Me The Ocean And My Board

7. Life In The Cove

The first thing I hear from Hayden is through text. Actually, the past week he has been texting me, begging for me to accept his apology. Today started off like any other day and I woke up to check my phone. Instead of the normal apologies, today I see a different message.

Meet me by the old cove, bring a board
-Hayden

Now, you're probably thinking why I haven't blocked this guy yet, and I am too. But there's something about him that makes me keep reading the messages. Curiosity is curiosity,  and you cannot help that. So that's the exact reason I have Jack take me there.

He's moving in the driver's seat uncomfortably and tapping the wheel, stealing the occasional glance to see if I'm just as nervous. I am. I'm just better at hiding my emotions; unless you're Michael and you can see right through my protective shield.

"Why?" Is all he says pulling onto the dirt road.

I shrug my shoulders and swivel to look at him. "Because he won't leave me alone." His eyes roll to the back of his head and he parks.

"Just be careful ok?" Jack is worried and he sucks at hiding it.

"I'll be fine." I'm out of the car and grabbing my board, padding down towards the rocks by the shore. Everyone calls it 'the cove'. A layer of solid rock forms a closed archway that connects to land. If you jump into the water you can swim into it. Inside there's an edge where you can prop yourself on. Fish weave in and out during high and low tide. It's a miraculous sight.

I walk a ways before I can see a blonde haired guy , sitting on top of the cove.

"Hayden Shortt!" My voice rings out and he tilts his head to see me.

"Olivia Anderson. Mystery girl came." Mystery girl. A name him and Toni gave me after the one day I will never forget. The day my brother beat the shit out of Toni Walker. The day Hayden Shortt knocked me out cold when I thought I was everything but not safe.

My phone buzzes twice in my pocket. Before reaching the length to get to him I pull it out. One message from Jack, and one from Kendal. I didn't tell Kendal about me going here with Hayden. The girl never would've forgiven me. Jack is just checking in on me but I bother not to answer. His eyes burned into my back each step I took here. He can wait. The phone slides back into my denim shorts and I finish off towards the hot rocks.

"Thank you." Hayden's voice is soft and I can't help but drift my eyes to his. His beautiful blue eyes.

"For what?" I don't let my guard down. I stay strong and sit next to him, my body parallel to his.

"For coming. I didn't think you would."

"Yea I can see why." His face drops slightly and he tears his eyes from mine, now staring off into the ocean.

"Olivia, I'll tell you time and time again that I'm sorry. But you'll never forgive me, will you?" His eyes move back to mine and a shiver crawls up my back and down my limbs. Goosebumps rise and I can't help but look away. The thing is is that I want to accept his apology. I want him to know I'm not stuck up. But he hurt me. It was small but he hurt me and no matter how hard to shake the memory away, I can't get it to leave. It lingers in my mind, forcing me to watch who I talk to just so nobody thinks I'm a slut.