The four teens had found a spot far away from Aden and his friends, on the other side of the pier where they had settled. Mattie and Ric were talking intimately, so Nat and Lucas decided to get up and walk down to the pier.

"We'll be back," they said to Mattie and Ric as they got up, not that they would have even noticed they were gone. They were too busy with each other.

"I like it here," Nat said to Lucas as they walked. "There's this sense of...stillness that you don't get in the city."

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, I remember the first time I arrived here. Dad and Jack and I, we moved around a lot, but this town just felt like a place where we could settle. It sort of sucks you in, just everything about it."

"Well it's certainly sucked me in," Nat said.

"Too bad about guys like Aden Jeffries," Lucas said, looking down to where he and his friends had their beach fire.

Nat shrugged. "If he's the worst you've got, you should be pretty happy. Besides, you could take that guy," Nat teased.

"Oh yeah," Lucas laughed. "I'd take him any day."

They walked up the steps and onto the pier.

"So what's your neighbourhood like?" Lucas asked Nat.

"It's pretty typical of a middle-class city suburb. A few trees here and there, some parks around, a couple of schools – nothing special."

"And do you go to school near where you live?" Lucas asked. He wanted to know about her life, about her.

"It's about a 10 minute drive. My school isn't in the same suburb as where I live, but it's pretty close."

"And your parents? What do they do?" Lucas asked.

"My mum's a lawyer and my dad works for a construction company, he's a project manager."

"Sounds intense."

"What do you mean?" Nat asked.

"Well I mean, my dad's a school teacher. And my mum was a secretary. Your parents have actual careers."

"Hey, I wanted to be a school teacher back in the day," Nat told him.

"Yeah, until you realised there were better jobs out there. And that you could do more with your life."

"I don't know, Luke, I imagine teaching would be a pretty rewarding job. I mean, you're giving kids an education. You're giving them a chance at life. It's actually a very noble job. But hey, that's just what I think."

"Well, I couldn't think of anything worse. I mean, spending your whole life, at school. Sounds like my worst nightmare."

Nat laughed.

"What do you want to be when you're older, Mr Holden?" Nat asked.

"Well I've always loved writing. But I don't want to just be a journalist. I want to write novels. I want to write about romance and tragedy. I want to write epic stories. I want to write novels that will be studied in schools and universities because they mean something. I want to write stories that change people's lives."

Nat stopped walking. She looked at Lucas with amazement.

"That's incredible," she told him. "To have such a passion. It's very inspiring, you know."

Lucas blushed. He felt embarrassed. He'd just told her one of his greatest dreams, something he'd told few people before her.

"Are you blushing?" she asked.

Lucas looked away.

"That's so sweet." Nat leaned in and kissed Lucas on the lips. What he had just said had sent shivers down her spine.

Meanwhile, on the beach, Mattie and Ric were having a conversation of their own, until they were interrupted.

"Hey Dalby!' It was Aden again.

Ric groaned. "What do you want Aden? No body's interested in you."

"Hey, let your boy Lucas know if he ever touches me again, I won't be so kind."

"What is that a threat?" Ric asked, standing up and walking towards Aden.

"Ric…" Mattie said, pulling him back.

"Better watch it Dalby, I heard you're still on your good behaviour bond. We wouldn't want you to end up back in jail, would we?" Aden teased.

"Aden," Lucas called out. He and Nat were walking back from the pier. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to let you know, pretty boy, that if you so much as lay one finger on me again, all hell will rain down on you and your little girlfriend here."

Lucas walked closer to Aden, angry.

"Lucas," Nat pleaded.

"Seems like I've found the one thing that sets you off, Holden."

"Back off Aden," Ric warned.

"Or what, Dalby?" Aden asked. "You don't want to go back to jail remember?"

"Come on guys, lets just go," Nat told them.

Mattie stood up, and lead Ric away. Nat took Lucas' hand.

"Let's go," she trepeated.

"See you later, sweetheart," Aden teased.