take a deep breath and say, “Abel I understand. But what makes you think I'll hurt her?"
Abel clenches his jaw. "Who knows, but I'd prefer to not take that risk.”
I press my lips together and narrow my eyes. I murmur, "I see."
Abel looks me dead in the eyes. “We just met and you seem cool. But she’s been in my life way longer than you have. I look out for what’s mine, and she’s family. So let me introduce you to everyone , but you need to let go of whatever fantasy you have in your head ."
He goes around the bonfire naming everyone. When he gets to her he says , "And the object of your affection is Arianna. But we all call her Ari for short."
From that moment on, the name is embedded in my brain and in my heart, forever.
Chapter Two
Hello
Arianna
I get a sensation … more like a tingle that begins from the base of my neck to the soles of my feet. I glance up to find the source of this electricity burning straight through me. Over the bonfire, I see someone I've never seen before gazing at me as if I'm the moon or some lost treasure. As we make eye contact, I scowl and turn away.
I don’t scowl because I’m mad; it’s more because I’m terrified. I get up and grab Rachel's hand so we can go for the walk she's been pestering me to go on for the last ten minutes.
"I'm ready to go, Rachel.”
She stumbles. "Ugh! Now you want to go, when Abel walks in with the most prime piece-of-ass I’ve ever seen. He must be new."
I roll my eyes. I love her, but she's a bit too boy crazy for my blood.
I cross my arms over my chest and scowl at her. "It's now or never. And if you don't go with me, I'll go by myself."
She puts her hands on her hips and buries her feet in the sand. "Fine, I'll go. But promise me you'll help me get the dirt on the new guy."
"Fine.”
I'm just agreeing because there is no way in hell I'm going near him. He is dangerous to what little sanity I have left. I don’t understand how I can feel so much for someone I've never even met. But I don’t want to find out because I know it won't end well. That’s the only thing I’m sure of.
As we get to the end of the beach, I stop and stare at the ocean. It can be so calm and serene, but at any moment, it can turn into a raging beast. Just like life.
She touches my arm lightly. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
She looks at me with soft, concerned eyes. "I lost you there for a minute."
"Sorry about that. What were you saying?" I cross my arms over my chest and I begin to rub them.
"I was asking if you saw the guy."
"Ugh … yeah I saw him." I say carefully.
"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"
I shrug. That is the last thing I have on my mind right now.
"Let's go back Ari, before he leaves."
I sigh and accept my fate because I know she won't let it go.
Rachel has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Probably from birth. Our moms were best friends, so for as long as I can remember Rachel and I have always been together. I’m the yin to her yang.
Five years ago she became more than my friend, she became my sister. My parents were killed in a plane crash on a trip from the Cayman Islands. It was their twelfth year wedding anniversary. They left me with Rachel's family and I've never left.
As we arrive back to the bonfire, I notice that a few more people have arrived since we left.
I hear someone call my name, and I notice it's Colin. He was my next-door neighbor before my parents died. We've been friends since kindergarten.
"Hey, Ari." He says as he jogs next to me.
"Hey, Colin. How have you been? " He looks nervous and it makes me feel anxious.
"I'm good. I was wondering …"
I raise my brow expectantly. "What?"
He starts looking at the ground as if he found it interesting. “I was wondering if you weren't busy this weekend. If you wanted to catch a movie or something?"
Abel clenches his jaw. "Who knows, but I'd prefer to not take that risk.”
I press my lips together and narrow my eyes. I murmur, "I see."
Abel looks me dead in the eyes. “We just met and you seem cool. But she’s been in my life way longer than you have. I look out for what’s mine, and she’s family. So let me introduce you to everyone , but you need to let go of whatever fantasy you have in your head ."
He goes around the bonfire naming everyone. When he gets to her he says , "And the object of your affection is Arianna. But we all call her Ari for short."
From that moment on, the name is embedded in my brain and in my heart, forever.
Chapter Two
Hello
Arianna
I get a sensation … more like a tingle that begins from the base of my neck to the soles of my feet. I glance up to find the source of this electricity burning straight through me. Over the bonfire, I see someone I've never seen before gazing at me as if I'm the moon or some lost treasure. As we make eye contact, I scowl and turn away.
I don’t scowl because I’m mad; it’s more because I’m terrified. I get up and grab Rachel's hand so we can go for the walk she's been pestering me to go on for the last ten minutes.
"I'm ready to go, Rachel.”
She stumbles. "Ugh! Now you want to go, when Abel walks in with the most prime piece-of-ass I’ve ever seen. He must be new."
I roll my eyes. I love her, but she's a bit too boy crazy for my blood.
I cross my arms over my chest and scowl at her. "It's now or never. And if you don't go with me, I'll go by myself."
She puts her hands on her hips and buries her feet in the sand. "Fine, I'll go. But promise me you'll help me get the dirt on the new guy."
"Fine.”
I'm just agreeing because there is no way in hell I'm going near him. He is dangerous to what little sanity I have left. I don’t understand how I can feel so much for someone I've never even met. But I don’t want to find out because I know it won't end well. That’s the only thing I’m sure of.
As we get to the end of the beach, I stop and stare at the ocean. It can be so calm and serene, but at any moment, it can turn into a raging beast. Just like life.
She touches my arm lightly. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
She looks at me with soft, concerned eyes. "I lost you there for a minute."
"Sorry about that. What were you saying?" I cross my arms over my chest and I begin to rub them.
"I was asking if you saw the guy."
"Ugh … yeah I saw him." I say carefully.
"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"
I shrug. That is the last thing I have on my mind right now.
"Let's go back Ari, before he leaves."
I sigh and accept my fate because I know she won't let it go.
Rachel has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Probably from birth. Our moms were best friends, so for as long as I can remember Rachel and I have always been together. I’m the yin to her yang.
Five years ago she became more than my friend, she became my sister. My parents were killed in a plane crash on a trip from the Cayman Islands. It was their twelfth year wedding anniversary. They left me with Rachel's family and I've never left.
As we arrive back to the bonfire, I notice that a few more people have arrived since we left.
I hear someone call my name, and I notice it's Colin. He was my next-door neighbor before my parents died. We've been friends since kindergarten.
"Hey, Ari." He says as he jogs next to me.
"Hey, Colin. How have you been? " He looks nervous and it makes me feel anxious.
"I'm good. I was wondering …"
I raise my brow expectantly. "What?"
He starts looking at the ground as if he found it interesting. “I was wondering if you weren't busy this weekend. If you wanted to catch a movie or something?"
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