Chapter 4 Rules of Summer Flings

Blissful

That is what she felt as she watched him sleeping curled around her. She lied when he asked her if it was her first time. She didn't want him to know. It wouldn't be Elise's first time. It was painful at first but the pain became pleasure and that pleasure became immeasurable. She couldn't describe it. When she woke at near dawn she had been thinking about it all morning. She didn't know much about lovers but she knew that Tristan was attentive. He wanted her to be sure and he definitely made sure that she was satisfied. He left no parts of her untouched. Her body tingled at the thought and she ached for him even though she could still feel him from the night before. Her phone rang, she looked at the name flashing and contemplated answering.

"Never let them see you sweat. You avoiding them is kind of like sweating." His voice was raspy with sleep as he stretched, a lazy smile lighting his features.

"I'm sorry, I should have put it on silent." He kissed her shoulder, wrapping her back in his arms.

"I woke up five minutes ago, I was about to offer you what you were thinking about but you looked so cute in thought." She kissed him, the phone rang again.

"Answer it. Seriously." It was getting on his nerves.

"Hey!" She answered and he gave her a gentle squeeze then rolled over to give her privacy.

"Hey Trina, you are on speaker." Joss said over the line. Trina hoped that Tristan hadn't heard her call her by her actual name.

"Where are you? Why didn't you tell us you were leaving? We were supposed to do a summer trip together." Trina rolled her eyes.

"Joss, Joss one question at a time. I am on my own little journey. I am enjoying the company of a nice guy that I met. I am letting my hair down and making poor decisions." Trina admitted not noticing the flash of hurt across his face.

"Poor decisions? That is so unlike you." Trina rolled her eyes.

"That is kind of the point." She notice that Tristan had gotten out of bed and was putting on his clothes. She moved the phone away from her ear and then covered it.

"Where are you going?" He cut his eyes at her.

"Poor decisions are like mistakes. You should learn from yours." He walked out of the room.

"Shit!" Trina huffed.

"What is going on?" Joss inquired.

"I stepped in it. I meant poor decisions overall. Now he thinks he is a mistake." Trina fell back on the bed.

"Who thinks he is a mistake?" Cam asked, something in his voice threw her off.

"Tristan, a guy a met here and have been seeing." Joss perked up.

"Trina, are you having a summer fling?" Trina blushed.

"Something like that. Look, I am doing great but I need to go handle this. If you allow miscommunication to dwell then it creates a bigger problem." Joss agreed.

"Trina, wait... Who is this guy? Can you even trust him?" Cam asked concerned about his best friend.

"He's a good guy, I can tell. So, yeah I trust him." Trina admitted. "Gotta run, love you both." She hung up.

Trina found Spencer at the beach, if he wanted to be alone choosing his favorite beach alcove wasn't the best idea. She approached him and hugged him from behind.

"What kind of decision is this?" His tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Oh please, hush. Would I have gone that far with you if I thought it was a mistake?" He just shrugged in response. "I wouldn't have. I don't...do that. I mean...I needed..."

"I don't know you very well, so yeah, my decision is a little questionable because I usually..." Need to bond with someone but...I've bonded with you.

"Look, there are rules to summer flings. No getting emotional." He turned to face her.

"You want me to fuck you and leave?" She shoved him away from her.

"You don't have to make it sound so...crass. Besides, who said that you'd be the one to leave? Or I'd be the one getting screwed?" He bit his lip to hold back his smirk.

"Well, I happen to like kissing you, holding you, and sleeping with you." He shrugged. "I don't want to take that off the table. What harm can it do when you leave in less than two weeks?" She tried to think of a rebuttal but he did have a point. Still, she didn't want to risk her heart and everything about him screamed risk. As cliche as it was, he was tall, dark, and handsome. He also had an air of mystery about him that she didn't bother to question because she planned to leave him in the summer. A fond memory of a boy she once knew. One that she had an amazing adventure with. She could always look back on it and smile without regret.

"It will make leaving hard if emotions are involved." She argued. He considered her words and figured she wasn't going to budge so he sought to negotiate.

"What are your rules?" He asked.

"No sleeping together as in overnight cuddles." He pouted but didn't say anything. He didn't like it. He knew that he liked her. He knew that he told her that he wasn't looking for anything serious but he didn't like the limitations she was trying to place on them. It made him feel used. One of the reasons he liked her was that she hadn't made him feel that, until that moment.

"Look, let's just call it a memorable night and leave it there." Confusion spread across her face. She didn't understand why he was so against her terms.

"What is the big deal?" She asked hands on her hips, stance defensive. "The first thing that came out of your mouth after we kissed was not to expect anything from you."

"I like risk, Elise. I thrive on them half the time. What I don't like is being used." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Do you remember the first wave you caught here? How you shredded it? You let go of your inhibitions and went for it." He stepped closer to her.

"I know what I want, and I want you for the time that you are here. I want to give myself to you for that time. No rules, just us being in the moment." Trina thought about what Elise would do but she couldn't control the hammering in her heart. It was too great of a risk but she couldn't tell him that at that moment.

"It isn't like we will be seeing each other again anyway. Unless you plan to write me after you leave." He chuckled.

"Fine, if you think that you can handle it. I was trying to help you not fall in love with me." He stepped back putting his hands up in defense.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...No need to say that word. You do not have to worry about that. I am done with that." He frowned in disgust ignoring the feeling in his gut.

"Me too so it is good then? The risk is minimal. BUT to be safe, there are still rules." He rolled his eyes. "One, we see other people."

"Other people? Who have you met?" She rolled her eyes. "Did Luc ask you out? I think he's a little old for you."

"Luc did ask me out and he is only 22, I am 18." Spencer worked his jaw. He was going to have to see about Luc. Maybe even fire him after she leaves. The nerve of him to ask Elise out knowing that the two of them had grown closer. He smirked to himself. Yeah, he would see about it.

"Two, we do not spend every waking moment together." he shrugged.

"Where is the spontaneity in that? Enough with the rules, you are going to make this boring." He was right, she would set her own rules.

1. Do not fall for Tristan Matthews

2. Be involved but detached.

3. Keep a distraction nearby, Luc will work well.

As Trina thought about number three, she realized that Tristan was supposed to be the distraction. She didn't know what was going on with her anymore.

"Hey I have someplace I want to show you." Spencer grinned. Trina had a feeling that he was up to no good but she went with it. She took his hand and let him lead the way.

Spencer called for Luc to be the driver and that is when it clicked for Trina. "What are you doing?" She glared at him and he smiled that cocky grin of his before he feigned innocence with a shrug.

"What? He's your favorite, right? He's the one who drives you when you aren't ditching the available transportation." She decided to ignore the question. She smiled at Luc as he approached.

"Luc, can you make sure the car is nice and cool. I have to prepare our basket of treats. I will be right back." Spencer headed toward the kitchen.

"I am sorry about him, Luc." Luc just chuckled to himself. He had never seen the young heir so taken by anyone. Whenever he did visit the villa he was always alone.

"No need to apologize, Miss. He's just...how do you say..." Luc struggled to find the words to express the old saying he had heard. 'It's what ze dogs do when they uh..." Trina decided to help him out.

"Mark his territory?" He nodded and blushed.

"Yes, sat's the one. I am not so easily discouraged." He winked at her just as Spencer walked up with a basket.

"That was fast." Trina eyed him, he had gotten help with the basket. She was beginning to think that the staff doted on him because he was their boss' grandson and he just let it happen. He ate up every second of it.

"I packed this earlier because I wanted to go to the beach and we would need to have sustenance at some point during." Her mouth almost fell open but she remained calm.

"Tristan," He batted his eyelashes innocently at her.

"Mademoiselle?" Eyes on hers the right side of his lips ticked upward as he tried unsuccessfully to mask his smile.

"What? I mean, surfing can be a little strenuous. Works up an appetite. I'm just being thoughtful." He walked to the door and then held it open for her.

Castle Hill, Nice

Spencer held Trina's hand as Luc parked the car. "So, will you take the hike with me or would you like to take the elevator?" Trina looked at him, rising to his challenge. She had learned that he was a bit of a dare devil but a lot of the things he did, she didn't think that she would ever try. Things like base jumping with a wingsuit. The thought of it terrified her.

"There is a nice little look out at the top where we could have our picnic and enjoy the sights, and...each other." He grinned at her but she glared at him. She knew exactly what he was doing. The kisses he had tried but she dodged, all for Luc's benefit as though he was marking his territory.

"We can hike." She got out of the car before he could undo her seatbelt and open her door." She started snapping pictures. He joined her.

"This way, Madmoiselle." He gestured toward the trail.

"You aren't slick, Tristan. I know what you are doing." He batted his eyelashes innocently as he took her hand guiding her along the path.

"What is it that I am doing other than showing you this beautiful landscape." He smiled.

"Trying to eliminate the competition." She challenged him but kept up his pace. He was tall compared to her and he tended to walk a bit fast. She never asked him to slow down but he would, for her. He was always doing sweet things like that for her. Putting on her jacket, and buckling her seat belt. She didn't know that gentlemen like that still existed. He was an enigma at times because his arrogance often contradicted those acts.

"What competition?" He looked at her, eyes full of amusement.

"Oh, you pompous ass!" She laughed, truth be told, she liked the cocky side of him. There was just something about it that intrigued her. It more than intrigued her.

"I only mean that when I am near you I am all that you are thinking about. Everything and everyone else fades away." He was bold, she had to give him that. She ignored him as she took in the beautiful views of the hill they climbed. He was right, she had forgotten that Luc was there the moment he took her hand in his letting his thumb make small circles in her palm. When he would entwine their fingers and gently squeeze every so often.

"Can't deny it, can you?" Ignoring him she rolled her eyes.

"This must be a regular thing. A thing you do to sweet talk the ladies out of their unmentionables." He smirked then pulled her closer wrapping his arm around her.

"I happen to still have a pair of your unmentionables." He kissed the top of her head and inhaled the scent of shea butter and some sort of floral scent he could not identify.

"Tristan!" He shrugged.

"You left them, I just didn't return them. Don't worry, I wouldn't be creepy with them." She covered her face as she tried to hide her blush.

Finally, they made it to the lookout. The views were amazing, the beach view, the waterfalls, Trina was sure she would run out of memory with the number of photos she was taking.

"Model for me," She aimed the camera at him.

"Moi?" Spencer pointed to himself.

"Yes, you." He smirked.

"I feel like this breaks one of your little rules." He teased.

"No see, one of the things about a summer fling is looking back at the memories. We can rhapsodize what it was. It can be pure and lasting. That period of time." He looked at her as he thought about her words. Pure and lasting. He didn't know what to make of it.

"Pure and lasting?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Not tainted by time. We know each other, but we don't know everything about each other. There is still a mystery and there will always be." She snapped a pic of him in thought.

"Take your shirt off." She said and he scoffed.

"Well, now I just feel objectified." She rolled her eyes.

"These are all for my private collection. My eyes only." She assured him, he lifted his part halfway and then smirked.

"Let your memory do the rest. All you get is a glimpse." Laughing she shook her head. She took the picture, and he posed for a couple more but she preferred the natural pose. She managed to capture a few when he wasn't looking.

Trina was set to leave in two days but she decided to leave early. She was never good with goodbyes. If a summer fling was to truly remain a summer fling then it needed to end cold turkey. She didn't want to face the truth, that leaving would be harder than she had imagined. That she had begun developing feelings for Tristan. No, it was better that way. She could remember the romance, the good times. They would always have that and it didn't have to be tainted with goodbye.

Luc was waiting for her. He helped her load her bags into the car.

"Tristan, I know that this is...I don't have an excuse for my behavior. I can only say that these past three weeks have been amazing." Trina turned to face Tristan. She was expecting anger. She wasn't ready for the pain and confusion that she saw in his eyes. His trademark smirk was replaced with a frown. He didn't look at her, he focused on the letter. "I want to remember them as they were. I want to remember us as we were. I am not good at goodbyes but I want you to know that you have helped me these past few weeks. For that, I thank you." He laughed.

"Gee Trist, thanks for the assist on the rebound." He chuckled. "Take your letter and your thanks. I don't want either." He balled the letter up in his hands.

"You talk about tainting the memory, guess what? You tainted it with your cowardice." She balked at that as she approached him.

"I am no one's coward." He raised an eyebrow.

"Yet you are sneaking out of here at 3 am with the help." She crossed her arms as she glared at him.

"I've been sleeping with the help but that was ok?" He had forgotten for a moment that he had been lying about his identity. She pointed her finger at his chest.

"Just because your grandfather is a house manager doesn't give you the right to look down on his employees. I knew that you were arrogant but that is just elitist and classist." If only she knew. That is the thing, he didn't want her to know. His last name held centuries of history and most of it was grim. He looked out into the darkness as he tried to swallow the emotion that threatened him. He hadn't seen his father in years and they barely spoke. He shipped him back to boarding school and left him there.

When he did speak to his father or his Great Uncle, it was always about his behavior. His need for adrenaline. It looks bad for the heir. Bad for their market shares for whatever will happen if the heir should meet a tragic fate. Which was ironic considering the bastard Cassadine, Valentin would have loved to have been the heir. It is the reason his father faked his death, to protect him. The family business was drilled into him even as a child which led to a certain sense of entitlement. He could admit that he was spoiled and wanted for nothing financially. He shook his head, his eyes burning.

"I am sorry, you should just...probably forget that I exist." He shrugged sadly.

Trina could sense that he was troubled, his demeanor had completely shifted. "I don't want to forget." He looked at his bare feet.

"You love the last word, don't you?" She crossed her arms. "I am going to give it to you. Goodbye, Elise."

"Tristan wait-" He turned and walked back into the villa. She wanted to go after him. She wanted to find out what was troubling him. She wanted to talk it out but she knew that if she did, she wouldn't leave. She forced herself to turn around and walk to the car.

Spencer watched from the window as the car drove off. He didn't need any complications in his life. College was a fresh start and he had finally made a decision. He was going home to Port Charles.