Free Me...

The Call - 1

A/N

To all my absolutely FANTASTIC readers, thank you so much for sticking with this story and giving it a chance. I'm so sorry for the delay updating. Our family has been through a really hard time recently. My very very precious mom passed away a month ago. So thank you for your understanding and patience with the delays. This was the first time that I had inspiration to get another chapter down.

I hope you enjoy the next update! And thanks again for reading! Especially to our first BRITISH reader! Yay! Very excited you took the time to read this story. Thank you! Please message me. I'd love to thank you by name :) The same goes for our American and Auzzie readers!

***

He opened his door and dumped his stuff inside, then turned back to her. "So...I'll call you? About dinner?" He didn't say it in a cocky way. Rather he was gentle. Almost hesitant but not quite. She looked at him questioningly but he didn't miss her surprise. He got it. This was the way to approach her.

Nodding, she said, "Yeah. I'll be waiting."

With that he smiled, climbed in his car and starting the ignition.

"See ya soon Sophia."

"See ya Kyle," she waved.

He watched her in his rear view mirror as he pulled off. She ducked her head as she turned but he caught the shake of her head as she laughed to herself. Small steps Kyle. Small steps man.

***

It was getting cliched. The girls were back on the beach. I mean what else is a girl supposed to do on a Saturday during vacation? 

Soph was quietly daydreaming to herself, eyes closed behind her shades. She knew Jase would probably be around, but she as uncomfortable as it was around him at the moment, she wasn't going to let that stop her enjoying her chance to be at the beach. 

Her thoughts turned to Kyle. She thought about him driving off last night. She smiled again to herself. She didn't know what to make of him. First he had her feeling really ... worried and excited all at the same time. And then not even a couple of hours later she was welcoming his call. She didn't know if she was laughing at herself or how he seemed to do a total one eighty in his approach to her. 

She couldn't deny it. There was something deep down in her that was all tingly and excited about the thought of Kyle paying her the attention her seemed to be. But over the top of that, she'd feel another rush of anxiety about the whole situation. She was so nervous to even begin to think of another guy that way. She been burned really badly before and she was really scared to trust someone, even a little bit, again. She wasn't sure she could handle being that broken again. If she had to go through something like that again, she knew it would be worse than bad for her. She had slowly pulled herself back together, bit by bit, since her last relationship. But the ties holding her together, were tenuous. A little bit of friction and they would snap and that was something she just wasn't able to face. 

Her mind turned to her friend Em. Who of course was lazing in the sun next to her. "Hmmm," she thought to herself. "Em has relaxed long enough! I need answers." Turning onto her side leaning up on her left elbow, she raised her shades onto her head, and cocked her eyebrow at her friend. "I know you're awake Em," she smirked. 

"No I'm not," Em said blankly.

"Ok, so you're not, but I still want answers!" she said firmly.

Em sighed. "Really? You're going to do this now?"

"Spill!"

"Ok I know what you want to know. Yes, Luke and I have been getting to know each other a bit." 

When Em didn't say anymore, Soph prompted. "And?"

"What can I say? Luke's a solid guy. It's not like other guys I've gotten to know Soph." Em turned to face Soph, raising her shades so her friend could see her sincerity. "It's not just exciting or anything. I mean it is that. But it's more than that. I respect him Soph. I respect that he's not afraid to go against the norm when he feels what he's doing is right. He seems to have integrity you know and strength that most guys just don't seem to have. It's not that he has everything mapped out for himself or anything, but it's rather that when he figures out what direction is right, he goes for it quietly and with determination."

Soph was surprised. Em had never spoken like this about any guy before. "I'm glad for you Em. But I'll still hurt him if he upsets you in any way!"

"Glad to know it!" Em scoffed. "My turn!" she smirked. "Spill!" 

Soph looked down and smiled shyly. "He asked if he could call me."

"He asked?" Em raised her eyebrows surprised.

"Yeah, he did. It was wierd. Not in a bad way. At the fire he grabbed my hand and I couldn't help it, I couldn't relax about it. But then when we said goodbye at his car, he seemed to be almost hesitant about asking to call me...about a date."

"Oooo! A date! Yummy! I had no idea!"

"Yeah, well keep your knickers on! I'm not about to fall head over heels for anyone. He better come to the party. I'm about two seconds away from telling him to get lost." She paused, and in a more serious voice she said, "I'm scared Em." She didn't have to say more. Em knew what she meant. 

"I get it Soph," Em answered gently. "Just promise me that you will give it a safe chance friend. Please. Who knows what can come of this, and just maybe this could be a really good thing for you, you know. I wouldn't want you to miss out, just because you're too scared to at least explore the possibility. Yeah?"

"Ya, I know you're right. Sometimes, it's like I have no control though."

"Friend, be sensible. But remember, you're a child of God, with His Spirit in you. You can control your emotions. Especially when you know it's right to." Em gave Soph's hand a squeeze. 

Soph thought about that verse in Timothy. We have not been given a Spirit of timidity, but a Spirit of power, love and self-control. "Thanks friend. You are so special. Come on, get your practice poi's out! Let's go fire dance!"

Em squeeled excitedly. This was one thing they loved doing together. They both fire danced. They'd been doing it together for a few years and they were very good at reading each other's movements and interlocking their dancing. They used all sorts of music. Anything that inspired them. The girls grabbed their practice poi's, basically brightly coloured balls covered in sequins, with trailing parachute type material to imitate flames coming out the back of them. These were attached to nylon strings with two finger holds sewn into the end. It was a good way to keep fit. It took far more energy to swing them around than most people realised, especially when coupled with movements, jumps and turns that moved across a lot of space. And in soft beach sand, the legs got a solid work out too. 

The sun was at its highest. So the sequins could be seen from far off and soon half the beach was secretly watching the two dancers in a space not far off from where the largest crowds were. Some kids were brave enough to come up to the smiling girls and ask if they could see the practice poi's. Happily Em and Soph obliged. It was too cute watching them laughing with the kids as they tried to co-ordinate their hands and swings. 

Up on the boardwalk a pair of eyes watched closely, smiling with amusement as the girls laughed with the kids. A tightening in the chest of the owner of the eyes made him take in a sharp breath. This girl was becoming dangerous, but in a good way. Kyle had an uncanny flash of her with what could be their kids. He shook his head. This was too fast, but as he continued to look straight at her, he felt an almost tangible twist deep down. This was something he hadn't felt before. "What if..." he thought to himself. "What if."