by Lucy Rains
“I wish I could have been there to see it,” he said in a dreamy voice. “Babezilla, taking out two hussys…”
“Don't encourage her, Alex.” Kyson said.
“Yeah, it might be you next time,” I warned Alex. “And I don’t think I needed much encouragement,” I admitted, leaning into Alex’s chest as Pierce pulled out of the parking lot.
Alex laughed.
“At least I didn’t kill anyone,” I pointed out.
“You say that like it was a difficult task,” Alex said.
“That should never be the highlight of your day,” Pierce said wryly.
I wanted to argue that it was harder than they realized but my attention went elsewhere.
If I had been paying attention, I would have felt the tight emotions weaving through the car. The worry each of the guys felt about me. But I didn’t. My eyes and mind were on high alert as we drove through the small town, always looking for a threat.
Alex’s arm around me tightened, drawing my head to his mouth so that he could press a kiss to the top of my head. “Stop. No one is out there.”
“Can’t we just go back to the house?” I asked.
“We’ll be fast,” Kyson promised, as Pierce pulled into an unlevel parking lot with cracked curbs and nonexistent parking lines.
I let out a deep breath and followed the guys into the gift shop, where they immediately found the swimsuit section and began thumbing through racks. I stood in the middle of the small coastal shop, my arms wrapped around my torso, my foot tapping.
Alex held up a black string bikini over his head and looked at me. I shook my head.
“Why not?” he asked, looking at the suit.
“Because I don’t like it.”
“It’s perfect,” he argued.
“Then you should try it on,” I suggested.
He rolled his eyes, but did not hang it back up.
I walked over and scanned through a few suits until I found a couple that I would feel comfortable wearing in a crowd of beach tourists.
“Those are boring,” Alex frowned.
Ignoring him I walked over and handed my suits to Pierce, who took them without complaint.
The interior of the shop was dark, and empty except for us. Souvenir racks and turn tables were in every corner and at every counter. Bright neon t shirts screaming FLORIDA COAST and BEACH, SUN, LOVE hung on the walls. I picked up a folded navy shirt with white palm trees lining the front and then walked over to the guys.
Kyson grabbed a large bottle of sunscreen and handed it to Pierce.
“Do we even need that stuff?” Alex asked, twirling a black bikini bottom around his pointer finger. “I mean, our skin will just heal if it burns.”
“But that's just it, you will still burn,” Kyson explained. “You don’t know how fast your skin will regenerate after the sun rays set in. Might as well spare yourself the pain.”
Alex puffed out his chest, “I can take it.”
“Yeah,” I said, setting the t shirt on Pierce’s pile in his hand. “You can’t even handle going thirty minutes between eating.”
“Hunger and sunburns are two completely different ailments,” he said defensively.
“That's just it, you shouldn't be hungry thirty minutes after you eat. If you're that weak you surely can't handle a sunburn.” I smiled smugly at him. Alex glowered at me.
Pierce took the black bikini from Alex and went to pay at the register. All the while Alex and I held each other's stares.
When his scowl started to turn into a devilish grin, my smile dropped and I took a step backwards.
“Don’t,” I warned.
“What color of underwear are you wearing?” Alex asked, his evil grin spreading higher.
“No, Alex, I’m not doing this.”
“Do you stay up late thinking about me?”
“Not doing this!”
He took a step towards me, “What turns you on, Jade?”
I shook my head, pinching my eyes closed, and shutting my mouth, desperate to keep anything from slipping. Even a denial would be dangerous.
This was Alex’s own personal form of punishment- his truth game. His ability let him see beyond whether or not a person was actually lying, and the truth hidden behind someone’s words. He could ask the most intimate and embarrassing questions and the slightest slip of tongue would let him see into your true answer. I had learned this evil plot when Kyson had eaten his last taco without permission. We all now knew that Kyson trimmed his armpit hair.
“You’re not weak!” I relented, trying to ward off anymore questions. “I take it back!”
His face came into mine and I held my breath, waiting for the next blow.
“As much as I want to hear the answers to all of these questions,” Kyson stuck his shoulder between us, “I’m rescuing Jade and taking her to the car.”
My breath came out in a nervous huff as Kyson grabbed my hand and pulled me away from Alex’s probing mind.
“Do you want to stop anywhere else while we’re out?” Kyson asked as we walked through the sun blazed parking lot.
My armpits instantly began gathering moisture and I lowered my eyes to the ground. “Considering I didn’t want to leave the beach house in the first place? No, there is no where else I want to go.”
“So swimming it is,” said Kyson.
“I didn’t say that either.”
“It will be good for you,” he said, using his medical voice. “It will help you relax, clear out those pent up emotions and anxieties. The toxins are starting to build higher than I would like.”
I couldn’t argue with him. It had been too long since I had been immersed in water, and I knew the swim would be good for me. But walking along a public beach? In a swimsuit? Out in the open? The swim was suppose to help me calm down, not stress me out even more.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, buckling my seatbelt and plotting how I was going to get away with not swimming with the rest of them.
Chapter 2
I shook my hands out as I paced the small confines of my bedroom. My queen sized bed took up most of the room and left me only a few feet to move around in. My mouth hung open, trying to breath in slow controlled breaths. Nausea rolled around in my gut and I was worried about losing what little bit of breakfast I had eaten.
I had managed to at least get my swimsuit on. A conservative purple two piece that covered all private areas securely. When I glanced at myself in the large mirror attached to the wooden dresser I wasn’t displeased with what I saw. My body was a pleasant mix of soft curves and hard lines. But this didn’t help me feel any better in walking around in the public eye half dressed.
When the door opened I crossed my arms and tucked my hands under my armpits in an attempt to appear steady. Pierce stuck his head in, his face calm as his eyes grazed over my body but I felt his emotions shift within him. They simmered low, heating as he stepped into the room.
“I should have bought a one piece,” I muttered.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed.
I grabbed my newly bought navy t-shirt and pulled it over my head. “I don’t think you realize that I have never been so exposed in a public setting. I’ve never shown more than a knee or anything passed my shoulders.”
Pierce crossed his thick arms over his equally thick chest and studied me. “Be confident in yourself.”
“Why should I? What do I have to be confident about exactly?”
“Would any of us settle for anything less than the best?” Pierce challenged.
I frowned at him, “I think you’re all biased.”
He looked like he wanted to argue with me but let it go. “I could ask Gavin to come in? He could help you down to the water without feeling so nervous.”
Before I could adamantly reject his offer there was another knock on my door and Kyson’s dark head came into the room. His smile fell from his face when he saw what I was wearing. “Why is Jade in a t-shirt?”
“Becaus
e Jade feels naked,” I folded my arms.
“Why?” Kyson looked sincerely baffled. “You have on your suit right? Under there?”
I nodded, biting my lip.
“It is a beach, Jade. Everyone down there will be in swimming attire.”
My arms dropped and I sighed. “Fine. Let’s just go.”
I went to step forward but Pierce’s body was suddenly blocking me. I looked up, about to ask what he was doing when both of his hands came around my face.
“I don’t like you feeling this way,” he said, his crystal eyes probing into mine. “You don’t have to do this. We can wait.”
My hands came up and gripped his forearms. I made sure to focus on his words and not become lost in his smell, touch, and the eyes he had locked on me.
I nodded, “I’ll try.”
His eyes relaxed as he brought his head forward and kissed me. His soft lips making my core tightened as he pressed them onto my own. When his fingers found their way under my t-shirt to the skin on my back, goosebumps rose over my arms. Before I could lean into his touch he pulled away, grabbed my hand and lead me out of my bedroom.
Our beach bungalow was small, barely big enough to fit the five of us. There were only two bedrooms and one bathroom. Alex had insisted it was the best he could find on a spur of the moment notice. No one had complained. We spent the first two days sleeping and recovering from what had happened in Maryland. The adrenaline easing out of our systems from what we had endured. The sound of the ocean waves lulled us into blissful moments of peace. Until a nightmare woke me up or Alex complained about being hungry.
We stepped down the wooden stairs that led to the sand, careful to avoid the jagged chunks sticking up on the sides. Kyson and Alex were waiting out in the sand, looking towards the water.
“Where’s Gavin?” I looked around, not seeing him anywhere.
“He said he needed to go out for something.”
“By himself?”
Pierce smiled. “I wouldn’t worry about him.”
I frowned, wondering why he wouldn’t want to be here with the rest of us.
“Come on, let's do this!” Alex called, waving us over.
Not letting me dwell on Gavin’s absence, Pierce pulled me along towards the beach. I watched my feet sink into the sand with every step, getting use to the new sensation.
“Have you guys ever swam in the ocean?” I asked, lunging to catch up with Kyson.
“A couple of times,” he answered. “If we had a job by a coastal area, we would try to sneak away for a swim, but it wasn’t often.”
“Is it different? Than swimming in a pool, I mean.”
“Yes,” all three guys said in unison.
My head shot up. I waited for more information to accompany this answer but no one said anything else.
With sand flying up as our feet lifted with each step, I jogged up to Pierce, “Wait, what? What do you mean?” I asked.
No one answered me. I looked from face to face, but they were all staring at the waves that were coming closer with each step.
“Guys?”
They stopped, right at the edge where dry fluffy sand met hardened, flat, damp sand. Pierce looked from side to side, up the shoreline in each direction. Kyson pulled off his shirt and dropped it into the sand.
I was about to pull my own shirt off when I finally noticed the large groups of people lounging nearby. Families, couples, friends, all spread along the beach in both directions.
My hands paused at the hem, realizing I was being watched. I felt curious, interested thoughts being aimed at me. Blood rushed to my cheeks and my eyes darted around.
“What is it?” Alex asked, coming to stand close to me.
A low whistle came from our left, probably from the half circle of guys with their scrawny chests and black sunglasses.
Low growls rumbled from all three guys. I stiffened, knowing how dangerous this could be. I turned my back to the beach guys and felt the curious emotions ease away.
“Is there anything I should be aware of before going in?” I asked, in an attempt to pull their focus back to me.
It took a few seconds, a tap on Pierce’s shoulder, a snap to Kyson’s face, but when nothing else was called out to me the guys relaxed.
“Just remember,” Alex called out, walking towards the water, “You have to come back out.”
He didn’t look back as he jogged into the water, lifting his knees high and then diving into the waves. Kyson joined him a few seconds later. Both disappearing under the surface.
Pierce folded his arms and looked down at me expectantly.
With a sigh of resolution I pulled my shirt off and tossed it on the ground beside Kyson’s. I knew I needed to keep moving to the water or I would lose my courage and cover myself back up.
Broken shells and tiny pebbles peeked up from under the sand as I walked forward. The tide crept up slowly with each wave, coming closer to my toes until it suddenly swirled around my ankles. All self conscious body thoughts vanished as a flickering sensation tingled under my skin where the water touched it. Almost like an electric charge but softer. It left as soon as it came, leaving me curious and wide eyed. I bent in half, letting my fingers run over my skin where I had felt the peculiar energy.
Someone yelled my name. I looked up to see Kyson and Alex standing chest deep in the water, waiting for me. Pierce still stood behind me, waiting, his body at attention as I discovered the ocean for the first time.
Turning back to the waves, I held up a palm, curious to see how the water would react to my inner energy. I stepped forward slowly, letting out a low hum of energy into the tide directly in front of me. The water parted, separating itself where my energy was aimed, leaving a path of sand for me to walk in. When I dropped my hands the water drifted back together.
As I stepped forward onto the clear path of sand, the water moved around me, hugging my ankles and creeping up my calfs. The flickering lit up under my skin, but only for a few seconds. As my skin adjusted to the water, the sensation dissipated. But with each touch of ocean water to a dry area of skin, the new feelings would come alive again.
It was like my skin, or my energy was getting use to the ocean. Or, the ocean was reacting to my energy? My feet continued to move forward slowly, cautiously. Tension crept into my mind at the idea of submersion. What if it was too much? What would happen when my entire body was underwater?
A warm hand touched my own, strong fingers cupping mine, pulling at my attention. Pierce. He urged me forward, silently telling me it was alright. It was safe. They were with me.
When I was waist level deep in the water, waves began to splash up into my face. I closed my eyes, holding my hands out and releasing another small steady amount of energy. The waves calmed, the splashing stopped. When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t surprised to see the water all around me laid level and still. While the water everywhere else, around the guys, the shoreline, still waved and crashed.
Pierce smiled at me, winked, and then disappeared under the surface. Alex and Kyson followed his example. I let my eyes close again, listening to the water around me, my mind sensing the power within it. My own energy felt charged, strong. It felt powerful yet contained. Like it was at a new level of strength but still within my control.
I closed my eyes again, took a breath and bent my knees. As I dropped into the water, the flickering sensation went all the way to my scalp and then disappeared.
I opened my eyes, confused. The sensation of water filling my ear drums and blocking my hearing, never came. My eyes were clear as if I was above water. My skin felt warm, my movements unrestrained. I looked around as I pushed off into deeper waters. The movement was effortless. As if the water was reading my mind, knowing exactly what I wanted to do and helped me to do it. I swam farther out, and when I was in deep enough waters, passed the seagrass and coral, I set my feet down on the ocean floor.
Standing in the water felt like standing on the beach. On a field of grass. On a sidewalk
. As it had been with swimming, the act was effortless. As if there was a force of gravity within the water that held me down when I wanted, but disappeared when I was ready to surface, or swim.
Schools of fish in various colors swam by me, ignoring my presence. They pecked at balls of green sea vegetation, and darted between rocks. They were beautiful, and each breed was unique. I wanted to take a step closer to study them when the distinct presence of the guys filled my mind.
Three male bodies appeared in front of me, their faces calm yet curious. Tiny air bubbles escaped from their nostrils, their feet touching the ground like mine. Rays of sunlight danced over their skin as the water moved around them. Their hair waved around their faces.
I pointed a finger upwards and then pushed off the ocean floor, bringing my head above the surface.
When we were all above the water, questions flew from my mouth. “What does it mean? Why does it feel so natural? Why don’t my ears plug? And what about-”
“We don’t know,” Pierce interrupted me.
“What are we, mermaids or something?”
“We just know that being underwater in natural water sources doesn’t impair our senses,” Kyson added.
“But it's not just that,” I continued, “it’s like we’re not even underwater. And my energy?” I brought my hands above the water, looking at my perfectly smooth skin that had not wrinkled in the water. “It’s like the water obeys it. Reacts to it, or something.”
I put my hands out, under the water, aiming them towards Alex.
“Oh no! No thanks,” he said quickly, swimming backwards from me. “I have felt your creepy powers in the water once, and that was enough.”
I ignored him, releasing a low level of energy towards Alex. My eyes closed as my energy reached him and I could feel him through it. My fingers curled, attempting to move my energy around his body. My energy felt like an extension of my limbs, my fingers. I could feel his mass through it, could feel the warmth of his body in my hands.
“Jade?” Alex called out, his voice leary. “That’s enough!”