Chapter 6

After a night of being blamed for falling for Paul's charm by Lisa and being told to forget Lisa and go for Paul by Hunter, I was left mighty confused. I knew better than to go for Paul like Hunter said. Paul was a player, he would drop me in two weeks if I even lasted that long. I also knew that Lisa would never forgive me if I fell for Paul, and as much as a pain in the rear end she was I couldn't ditch her…neither Paul nor Hunter would ever understand why I couldn't, so I would just have to deal with it on my own. Paul was not worth losing Lisa over, therefore I had to go through with the plan…..nice guy or not.

I woke up the next morning realizing that I had to go to the beach with Paul today. I groaned stuffing my head in my pillow. What had I gotten myself into? I got up and got dressed into a sweater, leggings, and boots. I then put on a sweater headband to keep my ears warm from the wind just as I heard a knock on the door. "I've got it!" I shouted racing toward the door hoping my parents would listen for once, but like always they didn't.

"Um hello…" my mom said confused just as I reached the top of the stairs.

"Crap," I mumbled under my breath and on my attempt to race down the stairs I tripped landing on my butt. My cheeks heated up in a dark blush as both my mother and Paul turned to look at me.

"You okay?" Paul asked trying to hold in a laugh.

"Just dandy," I said sarcastically standing up and racing down the last few steps.

"Ali, um where are you going?" my mother asked.

"To the beach," I said simply.

"With….." she trailed off.

I sighed, "Paul," I mumbled.

"Ali….." she trailed off looking me in the eye.

I didn't go out with boys…and she knew the reason why…..she encouraged me to date, I didn't want to….. "He likes Lisa, mom, I'm helping him woo her," I lied perfectly with an eye roll.

"Oh," she said disappointed.

"Right, well, bye mom, come on Paul," I said grabbing his arm and tugging him out of the doorway or rather he allowed me to tug him out of the doorway.

I shut the door behind us and pulled him to his truck. "Hurry up," I mumbled.

"Why did you lie to your mom?" he asked me.

I started tugging on the passenger door that was obviously locked. "I'll unlock the door when you tell me why you lied," he told me.

I rolled my eyes, "I will tell you when we are in your car and my mom isn't trying to read my lips from the window," I said through a smile.

He sighed and unlocked the door and opened it for me. I got in and he went around to his side and started the car pulling out of the driveway, "Spill," he said sternly.

I groaned, "My mom would never let me hear the end of it if she thought we were going out together and you weren't in 'love' with Lisa," I said.

"So you aren't allowed to date?" he questioned.

"No, I am, I choose not to," I stated.

"Then what do you mean you wouldn't hear the end of it?" he asked.

"Do you like him, Ali? Oh, he's so cute? I think he likes you? Have you kissed yet? Oh, I'm just so excited of the prospect of little Ali talking to a boy! Ohmygosh, Ali, tell me all the details!" I mocked in a high pitched voice.

Paul chuckled, "I'm 'cute'?" he teased.

Of course, that's ALL he heard? I gave him a look, and he just chuckled, "I'm messing with you! Trust me I get the whole nosy thing…..my friends are horrible about that type thing?" he asked.

"Trust me not as bad as my mom," I said.

"How would you know?" he asked.

"No one could be as nosy as my mom, because the minute I say anything to shut her up suddenly the whole town knows my business," I told him.

"Yikes," he mumbled.

"Yeah, yikes," I agreed as he pulled up to the beach.

He walked over to my side and once again helped me out of the truck. "Want to just walk?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not about to go in that freezing water," I joked and he laughed leading me toward the sandy beach.

"So, how was the rest of your night?" he asked.

"Just wonderful," I said sarcastically and he looked at me questioningly.

"I had Lisa yelling at me and Hunter blabbing my ear off," I told him.

"Lovely," he chuckled, "No wonder you came out with me today," he teased.

I rolled my eyes, "Actually I just needed a ride to the beach, you're free to go whenever," I joked elbowing him playfully. I don't know what came over me…..why was I flirting with Paul?

"Oh really? You used me for my car huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry," I shrugged.

"Well, strangely I'm okay with that," he smirked at me.

I smiled slightly catching sight of the ocean kissing the sand. I remember Josh and I sitting out here during the sunset and him always telling me "We're going to be like the sand and the ocean, Ali, no matter what the future holds we'll always come back for one another…..and I'll give you another kiss just like the ocean gives the sand….."

I blinked blocking the memory from my mind. Josh was gone and he wasn't coming back. We weren't like the sand and ocean like he said, he didn't put death into the equation. "You okay?" Paul asked worried.

I blinked again knowing my face must have fallen from thinking about Josh. I stared out at the ocean and sand, "Just thinking of something a friend once told me…its about the sand and the ocean…..how they are a lot like people. They fight and the ocean runs away, but no matter what the ocean always comes back," I told him.

I felt his stare on me, "I never thought of it that way…..it's a lot like relationships then. It's like the ocean and sand kiss…..but the ocean is afraid of the idea of love and runs away while the sand waits patiently knowing the ocean will come back to her when he's ready," Paul said.

I turned to him shocked, did that just come out of Paul Lahote's mouth? He blushed, "What? I can be deep when I want to be!?" he said trying to defend himself.

I smiled though, "I never knew the sand was a girl, and the ocean was a boy though….." I trailed off teasing him slightly.

He rolled his eyes, embarrassed, "It could go either way really, I just know more guys afraid of love than girls," he said.

"Girl's aren't very patient though," I told him thinking how I myself was afraid of love…..and I had a feeling Paul was too.

"I've noticed," he chuckled weakly.

"You're waiting on the girl who is patient though, right?" I asked him softly.

His eyes widened, "Um…." he trailed off.

I just chuckled walking a bit ahead of Paul, "It's okay, Paul, we're more alike than I originally thought," I told him softly.

"Wait up," he called racing to catch up with me.

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he just smiled, "So who was the guy?" he asked me.

I blinked shocked, "The guy that broke your heart? The one who told you about the sand and ocean?" he prodded.

I immediately put my wall up. I didn't talk about Josh with people and if it meant becoming a bitch to keep from speaking of him I would. "That's none of your business," I snapped.

He looked shocked, "Sorry…..you don't want to talk about it, I get it," he whispered backtracking.

"Right, and if you have a brain don't ever bring it up again," I said rudely.

"Got it," he mumbled staring at me surprised.

I walked a bit ahead trying to clear my mind of all thoughts of Josh, but like always once he was brought up, that's all I could think about. Him and I lying on beach towels watching the sunset my head on his chest his hands in my hair. Us carving our names into a tree in the forest….our tree. Our hands intertwined. Our lips intertwined…..

"Stop it, Ali," I whispered to myself under my breath not caring if Paul thought I was crazy.

I sucked in a deep breath trying to erase the imprint of his face from my mind that would never be completely gone. "Hey, I'm sorry," Paul said breaking me from my thoughts placing a hand on my shoulder.

I jumped slightly turning to look at him, "It's okay," I whispered staring into his eyes that actually held apology.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked trying desperately to change the subject.

"Green," I said without thinking same as Josh's eyes….same as Paul's as well.

"Mine's brown," he said.

I looked at him weird, whose favorite color was brown? Weirdo. He chuckled, "The poop brown or the dirt brown?" I joked smiling a bit and he laughed.

"Your eye color brown," he smirked and I blushed and he laughed gently running his thumb over my cheek.

I took a step back my guard coming up. "Um favorite movie?" I questioned hurrying ahead of him.

"Man of Steel," he said.

"I love that one," I smiled.

"Hunter told me you had a bit of a crush on Superman," Paul joked.

I laughed, "He's the love of my life," I joked back in a better mood.

He chuckled as my phone started to ring, I picked it up, seeing it was Hunter, "Hey, something wrong?" I asked him.

"Um, you need to come home, now," he said unsurely.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately.

"Um, your parents are gone, and some guy came by claiming to know you and that he needs to talk to you…..claims he's an old friend or something, I let him in your room," he said.

I coughed Hunter let some strange guy in my room? "Hunter I don't have friends, you know this," I whispered.

"But you have a picture of him in your room….." he trailed off.

I paled miserably, the only guy I had a picture of in my room was Josh…and he had a twin brother…..James, who I hadn't seen in a year…obviously he was visiting Lisa…..his younger sister, who did not inform me he was coming home to visit.

"I'll be there in a few, Hunter, but for future reference, don't let strange men into my room," I said then hung up on him before he could reply.