Message in a Bottle

The Discover (2)

Chapter 2

*Ciara's POV*

~ Present ~

"I'm getting burnt," my best friend, Jordan pouts as she examines her arms. She was wearing a blue and green striped bikini and her brown hair was up in a messy bun over her head. I could see my reflection in her Chanel sunglasses and I looked horrible.

"I'm not!" I reply. Luckily I was Italian so I would always get a glowing tan that made my blue eyes pop.

"Your stretch marks are fading," she points to my stomach that was full of white lines. Yeah, I had a baby at 18, big deal? I was a great mother and my son Mason, who is 1 and a half now is such a happy baby. He means the absolute world to me and I don't regret having him.

"Oh, good," I hated talking about things that made me think of Mason's real father. He probably doesn't remember who I am, it was a one night stand after all. Harry's famous and is in a boy band and I'm here, pretending that my boyfriend Michael is actually Mason's father when in reality, it's Harry Styles.

"Yeah, I need to cool off," Jordan sits up from her plastic recliner and faces my way, "you coming?"

I snap out of my thoughts and nod, jumping up from my sweaty seat. I always had felt guilty for never telling Mike about what had happened between Harry and I, but it was just too much to take in at once. I'm not even sure how I let it happen at all actually. I guess I just ran into Harry at a bar, we were both drunk and he took me back to his flat. We did some things and two months later I found out I was pregnant, I was horrified.

I've been with Mike for four years now and for the past year, he's been treating me like I'm nothing. I stay with him, hoping things will change but they don't. Things have gotten more physical and now, I'm afraid to leave him.

As I step into the cool water, I feel the rush of guilt slowly drift away. The sun's hot rays are beating down on me, leaving me with tan lines from my bikini strap that's fastened around my neck. I want to just swim out here for hours at a time but I am deathly afraid of sharks and could not stay out in the salt water for long, whether I was close to shore or not. I think I've seen too many re-runs of "Jaws."

Jordan and I walk out a bit deeper, I can feel clay on the bottom of my feet from the mix of sea water and sand. I close my eyes and take a deep breath in, the smell of fresh air fills my nostrils sending me into paradise.

I feel something touch my side and I shriek loudly thinking it's some kind of fish attacking me. "Ciara!" Jordan yells, jumping over to me causing water to splash everywhere.

"I'm fine," I look to my left side to find a bottle bobbing freely in the crystal blue water of the ocean. I pick it up, alternating it in my hands. It looks tightly sealed and there was a crumpled up piece of paper lying in the middle of the bottle.

"What is that?" Jordan asks, looking over my shoulder.

"I-I don't know," I hesitate, turning to face her. She had a confused expression spread across her features and that's how I figured I looked also.

"A message in a bottle," she remarks, smiling a bit.

~

Jordan and I rush into my one story house that's located in the center of London. It was empty besides us two. Mike and Mason were at the park so it left Jordan and I plenty of time to find out what the note in the bottle read. Both of us tried tons of times to loosen the cap but it was no use, it was completely stuck.

I look over at Jordan who had the bottle in her right hand. "The only way to get it out is to break it," I tell her, looking around for something I could smash the bottle with.

Suddenly, a loud crash fills my ears and I spin around in shock, "got it!" She grins, moving all the excess pieces of glass into the sink. She knocked the glass against the steel sink causing it to shatter, smart.

I laugh as I walk over to her, I've been dying to know what's written on this sheet of paper. "Since you found it," she hands me the white sheet that's turning yellow from probably getting old.

I unwrap it slowly, careful that I won't rip any of the wordings. Once it's fully laid out on the counter and I get most of the wrinkles out, I start reading it out loud to Jordan.

"Hi, Im really not sure what to say but me and my friends decided to do this thing where we send a message in a bottle. I don't know, it was my friend's idea and I feel like I'm supposed to find whoever is reading this for a reason but if you believe in fate, call me: 1(818) 555-4385 and email me: xhedward1994@rallo.com. Thanks!" My eyes are wide and I look at her, how could this be "fate?"

"It doesn't make sense..." I hand her the note and think it over in my head. Who would actually think to write down their email and phone number and ship it over seas anywhere in the world? This person could live in the Arctic for all I know!

"Yes it does, it makes perfect sense," she sits up on the counter and hands me back the letter. "They believe in finding the right person, so they did that."

Jordan could tell I was doubting her idea, "hey, maybe you'll find someone better than Mike, he doesn't treat you well anyways and you can maybe get off easy with the whole Mason thing..." She's referring to my one night stand, but the thing is she doesn't know Harry Styles is Mason's father. Nobody does. Only me. She thinks it was just some random guy but I don't think she would believe me if I told her I had sex with the famous Harry Styles and then had his kid.

"I don't know. I would have to tell Mike about it anyways," I breath out and fall onto a wooden chair.

"Tell me what?" I hear Mike say behind me, Mason was wrapped in his arms asleep. I jump, surprised to see him back so early. His voice was demanding, I pray that he had just gotten here and not heard any more of the earlier conversation.

Quickly, I come up with a lie, "something about my car, I'll tell you later," I walk over to him and kiss his puckered lips gently, because I knew that's what he would want. His blond hair was going in different directions and he was giving me an uncertain look that made my stomach swoop.

He was going to say something else but then caught himself and shut his mouth. He escorted his way past me and walks over to Mason's room to lay him down in his bed. Mike's always nice when other people are around, but it seems right when they leave; he's a complete new person. Somebody horrifying.

"That was so close," I whisper, my hands trembling. I did not want him finding out anything right now, who knows what he would do to me. Or worse; Mason.

"I'm going to go, promise me you'll call them or email them?" She grabs her Vera Bradley bag and puts it around her shoulder. I wanted her to stay, I was terrified to be alone with Mike. There were tons of possibilities on what he could do to me today. I shouldn't be living in fear of my boyfriend, I should be happy with him.

"Fine," I agree, maintaing a serious posture.

"Perfect!" She beams before fleeing out the door, leaving me alone with my fears of Mike and my wonders of who could of written the note that was hidden safely in my pocket.

*

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