Better Off Alone (BOOK 1)(Wattys 2016)

On The Contrary Gem

That night I go to the beach and find Clive surfing as usual. The sky is edging with the dark shades of night as the sun begins to set, but still, Clive surfs on paying no mind to the time of day. I see the water swirl around him and the waves crash around him, but he's so at place in the waves I'm not sure I could see the ocean otherwise.

And suddenly, I am itching to paint.

I jump up from the sand and run to the jeep, needing to paint right now. I drive to the school and unlock the art rooms, scrabbling to get my canvas out and paint out the inspiration that's feeding through me.

And then,
I paint and I paint and I paint.

It comes to me so naturally that I'm surprised I've never painted Clive in the waves before. Finally, I am satisfied with the result and I look at my painting. It's Clive, surrounded by spirals of waves, shades of blues, purples, greens, and teals, all of them coming together. He stands; relaxed on his yellow surf board and on his face you see the pleasure, the satisfaction he gets from what he does. In his eyes you see him willing the waves to move beneath him and you see him loving what he does best.

I'm jolted by the sound of my phone ringing. Larkin's name is on the screen and I happily answer. "Hiya."

Larkin laughs lightly and it seems to tickle my ear through the phone. "Hi, Gem. What's up?"

"Oh, I'm just painting." I move my painting to the drying rack and keep the phone pressed between my ear and shoulder.

"Oh, what are you painting?"

"Clive. I was just... inspired by him surfing and when inspiration comes I have to use it, ya know?"

"Oh, I totally get what you're saying. Same thing happens with me and writing. When it comes you have to let it out." I can hear the pride in his voice. It's the same pride mine gets when I talk about painting and Clive's gets when he talks about surfing.

"How come I never knew you could write so well? Or that you loved it?"

"Gem, come on. Do you really expect someone like me to be a writer? It's basically unprecedented." He laughs.

"Well, if anything is unprecedented it's someone like you reading mythology in their free time. Writing is less of a shock than that was." I smirk.

He laughs again. "I guess. Anyway, I was wondering."

"Oh? About what?"

"About how I should ask you on a date..."

"And? Is this you asking me on a date?"

"Yeah, I guess it is." I can hear a smile in his voice. "So, Gem, do you wanna go on a date with me?"

"Depends. I have a busy life. When would you like to go?"

"How about... Friday? Seven o'clock?"

I sigh. "I guess I can squeeze you in if it means a lot to you."

He laughs. "Oh, I can assure you, it means the world to me."

"Hey, isn't there a party on Friday? Won't you miss that?" I hear the party is supposed to be one of the best so far and I'm surprised Larkin doesn't want to go to that.

"Gem, babe, don't be ridiculous. I want to be with you."

A flutter fills my heart. Like I said, there's something about being wanted that just makes me feel on fire.

***

On Friday I don't need Olive or Macey to help me get my clothes picked out or to do my makeup. It's just me in my room, dressing in what I want to dress in. Larkin told me that I cold dress casually nice, whatever that means. I figure, he will probably be wearing black, torn skinny jeans no matter where we end up so I should be good with what I picked out.

I'm dressed in a pair of floral shorts that are high waisted, but made of light material that is kind of flowy. Then I have a scooped-neck light gray t-shirt tucked into my shorts and a pair of high-heeled ankle boots which are a pinkish-nude color and lace up the front. The final touch is a flower crown that has small pink flowers spread around sporadically.

At six forty there's a knock on my bedroom door. I know Larkin won't be on time so it can only be one person. "Come in, mom." I don't look up from where I'm finishing my mascara. "What do you need? Is Larkin here?" I say, smirking.

"Yeah, he is."

I almost smudge my makeup at the sound of his voice. I turn abruptly to see him standing in the doorway, dressed in, of course, black skinny jeans - holes on the knees. He also has on a black t-shirt and his completely black converse. He looks like he's in mourning, not going on a date, but I can't make a joke because he looks so damn hot in all black.

"What the... How did you get past my mom and into my room? Why isn't she interrogating you?"

Larkin laughs. "Because your mom - and all parents in general - love me and I asked her if I could come up and she didn't even hesitate. Obviously she trusts me."

"Obviously, my mom doesn't realize you're a very bad influence on me." I roll my eyes and cap my mascara. "Ready?" I ask him.

"Why are you in a rush?" He crosses to stand in front of me and I feel my breath hitch in the back of my throat.

"I'm... not in a rush. I just figured you wanted to go since you eagerly came up to my rooms twenty minutes before you said you were going to pick me up." I smirk at him.

Larkin smirks back. "You think that's why I came up to your room early?"

He's so close to me I can see his individual eyelashes and feel his warmth in front of me. My eyes flutter shut and in less than an instant he's pressing his lips against mine. I feel the cool metal of his lip ring pressing against my bottom lip and my breath quickens as his arms snake around my waist, pulling me even closer to him.

Larkin kisses me long and hard, his lips parting and opening in the rhythm of our heart beats. I feel my mind slipping away as each kiss hypnotizes me more and more. My hands are on his waist feeling the gap of skin that's exposed where his shirt has ridden up.

He pulls his face away centimeters and smiles devilishly. "Alright, now I'm ready to go." His voice is rough and thick with something that I want to stay there forever and ever.

"Now?" I ask and I'm shocked to find my voice different as well.

Larkin smirks again, pulling away. "What? You'd rather stay? Gemma, Gemma, such a dirty mind. I mean, your mother and father are in the house."

I swat at him. "Don't be so gross. You can't tell me you'd rather go somewhere than do what we were just doing."

He smirks for a third time, but his eyes are more sincere than ever before. "On the contrary, Gem, I want to go somewhere with you. I want to go everywhere with you. This date is only the first place of many."

Something about that thought - traveling with Larkin - makes me immensely happy; happier than I think I could have ever imagined me being.