More Than Memories

Chapter 11

A/N: Regular thoughts are italicized. Chapter is dedicated to all my fans who haven't given up on the story.

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Cameron stirred slightly from the gentle breeze. He felt something tickle his toes and he cracked his eyes open. The waves were coming back and forth, touching his feet lightly. He wiggled his feet and drew them up slightly, out of the range of the water. He closed his eyes and turned on his side. Wait a sec… Water? Cameron sat up quickly and looked around. I'm on the beach? How did I get here? He glanced around and caught a glimpse of blonde hair. He smiled gently as memories of the previous night flooded back into his mind and laid back down, scooting closer to the sleeping girl next to him. He mmmed softly and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tighter against him. He grinned again as her body molded perfectly against his. Feeling her stir, he kissed her head gently and waited patiently for her to fully awake.

Nikki snuggled closer against the warmth she felt behind her, and pulled the arm enveloping her tighter against her body. She sighed softly as she felt a light kiss being planted on her head. Turning her head to the side, she cracked her eyes open and was immediately lost in the sea of blue looking down on her. She smiled lazily and gave a blissful sigh as she felt his soft lips upon hers again.

"Morning sleepyhead," Cameron murmured against her lips, before giving her another kiss on the lips.

"Morning," Nikki yawned, turning her body to rest on top of his. "I think that's the best night of sleep I've had in a long time," she said, putting her head on top of his chest.

"Same here," Cameron replied as he gently ran his hand up and down Nikki's back. "I always feel at peace whenever I'm with you. It's like… everything just disappears and all that's left is us."

Nikki smiled widely and bit her lip lightly. " We really do keep coming back don't we?"

Cameron chuckled. "Yeah, well, a love like ours doesn't just die that easily."

Nikki's eyebrows rose, her eyes twinkling with hope. "A love like ours?" she questioned, rising up on her arms to look at him.

"A love like ours," he repeated, his eyes closed and a content smile on his face.

Nikki's grin grew brighter as she felt excitement build up inside her. She sat up. "So….?"

"So what?"

"So are we… you know… together?"

Cameron opened his eyes and looked quizzingly at her before letting out a laugh. "Nik, you didn't really think I was planning on staying with Melanie after last night, did you?"

"Well… I… I mean…." Nikki stammered while Cameron continued to laugh. She bit her lip again, a guilty look appearing on her face, and shrugged, embarrassed. "The thought had crossed my mind," she admitted, cracking a small smile as Cameron controlled his amusement.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," Nikki grumbled as she rolled her eyes. "It's not like you never thought stupid thoughts."

"Hm. True, but I don't think I looked quite as adorable as you did," Cameron said with a grin.

"Oh, yeah right," Nikki replied, nudging him in the shoulder. Both chuckled lightly. "Seriously though," she continued, shifting her position to sit against him, her back against his chest and his arms wrapped around her waist. "How would it work? First we'd have to tell Melanie and then there's the whole problem with you not living in Playa Linda, and long distance relationships rarely work out, and then -"

"Okay, first off," Cameron said, cutting her off. "Santa Maya is only two hours away. That's not that long of a distance. We could drive up to see each other on the weekends."

"And Melanie?"

"I'll talk to her. She's probably gonna want to talk anyways. I blew her off last night."

Nikki giggled. "Who would have thought innocent Cameron would cheat on his girlfriend," she said, smirking.

Cameron grinned. "Only for you Nik." Noticing the tide slowly rising, he added. "Come on. Let's get out of here before we both get soaked and before your aunt sends out a search party."

"Yeah. Good idea," Nikki agreed. She and Cameron stood up and Nikki shivered slightly from the breeze and her damp clothes. "I think a hot shower is a good idea too." She turned to Cameron, grinning. "Race you?"

Cameron grinned back. "You're on," he replied before pushing her to the side and taking off.

Nikki fell back onto the sand, half-stunned. She looked up and saw Cameron already several yards ahead. "Cameron! Cheater!" Laughter hung through the air as Nikki pulled herself upright and took off after him.

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Melanie danced in front of the full-length mirror, dressed in a sky blue bikini, as the music of Good Charlotte filled the room.

"I don't want to be in love. I don't want to be in love," she sang as she grabbed the white wife-beater on her bed and pulled it over her head. Continuing to dance and twirl around, she put on a pair of jean cutoffs and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

"Not bad, Mel. Not bad," she said to herself as she grabbed a round brush off her bed. She quickly brushed her blonde hair and put it up in a messy bun. Looking once more in the mirror, she tossed the brush back on the bed and walked out of her room. The aroma of blueberry pancakes filled her nose and she moaned softly.

"God, that smells so good," she murmured as she started down the hall.

"Aunt Ava makes the best pancakes," a husky voice said behind her.

Melanie turned and grinned as she saw Bradin walking towards her, dressed in a white t-shirt and blue and white board shorts. "She does huh?" Melanie said, giving a little yawn.

"Absolutely, Bradin replied, nodding. "Your life is incomplete until you've had some."

"Well, if you put it that way, I'll have to have some."

"Good," Bradin said, smirking. "But you know, if you're planning on surfing again, you should wear more than a bikini."

Melanie's jaw slackened. "How did you know I was wanting to surf again?"

Bradin raised his eyebrows and looked pointedly at her chest. "Last time I checked, bras weren't held together by strings."

Melanie grinned. "Right, and when was that? Ten, twenty years ago?" She asked jokingly.

Bradin eyes widened and he stepped back, feigning pain. "I'm surprised you think so little of me." Bradin's eyes narrowed and glinted with mischief. He walked towards her, and Melanie, wary of his intentions, stepped backwards until she hit the wall. Seeing no place to go, she watched, part anxious and part amused, as Bradin leaned in, his lips parting slightly. "Maybe some persuading will change your mind," he whispered huskily in her ear.

A big lump formed in Melanie's throat. She swallowed hard, and opened her mouth to retort, but lost her train of thought as Bradin's face descended towards hers. Feeling her mouth go dry and butterflies appearing in her stomach, she slowly closed her eyes and waited…

A loud rumble sounded, followed by a snort of laughter, and Melanie's eyes snapped open.

"What was that?" she asked as she looked around.

"I believe my stomach was trying to remind me of the delicious food waiting for us in the dining room," Bradin replied, turning to walk to the kitchen. He mentally slapped himself. What was I thinking?

"Oh," Melanie giggled, following his lead. Would he have? … No… Besides, I have Cameron… right? "So, were you suggesting anything?" she asked, changing the subject and clearing her thoughts.

Bradin froze in his steps and looked at her with curiosity, masking his anxiety. "What do you mean?" he asked mildly.

"Surfing, pointing out my bikini… suggesting anything?" She smiled playfully.

He gave an inaudible sigh. Oh that. "Maybe," he said slyly. "Why? You interested?"

"Perhaps." She paused for a few seconds. "After breakfast?"

"Sure thing," Bradin said, grinning as the two walked into the dining area and saw Ava, wearing an apron, setting up the table. "Morning Aunt Ava.".

Ava looked up and smiled brightly at the two. "Good morning Bradin. Good morning Melanie." She pointed to the pile of pancakes on a plate, sitting on the counter. "Bradin, could you get those for me, please?"

"Sure thing," Bradin said, walking over to the counter. Melanie went and sat at the table.

"Morning everyone!" Jay greeted as he entered the kitchen. Derrick followed in on his skateboard.

"Morning," Ava replied. "Derrick, get off that skateboard," she said sternly. "And you," she said to Jay, who had grabbed a pancake with his hands. "Where are your manners?"

Jay smiled apologetically and shrugged, stuffing the pancake in his mouth. Derrick grabbed a glass off the table and went to the refrigerator, pulling out the orange juice and pouring him a glass. Bradin placed the plate of pancakes on the table and sat down next to Melanie.

"All right," Susannah said as she entered the room, wearing a maroon suit. "Milan called and wants to chat about financing another show."

"You're not staying for breakfast?" Ava asked her, slapping Jay's hand way from the pancakes.

"No, I got to get over to the office," Susannah answered as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"And I've got to get over to the shop," Jay said, his mouth full of pancakes.

Derrick got back on his skateboard and placed his empty glass in the sink. "And I'm meeting the guys at the skate park." The three headed towards the door, while Bradin and Melanie ate their food, watching in amusement.

"Wait!" Ava called, stopping Susannah, Jay, and Derrick in their tracks. "Has anyone seen Nikki and Cameron?"

Everyone looked at each other, and shook his and her heads "no".

"I saw them leaving the house last night," Johnny answered as he came down the stairs, dressed in a white collared shirt and khaki slacks. "I think they went to the beach to talk. Cameron looked upset about something."

A shout rang through the air followed by a slam. Everyone turned his and her heads and eyebrows rose as Nikki, clad in dampened clothes, ran in, Cameron following close behind her.

"I win!" Nikki shouted as Cameron bent over, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"Jeez – Are you – on the – track team or – something?" Cameron wheezed out.

"Actually, the tennis team," Nikki corrected laughing. "Cheaters never prosper." Nikki's giggles died away as she noticed the questioning gazes of her family. "Oh… sorry… Good morning family."

"Nikki, where have you been?" Ava asked, taking off her apron.

"Well, Cameron and I were down at the beach," Nikki said, as she took off her tennis shoes. "We went down there to talk, and I guess we grew tired and fell asleep."

"Well alright," Ava said slowly as she watched Nikki get sand all over the floor. "Why don't you go take a shower in my bathroom, and get out of those wet clothes. Cameron, you can use the regular bathroom."

"Thanks, Miss Ava," Cameron said, heading down the hall as Nikki yelled, "Hot shower!" and ran upstairs to her bedroom.

"Okay," Johnny drawled. He walked to the table and grabbed a few pancakes.

"Okay," Susannah repeated, as she took another sip of her coffee. "See you guys later." She left the room.

"Later!" yelled both Jay and Derrick as they left the house.

Ava turned to Johnny, who was busy eating his pancakes by hand. "You're not staying either?"

"No, sorry. Gotta get down to the restaurant. Have a meeting with the tax lawyers," Johnny replied, washing down his breakfast with a glass of orange juice.

Ava sighed and sat down in a chair, exhausted.

"I'll make it up to you though," he added, putting his glass in the sink. "I'm taking you out to dinner tonight. Dress nicely." He kissed her on the cheek and hurried out of the room, out of the house.

Bradin looked at his aunt, who was smiling happily, as he finished his pancakes. "Dress nicely?" he questioned, his eyebrows raised. "Could it be? Could it finally -"

"Bradin," Ava interrupted, staring him down.

"Okay, okay," he surrendered, putting his hands up. He smirked. "Just wait until Nikki hears about this."

"Bradin," Ava warned, her eyes narrowing.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to tell her." He looked over at Melanie. "You ready to go?" he asked her.

Melanie nodded, her eyes shining with excitement.

Ava looked curiously at the two as they stood up. "Where are you going?"

"Two Brothers," Bradin replied, picking up the dishes and placing them in the sink. "Melanie's got a surfing lesson."

Ava gazed between the two, both grinning. "Okay, Have fun."

"We will," he said coyly. He turned to Melanie. "Come on. Let's go get changed, grab the boards, and hit the waves." The two left the kitchen.

Ava gave a small smile and sighed as she leaned back in her chair. She closed her eyes and let her thoughts wander to the upcoming evening. Dress nicely… Means an expensive restaurant. Expensive restaurant means significant dinner date… Could he be proposing? Well, then again, this is Johnny. But, he never asks me to dress nicely. Oh I hope he's proposing. Then we can finally get married and…

Footsteps sounded through the room interrupting Ava's thoughts. She opened her eyes and saw Nikki coming down the stairs, sporting a jean miniskirt and yellow polo shirt.

"Whoa!" the blonde teenager exclaimed, stopping for a second on the last step as she noticed the emptiness of the room. "Where did everybody go?"

"Out," Ava sighed as she stretched in the chair before standing up.

"Out?" Nikki questioned. "Hmm… that was fast," she mused as she went to the refrigerator for the orange juice. "So, what are you planning on doing?" she asked her aunt as she reached for a glass.

"Susannah's at the office in a meeting with someone from Milan. They want to do another fashion show. So I think I'll go through my designs and start sorting through the outfits."

"Awesome! Another fashion show!" Nikki said happily, taking a sip of her drink. "Cam come out yet?"

"Right here," Cameron replied as he walked into the room wearing a simple white t-shirt and jean shorts. "So what do you want to do today?" he asked as he walked towards Nikki.

"Hmm… No idea. I was thinking of calling Amber and seeing if she wanted to do something." Feeling a buzz in her pocket, Nikki reached in and grabbed out her cell phone which was currently ringing to "Rehab." "Speaking of the devil," Nikki murmured as she answered her phone. "Hey Amber. I was just about to call you. What's up? …Yeah, Cam's here… Ice cream? Sounds cool. Meet you on the promenade? All right. Later." Nikki hung up the phone and turned to Cameron. "Feeling up for some ice cream?"

"With this heat? Absolutely," Cameron said, half sighing.

Nikki nodded, and finished her juice, putting the glass in the sink. As she turned around, she got Cameron's gaze, who was looking at her quizzingly. She looked down at herself, and seeing nothing wrong, she looked back up. "What?" she asked as she walked towards him.

"Amy Winehouse?"

Nikki rolled her eyes as Cameron grinned. "Amber's pick. Come on. Let's go." The two linked hands and walked out of the kitchen. Ava stared after them, her gaze focused on their joined hands, and a worried expression appeared on her face. They're not… together? … No, of course not, Ava. They're just friends… right? She gave a sigh, shook her head to remove her thoughts from her mind, and went upstairs to look over her clothing designs.

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Melanie shrieked as the cool excess water from Bradin's hair was splashed all over her. "Bradin!" she yelled as she tried to shield her body away from the water attack with her surf board. Feeling satisfied with his work, Bradin stopped with a final shake of his head, and grinned. Melanie glared at him. "God, you're worse than a mangy mutt," she said disgusted, wiping the water off her face.

"But you love me anyways," Bradin said smirking, feeling smug.

"Hmph," she said huffily, as the two walked down the road, back into town. "So, how did I do?" she asked.

"You were amazing," Bradin said appraisingly as he continued, "which is why I'm treating you to an ice cream cone."

Melanie's eyes widened and irritation vanished from her face. "Really?" she asked in a hopeful tone.

"Really," Bradin repeated, nodding. "Your balance is getting really good. You were actually able to stay on for a whole minute today."

Melanie beamed. "That's great to know. It feels so wonderful out on the water like that."

"Almost as if you were flying right?"

"Yeah. I can't imagine ever wanting to stop." She turned to Bradin. "I used to watch surfing competitions on tv all the time, and you're just as good as those guys. Have you ever thought of taking up surfing professionally?" Melanie blinked and stared confused as Bradin burst out laughing. "What?" she asked baffled by his response. "I'm serious."

Bradin shook his head. "It's not you. It's just the question was so ironic." Still seeing puzzlement on her face, he continued. "I used to surf professionally. I had a sponsorship and everything."

Melanie's mouth dropped. "What?!" she exclaimed. "Why did you quit?"

Bradin shrugged. "They were trying to make me be something I wasn't, and I missed my family. And after awhile, the fun disappeared and all that was left was stress. So I quit. Found something else I'd love to do, and surf in my free time."

Melanie shook her head and took in a deep breath. "Wow. They certainly don't advertise that on tv."

Bradin chuckled. "No they don't."

"So, what did you find you liked?"

"Saving people. I'm studying to be a doctor at UCLA, and I couldn't be happier." Looking ahead, he spotted the ice cream vendor and hungrily licked his lips. "All right. What flavor are you craving?"

"Mint chocolate chip," Melanie said with a blissful sigh.

"Favorite ice cream?"

"Oh yeah."

Bradin grinned at her response and walked a little faster to the vendor. "I'd like two scoops of mint chocolate chip in a cone and two scoops of cookie dough," he said as he was at the counter.

"Six dollars and forty-two cents please."

Melanie looked out to the beach and spotted a young couple kissing a few yards away. She sighed wistfully and thought of Cameron for a few seconds before Bradin handed her ice cream. "Thanks," she said, as she turned back to the couple who was pulling away laughing. Her eyes widened and her grip slackened, the ice cream tumbled to the sand. "What?"

Bradin watched the cone fall to the ground, and looked back up confused. "What's wrong? See something nasty on your ice cream?" Noticing her expression, he turned his head and followed her gaze to the couple she had been staring at. His mouth dropped as well as his ice cream as he recognized the couple. "Nikki?"

Melanie felt tears well up in her eyes as her heart silently broke in two. "Cameron."

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A/N: OMG!!! Almost five months without an update. I'm soooo sorry guys. Can you guys forgive me???? I'm in college now, and there really isn't that much time for me to write fanfiction anymore. But thank God for the holidays, right? So finally! Another chapter! How was it? Was it up to usual standards? How did you like the cliffy? All right, now because of my college schedule, I have condensed the remaining chapters and have cut out one chapter. It was a filler one, and really didn't advance the story, and with the amount of time I have to write these days, it would have taken up a lot of time. So instead of five chapters left, we now have four. Good news though. I have the last chapters pretty much finished and I hope to have the story finished by next Tuesday. Although I know it's been way too long for an update, can I get five reviews? Please? I got seventeen for my last chapter, and I'd like to have 100 reviews for the total. And as soon as I get my five reviews, I'll post up the next chapter! Until next!