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Chapter 6- Cat's POV

'Thanks for helping me with all this,' I said, wiping my arm across my forehead and leaving a trail of blue paint behind- causing my dad to smile. 

'It was no bother, sweetheart.' He grinned at me and reached over to ruffle my hair like I was a kid. 

'So you think that's us finished then?' I asked. Dad nodded and planted his hands on his hips; staring at the interior of the beach hut with a small smile on his lips.

'Yeah,' he said quietly. I felt my heart sting a little. I knew he was thinking about mum. 

'She would have loved it as much as I do,' I said. Dad looked at me for a while and then pulled me into an embrace, kissing the top of my head.

'I'm proud of you Cat,' he whispered against my hair, 'I love you so much.'

'I love you too, daddy.'

Sunlight swept over the front deck of the beach hut overlooking my own private part of ocean. A small stretch of sand dissolved into the pristine blue water below, and I could just make out the darting sihlouettes of fish. 

I was watching the sun rise, as I always did when I chose to escape to the hut, with tears pricking my eyes over the memory of my dad and I building my own private getaway. 

I missed him so much. 

Sighing heavily, I abandoned my spot on the deck to amble tiredly through the house to the shower. I intended to go down onto the beach afterwards, if only I could wake myself up. 

I let the water run for a moment to heat up, meanwhile staring at my dissheveled reflection in the bathroom mirror and wondering how on Earth the girls in TV adverts woke up looking fresh-faced and beautiful. 

In my state, I could be easily mistaken as something that had just risen from the dead. 

The warm water that rushed over my body as I stepped in the shower was more than welcome. I splayed my hands and the water ran in streams from my fingertips. I closed my eyes- letting the stress wash away with the water down the drain, clearing my mind. 

Or at least, I tried to. 

Leo.

I opened my eyes with a start and immediately turned off the water. Cold air attacked my body as I scrambled for my towel.

I hadn't seen him in two days since our 'date'.

That didn't mean to say I'd completely forgotten about him- shit, I always found my mind drifting to him at some point in the day. And I'd be blatantly lying if I said I didn't miss him... 

I slumped down against the glass of the shower cubicle, holding my head in my hands. What was I to him? What could I call our relationship? Was it still a friendship, even considering our heated make out session two nights before, which possibly could have developed into something more? 

"Hello?" 

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a sharp knock on the front door, followed by a voice. I slowly brought myself to my feet, dragged on the Hollister shorts and black bikini top I'd brought with me, and went to answer the door to whomever had decided to start knocking again. 

"Hi?" I said sharply, just as the person raised their hand. 

"Cat?" they said.

I squinted against the sunlight framing their body and stumbled backwards, my heartbeat excelerating with realisation. "Leo?" I breathed.