NANCY DREW AND THE SECRET OF THE TIDES (BOOK ONE)

#heartbreak

"How could you do this to me?" Nancy asked while pacing around her dimly lit bedroom clinging to a rose gold-tinted iPhone.

"Oh come on sweetheart it is not that bad. I will only be away for two weeks tops." Carson drew tried to explain. He heroically clung to the cell phone while hurrying to catch a cab across a busy New York road. "My client needs me right now. Mr. Williams is on trial for a murder he didn't commit, and it is going to take all I've got to fix this..." he tried to explain before Nancy hung up the line in frustration.

The eighteen-year-old teen growled before plopping down onto the soft queen size bed. The bed squeaked as the mattress settled under her thin frame. With a flick of the girl's wrist, the treasured iPhone was tossed to a small white nightstand. Nancy had felt so lonely here lately ever since her college classes let out for the summer. There was not much left to do here in Riverheights. Her right hand held the plane tickets as she stared at them longingly. Though the girl knew better, she still felt so betrayed by her old man. Now, what was she going to do for fun? The two had planned out this trip months in advance. Sighing the teen rolled over and covered up her head. "What's the point? Why even try?"

Just then a text came through, It was from George. The teen had sent a picture of herself body surfing with her new boyfriend, Frank a hot Hawaiian surfer, the girls had met on a past adventure. Nancy quickly sent her a flirty winky face. She had to admit those two were cute together. Nancy felt a pang of jealousy to see the two lovebirds together. It somehow reopened the wound in her own heart that had not completely healed up yet. Ned Nickerson, her boyfriend of two years, had just broken up with her a month ago. He had just graduated college and had to move to another state to start work as a weather forecaster. In the end, the boy wanted Nancy to come along and popped the question.

On a romantic night out on the town, just after leaving their local Chills, Ned pulled his beat-up dark green mustang off the road, asking Nancy to sit on the hood of the car to watch the stars together. It was a clear night with all the constellations visible, Nancy had just pointed out the big dipper when he gently took her hand and caressed it lovingly.

"Nancy...", the boy whispered tightening his grip slightly.

"Wow look at that! Is that Leo?.." she questioned, with her mind lost in the shimmering night sky.

"Nancy..." He said again almost pleading. The girl quickly turned to look at Ned to find him down on one knee. Shocked Nancy just sat there as if in another world. "Nancy will you be my wife?", he asked as his boyish features lit up like a million-dollar smile.

"Ned... I..." stammered the girl trying to think. With a big gulp, she tried again, "I... just... don't ...think it will work out. Ned's jaw dropped in disbelief. The boy was sure Nancy would gush with emotion and instantly say yes. He was in shock, the boy's mouth went dry, and was unable to speak.

Nancy could not bring herself to look him in the eye, "You can not be serious we are far too young. I am nowhere near ready to settle down yet let alone start a family." The teen sighed and closed her eyes. She spoke carefully trying to not let her emotions cloud her judgment," You have to realize I have a life apart from you and many dreams." After that, Ned hung his head down low and could not look Nancy directly in the eyes. He drove her home that night without saying a word. He was heartbroken. The next morning Nancy received a text. "It's over babe. I'm on to my new life in North Carolina. Things will not be same without you but we both need to move on."

Back in reality, the titan-haired girl swiped through the photos of Ned on the iPhone, still finding it hard to move on. Soon she became bored and switched to the news to see if anything interesting had happened. There was a story about how rescue dogs are in such high demand. She managed to watch some of it before slowly falling fast asleep, lost in a wave of darkness.