Broken

• Chapter 116 •

"Hello, beautiful."

My peacefulness is interrupted by Creepy Dan. I glance up from my spot on the sand and groan, "Hey Dan..."

"How is my lovely tangerine?" he coos.

I press my lips together.

"Have you finally accepted our destiny now that Adrien is out of the picture?" he continues.

"I knew you would!" he chirps.

"Uhm..."

"Keep moving, kid."

I snap my head back to see Ashton staring at Dan with folded arms. Dan squirms, "Actually, I'm only a few months younger than you and I was just telling Clementine how—"

"You were leaving," Ashton cuts him off. He clenches his jaw and squeezes his fist into a ball. I've almost forgotten how intimidating he can get. Poor Dan looks like he's about to shit his pants.

He nods. "Yes... I was just... Leaving," he says before scurrying off.

I roll my eyes at Ashton, "Was that really necessary?"

He frowns, "Yes."

"Dan is harmless. Besides. We're not even together," I shade, "So I really don't see why you're being so protective in public. Someone could've seen."

He sighs and shakes his head, "Is that what this is about? You're upset I'm not openly flaunting you as my girl..?"

I bite the inside of my mouth, averting my gaze.

"You are my girl, but not everyone needs to know that yet... I thought we were on the same page?" he looks confused.

"I know... We are. I just... Do you even want to be with me?"

His eyebrows knit together, "Seriously..?"

I shrug, how should I know? He rolls his eyes at me, "Obviously I have feelings for you. It's just hard, all right? You have to give me time."

My mouth parts slightly. I guess Aya really has been getting to my head. I knew that. Why am I listening to someone else when it comes to my feelings and my relationship with someone else? I know better than that. Perhaps I just needed the reassurance.

I sigh, "I know. I'm sorry, it's been a long day."

He studies me for a while, kicking the sand underneath his feet, "Are we cool now?"

I nod and he pulls me into a hug, "See? I'm even hugging you in public."

I let out a soft chuckle. He smiles down at me, "See you later."

___________________

I let the water brush against my skin. The smell of sea salt fills my nostrils, it brings me back to the first time Ashton wasn't a jackass at the Lighthouse. It seems like decades ago. I'm jolted out of my thoughts by someone bumping into me in the water. I turn around and my heart sinks just a little.

"Adrien... Hey..."

He shakes his head, "Sorry. I should've been looking at where I was going."

Awkward tension fills the air. He rubs the back of his neck nervously as we both float, unsure of what to do.

"How are you?" he finally asks. I shrug, "I'm good. How are you?"

He smiles, "Amazing, we're in the Bahamas!"

I grin, "I know! I felt like I was the only one ecstatic about this trip!"

He laughs and shakes his head, "Nah."

I scratch the top of my head, "I should probably get going now. It's getting dark out."

Adrien suddenly pulls me towards him, and I almost slap him until I realize he has just pulled me out of the way of a moronic jet-skier.

"You okay?"

I shrug, "Yeah thanks."

His touch feels familiar, but unlike the times when we were together, I feel nothing. His touch is still as warm as I remember, but it just doesn't feel the same anymore. There are no fluttering feelings, or butterflies when I see him. No sparks when he touches me. Nothing.

Adrien is just somebody I used to blow...

I mean know.

___________________

"So yeah. Those are the scholarship offers I'm hoping for," Adrien tells me as we walk along the beach.

I nod thoughtfully, "That's amazing, Adrien. I hope it works out for you."

He studies me and I shrug, "You deserve to be happy. You're a great guy."

He clears his throat nervously, nodding, "Will you come watch my games, then?"

Something tightens in my stomach. He means as a friend, right? "Um, yeah. For sure."

He smiles softly, "You're my lucky charm."

Ah, shit.

"I won every game that you've been to. But these past few weeks... I've been doing shit. And I—I think I may have made a mistake..."

I shake my head, I have to stop him, "Adrien—"

"You don't have to say anything. I don't know what to think either, right now... I just know that without you, everything sucks," his warm eyes are pleading with mine. My stomach churns. Shit shit shit.

"EVERYBODY REPORT FOR DINNER IN TEN!" Ms. Shanice calls out.

I stammer a laugh, desperate for a change of topics, "Damn... Sounds like we're in the military."

Adrien laughs at this, "So... I'll see you at dinner?"

My eyes widen slightly, "Yep. With everyone else, mhm." He smiles, "Cool. Um, do you mind if I hug you?"

"Um..."

He doesn't wait for my response and wraps his arms around my rigid body anyway. Again, I feel nothing. Nothing but awkwardness. My body is stiff, completely unwilling to hug him back and wanting this to be over with. This is so strange... I don't feel like that about him anymore. I don't know if I ever did, or it was just infatuation. And now I feel guilty.

Please dear God. Please let him fall for a nice girl and move on. Please don't let him want me back. I'M IN SUCH A SHIT PREDICAMENT.

He pulls back and blushes, "See you later, beautiful."

I press my lips together as he stumbles away to his room, tripping over his feet a few times looking back at me.

I'm fucked.

___________________

"Alrighty, is everyone here? It's finally time for us to eat. Now I'd like all of you to meet Aoife. It's spelled A-o-i-f-e but pronounced Eefa. I know. Just make sure you get it right, I heard she gets annoyed when you don't."

A pale blonde who looks like she's in her mid-twenties emerges from a room and walks over to our group. "Hey guys, my name is Aoife and I'll be your instructor for the week."

She looks over all of us and locks eyes with Ashton, her jaw drops. It's like she has seen a ghost. I frown and glance at Ashton, whose jaw is also dropped. His face has paled. I nudge him, "What's wrong?"

He shakes his head in disbelief, "That's my half-sister..."