SHE

TWELVE

Eden observed me as I took off my clothes. Smirking, I watched her eyes travel up and down my body. I questioned if she felt the same as I did - not being in control of my own body whilst together, as if every inch of my body was supposed to be next, on or beneath hers, always in need of affection and warmth of her presence.

"Like what you're seeing, Harper?" I teased, winking.

She raised her eyes to mine, seemingly knocked out of her daydreaming, her full lips soon breaking into a grin.

"You caught me this time."

She looked around, almost awkwardly, her grin disappearing soon after. Currently, it was the middle of the night and we had decided to remain on the beach. In our attempts at finding a nice place to eat, we ended up going quite far, yet felt the urge to stop when we saw this beautiful, abandoned spot. It didn't seem to graze Eden's mind that I might end up going swimming.

"Babe, you only just got your health back to normal, I don't think swimming in the middle of the night is such a good idea," her tone concerned.

I rolled my eyes: "I told you I'm -"

And right on cue, a piercing pain shot through my head. I squeezed my eyes shut, placing my hands on my temples, hoping that massaging them would make the sudden headache disappear.

"Babe?" Eden asked, her hands wrapping around my body protectively, "do you need to sit down or something?" she questioned.

I nodded, resting my head in the crook of her neck. God, she smelled so good. After helping me sit down, she grabbed my clothes in an attempt of putting them back on.

I pouted: "but I wanted to go on a swim."

She clenched her jaw, raising an eyebrow: "yeah, you wish, not when you're like this."

Overprotectiveness wasn't a trait I adored, however, her being this way seemingly put me at ease.

I smiled at the irony as she put my hoodie back on: "Honestly, I thought you'd do anything to take my clothes off, yet now you're putting them back on."

She smirked in return: "oh, I will. Now is not the time though."

I thought about it, knowing she was right, coming up with an idea to play a little question game in an attempt to find out more about this girl I was seemingly falling for. The headache had caught me by surprise, yet distracting myself seemed to be the best way to deal with it.

She raised an eyebrow, a smirk on her face: "show me what you got, Gold."

I leaned into her getting cozier, my head on her chest, hands around her back, our legs tangled together.

"What did you think when you first saw me?" I asked, honestly interested in her reply.

She sighed: "I thought you were the most beautiful person I had ever laid my eyes on."

I laughed, "Well that's obvious, anything else?"

"Yes, Gold, I wanted to take you there and then," she laughed, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

I nodded, grinning, completely content with her response.

"And what did you think?"

"You can't use my question as your question!" I complained.

"I'll ask you another after this one, promise," she laughed.

"Well I thought you looked like a mysterious badass," I said, smiling at the memory.

"I get that a lot," she nodded.

"Oh, and after that, I thought you were crazy," I laughed.

"I won't even ask," she chuckled, "next question. What are your plans after school?"

I looked at the sea, taking some time to work out the best fitting reply.

"I want to have a house, next to the sea, actually, it doesn't even have to be a sea, just someplace, where there is nature as in forest, sea or lake or ocean. I'd like to have my own business just like mom and dad do, but one that would allow me to be with my loved ones, also I'd like to find someone that I could look at like my dad looks at mom and for the other person to look at me the same," I thought some more, "but honestly, all that aside, I just want to be happy and share that happiness with someone - either an animal or a person, I don't care."

"Why is it so important for you to share that happiness?" Eden questioned, moving underneath me.

I turned my head to hers, smiling: "what's the point of being happy if you can't share it?"

I gave her neck a kiss and rested my head back on her chest, trying to act natural: "I have only met your mom. Is she the only family you have?"

This was partly the reason I wanted to play this game. It allowed me to ask things that would otherwise be suspicious to ask. Askin such personal things seemed unfair, yet I felt I had to know if my guess about the police officer Blake, who was behind all the murder cases, were correct.

"I've never known my dad, he died before I was born. Apart from that.." she continued, and I held my breath, "I have an older brother."

Fuck.

"Tell me about him," I said, trying my best not to sound weird.

"There's not much to tell," her body language said otherwise, "he's a great guy."

She wasn't telling something, it was more than clear.

"Why were you dating Kevin?" she asked.

I wasn't expecting this one. But it was a simple one to answer.

"Because everyone expected us to be together, and so we were. Seemed only natural for a cliche girl to have the cliche boyfriend," I laughed at my own life and how truly sad it sounded, "What does your dream future look like?"

"You stole that one from me, but since you're cute, I'll let it slide," she laughed, "honestly, I don't know. Tend to live it day by day. I guess doing what I want, when and however I want to would sum it up."

I decided not to question her further, knowing I was digging in way too deep way too quick.

"Do you ever feel lonely?" her voice was quiet, knowing well she could trigger me by asking.

I didn't have to think about it long: "yes. But it's alright, it's nothing I can't handle."

She laughed: "you don't have to handle everything alone, Ru. I am here now. Always will be. So if you ever feel alone again, you better call me. It isn't hard to figure out I'd come running."

"The sexuality thing... How come you didn't give up on me right there and then?" I asked and she turned my head, so I was facing her.

"Because why would I? The minute I saw you I had this feeling like everything finally made sense. You made it click, stop and turn around 180 degrees. I couldn't get you out of my head even if I tried to. So you're stuck with me, because it seems that the Universe thinks we belong together," her eyes were burning with passion and sincerity.

How could a person feel like what I felt towards her? Everything about her pulled me in. She was everything and more.

                                                                    She was the fire,

                                                                    she was the rain

                                                                    a shelter

                                                                    in a raging hurricane

I turned around so that now my legs were placed both sides of her hips. I kissed her, needing that final assurance. And I got it, I knew the moment her fingers cupped my cheek, as I couldn't help but lean in, I knew the moment her lips brushed against mine, making me tingle all over, I knew the moment her eyes laid on me, promising me to give the world to me, if only I let her. I knew it since the day I had met her, but I chose to ignore it, chose to fight it. Little did I know that the force was way stronger than I was, and part of me wanted to let go of the thread I hung on, to not let her in.

And so I let go of it. Because I decided, fear would not control me. The only person stopping me from doing what I wanted, was myself. And hell, clearly I was doing something wrong so far to be feeling this empty. So why not mix it up for once?

I pulled away, looking at her. I wanted to savor this moment.

"I have one more question," I bit my lip. I was getting lost in her, but hell, I didn't care, she could have all of me.

She looked at me, her eyes a darker shade.

"Will you be with me?" I asked.

She smirked: "I have been with you since the very start."

She quoted what I said the day we argued. I smiled, remembering it, it was the truth after all.

I connected our foreheads: "I think the Universe kicked my ass."

She laughed, smiling: "I also have one question left."

I breathed, wondering what she'd ask.

"So, what's the plan?" she asked, her eyes twinkling from happiness, as I grew confused. Soon I realized what she was doing, as I leaned closer to her, our mouths only inch apart, as I looked in her eyes, smiling.

"I know this amazing Italian place.." I whispered, my hands making their way under her shirt.

She grinned, pulling me closer, kissing me.

And so we spent the night. And I continued to ignore the lump in my throat or the sirens going off in my brain. And I wrote it off as being scared of getting hurt, putting myself out there for the first time.

And maybe I shouldn't of.