WHAT HAPPENED LAST SUMMER?

Be mine

Theodore’s POV

Alex moved faster than I thought possible.

One second Audrey’s phone was pointed straight at us—at my bare body, at the place where he was still buried inside me—and the next he had spun around, shielding me completely with his broad back. His arms braced against the doorframe, blocking the angle of the camera.

“Stop recording,” he ordered, voice low and lethal. “Delete it. Now.”

Audrey only laughed, the sound of her voice was sharp and delighted. The flashlight on her phone kept blinking.

“Shameless,” she spat, looking past his shoulder at me. “w***e. Slut. Did you really think my brother was in love with you? Interested in trash like you? He just wanted to use you. That’s what he does with every girl. He’s already got a real girlfriend. You’re nothing but a temporary hole.” she added and laughed so loud again, louder than the previous one.

“Audrey, stop it,” he snapped, his voice was thunderous. He tried to reach for the phone but Audrey kept moving inches behind.

her words landed like a slap. Tears burned my eyes and spilled over before I could stop them. I tried to cover myself with my arms, but there was nothing left to hide behind. Audrey kept filming, kept talking, until she finally lowered the phone with a satisfied smirk.

“Enjoy the rest of your night,” she said, and walked away laughing.

The second the door closed, Alex pulled out of me. His c**k was already half-soft; a thick string of c*m stretched between us before breaking and sliding down my thigh. He didn’t look away. He cupped my face with both hands, thumbs wiping the tears as fast as they fell.

“Hey. Look at me.” His voice was quieter now. “I’ve got you. Trust me.”

He helped me straighten my clothes with careful hands, then guided me out of the bathroom and down the stairs. I barely registered the rest of the house. Outside, he opened the passenger door of his car and waited until I was seated before closing it.

We drove in silence for a long time. Streetlights blurred past the window. My mind kept replaying Audrey’s voice—w***e, slut, temporary hole—until the car suddenly slowed and pulled onto a quiet overlook above the water.

I turned to him. “Why are we stopping?”

“I want to show you something.” He got out, walked around, and opened my door. “Come with me.”

He took my hand and we ran down a narrow path toward the dark stretch of beach. The moment we reached the sand he let go and sprinted straight into the shallow waves, water exploding around his legs. He turned and splashed a wide arc toward me.

“Hey?”

“It’s warm!” he called. “Come on!”

I stayed at the edge, arms wrapped around myself. “I don’t want to get wet. I catch colds easily and I don’t have anything to change into.”

Alex grinned, his expression so open it almost looked foreign on his face. “I’ll get you new clothes. Or just take them off. Your choice.”

Shame still clung to my skin like a second layer. I shook my head and walked in fully dressed. The water was warmer than I expected. Within minutes we were chasing each other, splashing, laughing when he caught my wrist and dragged me deeper. Every time I tried to escape he pulled me back against his chest, both of us breathless and soaking.

I had never seen him like this—smiling wide, eyes bright, voice light. The cold, arrogant bully who used to corner me in hallways felt like a different person entirely. For the first time since I met him, genuine happiness pushed past the humiliation still sitting in my chest.

When we finally climbed out, he collapsed on a patch of dry grass above the sand and pulled me hard against his chest. He tugged me into the circle of his arms and pressed a slow kiss to my forehead, lingering like the gesture meant something.

I started talking because the quiet felt too heavy.

“Do you like my food?” I asked and he sighed.

“They’re delicious. Otherwise why will I request you to bring it everyday?” he paused and continued. “I see you really love cooking don’t you?” he asked.

“Cooking has always been the only place I felt safe,” I said softly. “Every time you or Audrey tore me down at school I would go home and cook until my hands stopped shaking. It was the only thing that kept me from crying. Eventually it stopped being a distraction and became… mine.”

He sighed, the sound low against my hair. He didn’t apologize. Instead he kissed my forehead again and murmured, “No one is going to bully you again. Not while I’m around.”

“Then why didn't you bring food today?” he asked.

“I had left the house in a rush after the hospital,” I answered, then I turned the question back on him.

“How did you even find this place?”

Alex stared out at the dark water. “It’s not an approved beach. The government found some kind of treasure further down the coastline years ago, so the whole stretch is supposed to be guarded. This little section is quieter. I come here when everything gets too loud and I need space.”

I was shocked to hear him say those words, even a bully like him needs space when things gets loud.

Pity flickered through me. I had spent so long resenting the money and the mansion that I never considered he might feel empty inside all that wealth.

We were still lying there when a bright beam of light cut across the sand from farther up the beach.

“Hey! Who the hell is there?” a security guard shouted.

We scrambled up in a panic, laughing and giggling like idiots as we sprinted back to the car. Alex still managed to open my door before throwing himself into the driver’s seat and peeling away.

He stopped at a small clothing store that was somehow still open. Inside, he made me try things on while he waited outside the changing rooms.

First was a plain, modest dress that looked like something a housewife would wear to the market. He shook his head immediately.

Second was a long, severe office dress. He rejected it with a single dismissive flick of his finger.

The third was a shiny blue dress with thin spaghetti straps. The back plunged all the way to my waist and the front showed a generous line of cleavage. When I stepped out, Alex’s jaw actually dropped. His eyes traveled over me slowly, openly, and for a second he forgot how to speak.

“That one,” he said finally, voice rough. “But try the last one too.”

The fourth was a simple, comfortable outfit perfect for going home. He approved it with a nod. I went back in to pick up my wet clothes but before I could step back out, Alex was right behind me.

“Alex, what the hell, we can’t be here together,” I whispered. But a small smirk formed on his lips as he cornered me until my back rested on the wall, his finger lifted my chin and his lips landed softly on mine. I was already giving in when my brain snapped. I pushed him off without hesitation.

“Not here Alex.”

“Relax, what’s the rush? A little sneak won’t hurt, that’s the fun,” he muttered as his hand slowly snaked under my skirt. My breath went rough, my eyes shut without permission and my mouth parted like his little hungry slut.

Footsteps approached the changing room. The sales person’s voice tore through my rough breath as she walked closer to the changing room “Sir? Ma’am? Are you in there?” she called,

but he didn’t stop.

“Please, Alex, stop,” I pleaded when my eyes finally opened and he smiled before pressing his fingers into my mouth, his eyes still glued to mine. Then he pulled away.

“Fine, let’s go,”

We bought both—the blue dress and the casual set—and drove the rest of the way in comfortable silence. When he parked in front of my building he didn’t let me reach for the door handle. Instead he leaned across the console, cupped the back of my neck, and pulled me close until our foreheads nearly touched.

“Be my girlfriend,” he said.

My jaw dropped.