When I look at you

Midnight walk

Lara's POV:

I ran back up to the room as I could hear my stepsisters behind me. I unlocked the door and went into the small kitchen.

"Lara! Lara where have been I called the room as the girls had forgotten their towels but there was no reply"

"I went for a walk, ma'am"

"you did, did you? And who gave you permission?", Casandra said far too calmly.

"You never said I couldn't so I ju..."

if looks could kill I would be dead. Then suddenly, I felt the side of my face stinging. I reached up placing my hand over it.

"Don't give me cheek girl. Learn you place. You are nothing more than a servant and you always will be."

With that they left me alone to go to their rooms. I heard giggling and fits of laughter coming from my stepsisters as they left. It's not the first time my stepmother has hit me, and it certainly won't be the last.

The telephone is the kitchen went and it's was my stepmother asking me to bring her some food along with a glass of wine.

I walked to her bedroom to hear her talking to someone on the phone, laughing while whispering that 'she will never know'. As I walked in the bedroom, she quickly ended the call and scolded me for not knocking. I nodded my head and closed the door on my way out.

My stepmother and sisters headed down to dinner at 6, they were eager to make their arrival known to the other guests.

By nine o'clock it had become increasingly hard to ignore the pain in my stomach. If we were at home, I would have been able to eat what was left from the meal I made them. But they did not get back till eleven and when they did, they all decided they needed their beauty sleep so went to bed straight away.

I couldn't sleep with the hunger so I hoped a walk would tire me enough that I might get some sleep.

The gardens of the hotel were stunning each flower, leaf and branch was perfectly in place and although I have always preferred wildflowers these were beautiful all the same.

I followed the path leading down to the sea and I took my shoes off and paddled in the water.

"Hello" said a voice from behind

I whipped my head around only to see him. The man from the reception room, except this time I could see hi eyes. They were a dark chocolate brown with flecks of golden. He truly was the most handsome man I had seen.

"Errm Hi, sorry Sir. I am going to go" I mumbled incoherently

"please don't"

He said please. He was giving me a choice, not an order.

"I saw you earlier in the reception, but you ran away so quickly, I didn't have chance to talk to you, or ask you your name"

"It's Lara, Lara Clark and I only ran because I..." he doesn't want to know your problems "well never mind"

"Wait please don't go" he said starring at me, his eyes burrowing into mine.

"forgive me but what is a beautiful angel like you doing out so late" his voice is like silk every word he says is calming and loving.

"I couldn't sleep, and my mum used to take me to the sea when I had a nightmare. We lived right by the sea."

He smirked and I thought I was going to collapse with how beautiful and kind he was. It only hurt that I thought he could never love someone like me.

"I should really be getting back but it was really nice meeting you"

"I'll walk you back, only if you don't mind" he replied offering his arm ceremoniously as if he were a prince and I a princess. He kept me close to him as we made our way back into the hotel

We talked all the way back to the room discussing unimportant things but in hushed whispers as if they were our greatest secrets.

I know it is crazy to be so enamoured with someone I just met but he was so kind, and he seemed like he truly cared about me, I don't know why but I feel this pull towards him.

I got a few hours' sleep before I had to be up at six to get my stepmother and stepsisters up.

I made the breakfast as they had already told me what they wanted last night, and Cassandra didn't want to risk them getting her bacon or eggs wrong so she told me I would be making breakfast that morning.

Once the troublesome trio were up, they headed down to the pool for a day of sunbathing. I trailed behind them carrying towels, phones, bags, sunglasses and sunscreen.

We finally made it to the pool, me stumbling behind the three, prancing primidone's.

"Go get us some drinks" Julia snapped at me once they had all sat down.

I rolled my eyes and headed down to the beach bar as the pool bar looked too busy.
The heat of the sand burned my bare feet, so I decided to walk in the water to cool off a bit.

I saw that there was only one person at the bar, so I walked up and saw that the man standing there was the man from last night. I didn't know how he manged to be in this heat and still have a shirt on with suit trousers on, must be really hot.

"Hey" I said.

"Lara!" he said with a bright smile. "Is there something I can get for you?"

I told him what my stepmother and stepsisters wanted, and he insisted that the man at the bar took the drinks to them.

He said that there was a lovely little ice cream shop only a ten minuet walk away from the hotel complex and asked me would I like to go with him. I told him I didn't have any money on me, but he wouldn't take that as an excuse and insisted he pay.

We walked along the beach running into the sea when the sand got too hot or we just fancied a paddle.

"I feel really awful, but I don't know your name"

He quickly whipped his head to face me and stopped walking. He stared at me questioningly.
I didn't know how to feel, part of me felt so guilty because I hadn't asked earlier, but another part of me wondered if there was something more to his expression, as if he were more shocked by my admission.

After a moment, a large smile spread across his face and his eyes brightened.

"My name is Rowan"