For My Beloved

vi

RECKLESS AND BEAUTIFUL

"And when I saw her two weeks ago, I never imagined it would end like this." Christian still didn't muster the strength to raise his head. In fact, he barely had the strength to keep standing. "The possibility seemed...impossible. But maybe she knew." Silence rolled the room onto its back, quelling it into peaceful submission. "Maybe that's why the last time I saw her she grabbed my arm, looked me in the eye, and asked for this." He held up the black book again. "It's as if she knew this was coming."

A tear escaped his eye.

TWO WEEKS EARLIER

Quick hands clamped around her eyes. "Hey stranger," a voice said from behind her back when the sun was still ruling the sky and the clouds were helpless. "Guess who?"

She pretended to be oblivious. "Harry Styles!?" then she spun and saw him, black hair escaping his black beanie and a white-teethed smile. "Oh, it's just you."

Brooke's house loomed behind them and the summer air crisped between them. "Just me?" Sawyer mocked. "Well," he turned and looked to the sky, "I guess I'll just take some other girl to the waterfall we were planning on–"

Her eyes were bright. "A waterfall?"

And he could look at her forever. "A waterfall." She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the words she couldn't utter.

He pulled back. "So, Sawyer, one. Harry, zero?"

Brooke patted her boyfriend's chest pitifully. "When do we leave?"

She looked around on the sidewalk before throwing the trash into the bin like she initially intended. "Now, actually," Sawyer said. She stepped back, her flip flops sinking into the lawn.

"Now? But my parents don't know," she glanced at her quiet house behind her, "And I don't have a swimsuit."

"Relax, Chloe and Rebecca have one for you. And they called your parents." A second passed. "I think," he added.

Her jaw slipped open and she hit him. "Sawyer!"

He chuckled and slipped off the pavement. "I'm kidding! They did, they did," he assured, smiling and in the road.

She rolled her eyes at him the same time a car pulled up next to them. The window rolled down and Rebecca climbed over Chloe in the driver's seat. She shouted, "Get in loser, we're going swimming!" Brooke laughed loudly.

And just like that, they were off.

And there were certain things Brooke just couldn't forget. Dancing in the car as Chloe turned up the music. Shaking up the car. Watching the lush trees blur by as Rebecca snapped it on her phone. Excited small birds. The warmth of Sawyer surrounding her as he pulled his beanie on her head. Her head on the window.

She didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep until Sawyer was shaking her awake lazily. "Brooke," he called. She groaned and squinted at the ceiling of the car as her senses adjusted. The wind was whistling through nearby trees and the air was incredibly damp. But more importantly, as she leaned upward she could hear something heavy: the pounding of water on water. She turned to Sawyer, the grin on his face encouraging the upturns of her own.

And they were off again. Quickly stripping their clothes off and racing towards the sound of the rushing water. Chloe hesitantly flung off her black boots. Rebecca jumped on her back, her jasmine perfume as striking as her smile. And they all jumped in. Twisting, swimming, diving, floating. They were everything at once. They were powerful and young; reckless and beautiful. And as everyone splashed around her, Brooke swore her smile was permanent.

Then Chloe caught sight of a winding dirt road crowded by trees. They decided to climb it, guessing it would take them to the top of the waterfall. And it did. They ran and walked, grinned and smiled until suddenly, the sun exploded around them and the sky tore free. And their bodies shivered at the youthful liberty they felt then. Like their hearts were bigger than their chests. Like they were untethered. Like they were Gods.

So it was no surprise when their bodies ached to fly. And who were they to refuse? They grabbed each other's hands. Chloe, Rebecca, Brooke and Sawyer. And the youthful liberty sparked where their hands met. And they ran. And jumped.

And that was the most memorable moment of them all. Joining the birds. Feeling the wind whip through their hair. Gripping each other as their youthful liberty crackled where their hands met. Until they looked down. And Brooke realized the rocks were sharper than she remembered. And closer. And bigger. And it seemed like everyone realized that too because their grips tightened.

Author's Note

And the plot thickens. One more part to go guys! What do you think happened to Brooke and her friends? Also, what's the deal with Christian? Muahaha. All will be revealed in due time. In fact, if this part gets 5 votes, I'll upload the final part tomorrow. If not, the update will come on Saturday as usual. It's up to you guys. Thank you for reading thus far, have a great Saturday!