The One and Only [COMPLETED]

Chapter 6

Hey there people!! I just want to give a big thanks to those of you reading this! You're very supportive and you have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you, so so MUCH!! I love you all! Keep reading and commenting.

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The next morning, after painfully trying to avoid Andrew all day, I was lying on the beach in a beach chair and a beach umbrella shading me from getting sunburn. A different bikini was covering my body from that of the day before, but I now had short denim shorts covering my bottoms. Sprawled in my lap was one of my favorite novels, Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning. It's packed with romance, action, and magic. I opened the book in front of me to the page that my bookmark indicated I left off on, and saw an underlined paragraph. It's one of the quotes that I underline throughout the book. You see, when I come across a line that has any valuable meaning to me, I underline it. Then, I'll go through all of my underlined quotes, and apply them to my life. I haven't read in a while, so I have no quote for today, but looking down at my book, I just might have one after all.

"One day you meet a man who kisses you and you can't breathe around it and you realize you don't need air. Oxygen is trivial. Desire makes life happen. Makes it matter. Makes everything worth it. Desire is life. Hunger to see the next sunrise or sunset. To touch the one you love. To try again."

I could feel a blush creep onto my cheeks. The irony of it all is quite embarrassing. Apparently, that man in my life must be Andrew. But, that can't be true, because he's mean-not when he was kissing you-and he's disrespectful of my hobbies and beliefs.

Don't you remember the heart-to-heart you had with him? He understood. You both understood; each other.

I really wish that voice in my head would shut up. She's totally right, but I wish she weren't. I don't want to like Andrew, I really don't. He seems like one of those guys who would break your heart and not care about it. And, if you ask me, he does not seem like the gentleman type, which I prefer.

Too caught up in my thoughts, I didn't notice a looming figure standing behind my chair, until a snort interrupted my reading and Andrew's voice sounded in my ears.

"You read?" He scoffed. "I should've guessed."

I turned around sharply to face him, not realizing how close he was. Our noses grazed, and our lips were centimeters apart. A flashback of last night came rushing into my mind, and my whole body ached to feel his hands run along my skin, lips pressed tightly together and tongues dancing. Quickly, I shook the memory off and focused on the present.

Neither of us moving, I said, "Of course I read. It's fundamental to the brain."

He grinned and moved to sit beside me on my seat. Because the seat was made for one person, Andrew and I were pressed tightly against each other, our arms stuck like glue. "So what are you reading?"

"Well, it's called Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning. Ever heard of it?" I tried to keep my heart in control, because, let me tell you, it was beating like crazy. Andrew's bicep was pressed firmly against my arm, and it sent tingles down my spine.

"In fact, I have heard of it." He reached over and took the book from my hands. "I'm also very aware that this has lots of sexual content included in its pages."

I grinned mischievously and nodded. "Definitely."

He raised his eyebrows in shock at my audacity, and then his signature grin appeared on his face. "Wow, Hailey, I didn't expect you to be the bad girl type." He skimmed over the page visible to him and stopped on the underlined quote, reading it aloud, "'One day you meet a man who kisses you and you can't breathe around it and you realize you don't need air.'" He looked up at me, staring at my sunshade-covered eyes. "Why did you underline that?" His tone of voice was accusing, but in a subtle way.

I blushed, and decided to perch my shades on the top of my head to get a full view of the details in his eyes. "Oh, um, whenever I see a quote that I like in a book or magazine, basically anywhere, I just underline it if it applies to me. I mean, I underlined that a while ago, it's not like I'm some sort of weirdo. It was honestly a coincidence." I realized I was babbling, but I didn't care. He was still staring at me, and I didn't know what else to do. "I know it's a nerdy thing to do, and maybe that means I'm a nerd, but it's fun to me. And I know you probably don't find me to be the most attractive person, what with all my flaws, and I've been somewhat of a bitch to you, but I can't help it, because you've kinda been a jerk too. I don't know, I guess a lot of people feel that way about me, because I don't really have a lot of people to hang out with, which is why I read and pick out quotes in my free time-"

"Hailey," Andrew interrupted me with a soft voice.

I stopped my rambling and looked up at him, slowly regaining my breath. "Yes?"

He leaned down to my level and his sparkling blue eyes stared into my hazel ones. He gave me a small smile before pressing his lips against mine in a soft, but heart-melting kiss. Shocked, it took me a while to realize he was kissing me, but I quickly snapped out of it and kissed him back, bracing my hands on either side of his neck as he slid his own hands around my waist, pushing me tightly against his torso. I felt the familiar swipe of his tongue on my lips and I immediately allowed him entrance. He moved his tongue around in my mouth, and I met his with mine. His hands were pressed firmly on my hips, his thumbs grazing the curve of my waist and hips. My skin tingled throughout at the feel of his hands possessively holding me. I belong to him. We belong together.

Hailey Adkins! What are you talking about? You and Andrew do not belong together. So stop thinking that way and pull yourself together. You like Mason, remember? Not the jerk in front of you with his tongue down your throat. What happened to the Hailey that wanted to save her first kiss for Mason? The Hailey that literally has dreams about what your first date would be like with him, your first boyfriend? Seriously Hailey, grow up and stop letting Andrew get to you like this.

There goes that bitchy voice in my head again. Great.

Reluctantly, I removed my hands from Andrew's neck and pulled my lips away from his. Breathing hard, I stared into his eyes for some sort of reaction, but quickly discovered that he was staring at my lips, eyes dark and full of desire.

Desire makes life happen. Makes it matter. Makes everything worth it.

Thanks a lot Karen Moning, for reminding me of that. Thanks so, so much.

Andrew's eyes lifted slowly to meet my own, and a smile spread across his face. He cleared his throat and stood from the seat. He gently placed my book next to me on the seat, never taking his eyes off of mine. He then said, a smile still on his lips, "I'll, uh, let you get back to your reading." He brushed the sand from his white t-shirt and turned away from me, walking through the sand towards the hotel. He looked back at me and caught me staring at him, happiness in his eyes.

I lifted my hand in a small wave, he returned one back, and then turned back around before he could run into someone.

I turned in my seat to face the vast blue ocean in front of me, thinking of Andrew's eyes. Those dreamy, dreamy eyes of his will permanently be embedded into my brain. I hugged my waist, my skin still burning from where Andrew's hands had been. I bit my lip, thinking of how much I wanted to feel Andrew beside me again. Whereas before Andrew sat down, this seat that once felt so small, seems way to empty.