Changes

Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

**Riley’s POV**

It’s Friday. I got up at six and went surfing for a few hours. The boys all got up around eleven so we sat and had breakfast on the deck. We spent the day skating, sun-tanning, swimming, surfing and just having fun.

**Beau’s POV**

The day has been great. It feels like old times before everything got crazy. Seeing Riley smile is great. We have spent the day together.

**Riley’s POV**

We decided to have a BBQ for dinner, we sat on the deck and ate. It was nice. It was cold tonight so we decided to have a chill night inside; we were all tired to be honest, it had been a big day. The boys and I decided to have a movie night.

It was around eleven when I decided to go for a walk along the beach. I walked along the beach towards the rocks. I decided to stop and sit and listen to the waves crash against the shore. The sea breeze brushed against my skin, it caused goose-bumps to form on my skin.

**Daniel’s POV**

It was around 11:30 when I noticed Riley wasn’t in the room. I got up and looked around the house. I couldn’t find her so I decided to look along the beach.

**Riley’s POV**

I’d been sitting for a while, watching and listening to the waves when I started to think about everything that’s happened in the last six or so months. So much has changed lately, it scares me. Suddenly my thoughts are interrupted as Daniel appears; he says “Hi Riley”, “Hi” I reply. “You must be freezing”, Daniel says as he sits down behind me, putting his legs on either side of me and pulling me in against his chest wrapping his hoodie around both of us and his arms around my waist. I snuggled against his chest, getting warm from his body heat. Daniel rested his head on my shoulder, watching the waves with me for a while.

“So, what are you doing out here?” he asked

“Just thinking” I replied

“Thinking about what?” he asked

“Just about the last six months and everything that has happened”

“What about the last six months?” he asked

I paused as I decided whether or not to tell Daniel what I was thinking about.

“Riley. C’mon you can tell me” Daniel said

“I just don’t really know what to say though”

“Say what you feel. Its just us.”

“I’m scared. I’m scared of getting hurt and of hurting everyone. I know it wasn’t my fault but I still feel like it was. He took that feeling of safety away from me. I’m scared to have to go on the stand in court and relive everything that he did and have people judge me. I regret ever being with him and I regret meeting him. I know I’ve hurt everyone. I didn’t mean to push you all away but I didn’t want you all to feel like I needed to be looked after all the time. I know you all just wanted to protect me but you can’t. I don’t want to be a burden where everyone worries about me all the time. But I know that I hurt everyone more by shutting them out. And I hate myself for that. When I draw, or surf, or skate, or listen to music, that’s my way of escaping and I know its wrong.” I finished with tears streaming down my face.

Daniel let go of my waist and turned me around, pulling my legs over his so they were wrapped around his waist; he put his hand back around my waist and lifted the other hand to my face wiping away my tears softly as I looked away from him.