Chapter Nine

Something felt weird. Marie could have sworn that somebody was watching her. The feeling of eyes boring into her back was so intense that it sent small chills down her spine. She ignored the feeling however, and focused on the conversation around her.

"It shouldn't be too crowded today," Nikki was saying, "not many people go to the beach when it's kinda cloudy out."

"Great," Kyle grinned, "I haven't been to the beach since I was a little kid. This should be fun."

The feeling of someone watching her intensified, and Marie glanced over her shoulder just in time to see Bradin duck into the Sandbar.

"Um…you guys go ahead," she said absently, her eyes still locked on the Sandbar's entrance. " I just remembered I have to talk to Johnny about something. I'll catch up with ya later."

"Are you sure?" Nikki asked.

"Yeah." Marie nodded her head, turning her attention back to her friends.

"Alright then, we'll meet you by the pier." Cameron said, his arm wrapped around Nikki's waist as they walked off.

"Are you okay, Marie?" Kyle asked, letting the two younger teens get ahead a bit.

"I'm fine," Marie smiled at him, "I swear, Kyle, if something was up you'd be the first to know."

"Okay," he said slowly, "see you in a few then." He took off after Nikki and Cameron. Marie waited until the three were out of sight before she headed for the Sandbar.

Totally clueless as to why she was even going after Bradin, Marie headed inside the restaurant. She didn't know what she was going to say to him, or why she even wanted to talk to him. All she knew was that she had to talk to him.

Bradin was sitting at the bar, talking to one of the waitresses. Marie felt an unfamiliar surge of jealousy travel through her body. Then she remembered, it wasn't her right to be jealous of the women Bradin talked to, she no longer had claim to him.

Slowly, Marie walked up to him. Her heart was beating, her palms were sweaty, and her throat was dry. Drawing in a quick breath, she mentally cleared her head and willed her nerves to calm. It was just Bradin, no big deal. She had talked with Bradin enough to know that there was nothing to be nervous about. But that didn't stop the nerves from intensifying as she drew closer and closer to him.

With his back to her, Bradin hadn't yet seen Marie, which gave her a slight advantage and some time to come up with something to say before he saw her. Bradin spun around on the stool and hopped off.

Okay, so that time flew by fast. Marie stared into Bradin's eyes with nothing to say. Apparently he was just as lost for words as she. His mouth opened and closed, searching for words.

Just as he looked like he was finally going to say something, Marie opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Hi." She could have smacked herself. Hi? What kind of lame thing was that to say?

"Hi." Bradin said slowly. He looked around, as if searching for somebody.

"Are you meeting someone here?" Marie asked. His eyes flew back to hers and he shook his head silently.

They stood in silence, staring at each other, for who knows how long.

"I…I should go." Marie said after what seemed like forever. She headed towards the door, mentally beating herself up for even going in there. She was such an idiot to think that she could talk to Bradin. She hadn't even said anything, how lame was that?

"Yeah, don't want to keep your boyfriend waiting." The bitterness in his voice and the clear hatred he had used in the word boyfriend made Marie pause. She slowly turned back around to face him.

"Yeah, don't want to keep your waiting." The bitterness in his voice and the clear hatred he had used in the word boyfriend made Marie pause. She slowly turned back around to face him.

"What?" She asked, clearly confused.

"Your boyfriend," still the same hatred, "you wouldn't want to keep him waiting."

"I don't have a boyfriend." Marie said, feeling suddenly defensive.

"Oh really, then who's the guy I saw in your apartment this morning?" Bradin took a step towards her, his eyes flashing angrily and his voice nothing more than a low growl. Was he talking about Kyle? He had to be.

"Kyle's my friend, nothing more." Marie replied.

"And do you sleep with all your friends?" Bradin's eyes flashed with something more than just anger. And it struck Marie. Bradin was jealous of Kyle.

"Kyle and I didn't sleep together." She felt like screaming at him, but kept her voice low, not wanting to make a scene. "I don't even know how you can say something like that when you know what I've been through."

"Oh sure, Marie, let's pull out the abuse card."

"Okay, Bradin, I don't know what's up with you, but I have had enough of your crap." She was pissed now. Bradin knew what Marie had suffered, how could he use it against her like that?

"Kyle and I did not sleep together and he's not my boyfriend. I haven't dated anybody since I left Playa Linda. So you know what, get over yourself and stay out of my business." Seething, she stormed out of the Sandbar, leaving a just as pissed Bradin staring after her.

It was official now, Bradin Westerly was an ass. A total and complete ass. He felt like the scum of the earth, unworthy of even being called human. Pissed at himself way more than he was at Marie, Bradin slunk back to the bar and climbed onto a stool before letting his head fall against the top of the bar, repeatedly.

"Whoa there Bradin," Johnny put a hand against Bradin's chest, keeping him from slamming his head down yet again. "What's up with you?"

"I just made a complete jackass of myself." He replied, glancing at Johnny with guilty eyes.

"That's why you're killing brain cells?" Johnny chuckled. "Bradin, every guy does that. It's in our genes."

"This isn't a laughing matter, Johnny," he cried, "Marie's never going to speak to me again."

"You talked to Marie?" Johnny wasn't laughing now. Bradin nodded his head.

"And that's not even the worst of it." He said. "I made a horrible mistake, Johnny."

"What'd you do now?"

"I told Emma that I wouldn't speak to, see, or ask about Marie." Bradin looked at Johnny sorrowfully, letting the older man know that he deeply regretted his decision.

"Why'd you do that?"

"'Cause I thought that Marie was with that Kyle guy and I didn't want her to think I was pining for her so I told Emma that I wouldn't have anything else to do with Marie so that she would go out with me again and I…"

"Slow down there buddy," Johnny said, putting an end to Bradin's babbling, "take a breath." Bradin inhaled deeply.

"Now," Johnny said, "let's start from the beginning."

"I went to Marie's apartment this morning and that Kyle dude answered and I thought that he and Marie were…together," the way he stressed the word left no question in Johnny's mind about what he meant. "So I freaked out and I told Emma that I wouldn't have anything else to do with Marie. It was the only way that Emma would take me back and I only did it because I didn't want Marie to think that I still wasn't over her."

"Bradin, Bradin, Bradin." Johnny shook his head. "Let me ask you something. Do you still like Marie?"

Bradin didn't answer right away. Instead, he let the question swirl around in his head as he thought.

"I never stopped thinking about her and when she came back yesterday I…I don't know. All these emotions just came flooding back and it was just…wow."

"I'll take that as a yes." Johnny smirked. "What I don't get is, if you still like her why don't you just tell her. Nothing's standing in your way."

"I can't." Bradin said sadly. "I tried telling her yesterday that I still loved her, but she wouldn't hear it. She said that she didn't want me at Emma's expense."

"Just go and break up with Emma then go and tell Marie that she broke up with you. It's the truth, partly." Johnny suggested.

"No," Bradin shook his head, "Marie would know if I was lying or not. She can just…tell. No, I have to figure this out on my own. Thank for trying to help though, Johnny."

"Anytime man."

Ha, I didn't jinx myself. Lol. All this drama is getting to me. Hehe. I sure hope Bradin and Marie can work this out. (Laughs evilly) But we'll just have to wait and see. (Laughs evilly…again).

I am in one hyper mode. And you know what helps with a hyper mode? REVIEWS! So review and tell me what y'all thought. And who knows, maybe I'll reward y'all by giving ya another chapter!

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