Captured

{12} Lake Day

Sara Beth's POV:

"Ugh! Leah, it was bad. Like bad, bad. Not only did he flirt with the hostess and the server in front of me, he didn't even seem concerned that I would be upset. It was all I could do to keep my composure. Do girls actually fawn over guys like him? Seriously!" I vent over the phone.

"I can only imagine. I knew he was a jerk, but this is more than I could have guessed. Please tell me that was it?" She asks.

"Ha! I wish! After we were sat, he tried to flaunt his money by ordering us expensive red wine. Mind you, I don't drink red wine. Never cared for it. Then, he orders for me without my consent. It was like I was supposed to sit there and be his trophy. It was so degrading. The final straw was he kissed me as if I were his. He actually said "you will be my most prized possession" and "I was asking for it." Does that not scream r****t?! I was so done. I told him to take me home." I breathe out a frustrated sigh.

"He did at least drive you home, right?" Leah's voice laced with concern.

"Yes. I think he realized how pissed I was, but it didn't stop him from trying to kiss me goodnight once he dropped me off at my car. Luckily, I was able to get in my car before he even got near my face again." I confess.

"I'm so sorry SB. I know you were hopeful, but some people are who they are." She explains. It's true. Most people can't change and will show you who they are because it's their nature. Adam is definitely one of those who will never fail to show his true self, flaws and all. "Sounds like you need a chill day."

"What do you mean?"

"A bunch of us are going to the lake tomorrow for some fun and relaxation. Zach is bringing his boat, so many of us will go riding around, water skiing, knee boarding, or just lounging around the shore. It's always a good time to relax and enjoy friends. You should come." I could use a day of fun and relaxation, but can I handle a day with Zach? "Come on SB, pppllleeaassee?!?!" I hear her begging through the phone. I start to laugh.

"Okay, okay! Just please stop begging! Where do I need to meet you and what time?"

"Scott and I will meet you on the trail at 7:30. We are leaving at 8. Be sure to bring sunscreen, towels, and your swimsuit."

"I gotcha. I'll see you then. I better run, I've got to work today. Talk to you soon." I hear her say goodbye before ending the call.

Sunday morning, I get up before the sun in order to meet Scott and Leah on time. I take out a small duffel bag to pack my towel, sun screen, my visor, camera, and a change of clothes, since I'm wearing my swim suit underneath my shorts and tank top. I finish my morning routine and throw my hair up into a ponytail. I don't bother with makeup since we will be swimming.

I grab my bag and head downstairs to where my father is drinking his coffee and reading some papers.

"Hey daddy!"

"Hey sweetie! Where are you off to so early?"

"Leah invited me to go with a group of friends to the lake. Well, she practically begged me to go, so I decided it would be a great day to just relax and have fun. Especially after Friday." I roll my eyes as I open the fridge to grab some juice.

"Oh! That good huh? I guess I see a father-daughter late night chat coming." He watches as I grab a granola bar from the pantry. I smile at his knowing expression.

"Oh definitely!" I chuckle. "This one is one for the books, dad." I shake away the memory. "I better run. I'm meeting Leah and Scott in just a few. I'll see you tonight." I start to walk toward the back door. "Hey dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." I blow him a kiss.

"I love you, too, sweetie. What was that for?"

"Meh, I don't say it enough." I wave and smile as I walk out the door. It's true, I don't say it enough. It's one of the regrets I have with my mom's passing. Even though she knew she was loved, it nags me that I didn't say it as often as I should have. I'm pulled from my thoughts when I see Leah and Scott walking toward me.

"Ready to go?" Leah asks.

"Absolutely!" She links her arm with mine as Scott scans the forest like usual and trails behind us. We get to the house and I see a decent sized group of people, packed and ready to head out. Leah and I walk over to Ally, Chloe, and Penny. We are chit chatting when I see Zach walk into the living room and head toward Scott and Christian. He looks annoyed as ever, but I brush it off and return to the conversation.

"Alright everyone, let's go." Zach announces. Without hesitation, everyone files out of the house and begins piling into a convoy of cars. It's interesting how everyone here follows Zach's orders without missing a beat. I follow the crowd and wait for Leah to direct me to a car. As I stand there, I feel a presence behind me. Once again, I already know who it is. What is his deal?

"Looks like you're riding with me." He says in a low grumble. I turn around to face him, but he's wearing an expression I can't read.

"Okay." I whisper. I head to the back door of his truck, but I'm quickly redirected to the front seat. I feel his hands on my waist as he assists me. With his truck jacked up, it's a wonder anyone can get in it. I see Scott doing the same for Leah, who's even shorter than me, on the driver's side. After getting settled in my seat, I feel a wave of mixed emotions. I look back at Leah and she gives me an understanding look, as if she knows where my head's at. It's amazing in just a few short months how close we've gotten and how she understands me.

Scott enters the passenger seat behind me as Zach slides easily into the driver's seat. He cranks up the truck without a word or glance in my direction. Did I want him to look at me? And what's he so mad about? I decide to play it safe and simply view the sights out the window. I remain silent the entire ride. I can hear Leah and Scott whispering in the back, but I don't eavesdrop.

We finally arrive at the lake and before Zach can make it around to the passenger side, I open the door and slide out. He gives me a stern look as if I've done something wrong, but my nerves are too out of control to allow him to touch me again. What is wrong with me? I've never been this out of control. I take a deep breath and, again, follow the crowd toward the beach and picnic area. I watch as people are setting up blankets and chairs and lining the picnic tables with cloth and setting up coolers, drink stations, and snacks. This group runs like a well-oiled machine. How do I fit in?

Leah rescues me from my thoughts once again and leads me over to where the girls are sitting.

"You okay?" She whispers before we reach the others.

"I guess. I'm just feeling...I don't know how to describe it. Nervous? Emotional? Out of control? I don't know what's going on or why I feel this way." I look at Leah with pleading eyes.

"It's normal. I promise to explain everything soon. But, you're branching out with new people, new friends, new experiences. Just try to calm down and have fun." I nod and take a few deep breaths before we sit down with the girls.

"So, how did it go?" Ally asks. I knew this topic would be brought up.

"One word...disaster." I say. I see a flash of anger cross Chloe's face before she covers it. What was that about?

"I'm sure he wasn't that bad," Chloe states. I look at her.

"You're right." I see her smile slightly. "It was worse!" Her smile falls into an irritated expression. "Why? Have you dated Adam before?" My curiosity peaks.

"Well, of course not, but with him being an alp—I mean, a strong leader of his community, you would think he would be a true gentleman," Chloe stammers.

"You would think, but he could use a few lessons. Anyway, I don't really want to rehash the whole experience. I think I'm going to go swimming." I need to get out of this conversation and fast. I can sense something going on with Chloe, but can't put my finger on it. Maybe since she's single and the rest of the group, besides me, are in committed relationships, she's feeling a little left out. Who knows?

"Wait up." Leah calls after me. "I'm sorry about Chloe."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Leah. I was just getting a little uncomfortable."

"I could tell. Hey, why don't we go out on the boat?"

"Great idea!" We head to the boat dock and are standing beside what I find out is Zach's boat. Suddenly, we are joined by Scott and Zach. That's weird. We climb in and take our seats. Leah and Scott take the loveseat across the back and I take the seat next to the driver's seat where Zach has started the boat. I can feel the low rumble of the engine as Zach pulls off from the dock. I try not to notice how he's now sneaking glances every so often while we cruise through the water. I close my eyes and lean my body back against the seat and sigh contently. Between the wind, the sun, and the scent of fresh water, I'm at peace.

I feel the boat slow down so I open my eyes to see where we are. Zach has pulled into a small, quiet cove. The water is still and the area is beautiful. I sit up and can't help, but feel excited. I wish I would have brought my camera. A loud splash breaks my thoughts. I turn to see Scott and Zach cannonball into the water as Leah laughs hysterically.

"Come on SB! Jump in with me." She grabs my arm and we make our way to the back deck.

"Wait! Let me take off my cover." I slide my shorts down and pull my tank over my head. I see Leah step in front of me as if to cover me. I give her an odd look. I look past her shoulder and see Scott trying to calm down an angry-looking Zach. He's eyes look darker than normal. "Is he okay?" Leah nods nervously. She knows I'm not convinced. "What's going on?" I whisper.

"It's nothing. Come on! Let's get in!" She links her arms with mine and we jump in. We are immediately brought into a splash war with Scott and Zach. For the first time, I see Zach having fun. He has a smile on his face and he's laughing. I can't help, but ogle him because he looks damn sexy when he smiles and his laugh is contagious. He catches my gaze, but I see a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Oh no! No Zach! Don't you dare!" I start swimming away laughing. I feel him swimming behind me as he grabs my ankle and pulls me toward him. His arms wrap around my waist, holding me to his muscular chest. I feel him lean his face toward my neck and breathe in slowly. "What are you doing?" I ask, but before I can get an answer, Zach attacks my sides with unrelenting tickles. I explode with laughter and frantically try to escape his grasp. "You tricked me! You're so evil! Please no! Stop! You tricked me." I'm laughing so loudly, I don't notice another boat has approached ours.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Adam smirks at me while Zach's hands tense their grip on my waist. "Some of your friends on shore said I might find you here. I wanted to see if you want to go on a private ride with me on my boat." Zach's breathing hitches and his grip tightens even more. It doesn't hurt, but I can sense him waiting for my response.

"Oh sorry. Not today. I'm hanging out with friends today. I'm sure you understand." Zach glances up at Adam. I'm sure the death stare is enough to give Adam a clear message. No words are exchanged between them.

"Of course. I'll just see you at the charity ball. I'll call you with the details." He speeds off before I even have a chance to say anything. If he thinks I'm going to the ball with him, he has another thing coming! Ugh! The audacity of this guy. Zach releases his hold on me and I'm left feeling cold. I turn and watch as he climbs back onto the boat. I spy Leah looking at me with a saddened expression. I swim around to the back as I'm the last to get back onboard. I quickly find my towel and wrap it around me. I take my seat as Zach roars the engine back to shore without another word. I'm completely lost.

I decide to sunbath and read my book for a while. I avoid Zach for the remainder of the day, but as the sun begins to lower, I desperately want to go back on the boat to take pictures. I decide I'm not going to let what happened ruin my opportunity to get some great shots. I walk over to where Scott, Christian, William, and Zach are talking.

"Excuse me, Mr. Turner," I say confidently. Zach turns around with a defiant look on his face. "Can you take me back out on the boat?" I see his facade fall a little. "I brought my camera and would like to try and get some shots if I could." I wait on pins and needles. After what feels like forever, he nods and walks toward the docks without a word. I roll my eyes, which earns a chuckle from the other three. I follow Zach and once again get on his boat. He slowly backs out and I see people staring and giving odd looks towards me.

As we get to the center of the lake, he slows down and I make my way toward the bow. I lay down on the front and lean over the side. I hang my camera just above the water's surface, capturing the light and shimmer of the sun reflecting off of it. I feel arms around my legs holding me steady. I continue snapping. I lean back and stumble into Zach.

"Sorry. Uh, do you mind holding me steady while I stand on the bow?" He nods and I step on the seat next to the bow. His hands grip my waist. I blush at the thought that my ass is probably in his face. I take a deep breath and focus my lens on several scenic sights across the water. The water rocks gently and I feel his grip tighten to keep me steady. After I'm done, I grab his wrist and use it to step down. I turn to face him.

"What?" I whisper.

"Nothing, let's go." He walks to the driver's seat and revs the engine. It doesn't take long to return to shore. However, everyone is gone. Zach ties up the boat and exits heading toward his truck. I see him back the truck down the ramp as I exit the boat. He then walks past me and drives the boat onto the trailer, securing it. I stand silent and confused. "You gonna just stand there or are you going to get in?" I get to the passenger side and hoist myself up, since Zach offers no assistance this time. We drive back in awkward silence.

He parks his truck and we both exit. I begin to walk around the house toward the trail; however, I quickly feel him following me. My stomach clenches, mind swirling, hands sweaty.

"What do you see in that guy anyway?" Zach's frustrated voice fills my ears. I snap around to face him as his question catches me off guard.

"What?! See in who?"

"You know damn well who?!" He's trying to control his anger.

"Not that it's any of your damn business. I don't see anything in him. Why do you care?" I stand with my hands on my hips.

"I don't." He says lowly, but not convincingly. He stalks toward me and I begin to back away from him, only to find myself pinned against a tree. He places his hands on each side of my head. "If you don't see anything in him, what do you see in me?" My breath hitches and my eyes look deeply into his. What do I see in him? There's a loaded question. I can see so many layers, but I have no key to unlock them.

"I—I—don't—I mean—I just met you, so I don't know you. I can't know anything." I manage to spit out.

"You're not a very good liar. I can see the effect I have on you. You want me." I feel exposed, but also a little pissed at his presumption.

"Whatever Zach!" I slide under his arms and begin my trek back down the trail. He approaches behind me and wraps an arm around my waist, halting my steps. I feel his other hand slide up from my hips to my side and finally, rubbing circles on my breast. My n****e hardens and he begins whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I lean into his chest as his touch has my body on fire and my brain unable to form any coherent thought.

"See, you react to my touch. Does he do that for you? Does he make you feel this good? I should be the one to take you to the charity ball, not that prick." My brain shifts from cloudy to clear in less than a second. My anger erupts. Was this only about Adam?

"Oh! I see." I laugh out loud to keep from exploding with rage. "Your attention is only because of someone else's interest in me? Un-f*****g-believable! You know what Zach?! Go f**k yourself!" I storm off without so much of a look behind me.