Beauty and the Price

Chapter 2

The First Encounter

Sang

My toes wiggled in the sand as the gentle ocean breeze blew through my hair and the crisp morning air kissed my skin. I took in the scent of the sea, nearly tasting the saltwater. The sun was still in the process of rising, its beams danced over the water as the waves gently hit the shore. It was only late January but the southern heat was beginning to show itself on the islands of South Carolina.

I observed the empty beach, with the exception of a few seagulls that were in search of their breakfast.

I made my way to the far corner of the beach where it was usually kept deserted by people. It was a particularly smaller clearing than the rest of the beach, hidden behind palm trees and a variety of other plants. It granted a beautiful view of the ocean and it was almost a shame that no one else stopped by.

Marc and I usually met here, it was the safest spot for us to be. Hiding us from any speculating eyes. I didn't have a cell phone, my parents thought I was too young. And Marc's schedule seemed to be unpredictable. So there weren't many ways to know if or when we would see each other. It was a guessing game on most days.

Since I had noticed how tired he was last night, I didn't expect to see him so early. Still, I decided to take a quick look this morning.

     I met Marc on my sixteenth birthday.

I spent the first hour or so greeting people I wasn't too familiar with, all wishing me a happy birthday.

And while the people of the town enjoyed themselves at the estate, I found a chance to escape and ran off to the beach. I needed to be alone and away from all those strangers. It helped that neither of my parents would have noticed if I was around or not since I already made an appearance.

I sat on the sand with my knees pressed against my chest listening to the waves crashing on the shore as I stared up hoping to see a few stars.

Suddenly, someone tumbled over me and I was flat on my back with a handsome stranger hovering over me. I can still remember how fast my heart was beating that night.

"Shit, are you okay?" he breathed out as if he'd been running.

I blinked, surprised to see a set of two different colored eyes. I wasn't sure if I was imagining it or perhaps it was the limited lighting. I was trying to understand if what I thought I was seeing was real or not. One blue, one green.

Before I could answer him, we heard furious shouting from a distance and the sound of several feet hitting the sand. My eyes widened when I heard them coming closer. I looked at his panicked expression, as he faced the direction of the sounds. My heart raced, and it was then that I realized he was still on top of me.

I raised my hand to his shirt, tugging below the collar lightly. His attention returned to me, his eyes widened but I caught a hint of amusement as he blinked at me. I released his shirt, blushing. Letting out a shaky breath as I tried to lift myself on my elbows. His hands were still clutching my upper arms but he seemed to understand what I wanted. He moved back on his knees, his hand in front of me, palm up. I hesitantly placed mine in it. He stood up, bringing me with him.

The footsteps were getting closer, returning the panic to his face. Clearly, he upset these people and didn't want to be found. I didn't know him enough to determine if he was one of the bad guys but I didn't get the feeling he was. He had asked me if I was okay and took the time to help me up. He could have just left me.