Tori stood in front of the full length mirror in Trina's room, twirling slightly and fisting her hair in her hands, letting the slightly wavy style she had done to it flow past her shoulders. She tilted her head a bit and, glancing over her shoulder for the fiftieth time to ensure that Trina wasn't home, puckered her lips slightly. Taking inventory of her outfit once more, she smoothed her hands over the thin, blue skirt that fell just above her knees. It didn't hug her; it didn't feel right to wear anything that could give the wrong impression. Rather, it fell loosely over her thighs, leaving everything to the imagination.
She wore a white tank top with a blue sweater over it, her purse strapped across her chest. The sweater was a little short on her torso (she suspected Trina had thrown it in the dryer against specific instruction), but still, it was comfortable. And buttoned, Tori thought pointedly. Every button on her sweater was in place, almost hitting her neckline. Nothing about her could even speak of offering an open invitation.
Though, she thought to herself, that probably didn't make a difference. Not after last night, where she and Beck had spent the rest of the night on opposite sides of the table after they had kissed, not touching again. It had surprised her, how well he had fit in with her group of friends. Maybe at one point she had thought he'd be pretentious, arrogant even. But that was before she knew him. And knowing him as she did now, she couldn't help but smile at his genuine nature and his drive to be the best he could be.
He settled in perfectly between Cat's craziness, Robbie's anxiety, and Andre's humor. It was like he'd always been there, the fifth chair that no one ever occupied suddenly becoming his spot. As the night had closed down and everyone had went home, they had asked Beck to come back to the next game night. "You just fit," Cat had said in a giggle. He did fit; not just with them, but with Tori as well.
She shook the thought away furiously even before it had fully formed, an invisible hand wiping away the picture in her mind. She wasn't going to be that girl, the one who got involved with someone who already had a girlfriend. Even though that line had been crossed already, half of the time by her own initiation, she could admit, it wasn't too late to stop things. Her words from the previous night wandered across her mind, her own breathlessness coming back to her and causing a flame to lick at her cheeks. "I like you."
And she did like him. She really, really did. There was no denying it, not after everything that had been happening between them over the past month. She couldn't even believe it had been a month, possibly longer. As cliché as it may have seemed, she felt like she had known him her whole life.
Everything about them, their feelings, their reactions to each other, their connection, was a whirlwind. She'd just gotten caught up, losing herself in something new and simply letting it carry on past where it should have stopped. But all whirlwinds eventually lost their speed, stopped spinning, and died on their own. That was what had to happen. There was no way anything else could happen.
A vibration from her purse caused Tori to reach into it and pull out her phone, noticing the text messaging icon on the screen. It was from Beck.
Beck: I'm leaving now. See you soon?
They had agreed to meet on the beach, but one far out of the city, a good thirty-five minute drive with no traffic. She had packed her notebook, both of them having already decided they would finish their script today. Their deadline to present it was looming, but Tori wasn't worried about it. They made a good team, and she knew Sikowitz would be absolutely thrilled when she and Beck presented their play idea to him. She couldn't help but feel a certain swell of pride in that fact.
Lifting her phone, she sent her reply.
Tori: Me too. See you soon.
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooo
He was already sitting in the sand when she walked up, his dark hair not hard to locate against the backdrop of cool blue water and pale sky. He had his phone to his ear, and Tori was relieved to see that his shoulders weren't bunched with tension for once. Coming closer she noticed he was sitting on a beach towel, the pages of the open notebook beside him flipping slightly in the breeze. She sat beside him as quietly as she could, hoping that she wouldn't disturb him. He didn't turn to look at her, but his hand brushed over her fingers, sending a tingle up her arm.
She pulled her headphones out and placed them into her ears, not wanting him to think that she was eavesdropping. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that while he had a serious look on his face, he had a glint in his eye. The same one that he got when he had first pitched the script idea in her dorm room, the look that meant he felt really good about something. She vaguely wondered if he had ever looked at her that way. A darker afterthought clouded her mind when she realized he probably looked at Jade that way all the time.
Not wanting to dampen the mood of their "opposite date," she put her iPod on shuffle, silently mouthing lyrics to a playlist she had made recently. Halfway into the third song, she felt a slight brush of warmth by her ear. She was met with the sudden sound of crashing waves, and then a warm whisper. She shuddered as Beck's voice resounded in her ear. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude."
Turning slowly so as to control her reaction to his voice being so close, she smiled at him.
"No worries, it looked important."
"It was and it wasn't," he said, pocketing his cell phone and shooting her a warm smile. "A good friend of mine who I met on the set of a show I was working on last year just moved to New York. Before he did, we were working on a script together. He told me he's pitching it some independent film companies over there, so that maybe we could get it produced."
"That's awesome!" Tori exclaimed, not being able to help the wide grin that spread out across her face. Beck glanced away from her, averting his gaze to the ocean. She could have sworn he blushed, if only for a second.
"I guess, but he's having a hard time. He's trying to convince them to let both him and I direct. A lot of people aren't exactly thrilled about the idea of shelling out money to two first time actor-turned-directors. It might not happen."
"Maybe not yet," Tori said, fierce determination lacing her voice. "But you are so good. Anyone who has seen you work knows that. There's someone out there smart enough to see that you're worth taking a chance on. I know there is."
"No, you don't," Beck said, an incredulous chuckle in his voice. He meant the comment light hearted, but Tori could see the doubt in his eyes. She reached out and flicked him on the ear out of annoyance.
"Ow," he said, turning to face her with a slight scowl. "Why did you do that?"
"Because what you said was stupid, not to mention incorrect. Plus, I wanted you to look at me when I said this," she said, turning her whole body to face him. "You have a talent and you have a passion. You put energy and work into the things you love. And I can see that when I read your work or watch you play a part. I know I'm not the only one. It's going to happen. Maybe not right this minute, but it IS going to happen. And soon. I know it."
Beck just stared at her after her slight tirade, causing Tori to nervously tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. They sat in silence for a minute before he spoke again.
"You know," he said slowly. "You don't have to inflict harm on me to get me to look at you." Tori blushed as she reached out and shoved him.
"You're totally missing the point," she said, exasperated.
"I'm just kidding," he said warmly, reaching out and giving her arm a slight squeeze. She felt more tingles this time, vaguely wondering if static shock was possible while on sand. It had to be.
"So," she said, turning to him and gesturing to his notebook. "Shall we finish this story?" He grinned, taking the notebook from her.
"Let's do it."
Ooooooooooooooooo
It was an easy afternoon, the kind Beck had yet to see since he started college. The ideas that flowed almost as freely as the tide, pencil marks becoming beautiful words on the white paper. He argued with Tori about which words should go where sometimes, but mostly they had agreed on everything. They fine-tuned their characters, bouncing ideas back and forth like they were playing a game. And they were, in their own way. But on top of that was the other game they were playing, the "nothing-is-going-on" game.
After about three hours filled with play-fights, good-natured arguments, and laughter, Beck finally held his notebook up against the sunlight in the sky.
"Finished," he said triumphantly, a slightly conceded tone making him sound pompous. But Tori only smiled and raised her fist into the air in a somewhat victory solute. He could tell she was just as proud as he was.
"Now it just needs to be typed," he said, reaching to put the notebook back in his backpack. But to his surprise, Tori plucked it out of his hand gently. She cradled it to her chest, almost as if it were a precious treasure.
"I'll do it," she said, turning to him with an imploring look, almost as if she was saying please.
"It's really not that big of a deal, Tori," he said, wondering why she would want to put more work on herself. She shrugged and hugged the notebook tighter to herself.
"I want to do it," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I'm really happy with this. I kind of want to hold on to it a little longer." She glanced at him and then quickly glanced away, almost as if she were embarrassed.
"It sounds stupid, I know," she said in a quiet voice, putting the notebook in her bag. It dawned on him that she really did feel embarrassed about how happy she was, and that bothered him. He didn't want her to feel embarrassed, or any kind of uncomfortable emotion. Especially not around him. His eyes softened as he reached out his hand to grip her shoulder.
"Hey," he said gently, scooting closer to her so that his chest was against her back. The sand felt rough and warm on his legs, the softness of her sweater a pleasant contrast. "Don't be embarrassed. I'm happy with the work we did too. I'm happy that you're happy."
He felt her breath catch a little in her throat and, as if it was some sort of reflex, wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She smelled good, she always did. He felt her stiffen, but he ignored it. It wasn't so much about being close to her, at least not all of it. He wanted to convey that he was being serious, wanting her pride to swell instead of shrivel when it came to something she had a hand in.
"I mean it," he whispered into her ear. "You're amazing."
Her arms shot sideways, breaking the fragile hug he had her in. She stood, her skirt brushing his face, a sand cloud billowing up from under her feet as she put distance between them. She stretched her arms, an exaggerated groan in her throat.
"Wow am I stiff," she said, taking two steps forward for no reason. Beck got the hint, his ego a little bruised even though he understood. He stood up as well, keeping a comfortable distance behind her. He was aware that he probably shouldn't have done that, but he couldn't help it. Some part of him wanted to shout out to her and tell her it didn't mean anything, he was just trying to be a good friend. But he knew that they would both know he'd be lying. On some level, anyway.
"You wanna go for a walk?" he asked her, not waiting for her reply as he picked up his bag and walked toward the water, leaving his beach towel behind. He heard her fall into step behind him after a minute, though he would bet she was at least an arm's length away. After a couple of steps, he allowed himself to turn to glance at her. She had taken her shoes off and was walking in the water, letting the slight waves nip at her ankles. The breeze ruffled her skirt and her sweater, giving the illusion that her tiny frame would blow away any minute.
"It's a little warm for a sweater, isn't it?" he called out to her, turning once again to face forward. He took in his surroundings as he went, noticing the occasional swimmer or passerby. This beach was quiet, and that's why he liked it. Jade had always preferred crowded places when she had free time. He had many memories of being dragged to nightclubs or out to bars. The more people the better, even though she never invited any of her co-workers or friends (he was sure she had some) out with them. Even when they were surrounded by people, as she had always wanted them to be, she could somehow focus all of her attention and her energy on him.
"I'm cold," Tori said with a sort of a final tone. It wasn't defiance per say, but she shoved the possibility of conversation to a dead end halt. He sighed, slightly annoyed as he ran his fingers through his hair. He just didn't understand her sometimes. She was very much like the beach herself, the warm sun and cold ocean reflecting her on-and-off demeanor perfectly. He understood that he had been the one to ask her to come out with him, but he had been expecting a slightly warmer reception after her confession the previous night.
Closing his eyes, he remembered what it felt like to have her be the one to finally kiss him. She had surprised him, something that was very hard to do. The only thing harder than that was to scare him, and an uncomfortable feeling rose inside of him as he realized she was probably capable of that as well. Maybe not outright terror, but he wouldn't put anything past her at this point. But more than the discomfort and the possibility for fear, there was the euphoria.
The past couple of days between them had been strained, to say the least. He had messed up, letting his emotions out in the way that he did. He honestly had not expected her to say anything positive to him, let alone confess that she had some sort of feelings towards him. She had told him that she liked him, wrapped her arms around him so tightly that he would have thought the confession had physically pained her somehow. Maybe it had.
And yet he was happy, despite the totally messed up nature of it all. Happy that he wasn't in this crazy situation alone, happy that he wasn't the only one who felt these things. Some part of him wanted to smile wide, scream it out. Say "I have no fucking idea what's going on world, but guess what? She's happy and I'm happy. Who cares?" And he felt so stupid for saying that. Not only because of the blatant disregard of reality that statement would bring, but how short lived it would be. Here they were, together, but somehow making each other the exact opposite of happy.
Beck turned suddenly, determined to speak his mind, and ran smack into her. She toppled to the sand, her hand reaching out and grabbing his arm, dragging him with her. With a splash, they both landed, his knee between her legs and his elbows on either side of her head, steadying himself. He had no idea she had come so close, and he meant to mumble an apology as he blinked salt water out of his eyes. But when he opened them, he lost his train of thought.
She was staring at him, her hair flared around her in the water, almost like a fan. Her sweater was soaked and so was her skirt, but the white tank top was what caught his eye the most. The water had made it translucent, and the slightest sliver of her stomach was exposed underneath. Boldly, he allowed his eyes to travel just a little lower, noticing that her skirt had billowed up and bunched around her mid-thigh, being held back from floating downward by his knee. Her one hand was still holding tightly to his upper arm, not letting go.
Shakily, she raised her other hand, brushing back the hair from his eyes. She was wet, and drops of water from her fingers trailed onto his forehead, dropping back onto her face like tears. Her hold had not faltered, and neither had her gaze. His resolve fractured, the blood pounding in his ears louder than the waves lapping at their bodies.
"I want to kiss you," he said to her breathlessly, running his tongue over his lips. She bit her own lip and turned her head to the side, looking away from him.
"You can't," she said, her voice almost as shaky as her hand.
"I know I can't," he said to her, raising one hand slapping it down into the water with frustration. "I can't do anything when it comes to you. Is that why I make you so goddamn unhappy?"
She snapped her head back to face him quickly, her expression surprised.
"Is that what you really think? That you make me unhappy?"
"All I know is that one minute we're laughing like we're the only two people in the world, and the next you're running away from me. Again."
"We can't be doing this," she said to him, shifting slightly. That only made things worse, as her body somehow managed to align with him again. A perfect fit. She closed her eyes, almost shamed by the feelings rising up, feelings she could finally identify as desire. "You've been with her two years. That means it's two years too late for anything like this to be happening. You just met me, you can't ruin everything because of a little crush."
"A crush?" he said incredulously. Then, as if to punish, he ground his hips into hers just a little bit harder before continuing. "What I feel for you is confusing as hell, but don't call it a crush. Having a crush on someone does not make you lose your fucking mind over the littlest movement. We might not know what's going on between us Tori, but this isn't just a crush."
She didn't say anything, and he raised his hand from the sand to brush her cheek, careful not to get any more sand on her as he went.
"I like you," he breathed, causing her face to flush red. He liked the way she looked when she was flushed. Her warm skin tinged, the color of peaches. And like a peach, he wanted to bite to break skin, imagining the taste of her.
"I like you too," she said quietly, slowly raising her head up and placing a kiss on his cheek. "But I won't be that girl."
"That girl?"
"You know, the home wrecker. The slut. The girl who messes with someone, knowing he has a girlfriend. I'm not like that. I'm not like that at all."
"I know you're not-"
"I can't do this," she continued, voice hurried and rising, as if she were starting to panic. "If we keep doing this, it's going to grow. You only like me because I'm new, a brand new shiny freakin' toy for you to play with. I understand people get bored, only having sex with one person for so long, but you can't make me you're scape goat."
"I would never-"
"I've never even had sex before, do you know that?" she said, cutting him off again, her words blending into one, incoherent sentence. "I've never even wanted to before, with anyone. I won't do that. I am not giving into you, no matter how much you shoot those looks my way. I'm not-"
He kissed her, shutting her up. She pressed her hands to his chest, trying to push him off of her, but he continued, pulling away but then continuing again, as if scared she was going to go off on another tangent.
"Beck," she said, breathless. "Stop-"
But he didn't stop, he didn't want to stop. He kept kissing her, pushing her body into the sand, wanting nothing more than to push into her at that very moment. He didn't care that people could see them. He didn't care that it was the middle of the day, the sun shining and bright above. All he cared about was her.
"Stop-"
"I don't want to stop," he said, finally breaking free. He sat up quickly, taking her with him as he went. They were both soaked, sitting in the water and not caring. He was on fire and he was angry and he'd be damned if he didn't finish what he had to say. "I don't want to stop at all. Do you really think that low of yourself that you think I could only possibly like you to get into your pants?"
Tori bit her lip, a mortified expression gracing her features.
"I-"
"I don't want your virginity, Tori," he said, not even hiding the incredulous look on his face. It didn't occur to him that she had never been with anyone before, he would have almost not believed it if he didn't see the raw honesty in her eyes. She was so beautiful and so smart and she matched him word for word in every argument. Of course he wanted her, but not just like that. It had never been about that. "I can't believe you think that's what I want from you!"
"Then what do you want from me?" she half shouted, glancing around to notice that the only people paying them any attention were two thirteen year old girls sitting a couple feet from them, giggling at their argument. She didn't give a damn, though. "What the fuck do you want from me?"
"I don't know what I want from you!" he yelled, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "I have no fucking clue, okay? There, I said it. I have no fucking idea. Are you happy now?"
The both sat, breathing heavy in silence for a couple of minutes. She just stared at him, but he was glaring. The whole conversation had only lasted five minutes, not even. But so many things had been said, so many feelings had been vented.
"No," she said silently, wiping a stray tear that had fallen from her eyes, "I'm not."
A breeze blew past them, ruffling Beck's hair and causing a shiver to run up Tori's spine. She raised her hands, the sleeves of the sweater heavy with water, and rubbed her hands down her arms. Beck's arms shot out, starting at the buttons on her sweater.
"What are you doing?" she asked incredulously, attempting to shove his hands away. He shoved her, not hard but firm enough so that she didn't put up a fight.
"You are going to catch a fucking cold if you keep that thing on any longer, I don't care how warm it is outside." He shot her a hard look, eyes unyielding.
"You start taping for Witch Garden next week, I don't want you to get sick." And with that firm statement, it was done. She turned away, her face an expression he couldn't read. He was glad though; he didn't want her to notice that his hands were shaking, and it wasn't from the cold. As he got to the last button, he casually slipped the sweater from her shoulders, bringing it to him and wringing it out. He allowed himself to look at her as he did it.
She was wearing a nude colored bra, and he could see the outline of it through the white shirt. Her hair was damp and sticking to her shoulder blades and her cheeks, framing her face in an almost wild way. The skirt was pooled around her and he could see the goose bumps that were raised on her thighs. Her lips were swollen and he vaguely wondered if he had bitten her, but he was too nervous to ask. He didn't know what to say.
But it was she who broke the silence.
"We're in our own world," she said quietly, a repeat of the statement she had made to him the night in her dorm room. The night he had broken the barrier between them and started this. A slight pang of guilt resounded in his stomach. He had started it. And even though he knew he alone wasn't at fault, he couldn't help but wonder if she resented him for it. Maybe even hated him on some level.
"Do you hate me, Tori?" he asked her quietly, grateful that he had the sweater to hold on to as he awaited her answer, honestly not knowing what it would be.
"No, I don't hate you," she said, hastily tucking a piece of wet hair behind her ear. "In my experience, people don't usually wildly make out on the beach with someone they hate."
He appreciated her attempt at humor to diffuse the situation, but couldn't bring himself to smile.
"Then why do you keep pushing me away?"
"YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND," she shrieked, kicking her leg out at him at an awkward angle, missing him by a good five inches. "Did you hit your head and forget about that tiny little detail?"
"I'm fully aware I have a girlfriend, thanks," he said, his voice raising slightly. He was getting mad again.
"Are you kidding me?" she said, standing quickly, only to stumble again as the sudden weight of her wet skirt pulled her back down. He raised himself to help her up, but she slapped his hand away.
"Don't," she said, standing again with success this time. "I'm going home." She turned, picking up her shoes as she went, and made her away back to the spot in the sand where she had left her bag. Cursing slightly, he got up and followed her. He wasn't letting her get away. Not this time.
"Tori, stop," he called after her, breaking into a slight jog to catch up. He was weighed down slightly by his sopping wet clothes, but that wasn't going to stop him. "Just wait a minute!"
"I'm not waiting for anything," she shouted behind her, stomping her feet in the sand for dramatic effect. "Our script is done. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have to see you again until we have to perform it. Right before we graduate. And then I never have to see you again. Which would make my life so much fucking easier."
"Do you really think you can get away with not seeing me until the end of the semester?" he said, catching up to her as she crouched down to put her things back into her bag. "Because, you can't. You'll probably see me at the next game night anyway."
"You're not coming to that," she shrieked, turning to face him as she stood. "And give me back my sweater."
"No," he said, stepping closer to her and crossing his arms over his chest, gripping the blue material as if his life depended on it.
"Excuse me?" she asked incredulously, reaching out to take it from him. He was too fast for her and he side stepped, causing her to stumble forward slightly.
"I said no," he said, keeping his voice level. She just stared at him, her expression leaving anger slightly to turn into a slight confusion.
"And why not? It's MINE."
"I'll give it back to you if you answer my question," he said, the commanding tone in his voice surprising even him.
"I'm not doing anything. You're not coming to game night. I'm going home." He ignored what she said and asked the question that was burning in his chest anyway.
"If there was no Jade-"
"There is a Jade!" she said, her voice pained. "There is a Jade and you love her and just because you think I'm pretty is not a good enough reason to keep screwing with me."
"Tori-"
"Are you going to break up with her?" Tori asked, facing him full on, her body dangerously close. There was no heat for once, but that was probably because they were both freezing. Her lips had a slightly bluish appearance, and he didn't know whether they were bruised or it was just hypothermia setting in. "Are you really going to throw away everything you have for a total stranger?" He was quiet for a moment, his answer coming in a whisper.
"You're not a stranger."
"That's not an answer," she said, grabbing the sweater from his hand now that it had slackened. But instead of walking away, she just turned her back to him. He waited, wondering if she was going to say something to him. She didn't disappoint.
"I came here today to tell you I just want to be friends," she said, a slight crack in her tone. "I wanted to tell you I think you're so great, that you make me feel so great and I love being with you. But that there's a line you don't cross and we've crossed it. But we can still go back. I want to go back."
"Well, why didn't you say that to me earlier?" he asked, feeling as if he had been punched in the chest.
"I don't know," she said, voice quiet. "You're not the only one who doesn't know things." The breeze picked up again, causing a slight hiss to release from Tori as she shivered against the cold. Slowly, Beck picked up the towel from the sand, shaking it off before he draped it across her shoulders. But he didn't hold her, this time instead stepping back with pronounced steps, just so she would know he was leaving her alone. If that was what she wanted, he would do it. He'd be okay with it eventually. He'd have to be.
"You and I can be friends. I'm friends with Robbie. I'm friends with Andre."
Andre's in love with you, he wanted to shout, but bit back the retort as it was about to roll off his tongue, not wanting to make things worse.
"I'm not like Robbie or Andre," Beck said, even though he knew this wasn't entirely true. He wasn't like Robbie, but he and Andre had many similar things in common. Being under her spell seemed to be one of them.
"I'm about to work with Jade," Tori said, her a voice a sort of croak. He realized she was trying to hold back a sob, and wanted nothing more than to reach out and make her pain go away.
"I know," he said lamely, not knowing what else to say.
"I really like you, Beck," she said, still not turning around. Instead, she tightened the towel around herself, almost as if it were a security blanket. "Can we please go back before we ruin anything else?"
"We haven't ruined anything," he said to her, almost desperately.
"Maybe not yet," Tori said quietly, pulling the towel tighter still. "But we will, if we keep this up. There are too many factors here."
He couldn't argue with her, but he just wanted to tell her that it was hard. So hard to be around her and not touch her like he had just moments ago, when their bodies were slicked with water and buzzing with attraction. Why was this happening to him, to the both of them? He wanted nothing more than to find the answer.
"You said we were friends," Tori said, finally turning to face him. He half thought she would be crying, but her cheeks were bone dry and her eyes were determined. "That's all we are…and all we can be. Okay?"
There was her offer, almost as set in stone as anything could be. Everything she said was true. He knew that. And while he could admit that some part of him, some masochistic part wanted nothing more than to explore to forbidden territory, to explore her, one thing was true for him. He'd rather have her in his life than not.
"Fine," he said to her, feeling defeated. He was almost resentful as he glanced up at her through his lashes. Her shoulders remained straight, her head held high. She didn't seem unbothered, but her resolution, at least for now, was cast iron.
She held her bag up in front of her, not even attempting to feign a smile.
"I'll type this up tonight and send it to you. We can rehearse next week or something?"
"Whatever," he said to her, turning away. "You can keep the towel, I don't want it."
He knew his words on some level would sting her, but he didn't care. A sting wasn't enough. He wasn't just mad at her, he was also mad at himself. But taking it out on her felt so much better. After a few minutes, he heard the soft padding of her footsteps as she walked away from him.
"Tori," he called out to her, not turning as he finally got his question out. "If there was no Jade, would things be different?"
He expected the answer to be a curt no, possibly even a detailed explanation. Instead, what he got was the revving of a car engine. He turned quickly and watched as she backed her car out of her parking spot, taillights disappearing soon after. He kicked the sand roughly, not caring about anything. The emotions running through him were running so high that he was grateful no one was around to see him like this.
Slowly, he made his way back down to the water, enjoying the firmness of the damp sand underneath his shoes. As he stared out at the ocean, slowly, he traced his name with his feet. BECK. And slowly after that, he traced another. TORI.
Tori. The girl that had turned his world upside down. Tori, the girl who was not his girlfriend. Jade was. Tori, whose smile was just like sun, whose anger was as cold and harsh as ocean waves. And just like the girl who had once again slipped through his fingers, he watched the name disappear as the water washed over it.
Ooooooooo
Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! Had some writers block, but I did make my Friday promise! I apologize for the long hiatus, but I hope you all understand when I say life just gets in the way sometimes. I have some good ideas brewing, so I want to thank you guys for sticking with me. Please let me know what you think!