The Dark Prince (rewriting)

Chapter 7

The Neighbourhood - The Beach

Adrianne

I stared at him as he drove.

Why was I in a car with him after I had seen him turn into something inhuman?

I don't know.

Why did I still think he was drop-dead gorgeous even though I had seen him as a monster?

I don't know.

Every fiber in my being was telling me to run, but I couldn't.

He stopped at a light and I watched the red color of the traffic signal flood over his face. I took in his features.

I studied his face for what seemed like the thousandth time. He couldn't have been the same thing that was in my living room. He looked like a normal human being. But even deep down, I knew that looks could be deceiving.

"What are you?" I whispered.

He looked at me suddenly, caught off guard by my question.

"I don't know." He stared at me until the light turned green again.

I didn't ask where we were going. I just got in his car without saying anything.

I did speak up, though, when he pulled into one of the many empty parking spots.

"The beach?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah. You never go at night?"

"No," I said, reaching for my handle. Sighing in frustration, I tried to open the door but failed.

"Do you want me to-"

"No, I got it." I fucked with it for a few seconds, and the door popped open. I sighed in relief. I couldn't handle him being that close to me right now.

Closing the door, I walked next to him in the sand. He stopped at the edge of a lifeguard stand, and I sat down next to him.

We sat there for a while, not saying anything. The crashing of the waves reached my ears.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" I asked after a while.

"Yep."

"Why?"

"You'll see." I could feel him smirking.

I looked out towards the water, feeling the cool air blow through my hair.

You could barely see the small waves hitting the shore, but you could imagine it just by the sound and smell. I took in a deep breath, sighing.

"It's relaxing, right?"

I was quiet for a while before I answered. "It used to be."

"What?"

I looked at him, barely being able to make out his strong features in the dark. I felt a twinge of pain in my heart, and I looked away from him before I spoke.

"My dad drowned at a beach," I finally said, taking in a shaky breath.

His fingers immediately laced with mine, but the shock was numb to me this time.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"No, it's okay." I stared out at the beach, smelling the salty air. "I've accepted it."

I barely saw him nod.

"Both of my parents are dead."

I whipped my head around. "What?"