Endless Summers

Chapter 18

We get home late and I see lights on in the house. I assume that Landon and Ellie are home now and I am immediately reassured by that when I walk in the door and Landon swipes me up into a deep bearhug. And it's funny because the first thing I think of is - this isn't even official. He has not officially asked me to be his girlfriend, therefore we aren't actually dating. So maybe what I did with Bash wasn't so bad.
I'm hoping that eventually if I tell myself it's okay then I will start to believe it. It's not working.
"Landon!" I gasp happily. It's not a fake reaction either. I really do have feelings for him.
"I missed you," He replies and kisses me. He pulls away abruptly and I'm shocked at the sudden action. Then he turns and walks up the stairs. I get a text a few seconds later.
"Come up here, I don't want Ellie to know we are a thing yet"
I step up the stairs and almost make it to my room when I'm yanked into the bathroom gently. I see a small glimmer of Landon's eyes. I'm wrapped into a deep, passionate kiss that lasts well over 10 seconds. He pulls back and strokes my hair lightly and kisses my forehead.
"I missed you," He says again and I laugh.
"Obviously," I reply, jokingly.
"It's gonna be so hard going back home. I honestly can't imagine being away from you for longer than a few days," And it hits me. I forgot about all of this. I forgot he doesn't live in my house, that he's only visiting. It hurts. It knocks the breath out of me because I can't imagine being away from him for that long either.
"Oh my god Landon," I say sadly and hug him, "I totally forgot. When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow afternoon. We were gonna stay longer but mom got a call saying that our insurance is messed up. We have to head back," He sighs.
"What are we gonna do?" I ask, stumped.
"Just be with each other for as much as possible for right now," He ends the sentence with another kiss, his warm lips making me so comfortable.
That's what I seem to do a lot. I live in the moment. I forget the past and future and just live exactly where I'm at.
I just need to figure out if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

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That afternoon comes by so quickly. After an entire morning of packing and rushing, I know they are ready to leave.
Landon hugs me and kisses my cheek.
"I'll miss you. I'll try to visit as often as possible," He says. I smile sadly at him.
"Okay, make sure you do," I hug him tighter.
Ellie gives me a hug too and tells me to take good care of my mom and sisters when they get back. I'm almost in tears by the time they pull out of my driveway.
"Ugh. That was depressing," Hayden says. He came over to say goodbye as well.
"You're telling me," Alana replies. We all just look out at the empty road.
"Let's go night swimming," I say, as a spur of the moment decision.
They both look at me, somewhat shocked.
"Alright! Let's go then!" Alana yells. Hayden turns and jogs to his house to change as Alana and I head up to my room.
We are pulling into the beach in no time.

We are all sitting on a beach towel people watching as the sun starts to set.
"I can go buy drinks at the stand if you want?" I ask, getting up to get myself something. Alana hands me a $10 bill and I head that direction.
I get to the lodge and see a long line of people. I'm looking at my phone when someone screams. I turn around and there's a guy chasing a girl playfully. I shake my head and begin to turn back around when I hear my name.
"Em?!" He says. I turn.
Of course.
"Sebastian," I sigh, not so excitedly.
"What are you doing?" He runs his hand through his wet hair, he obviously saw me from the water and ran straight from it to talk to me.
"I'm getting drinks for Alana and Hayden. And trying to stay away from you, now that I know you are here," I say, somewhat harshly.
"Well I need to talk to you. Whether you want me or not, I can't leave things the way they ended the other night," He breathes, hope glimmering in his pretty eyes.
"Fine," I reply and he points to where his special beach hideout is. I nod and he disappears into the curtain of leaves in the distance as I move up to the counter and buy the drinks. I take them back to Alana and Hayden who are both on their phones.
"I'm gonna go.... do a thing," I say, turning away. I hear no reply, and realize they are too caught up in Twitter and texts that they didn't even hear me. I make my way to the spot.
"Bash?" I ask out loud.
"I'm here," I can hear him but barely see him because the sky is dimming.
"Okay. What did you want to talk about?" I ask.
"I just wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have trapped you, I shouldn't have taken advantage of you. I just feel bad about the whole night," He says, waiting anxiously for my reply.
"So you regret it, right?"
"Of course I don't regret it. That was the best fucking night of my life and I can't get it out of my head but you are so upset about it and I can't be happy when you're upset so I was hoping that my apology would make you feel better. I'm not apologizing for getting to spend the night with you, Emmaline, I'm apologizing because you aren't as content with it as I am," He says.
"That's the problem Sebastion, I am not upset about it even tho I should be. You are my problem. I want you to regret it and make me feel shitty about it so that I won't feel as awful for betraying Landon who doesn't deserve any of this. He is just heading back to his house and thinking that everything is all fun and happy for us, unaware that I cheated on him," I say. Bash is closer to me now.
"He's gone?" He touches my arm.
"Yes. But I think we are still a thing. Which is why this is wrong, why you touching me in any way is wrong."
"I don't think you are a thing. Because this. This that we have? It's definitely a thing. It might be the worst possible thing on earth but I love every bit of it," He turns me so my back is facing the rock and let's his hands glide down my arms.
"Sebastion, we can't do this," I say sadly. His jaw clenches and he punches the rock right next to my head. I flinch and start tearing up.
"I'm not letting you go that easy, Em. You are not slipping through my fingers again, dammit," And he presses his lips to mine, wrapping his arms around my waist. I lift my hands to push him away but instead my hands just wrap around his neck. Sea water drips from his hair onto my fingers. The kiss lasts shorter than I want it to.
"Sebastion I-"
"Don't ruin this moment, for God's sake. Just forget about Landon. Go on dates with me, hug me, come to me with your problems. Let me be with you, Emmaline,"
"You know that I'll be breaking his heart. You know that he lost his brother  when they were young? I'm the only thing from his past left," I say.
"Oh okay. So it is just some charity case now? His big brother died when he was little so now you aren't allowed to choose your own happiness because you don't wanna break his little heart. Cool," He turns away, obviously disgusted. I can not believe he is acting like this.
"I am done with this shit. You are going to break someone's heart either way. Just go ahead and rip the bandaid off and break mine. I didn't lose my brother in a car crash so I'll be the one that you break. Go ahead," He states coldly, crossing his arms.
"Don't be like that, Sebastian," I try to step closer to him. He responds by stepping away.
"I'm gonna be the way I want to be, Emmaline. I'm sorry that I don't make you as happy, and I'm sorry I'm not as sweet as that other guy, but you have to understand that you are the only person that I am actually terrified of losing. There is absolutely nothing that could make me happier or hurt me more than you. I am in love with you. I have been since I first met you. And watching you fall in love with someone else has been enough pain for me so just rip the damn bandaid off. Finalize this, I'm done struggling." He moves his arm and something clanks to the ground. I scoop it up. It's a chain bracelet with the name "Liam" carved into it.
"What is this and why do you have it?" I am thoroughly confused.
"Give it back,"
"Sebastian-"
"Give it back,"
"No. Tell me why you have my friends dead brothers name on your bracelet," I demand. He looks at me sternly. I know if I get an answer out of him, it will not be an easy process.
"It's mine," He states. I know he's lying. Landon has one just like it with his own name on it. Sebastian must have stolen it somehow.
"Put the puzzle pieces together, Em. You're a smart girl,"
My head starts spinning. There's no way he's telling me what I think he's telling me.
"You're... Liam?" I gasp. My chest feels like it's tightening. I'm in complete disbelief.
"Yes," He states plainly.
"What!? How? I don't.." My breathing is starting to quicken and I think I'm having a panic attack. Although I don't want to be around him, I step a foot closer to him before my head goes black and I hope he catches me when I collapse.

I wake up sweaty in a car seat, my head pounding. I look around and see Sebas- Liam looking at his bracelet. He must hear me move because he looks up at me.
"You're awake. Are you okay?"
"I feel like shit and you're the last person I want to be around."
"Em-"
"YOU LIED TO ME. You lied to everyone Sebastion! You are supposed to be dead? All these years and you've just been hanging out here? What the actual hell- How am I supposed to react to this?"
"You aren't. Just listen okay?" He grabs me gently. I'm queasy and wish I could get some water.
"No one got killed in that wreck, they just assumed that since I was no where to be found. I ran. Our dad was a drunk and I knew that Landon wouldn't survive if he ran with me so when the crash happened and they both got hurt I just took off. Eventually I was adopted by someone in the hospital and I hung out there all the time. I didn't want to go back. There was nothing there for me,"
I am still shocked.
"You haven't told anyone? Ellie would be so -"
"She'd have a heart attack, I think it's best I don't tell anyone," He shakes his head at me. I can't help but to start tearing up.
"I can't believe it's you. We used to play as little kids and I thought I'd never see you again. I even thought to myself that you reminded me of what Liam might have looked like if he had grown up. And now I'm in love with someone I thought was dead," I wipe the tear that has fallen down my right cheek.
He looks at me with a genuine look and I realize what I just let slip out. But it's true, there's no way I can deny the fact that when I see him my stomach begins to hurt in the best way possible, like butterflies. The fact that it doesn't matter what he calls me, I still get chills knowing its me he wants. The fact that he's absolutely gorgeous and he'll do anything to make me happy. I am suddenly wanting to be held by him desperately and maybe he's a mind reader bc he viscously wraps his muscular arms around my petite body and I sink into his chest.
"Please pick me baby, I need you in this hectic life of mine. You're the only sanity I have," He whispers.
"I already have picked you. From the moment you chugged half my coffee in JavaBean," I pull away and smile slightly. Now I see tears in his eyes. I grab his head and bring his life to mine and I'm just reassured of what I'm feeling by the warmth that spreads over me at every spot his body touches mine.

The water of the ocean washes over our feet and we walk out of our secret hiding spot into our endless summer.

Holy Crap. That's a wrap. The end of my first story. I feel like it's extremely short but I also feel like that may have been because the idea of the book came to me in a dream and it's difficult to stem off of such a small idea. I intend on writing one or two more books on. here as of now that I actually have ideas for, so at least they'll be actually planned and will have a better plot line. I'm sorry if you guys do not like the plot twist, and awesome if you do. I couldn't think of an interesting way to continue the story (as you could probably tell by my several month string of not updating) and I also couldn't find a mellow way of just ending it. This may be considered an ending that could lead to a sequel but I can assure you I do not intend on writing a sequel because it sounds quite useless honestly. But! I hope you enjoyed, please be sure to comment what you thought > I love feedback of all sorts. I hope you guys end up reading my new story that I should be beginning soon! I love you all and hope your lives are amazing! Xoxo
Meg