Intertwined | ✓

| 6 |

After Damon had arrived at the beach, Raina didn't feel so in the relaxing mode, especially when she had seen other girls flirting with Damon and he didn't even glance in her way to look at her.

It wasn't that she craved attention from him, but she didn't want to his careless display of affection with others, right in front of her.

Rue had successfully sabotaged James' chance of getting with another girl and was happy to leave after that.

Ariel was having a great time with Kayden, but seeing as how Damon was now there, she didn't want him to see her with Kayden, afraid that his protective brother side would kick in, and he'd end up hurt in some way.

At the end of the school day, Ariel was walking out later than usual.

As she was heading out, she was looking around for Raina, when Brad obstructed her view.

"Hey baby girl" he smirked at her, and she almost gagged at the nickname.

Pet names like that were always odd to Ariel, the only one she had accepted was Little Mermaid from Kayden, since he was never going to let that one go.

"Leave me alone Brad" she said in bored tone, as she tried to step past him, but he then stepped in her way.

Ariel looked at him with a frown on her face.

Brad was never a nice guy, and she always tried to stay away from him. There was something about the look in his eyes that weirded her out.

He took, what seemed to be like a menacing step, closer to Ariel. "Why? Not good enough for you?" He asked.

She took a step back, "As a matter of fact. No. You're not" she replied, holding her chin up high.

Raina once told Ariel that some guys are truly like predators. There are those who like a challenge in their prey, and prefer the chase, the longer the better before they make that final move. Then there are those predators, that just preferred meek prey, ones they know don't really stand a chance, and are more of an easy kill.

The analogy wasn't one that Ariel particularly liked, but at the time they were watch a nature show, and Raina decided to point out how guys were similar to animals in the wild.

Raina told Ariel if she had to be one, try and be the one to be chased. She said there was a level of control in that. Never be the weak prey.

Brad was definitely the kind of guy who liked weak prey, and Ariel refused to bow down and be that for him.

Brad then let out a laugh. "Oh I forget, you're with Kayden now" he said.

"Who I am or am not with, is none of your concern" Ariel told him, and she didn't miss the dark look in his eyes at her defiance.

Ignoring him, Ariel went to walk past him, and towards Raina's car when Brad caught her elbow and span her back towards him, then gripping both her arms.

"No so fast baby" he said and I struggled against his grip.

"Let me go" she struggled, which only caused him to pull her closer towards him.

"I wonder what Kayden sees in you" he said.

Ariel assumed this was all due this ego being bruised from Raina's rejection of him and then later Kayden dismissing him.

"Leave me" Ariel told him, ignoring his words.

She knew he was trying to goad her into saying something, but she knew better than that.

"Maybe I should find out" Brad then said with a smirk, moving closer to her face.

Ariel panicked, but before anything could happen, she was yanked out of Brad's hold and into someone else's.