All right, so this one is short, too. Therefore, I'll get the next one up tonight. We're actually starting to flirt with the end so if you've got any suggestions, etc throw 'em at me. I'm always up for a little revising if it'll make a story better. Thanks :)
With my full night's worth of emotions, I needed to clear my head the next morning when I woke up on the couch. I guess Sam had picked me up and put me there the night before. Nobody was up yet from the looks of things, so I just changed clothes. I reluctantly, dejectedly hauled myself into an old high school t-shirt and some comfy green sweatpants. I stared at my necklace in the mirror for a long time. I couldn't bring myself to take it off. Then I picked up my purse and left the house.
I came upon the spot Quil had taken me to the first time. I found that cliff overlooking the ocean. I'd found it cheered me up last time. I sat down on the ground and dug out my sketchpad. I tried to sketch the view in front of me. The waves were beautiful, the clouds endless, the trees gorgeous. Every time I put pencil to paper though, my hand didn't draw those things.
Before I knew it, I hadn't drawn a picture of the surroundings. I looked down and saw Quil staring back up at me. I froze as it hit me what I'd just done. Shaking my head, I recrossed my legs and tried again. I focused on the waves and the swells that rose and fell was such consistency. I sat there as the sky darkened and mist moved in. Smiling to myself, knowing that I'd gotten it right this time, I looked at my finished work. My waves had turned into Quil again. I slammed the book shut.
What did this mean? It was bad enough what Emily and I had discussed the morning before and then last night.
When did my love life become so confusing? I was trying to love Colin…but I liked Quil too? Everything that I'd done in the past few days since I got here bombarded me at once. Quil and I went to the beach. Quil comforted me after I got in a fight with Colin. Quil had given me my necklace. Quil and I fixed a car together. Quil had made me feel better. Quil spent time with me. Quil talked to me. Quil and I fell asleep on the couch. Quil hugged me. Quil stared at me with gorgeous brown eyes that made me want to do nothing but stare back. Quil had tried to kiss me. Quil made my heart race. Quil made me want to kiss him. Quil made me feel like everything was perfect.
In the course of three days, Quil had made me fall in love with him… Quil wasn't Colin.
Oh shit.
Fate, you're a bitch again. You just like playing with me. Don't deny it you sadistic bitch.
My hands were shaking as I gently put the sketchpad back into my purse. How did this happen? And why did a part of me feel pure, unrestrained joy? Why did that part also want me to find him and take him back up on that kiss he tried to give me the night before?
I sat there, staring out at the waves for hours and hours. I walked back into town in a daze when I became cold. It was pitch dark out and I was still wandering around by the light of the few streetlamps. I'd been walking in circles without it really registering. I was still trying to process. It wasn't going so well. I was like a computer with Windows 95 attempting to run a state-of-the-art video game. I was overloaded and slow.
Jake was the one who found me finally. He jogged up to me, as per usual, in a pair of red basketball shorts and a smile. "Claire, hey, we've been looking everywhere for you. Emily got worried when you didn't come back. She thought you'd gotten lost." When I didn't acknowledge him he frowned and went on, "Are you ok?"
I felt my head nod, "Yeah." My voice sounded strange. It was choked like right after I watched the sad part of a movie and was trying to stop crying. Had I been crying? Reaching a hand up to my face, I felt the wet tears. It could have just been the rain…
He seemed to consider that for a long moment. I don't think I had him fooled but he merely took a gentle hold of my arm and steered me in the right direction. "Hey, Claire, I'm sorry about last night. We didn't mean to embarrass you." I just shrugged in as off-handed a way as I could manage.
I don't remember getting back to Emily's or being put onto the couch. Nor do I recall falling asleep. Yet, before I knew it the sun had risen again.