"Yes."
"Then I didn't dream it," he said.
"I hope not," Mercedes said. He hugged her close to him.
"I really do love you," he said.
"And I love you, Brian," she said.
Nicole awoke that morning in Jonathan's arms. He had stayed over last night.
"Hey," he said to her sleepily.
"Hey, I'm gonna take a shower," she said to him.
"Hm," Jonathan said, a smile forming on his face.
"I don't like that look, but I'm going to let it go," she said throwing on a robe. Then, walking into the bathroom she turned on the shower and got in. Putting shampoo in her hair, she began humming. She didn't notice the door open, until someone got in the shower with her.
"Jonathan!" she protested.
"What?"
"What are you doing?"
"Taking a shower." They both laughed.
By this time, everyone else had woken up and were at the girls house, including Nick and Cassandra, with the exception of Emalia who was at Nathan's house.
"Where's Coreene?" Cassandra asked.
"Oh she went to go buy a new car," said Mercedes.
"She did?" Cassandra asked stunned.
"Yup." Just then Isabella jumped up.
"Anyone up to riding down the beach with me?" Isabella asked.
"Where?" asked Nicole.
"Up at the stables by Andrew's." The group answered with a no because they were all too tired to even get up.
"I'll go! I'm not tired," said a voice from behind.
"Austin? What, what-what are you doing here? I thought we agreed it was over," Isabella said astonished.
"Hey, hey, slow down. Just because we are not going out doesn't mean that we can't be close friends."
"Isabella, I am going to go with you to ride. Alone!" A.J. yelled giving Austin a glare of death.
"Do you guys mind if I stay a while?" Austin said trying to ignore A.J.'s rudeness.
"Yes, we do! Now go away and leave us alone! We have enough problems already!" A.J. yelled while lifting Isabella off the ground into his flexing arms, and running her out of the house towards his car.
"Okay bye! Maybe I should come back later." Austin walked out of the house and down the street. Cassandra and Nick ran to the window and watched as he disappeared.
"Who does Austin think he is anyway? He tore Isabella's heart out and she finally finds herself again and he comes back to do it again?" Cassandra stormed off towards the door to catch up with her sister and her boyfriend. Nick grabbed her arm.
"Don't Cassandra. I know A.J. He just needs to cool off, and Isabella is just the thing to do it," he said to her.
Upstairs Jonathan and Nicole were just sitting on her bed.
"You don't regret it, do you?" he asked.
"Of course not," Nicole replied.
"I love you," Jonathan said almost in a whisper. She turned to look at him.
"I love you too."
"Can you believe we made love? In the shower?" he asked.
"No, it's like, well, a dream," she replied. He moved closer to her and put his arm around her.
"You are amazing."
"You're not so bad yourself," she laughed. Jonathan laid back and pulled Nicole down with him.
"Nicole, I never want to leave you."
"I will never leave you. I promise."
"She is my sister, I must! Nick, you don't understand, she needs my help. We always help each other out. She needs someone, and that someone is me-"
"No Cassandra. She needs A.J. right now."
"Yeah, but...but she is my sister and...and..well?" He hugged her.
"I know, I know, Cassie. I love you, you know that. You also know I wouldn't stop you from going after them without a good reason."
"Are you sure she will be okay?"
"Yes I am sure," answered Nick. Cassandra took one last look out the door and then went over and sat on Nick's lap.
"Well, okay. If you say so," Cassandra said finally giving up her end of the fight. He kissed her longingly and draped his arms around her. She smiled at him and wiggled to get in a more comfortable position on his lap, and laid her head on his chest. He softly kissed her on top of her head and laid his head on hers.
When Isabella and A.J. reached the beach, he carried her down towards the stables. He gently lowered her into the sand and continued towards the stables.
"Hey A.J., wait up!" she said. A.J. stopped and said nothing and didn't turn around. Isabella caught up to him and started walking slowly by his side. "Don't be mad at me A.J." She stopped and turned him towards her. "I can't control when Austin comes and goes."
"I know, I know, but I hate him, Isabella, I hate-"
"I know, but I can't help it. He comes when no one asks him to."
"I just don't understand how I could hate someone so much and not even know him."
"I think it's called, um, what's that word? Jealousy?" A.J. smiled a little and they reached the stables and started to back a horse out of it's stall.
"There, that's the smile that I love to see."
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" said the unstable stable boy.
"I'm stealing this here beautiful maiden and riding out into the sunset with her," A.J. replied mounting the horse. "And there ain't nothing you can do about it!" A.J. reached out his hand to Isabella.
"We are sharing this horse?" Isabella asked.
"Well, unless you have a problem with that-"
"Nope!" she interjected. Isabella took his hand and he swung her up onto the horse behind him. She put her hands around his waist making the effort to tickle his stomach.
"Hey! None of that!" A.J. said laughing. "Hold on tight!"
"Don't worry, I will!" A.J. started to gallop the horse down the beach. The sand from the bottom of the horse's hooves flew up into the air, right into the stable boy's face. He started sneezing and wheezing and took out an inhaler which he kept in his pocket.
"I was hoping he would leave the girl behind as a tip," he thought to himself.
Back at the girls' house, Bobby and Matthew were walking up the driveway to talk to Emalia, when Coreene pulled up in her new Volkswagon Bug.
"Oh shit," she thought. "Who is that hot guy with Bobby?" As she got out of the car, Bobby stopped and waited until she got up the driveway. "What the hell are you doing here?" she said to Bobby.
"Well, I came over to talk to Emalia and-" Bobby started.
"Well go away. She's not even here. She at Nathan's."
"Oh, alright then." Coreene turned away from him and walked inside.
"Wow, she's hot," thought Matthew. Matthew sat down against a tree, while Bobby pulled out a cell phone, and dialed a number. When Coreene walked inside, Devon was there, and he took her arm.
"Hey Devon. What's wrong?"
"I really need to tell you something."
"Yeah? Okay, I'm listening."
"I can't tell you in here. Let's go out back." She agreed and followed him out to the backyard.
"What's on your mind?" she asked him.
"Ah man, how do I say this?"
"What is it?" She had seen that look on Nick and Brian's face just before they had declared their love for Cassandra and Mercedes.
"Well Coreene, there's no way to say this but-"
"Yes?"
"I'm.....gay" Coreene choked on her own words.
"What?"
"Yes, and I used to be in love with Andrew."
"What?" That was about all she could get out. "So we're breaking up?"
"No! We don't have to break up! We can still be in love. You still love me don't you?"
"I don't know anymore. I mean, Andrew? Andrew?" He nodded. "I think that we should break up."
"You're serious?" She nodded. "If that's what you want."
"I do. Goodbye, again, Devon." She turned around and tried to walk casually back into the house. When she got in there, her emotions overtook her and she fled through the front door. Matthew, who was still sitting against the tree out front, caught her as she fled from the house.
"Coreene is it?" She nodded. "What's wrong?"
"It's too complicated," she said in between sobs.
"I've got time," he said flashing her a killer smile. "Here, come sit under the tree and tell me all about it."
"Okay."
Meanwhile, on the phone, Bobby was just ending his conversation.
"Yeah, they can never know who was in the basement that night......I know..... thanks for your help....yeah my plan is working perfectly!"
"Who are you talking to?" said Cassandra coming up behind Bobby. He quietly closed his phone and turned to face her.
"Oh no one."
"Sure."
**Back up at Linden's House**
"Trevor, don't be like this!" said Linden.
"Like what?" he said.
"So controlling!"
"I'm controlling? I'm controlling! Look who's talking!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know damn well what I mean!"
"Whatever Trevor. Just go!"
"Fine, but if I do, I'm never coming back!"
"Fine!" With that, he walked out of the door, slamming it. It took all of her strength not to go after him. She waited to hear his car go away before slumping on the couch and starting to cry.
**Back at the beach**
"I love you so much!" Isabella yelled letting go of A.J.'s waist and putting her arms in the air as if she was a bird.
"I love you too, but it is easier to love you when you are on the horse and not falling off the horse!" A.J. replied with his head towards hers. She kissed him quickly yet sweetly on the lips and he turned his head back around. They decided to slow down because they were getting a little too far from the stables. After a while, A.J. got down from the horse and walked it along the beach. Isabella leaned forward and said,
"I love you. You are so sweet and special."
"Why thank you!" A.J. said not paying attention tripped and fell on his face making a loud whacking noise. The horse got a little spooked, but Isabella calmed it down. "Ugh!"
"Ha ha!"
"Oh yeah!" A.J. pulled Isabella off the horse and picked her up. He carried her into the water about waist high and held her in the air. Laughing, Isabella squeaked,
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh, but I would." A.J. dropped her in. She got up and pushed him. Not expecting the attack, he fell and made a hugs splash. He got up and kissed her. She grabbed his hands and dragged him back towards the horse. On the way over, A.J. ripped off his shirt and as soon as they made it back to the sand, Isabella pushed him onto the ground and laid down next to him. She laid her head on his chest and he stroked his fingers through her long hair. They played footsie for a while until A.J. took off his shorts.
Fed up with Bobby, Cassandra went back inside the house. She walked up to her bedroom to find Nick sitting on her bed.
"Whatcha doing?" she asked him.
"Oh, just waiting for you," he replied.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah." He stood up and walked over to her.
"Nick, I love you so much. I do not know how I ever ended up with you."
"I do," he said and kissed her. When they pulled apart, she glared deep into his astonishing blue eyes, and stroked his golden blonde hair. "I love you too," he said.
"Now this is what I have always dreamed of. Laying next to a really hot guy wearing just his boxers, and I plan on embracing every moment of it!" he bent down and pressed his lips against hers. She opened her mouth to let his tongue glide through hers. A.J slipped off his boxers.
"Wowsers!" Isabella squeaked. He laughed a little then reached over and slipped off Isabella's shirt. He laid his hand on the far side of her body and caressed it. She wrapped her arms around him neck. He began kissing her all over until he reached her mouth and kissed it desirably. As he kissed her, he glided his hands behind her and moved them downwards, pulling down her shorts along with her undergarments. He then moved his hands back up unclipping her bra and sliding it off. He lifted his body over hers. They laid there kissing, motionless. They could both feel that they were now one.
"What could be taking them so long?" Coreene whined about A.J. and Isabella.
"I don't know. They probably went out to dinner, but I have a feeling we will find out later. Let's go to bed," said Nicole. They up and started to head to separate houses tonight, except Brian and Mercedes.
"Brian, I love you more than anything in the whole world!" Mercedes said.
"You guys coming?" yelled Cassandra.
"Yeah, come on, let's go," said Brian pulling Mercedes to her feet.
Meanwhile, back at the beach, Isabella said,
"I can't see anything it's so dark!"
"Yeah well, I lost track of time," said A.J. as they put their clothes back on.
"The horse is probably dead by now, having to watch that for so long."
"I'll be frank with you, I'm surprised it didn't pull up a recliner and some popcorn."
"Well come on Frank, and let's take the horse back."
"Who's Frank?" asked A.J.
"You said that you would be Frank with me."
"You knew what I meant!" They got on the horse and dashed back towards the stables.
When they had given the horse back to Everett, they drove home fast. When they reached A.J.'s house, they sneaked up to his room, changed for bed and got in. Isabella turned and saw A.J. staring at her.
"Oh, hell, I don't know why I even bothered putting clothes on for bed anyway!" Isabella said laughing.