I've tried to go on like I never knew you

I'm awake but my world is half asleep

I pray for this heart to be unbroken

But without you all I'm going to be is incomplete

Incomplete

Chapter Six

Early morning sunlight filtered through the closed curtains and streamed across Bradin's sleeping form. With a groan, he cracked his eyes open and glanced at the clock. Almost seven.

Why in the world was he up so early? Okay, sure he woke up early most every day to hit some of the early waves. But this morning he wanted nothing more than to sleep the day away.

A knock sounded on his door, but Bradin ignored who ever it was. Instead, he burrowed further beneath his covers, seeking the sleep that he had just woken from. The knocking persisted.

"C'mon Bradin," Derrick called from the other side of the door, "you promised we'd go surfing this morning."

"Go away," Bradin groaned into his pillow.

"You promised." Derrick insisted.

"I don't feel good." He replied, his words slightly muffled by the pillow. He heard Derrick snort, then mutter.

"What a loser, just 'cause his girlfriend dumps him he acts like it's the end of the world."

Bradin reached for the magazine that sat on his nightstand and chucked it at the door.

"I heard that, dork." He cried.

"I don't care." Derrick cried back. A few minutes later, Bradin heard the backdoor slam shut and could see Derrick through the thin curtains making his way towards the beach, surfboard dragging behind him.

Bradin turned away from the window. He felt like crap. It was finally sinking in that Emma had broken up with him. The night before it had just seemed like one of their little fights that they always had. But Bradin knew now that it was for real this time. And, he finally realized just how much he had come to care for Emma.

He sighed and rolled onto his back to stare at the stark white ceiling above him. This was pitiful. Derrick was right. Bradin was acting as if the world had come to an end. But it wasn't just because Emma had broke up with him. No, it was because everything in Bradin's life just seemed to be falling apart at the same time.

Pressure was building up inside and around him. Ava was pushing him to choose a school before it was too late, but Bradin didn't think college was for him. He and Emma had planned on going to the same school together, but that wasn't going to happen now. Things just weren't turning out the way that Bradin had pictured them, and it was beginning to stress him out.

The sheets on top of him suddenly seemed to weigh a ton, pushing down on Bradin's bare chest like an anvil. He pushed them off quickly, fighting to breathe. If he had been up to it, he would have grabbed his board and headed out into the water to clear his head. But surfing just didn't have the same appeal as it had the day before.

He reached over to his nightstand and pulled open the drawer there. Shuffling through a stack of magazines, he unearthed what he had been looking for.

On one of their first dates, Marie had drug Bradin into one of those cheesy photo booths on the Boardwalk. They had taken two hilarious pictures and two serious ones. Then, they'd split the photos so that they each had one funny and one serious.

Bradin pulled out his two little pictures. In the top one, they both had their tongues out and their eyes crossed. It brought a smile to Bradin's lips just looking at the picture. The second photo, however, made his smile falter. His arm was around Marie's shoulders as her head rested on his shoulder. Her hand lay on his chest, and they clasped each other's free hand. They both looked so content, so happy in that picture. Bradin wanted that again.

He missed the familiarity, the friendship. With Marie, he'd been content with who he was, knowing that she needed exactly who he was. With other people Bradin tried to hide who he really was, but not with Marie.

Bradin sighed heavily. He needed to talk to Marie.

"No, Bradin, I'm not going to tell you." Nikki shook her head, her eyes focused on the book in her lap.

"C'mon Nikki," Bradin pleaded with her, "I have to talk to Marie and you're the only one who knows where she's staying."

"Sorry," she shook her head again, "but if Marie wants to talk she'll find you."

"Nikki, listen to me." Bradin took the book from his sister, forcing her to look at him. "If you don't tell me where Marie is, I'll have to tell Aunt Ava you snuck out last night to see Cameron."

"Oh please," she snorted, "like I don't have enough dirt on you to counter that threat."

Bradin sighed. Okay, so blackmail wasn't going to work.

"Twenty bucks if you tell me." He said, switching tactics.

"Nope."

"Thirty?"

"Sorry."

"OK, OK, fifty bucks and I'll cover for you next time you and Cam want to sneak out."

Nikki eyed him.

"Alright," she said, "you got a deal."

Bradin looked from the paper in his hand to the number on the door in front of him. This was it, Marie's apartment. He drew in a deep breath, trying to gain back the courage that had only just left him.

Alright, he told himself, you can do this. You just gotta knock on that door and tell Marie everything that's been going on. Tell her that you and Emma are through and that you want to get back together with her. And, if she doesn't want that, you have to be ready to settle for being just friends.

"I can do this." Bradin whispered, gathering his courage around him like a jacket. He reached out and knocked.

A few minutes passed; the longest minutes in Bradin's whole life. Finally, the door creaked open. But it wasn't Marie that answered the door.

Staring down at him with eyes that were so pale blue to almost be gray, was a guy dressed in nothing but a pair of forest green boxers. He had to be at least six foot. What was more intimidating than his height, however, was the six pack that stood out clearly against his tanned brown skin. Lean and muscular was probably the best way to describe him. With his dark, coal black hair; strong, almost arrogant chin and jaw line, to his perfectly shaped mouth, Bradin felt quite inferior to this man.

"Can I help ya?" The guy asked, his voice husky from just waking up.

"Um…I think I have the wrong apartment." Bradin muttered. "You wouldn't happen to know which apartment M-"

"Who's here Kyle?" Bradin started at the sound of Marie's voice. She hadn't seen Bradin yet. Thankfully, he was hidden by the large guy standing in front of him. This was just too embarrassing for Bradin.

"Some guy who says he has the wrong address." Kyle replied, glancing back at her over his shoulder.

"Oh, well what address is he looking for?" Marie's hand rested on Kyle's well-toned bicep, pushing him gently away from the door. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Bradin. Bradin was pretty sure that his eyes were probably the size of saucers right then.

Marie was dressed in nothing but a bathrobe!

Who the hell was this guy in her apartment, and what the hell had they been doing? He didn't wait for answers though. Instead, he turned around and ran.

Ideas are just flooding me right now and it's all I can do to keep up with them. I hope you guys liked this latest chapter and will review.

PS. Sorry if the chapter was a bit short.

PPS. I know it was a bit out of character for Nikki to give in and tell Bradin where Marie was. But I thought it'd be kind of a funny scene.

Jmacsgurl15: They do both look similar, but I don't think anybody's gonna really care. And you know what, I probably will review your story. :)

Jamei, Cailtin, RACHEL, Taryn Moran, LyG4ever, KristiFan000, grullo-cowgirl, kandykane33, jessesfan0409, Kayla, and soxbabe: Thank y'all so much for reviewing. You guys rock!