Forsaken (15 page)

             
“Laugh it up now, but a gigantic sandstorm is next on my list and you three,” she narrowed her eyes at each of us, “will be my next victims, so you better sleep with one eye open.”  

             
Carmen stood up suddenly, “Logan and his friends are going down to the beach in a little while.  The hurricane’s already kicking up some huge waves so they’re going surfing.  Which means you guys are coming out there with me,” she looked at us expectantly. “So get your bathing suits on.”  She didn’t wait for an answer; instead she disappeared into her bedroom. 

             
“Anybody want to go to the beach?  I heard Carmen’s going…” Phoebe yelled sarcastically at Carmen’s closed door.  We stifled our laughter.

             
“I heard that!”  Carmen said through her closed door. “I want bathing suits on ASAP!  I’d hate to drag ya’ll down there butt naked!”

             
A couple of minutes later I had my bikini on and my thoughts inevitably drifted back to Finn.  Would he be down there today?  Did I want him to be there?  Yes.  Definitely, yes. I took out my phone and started to write him a text.  Then deleted it.  What was I supposed to say?  ‘Hey, was hoping to talk to you and find out if you’re a murderer.  Meet me at the beach in ten.’ Yea right.  I’m sure he’d run down right away, welcoming me with open arms.  Right before he strangled me to death for being a complete moron.

              By the time we got down to the beach, it was already teeming with activity.  The sun was shining and the temperature was over ninety degrees.  The smell of suntan lotion and salt, mixed with sea grass greeted us. The breeze off the ocean made the heat bearable, but I could tell it was stronger than usual as my hair whipped around my head.  I pulled out a pony tail holder and threw it up out of the way, as my eyes scanned the ocean.  Carmen was right; the waves had doubled in size overnight.  They formed farther out, gathering speed and height as they raced towards shore.  Long barrels, ideal for surfing rolled continuously over the length of the beach, crashing and then regrouping as they ate away at the sand.  The rhythmic pulse became hypnotic and I found myself staring at them with a sense of wonder and…something else.  Pride.  A part of me belonged to that vast expanse of blue water circling the horizon as far as the eye could see.  An entire world hidden beneath the surface; it harbored undiscovered secrets and its power could ravage entire continents.  Its immense strength commanded respect and humbled the strongest of creatures.

“
So, you gonna stand there all day like a statue or join the rest of us soaking up the sunshine?”  I looked down at my roommates who were all laying on the blanket squinting up at me. I laughed and found a spot on the blanket to stretch out on.  I scanned the water for any surfers resembling Finn but they were all too far away to tell. 

             
“Phoebe, isn’t that Ian?” Carmen lowered her sunglasses and pointed.

             
“Well, don’t point at him!” Phoebe smacked her hand down, but kept her eyes down the beach on the dark haired guy walking toward us.  As he got closer, I noticed just how good-looking he was. His dark hair was cut short; he had a diamond stud in each ear, and wore a necklace of black onyx around his neck.  He walked with a slight lean, making him look a little ghetto, but in a badass sort of way.  I looked over at Phoebe and noticed she was fidgeting with her hair, watching him nervously as he approached.  A slow, crooked smile spread across his face and for an instant he reminded me of Finn.

             
“Girls,” he nodded at the rest of us smoothly and extended a hand to Phoebe, “Want to walk?” Obviously not a man of many words.  She glanced at us anxiously and I could see the unease in her eyes.  I smiled encouragingly at her as she took his hand.  They would make a cute couple; Phoebe with her pink and gray camouflage bikini, and Ian in his black trunks and laid-back style.  As they walked away, Carmen put her sunglasses back on, laid back down and sighed, “Ah, young love.  Makes me want to hurl.”

             
“Do you think he’ll ask her to the Ball?” I silently hoped he would.  It would be great to have Phoebe there with me in the event I got asked. 
If
I got asked.  And
if
I said yes.  Who was I kidding;
when
I said yes.  Not that I’d even seen him since Friday night.  And what if I found out he was a murderer?  Why couldn’t I have normal boy issues?  Preferably, the kind that don’t involve drowning in the ocean or murder. 

             
“He definitely will,” Carmen sat up and mimicked Ian’s head nod and smooth voice, “Me.  You.  Ball.  Saturday.”  I died laughing at her bad imitation.  I closed my eyes to ward off the blinding sun.  I took off my sunglasses so I wouldn’t have raccoon eyes, but it made it hard to see anything.

             
“Anybody up for some beach volleyball?”  I looked up at Logan and Noah resembling Greek gods, standing in front of us.  Bronzed and muscular, they were the picture of perfection.  Almost too perfect.  The kind of perfect that makes you question if you’re seeing who they really are.  And what they’re trying to hide.  Or maybe I was just paranoid.  “You girls look like you could use some exercise…” Logan pulled down his Ray Ban sunglasses and looked at us, raising a light brown eyebrow.

             
“You can’t handle this,” Carmen told him as she rubbed more lotion on her legs, un-phased by his fighting words.  Unlike Phoebe, she had the ability to hide all nervousness and insecurities.  She had an air of confidence that made guys fall all over themselves.  I probably should have taken some notes. 

             
“Prove it,” Noah answered Carmen and reached out his hand to me.  Instead of taking it, I stood on my own.  He looked momentarily hurt, but then smiled down at Willow. “You in?”

             
Willow sat up on her elbows and shook her head, “I’m allergic to exercise.  Ya’ll have fun.”

             
“Your loss.” Logan called back to her as we walked towards a makeshift volleyball court.  It was basically a net with the surrounding court drawn in the sand.  I’d played volleyball once and it definitely wasn’t a pretty sight.  I was hoping my skills had improved since then, but I wasn’t too optimistic.  With me and Noah playing against Carmen and Logan, I had a feeling Noah was on the losing end of that bargain.  He palmed the ball, threw it in the air and gracefully served it over the net toward Carmen.  She jumped and spiked it over the net before I had even realized what was happening.

             
“Come on, Stasia, the ball’s not going to defend itself!” Noah called out playfully, but I just rolled my eyes.  The more we played, the more I realized volleyball wasn’t my sport.  After a horrific showing on my part, Logan and Carmen high-fived as the winning shot arced over the net and through my un-talented arms.  Noah came over and gave me a high-five anyway.

             
“Good game, partner,” He tried to give me a hug, before I moved out of his reach. “Ya’ll should come up to Rostrum and party with us.” He looked around tentatively and in a hushed voice asked, “Do you get high?”

             
“I don’t smoke.”  I retorted, unimpressed.

             
“That’s not what I asked,” he sneered at me, stepping closer.  I took a step back.

             
“I don’t get high, either.” I stood my ground this time and looked him in the eye with conviction.

             
“You don’t know what you’re missing.” He shook his head at me.  His tone turned slightly condescending “You don’t have to be scared.  There’s nothing wrong with it.  Just like smoking cigarettes, really.  Just better.  And Logan’s mentor just made a run to Wilmington to get a bag of some really good stuff.”  I got the distinct impression he assumed I was innocent and gullible, just waiting for someone like him to come along and corrupt me.  Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t innocent or gullible.  I didn’t need lessons from him or anyone else for that matter. What he didn’t know was I’d been around drugs since I was about eight years old.  When your foster parents choose partying for three days straight over feeding you, it tends to stick with you.

             
“I’m not smoking grass with you, Noah.”

             
“Well, well…” he smirked at me, not expecting me to know another word for weed, “maybe she’s not so goody-goody after all.”  He stepped closer to me again and tried to put his arm around my waist.  I twisted out of his grip and stared daggers at him.

             
“Do not make the mistake of thinking you know me.”  I said through gritted teeth. I tried my best to suppress the buried anger he’d unknowingly triggered.  I glanced back at Carmen for backup, but she appeared to be in deep conversation with Logan.

             
“Come on, don’t be like that.  I thought you were gonna be cool.” He tried again to put his arm around my shoulder, but a strong tan hand clamped down on his first.

             
“Touch her again and I’ll kick your ass.” I jumped back in surprise at Finn’s voice. It was dripping with pure darkness, sexy and terrifying all at once.  He was face to face with Noah and even though he was only an inch or two taller, it might as well have been a foot.  Fear crossed Noah’s face, but disappeared just as quickly.

             
“What do you want Morrison?” Noah growled, but the slight tremble in his voice gave him away.  I could tell it wasn’t lost to Finn’s ears.  He stepped even closer and grinned at him with malice.

             
“Finally met a girl that won’t fall for your bullshit?” Finn’s face turned sinister and his blue eyes flashed, “She deserves respect and that’s the one and only thing you’re ever going to give her.”

             
“Whatever dude.” Noah tried to blow off Finn’s threat, but he wasn’t fooling anybody.

             
Logan walked up and eyed Finn, “We got a problem, Noah?”

             
“Nah,” Noah quickly looked me up and down and then smirked, “It’s not worth it.”  Anger shot through me at his insult and I moved in between him and Finn.

             
“Screw you.” I pushed him as hard as I could and surprisingly, he flew back, landing hard on the sand.  Everyone turned to stare at me except Carmen, who was suddenly standing right beside me.

             
“Get your boy under control before I whip his ass too!” she stared angrily at Logan. “Nobody talks to my friends that way!” I looked down at Noah who was rubbing his chest, and I saw two hand-sized bruises beginning to show.  Did I really do that?

             
“She deserves it if she’s hanging out with ‘death boy’.” He helped Noah up off the sand.  When he turned back around, Finn tackled him, holding him down in the sand by his throat.

             
“Finn!” I called out to him. People were beginning to gather around us. “Come on…let him go, let’s just leave.”

             
“Stay away from her,” he growled at Logan, and looked up at Noah, whose face was drained of color, “or you’ll regret it.”  He gave Logan a smile dripping with evil and released him abruptly, pushing his head back in the sand.  Logan rubbed his neck where Finn’s grip had left a red mark.  Every muscle in Finn’s body was tense and I had a feeling he wanted nothing more than to kill them both. He radiated malevolence and my stomach turned to ice as I remembered his hands around another guy’s neck right before he pulled out an axe.

             
“Asshole,” Carmen muttered towards Logan before walking away.  Willow ran over to us.

             
“Are ya’ll okay?  What happened?”

             
Finn looked back at the two retreating guys, narrowing his eyes, “We handled it.”

             
“And I’m never talking to Logan again.” Carmen added.

             
“I’m sorry Carmen, I didn’t mean for-” I began, before she interrupted me.

             
“It’s not your fault he’s a loser, I’m just glad I was there to watch you shove Noah in the sand!  Those bruises will be a nice reminder to him not to mess with you.  Let me see those muscles!”  She squeezed my biceps and Willow’s eyes got big.

             
“You did what?”

             
“Finn!” Two dark haired guys holding surfboards waved at him. “You comin, man?” Finn took my hand, pulling me away from Willow and Carmen.

             
He searched my face urgently. “I have to go,” he said, his tone solemn, “be careful who you hang out with, Stasia.”  Before I had a chance to argue, he walked away.  I watched as he took his surfboard from one of the guys, jumped in the waves and easily started paddling out.

             
When I got back to our blanket, Carmen was telling Willow what had happened and I felt my defenses go up at Finn’s warning.  I didn’t need a babysitter.  I could take care of myself.  And besides, Noah wasn’t the one who was standing on the same beach where Nicolet was killed.  I watched as he dropped into a wave, whipped his surfboard around the top of it and rode it out like he’d done it a million times before.  He dove into the water, retrieved his board and started paddling back out to do it all over again.  Everything he did was so controlled and poised.  And incredibly sexy. 

When
there was a lull in the waves, the three boys sat and talked on their boards.  It made me wonder what the Sons of Daimon did in their spare time.  I saw them in class and surfing but besides that they were a complete mystery.  Each one had an air of darkness, but Finn outweighed them all in that department.  I could see why Noah was frightened of him…I got the feeling he’d never lost a fight. It was the darkness he exuded that made him so volatile and intimidating.  Something inside me told me he would stop at nothing to protect someone he loved and he would definitely fight for what he believed in.  It was a level of intensity that would tear a normal person apart, but Finn carried it with confidence and grace.

             
The sight of Kira walking along the beach pulled me from my thoughts.  We hadn’t talked since the candlelight vigil.  Instead of a bathing suit, she was barefoot and wearing a yellow strapless sundress.  A long necklace of freshwater pearls hung from her neck and her blonde hair was swept up on top of her head.  I jogged down the beach to greet her and her face lit up as she saw me coming.

             
“Look at you!” She glanced down at my bathing suit and beamed with pride, “We’ll make a beach bum out of you yet!” I embraced her in a hug and was hit with the scent of coconut and something fruity.  I noticed the cup she was holding.  It was filled to the brim with a slushy yellow concoction. A bright pink straw poked out.  She winked at me.