1.1 The Chronicles of Us - Vice & Virtue

Chapter thirty-four

I stare over the dark ocean. Only a splash of purple dusk paints the horizon. It's a magnificent sight. The smell of salt in the breeze and the feel of faint warm sand between my toes is more than pleasant. Waves crash with a comforting sound of freedom. There's seems to be no end to the vast body of water.

I've never been to the beach. I didn't expect to arrive this late in the evening. Apparently, these kind of parties don't start at eight, rather at ten or eleven p.m. I'm not sure what type of party Tex was referring to. Must be a city thing.

Deep bass-music comes from behind me. I'll re-join the party in a moment. When I saw the shoreline, I couldn't resist the urge to dash to the water. It's a strange beach. Not at all how I imagined it to be. Left of me lies a long, stretched strip of sand with a gentle, dune-like hill behind it. 

On my right side, there's a sort of cliff  with green vegetation covering the rocky slope. Underneath it are some more rocks and boulders with tide pools between them.

I take a few steps to observe a shallow pool and squeal instantly. Even though it's dark, I can define the outlines of some colorful aqua-flora and fauna.

It's almost as pretty as on the Discovery Channel! After a moment of awing, patted footsteps come my way. Tex?

I spin on my heels, expectedly. "Look! A starfi—"

Oh.

My smile drops immediately. Vicky stands before me, one hand on her nude hipbone and the other holding a bottle of clear liquid. Alcohol, for sure.

Nothing but a pair of booty shorts and a tiny red bikini top cover her body. A stark contrast to my over-the-knee and loose fitted sundress. Perfect beach attire or so I thought.

"If anything, I am curious. Why did he bring someone like you here?" She taps her index finger on her chin as if she's wondering with great difficulty. "Was he really that bored he figured he'd entertain himself with the likes of you? Or maybe he has some sort of weird hero-complex. You do look like a rescue-case. Charity, perhaps?"

Excuse me?

"Perhaps, indeed." I restrain my anger with snide sarcasm. "Obviously, it would be impossible to assume that Tex and I actually work. What's that thing people say? Right, opposites attract."

Her face remains cool like the other side of the pillow, but her eyes are fuming. She'd rather die than believe I'm right for Tex. "Look at him—" I follow her gaze. Tex is talking to one guy but, inconspicuously, a group has gathered around him. Does he even know the attraction he has on people? "—he's the king of these misfits but you'll never be the queen. He might be having fun with what you have on your chest, but it won't last."

The fact that I have a more shapely bosom seems to annoy her tremendously. I ignore my petty sense of pride and roll my eyes. "Let me guess, you should be by his side?"

Her darkly made up eyes harden. "Don't think you're the only one who got a glimpse of him. He will never let anyone truly in. Believe me, when he moves on, you'll be left with a broken heart."

The hint of pain in her otherwise mocking voice makes me realize her feelings for Tex are deeper than trifling rivalry. She wishes to be with him. If she wasn't such a barnacle, I might have pitied her.

I toughen my stance to hide my insecurities. "You don't know him like I do. You never even dated him. Maybe he slept with you once but—"

"Once? Is that what he told you?" Did he say that or did I presume? My obvious hesitation pleases her. "Besides, you're not seriously thinking that you're dating him, right? You're more clueless than you look."