Page 20 of Lost to Thievery
Tears escaped me as I felt the incessant ache and betrayal of my own heart.
Gods help me because I still do.
Ava
“Doyouthinkhestill cares about me? Or am I crazy, Rach? Gods, don’t answer that. IknowI’m crazy.”
Rachel and I sat on our surfboards, watching the sun set over Bentley Cove. The waves had quieted down, lazily rocking us back and forth. She tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She was the definition of a beach babe. She always wore light colours, making her perfect bronzy skin and blue eyes pop.
Neither of us had our own wardrobe at this point, as our styles kind of overlapped. She, the laid-back beach bum, and I the laid-back flower child. We borrowed each other’s clothes and jewellery so often; it was difficult to say who they belonged to first.
After college, when we decided to move back home, it had never occurred to us tonotlive together. We both startedworking random desk jobs, me to start saving up for my shop, and her to keep her going until her career as a songwriter took off. We both agreed to travel the world together once she made it big. But never did either of us picture living our lives without each other. Not until I was taken.
Rachel clasped her hand around mine, letting them hang in the water between us. “Does it matter? Whatever this thing was between you two, it almost killed you, babe. Please tell me you’re not thinking of letting him do that to you again?”
Gods, she was right. What the hell was wrong with me? “Since when are you the voice of reason, hmm?” Rachel had always been the one to fall headfirst into relationships, knowing full well that it would end in a mess.
She huffed a laugh at the irony. It had always beenmewho had to talk her off the ledge. “I can’t lose you again, bestie. Just promise me you won’t run off again. Not without me.” She let go of my hand and held out her pinkie. “You have to pinkie swear. Hoes before psychos.”
I snickered and twisted my pinkie with hers. “Hoes before psychos.”
Rachel and I danced around the bonfire, my head spinning pleasantly. It had been a while since I’d been at a beach party.
I had felt betrayed by Owen for making me come home for a week after discovering Digger, but I was glad he did. I had needed my friend, and my family. And dancing under the full moon with Rach, it felt like I could breathe again. I felt almost free from the demons that haunted me as I swayed my hips to the music, letting my head fall back as the moment pieced together a small part of my soul. Rachel giggled, twirling around me, crashing into me, as dizziness overtook her. We laugheddrunkenly, stumbling a few times trying to keep each other upright. Gods, it felt good to laugh.Reallylaugh, until my stomach hurt.
Grayson had stolen that from me, and it felt good finally having it back, if only for a while.
“He’s still staring at you,” Rachel giggled in my ear, before taking another sip from the bottle in her hand.
I followed her gaze to the man sitting on the driftwood a few feet from us. His friends were laughing about something, but he didn’t seem to notice as I locked eyes with him. He held my stare with a small smile, inviting me to come closer with his eyes.
He was handsome, tall and rugged, and not from around here. He and his friends were probably just passing through town, looking for a good time. And there was always a good time to be had in Bentley Cove if you knew where to look.
“Sometimes the best way to get rid of a hangover is to drown it out with more booze,” Rachel said pointedly, holding out the tequila bottle to me.
I rolled my eyes at her but took the bottle anyway. Maybe she was right. Maybe this had been the solution all along. Maybe I could erase the feel of his hands on my body with another man’s touch.
It was worth a shot. Tonight, I was desperate to escape his shadow. I wanted my old self back, and I’ll be damned if I didn’t try every possible way to do it.
I watched as the man came sauntering over with a friend. Rachel stepped in front of me, turning her back to them. She placed her hand on my hip, and I let her sway my body with hers to the music. “Just… give it a chance, A. Let the little whore in you come out to play. I’ve watched you starve that girlforever.”
I laughed at Rachel’s ridiculous dramatics, but I had no time to answer because the man’s hands lightly came to rest on my hips as he started moving with me to the music. Rachel gave me onelast look that said,“Just fuck the guy, already!”before turning towards the guy’s friend behind her.
I took a deep breath, letting the resolve settle in my gut. Tonight was the night I was going to get rid of Grayson.
“What’s your name, pretty stranger?” the man whispered in my ear, taking the opportunity to lightly press himself against me.
“Hmm,” I hummed, swaying against his firm body. “No. No, names. I like being calledpretty stranger.”
He laughed, a low, rich sound. “Then what will you callme, pretty stranger?”
I turned, snaking my hands around his neck, taking him in. “With eyes like that, how about angel?” An angel to save me from the devil.
He tucked me against his body, his hazel eyes sparkling warmly. Grayson’s eyes never held any warmth. It was like falling into the cold depths of the ocean.
But this man? He had a soul. He was safe.
We danced together, and I held his gaze, let his eyes warm the coldness in me. Or maybe it was the alcohol warming me.
