Chapter One

Nick stood on the edge of the bridge; he over looked the water that was 750 feet down. His girlfriend Gabriel had just died. He was in love and she had died. He opened his arms and raised his eyes to the sky. He took a deep breath and leaned forward. He was falling towards the water, and just when he thought he was going to hit, the bungee cord snapped him up.

"Way to go Nick!" Kevin yelled from the top of the bridge.

Nick let himself dangle helplessly over the water.

"You okay buddy!" Brian called.

Nick looked up. Physically, yes he was fine. Mentally, well he wasn't to sure any more. "Yeah! Pull me up!". Slowly he began inching his way up to the top.

Zoe watched as the other students walked by her. She sat by herself on a little blanket. Writing a story. She smiled to herself. In her story a girl named Destiny fell in love with someone she thought she couldn't have Jacob, but then in the end, he falls for her, and they live happily ever after. She sighed. Too bad life couldn't be that way. Silently she picked up her things brushed off her white skirt and walked to her car.

Zoe's house was about a 3-minute walk from the beach. As soon as she parked her car in front of the large white mansion, she got out and began to walk to the beach. A few minutes later she was down by the water holding her brown sandals in her left hand. She stood watching the sunset, letting the cool water run over her bare feet.

Zoe closed her eyes. All she wanted was someone who could care for her. Tend to her every need. Someone that loved her. She never knew what love was like. Her father was a very rich powerful man, he never had time to kiss his little girl good night or to tell her how pretty, or smart, or creative she was. And her mother had died when she was two. That was seventeen years ago.

Zoe had everything she ever wanted as a child, yes even a pony, except the one thing she needed. Affection.

Nick walked bare foot along the beach. He had just bought a house that was a few minutes from it. So he quickly took advantage of it. The sand was cool beneath his feet. Gabriel loved the beach. They were going to be married last month. It's amazing that you can loose everything in just a few months he thought. He lost his daughter right along with his fiance; his little girl was only a month old. He can't imagine how scared Gabriel had been in the car accident. Luckily Sarah hadn't suffered. She was just a little girl.

Nick was approaching a woman standing in the waves. Her arms were spread wide open and her eyes were closed. She was walking into the ocean. She had on a pretty white skirt that came to a point on her right side. Her shirt was a long sleeved, turtleneck, white belly shirt. She's cute he thought.

He stared at her more intently, her ash blonde hair whipping around in the air. The water was up to her chest now.

Zoe just wanted to wash everything away. Make it all leave. She didn't even know why she was carrying herself deeper into the water.

Nick saw the huge white wave, he knew she wouldn't make it out with out getting hit. Quickly he unzipped his blue windbreak and threw it on the ground. He jumped into the water and began swimming towards her. He knew he wasn't going to make it to her before the wave hit, but he was going to try to make it after. The wave hit, and it hit her hard. It swallowed her in one gulp.

Zoe tried swimming, but something was holding her away from the surface, away from the air. She kicked her legs until they burned like fire and felt like Jell-O. Suddenly she felt something wrap around her waist and pulled her up. She took a deep breath, when she reached the top; she began kicking to help the person, or whatever, bring her to shore.

Nick laid her on the ground and sat next to her trying to catch his breath. "Are You okay?" he asked between gasps of air.

She nodded. "Yes, Thank you," Zoe sat up and wrung her hair out. "Who are you? Wait, I know who you are, your," she tried to be polite, knowing he must get a lot of girls screaming at him. "Wait, your not who I thought you were," She smiled bashfully.

Nick returns her smile, with a lopsided one of his own. "I'm Nick Carter. You are?" He extended his hand for a handshake.

"Zoe Mox," She shook his hand. And stared at his blue eyes.

Nick looked at her; her hands were soft and fit into his perfectly. Her gray eyes held his in a trance. She was something different, something more. But its too soon, I just lost my daughter, and the woman I loved, it's too soon to love again, he thought.

He stood up and peeled his soaked shirt from the outline of his body. He extended a hand and helped her up.

Zoe stood up, her legs were weak, and she felt dizzy. As Nick began to bend down she grabbed his hand, then fainted.

Nick caught her tiny body in his hands. She was weaker then he thought. He looked around, and spotted her purse and shoes. She had to have her phone number in there. She would stay at his house. He hoisted her into his arms, and walked to his house.

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