Bruises

23| Cliffhanger

Chapter 23: Cliffhanger.

"It's delicious," Karla said to her son just after taking one bite of our pie, she looked up at him mischievously. "I didn't know you were a chef, Ash."

Ashton shrugged, like it was nothing, like it hadn't taken him waking up at five and an extra forty minutes just to get us familiarised with the kitchen.

"It's indeed wonderful. I should save some for your father, he would be thrilled to know you made something." She laughed, throwing a lock of hair over her tanned shoulder.

"By the way, I'm heading to the beach if you'd like me to stop by somewhere on the way home," Ashton randomly said.

"Perfect, maybe you can take Maddie with you, she hasn't been out since she came," Karla said.

Oh no! A beach was made up of two things: water and sand.

Now, I could handle the sand. In fact, I loved sand, it reminded me I was on a solid state of matter and not any other.

Water was a whole different element, it wasn't my state of matter if I was being honest. Water and I didn't mix, it was a well known and proven fact.

Ashton threw me a gaze, his eyes questioning if I wanted to come.

"I don't think so, I'm really tired and I haven't read a single thing since I got here," I said, making up a quick excuse.

"Nonsense. The beach vibrates with all the energy you'd need. And as for those books, they can wait till tomorrow. Life isn't always behind pages or on a bookshelf. Sometimes, it's right in front of you."

Was she talking about her or Ashton cause they both stood in front of me.

If her, that was probably some metaphor for motherhood or something. If Ashton... Let's not get into that.

"So it's settled then." She clapped. "Get dressed."

•••

Ashton almost laughed when he saw me, I wore a croc designed swimsuit (to scare the sharks away) and of course, a floatie circled around my waist.

He glared at me like I'd completely lost my mind but I didn't care. This was my way of battling the element. Come what may, be it sharks, tides or fish (except sting rays, those things are terrible.)

Ashton on the other hand, seemed evidently prepared, he wore a pair of light beach shorts, short enough to expose half of his toned thigh, an unbuttoned floral shirt hung on his torso, displaying his amazing chest, as well as a pair of sunglasses.

I hadn't realised I'd been staring until Ashton spoke: "Are you going to stare or actually go to the beach?"

I sighed as I followed him into his car.

•••

I'd just finished making my sand castle.

It was a one feet tall pile of sand, sculpted with perfection and craftsmanship... Yeah right.

It crumbled to the ground for the third time in a row.

Ashton laid few feets away from me, tanning and talking to a group of girls who'd walked up to him. They simultaneously laughed at something he said.

I looked away, focusing back on my crumbled sand castle. It was clear they were flirting and it didn't hurt me.

Why should it? They were hot and his perfect match, they wore sexy bikinis and sarongs. Ashton was at the peak of the social ladder and I was no where there.