Awakened

Eighteen

The next few hours are a blur. The alcohol has flowed continuously, and my body feels lighter than normal. The voice in my head that acts as my conscious is silent for the first time in my life, and I can't decide whether or not I like this. I try to forget about both of the Dalton brothers as I dance with Sam to a style of music I've never heard before. It is filled with electronic sounds and pulses; the bass builds slowly until it releases with intensity. I feel someones body against mine as I move with the music. A pair of large hands grab onto my hips and our bodies sway in sync. I look down and see the black ink covering his arms. Is Beau really holding me like this in front of everyone? I open my eyes and realize there really aren't that many people around, and those that are don't seem to notice. His hands slide down from my hips to where the hem of my dress falls. However, this time his touch doesn't send me spiraling.

"What the-" his voice exclaims angrily, and suddenly his hands are ripped away from me. The voice didn't belong to Beau. I turn to see Marcus staring daggers at his friend.

"Dude what the fuck is your problem?" he asks Beau. Instead of responding he takes my hand and pulls me out of the room.

I am still not sure what just happened, and my head feels fuzzy.

"So you just let anyone run their hands all over your body, huh?" Beau says to me loudly, and there is venom in his words. I don't even have time to process what he is saying before he continues, "What? You get a little taste of what it feels like and need more?" the accusation in his voice is apparent.

"I don't even understand what you are yelling at me about." I cry back to him. It's true. I hadn't even realized that it was Marcus behind me.

"You can't play the little miss innocence card. You looked like you were enjoying every second that his hands were on you. A few drinks in you and all bets are off, aren't they Katherine? Is it that easy with you?" his words pierce through me and the sting of tears fill my eyes. I had never been called a whore before, and even though he didn't say that specifically... the intention was clear. I push past him and dart out the door into the night.

I don't stop until I feel the cool sand beneath my toes, and I sink to my knees. My cheeks are wet with tears, and I am sure the makeup that was so perfectly in place earlier is now smeared. I wipe under my eyes with the back of my hand. I hear the footsteps approaching me, and turn to lock eyes with Beau.

"You are crying?" he asks, and seems surprised to find me like this.

"Of course I am, what did you expect?" I choke out.

"Can you just go, please? I want to be alone." The pleading in my voice seems to confuse him further.

"I may be an asshole, but I'm not a 'leave a girl alone crying on the beach' kind of asshole." I don't answer, instead just turn away and face the ocean.

"Look, I don't see what YOU expect when you play the role of a sweet virgin one second and then the next you are grinding on some guy you don't even know." the anger is back in his voice, and somehow I am able to hold back the tears from falling again. I rise to me feet, and turn to face him. His face softens for a moment when he sees mine, but quickly it is back to being hard. I muster up as much strength to put behind my words as I can.

"I thought it was you. I saw the tattoos and I thought-" my voice cracks, but I continue. "I thought it was you."

His face loses all the hardness as soon as the words leave my mouth. He takes a step towards me but I hold up a hand to stop him. He freezes, and looks at me with a pained expression.

"You will not touch me. How dare you speak to me that way? Try to make me feel like some desperate whore?" I can't stop the tears any longer.

"You want to hide me away in a dark room and act like a decent human being for a few moments, and then as soon as you are back to reality act as if I don't even exist? Kiss me like that and then flaunt some bimbo in front of my face? Then you have the AUDACITY to scold me when another man wants to show attention to me? What the fuck is wrong with you?" My voice is strong now, and I am no longer sad. I am angry.

"I am not the desperate whore here, Beau. Look in the fucking mirror." He says nothing once I am done speaking. His expression is blank, and I wonder if he has even been listening. A flash of something crosses his face, it looks like hurt. I can't let myself care, and I walk past him towards the condo. I don't bother going back inside the Dalton's home. I walk straight through the door to my aunt's, and up the stairs. I close my bedroom door behind me, and fall to the floor and sob.

The small black handbag begins to vibrate, and I pull out my phone. There are a few messages.

The first is from Sam. Hey, where did you go? I turned around and you were gone. So she hadn't seen what happened. I respond. Sorry, I came back to my aunt's. Too much to drink.

The next message is from him. Well, the next several messages.

Look, I'm sorry. Can you come back and talk?

Don't ignore me

I acted like an ass. I get that.

Katherine?

I don't respond to any of the messages, and instead I walk to the balcony door. I don't know how I know he will be there, but I do. I twist the knob and step out into the cool night air. He is leaned against the wall, exactly where I had been earlier when his lips were on mine. His eyes find mine, and relief fills them.

"I'm fine, okay? I know what this was, and I'm okay with it." I say to him.

"What do you mean 'what this was'?" he asks, and I shrug. Our eyes can't seem to look away from each other, and I sigh.

"I need to lay down, my head is pounding." I say quietly. He opens his mouth to speak, but instead just nods. With that, I retreat back into the bedroom and close the door. I crawl into the large bed without taking off my clothes. I drift off to sleep almost immediately, and beg for my dreams to not be filled with his face.