-----ASHLEY'S POV-----

“WATERRRRRR!!!!!” CC screamed, diving into the water.
“HOLY SHIT THIS IS COLD AS FUCK!”
“Smart ass,” Jake chuckled.
“Hey man,” Andy called to me, holding Kaitie’s hand, “you need some help setting up the picnic?”
“Thanks, bro,” I smiled. “You ready to get down, Nicole?”
“No, it’s fun on your back,” she giggled, “I don’t have to walk.”
“But you have to get down, goof ball.”
“Nicole,” Kaitie chimed.

We turned and suddenly Nicole pounced off of me. I heard her scream “Monster!” and start chasing after Kaitie. Of course...we got another fucking CC. Andy laughed at the girls then helped me lay out the blanket without getting a ton of sand on it. I heard the girliest scream of my life and looked at Kaitie then Nicole but they were looking at the water.

“Which one of you assholes screamed?” I asked really confused.
“Jake!” laughed CC. “He jumped in and froze his balls.”
“Fuck you!” Jake screamed, pushing CC in deeper water.
“You’d think I’d scream like a chick,” Andy chuckled, “because I do the screaming in the group.”
“It’s always the 'manly' ones,” I winked as we set the towels down.

“Babe,” Andy called to Kaitie, “give Nicole the Monster and let’s swim. Ash, hold my sunglasses?”
“Sure thing, bro.”
“Wanna swim with us?”
“Nah, I’ll stay up here for now. Have fun in the water, but not too much fun.”
“No promises,” Kaitie winked, taking Andy’s hand.

A huge heart which read ‘I Heart You’ blocked my vision of my best friend’s black swim trunks and his girlfriend’s white bikini. I then realized the heart was stamped on an off-the-shoulder crop top which was covering a faded teal bikini. All of this sat on Nicole’s delicate skin. I looked to her face and softly smiled as she sat down beside me and decided to tan with me.

“Hey,” I finally spoke after an hour, “I got an idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Come on,” I smiled, helping her up.

We took a stroll down the beach with Nicole’s purse clutched tightly in her hand. She stubbed her toe on a gorgeous seashell and we decided to start collecting them. When the sun began to blind her, I gave her my sunglasses then wore Andy’s. For the first time in I don’t know how long, I felt like I could trust a girl again. Nicole...I could trust her.


“Come on,” Nicole giggled.

-----ANDY’S POV-----

My eyes were pulled from Kaitie as Nicole began dragging Ashley into the water. Holy shit, he never swims...I didn’t even think he knew how to swim until now. I then felt a massive tickle in my ribs and I fell back into the water. I sat up to see Kaitie laughing her head off.

“Oh, you did it now,” I chuckled.
“Oooh, I’m so scared,” she mocked me.

I then splashed a lot of water in her face and she screamed out of shock. She splashed me back and suddenly, the whole band was in a splashing war. Finally, when everyone’s hair was soaking wet, Kaitie and Nicole decided to have a chicken fight. I submerged myself and waited as Kaitie climbed onto my shoulders. Then, hanging onto her perfectly toned legs, I stood which made her feel 11 feet tall.

I moved the hair out of my face and watched as Ashley did the same thing with Nicole, then moved the hair out of his face. CC gave us a countdown from 10 and when he said ‘Go!’ it was on all out war. Kaitie and Nicole locked hands and eyes as they began pushing each other with all their humanly power. Kaitie had to hold back a bit since she was a vampire with a lot of strength. Then, before I could catch her, she fell off my shoulders and into the water making everyone laugh as Nicole threw up her arms in triumph.

-----TIME LAPSE-----

“Mmm, I love the sun,” Nicole sighed happily as we tanned.
“It doesn’t seem to love me,” Kaitie groaned.
“What do you mean?”
“I never tan...I burn.”
“That explains why you’re sitting in the tree.”
“Yeah, I love it.”
“Why?”
“Being up here and watching everyone else play in the sand or the water, it makes you feel...safe. Nobody can get to you that way.”

I sighed sadly, knowing what she was talking about. Again, I looked at the scars on her thighs and ribs as I felt some-what responsible for what happened to her that night. When she thinks about it...she relives every single detail and I know this because I saw it in her nightmares.

I got up from my beach towel and climbed up the tree she was sitting in. I didn’t realize how far up she was until I reached the branch under the top one. Taking my sunglasses off, I scooted closer to her so she could feel my skin...the skin of someone who would rather kill himself before he ever hurt her.

My lips grazed the soft flesh of her shoulder as I gently breathed upon her, leaving a few goosebumps behind. I then whispered the first stanza of Beautiful Remains into her ear. I knew she wanted to cry then as she gasped and held her breath. She then turned and smiled at me, letting me into her thoughts. ‘I know you’d never hurt me,’ they said. ‘That’s why I trust you so much.’

I smiled softly at her then, putting my sunglasses on her face, I helped her onto my back and began to climb down. Jinxx helped her off my back then she came to lay with me on my beach towel as we all began to tan ourselves, bringing an end to this perfect day. Little did I know what was soon to come our way.

Notes

Sorry about the late update, as I said on Of Love and Bleeding Crowns, I've had my hands full. Don't you guys love the cliff hanger at the end of the story? Teehee. Let me know your thoughts, ideas, and feelings in the comments below. I love you guys! Have a good day.