Waters Edge

Chapter Twenty-Two: Losing My Mind over how I Lost You

Days pass, I still can't find where the man from the water lives. Perhaps he is a tourist but everyday when I watch who gets on the ferry he is never there. When I go up and down the streets and wait he is never there. He must be here somewhere otherwise why would he be swimming at my beach?

Brendon comes but never tells me what exactly happened, he seems as confused as I do when he can't quite get the words out to tell me and even when I grill him for the truth he says he doesn't remember. I believe him even though I don't want to, Joe is the same. He can only remember bits and pieces and it frustrates me to hell. Something deep down tells me I won't ever find him on this island. And I can't comprehend why it feels like there is this huge piece I am missing.

The feeling that was just an itch has turned into a painful throb at the back of my mind and it is constantly there, it is almost as if, if I could just see the guys whole face and not in some weird dream this feeling would stop. I just wish I knew why he, in particular, felt so important.

Was he Patrick? The man from my dreams that Brendon and Joe had talked about? There were too many questions and unknown thoughts and feelings swirling around in the back of my mind that this making this whole vacation turn into a freaking nightmare. I had this deep gut feeling that the only way to know for certain what happened I would have to go out into the water and I really do not want to do that. But the feeling persists that it would be like coming home to finally get back into the salty waters on my own. The other, much bigger part is terrified of going anywhere near the water especially after the episode a couple of nights ago.

I walk to the beach again, as I had every day twice a day for the past four days. I know that soon I will have to leave this place, go back home to my business and responsibilities. I sit down on the sand and sigh watching as the sun begins to set. No one was here yet again even now as the main beaches fill up with tourists with cameras and boat tours zoom out of the docks in hopes of catching a glimpse of what had been in that video.

This beach even with its beauty is highly dangerous and not very well known which is why most people don't know it exists and the ones who do are locals who wouldn't dare tell a tourist due to any implications that could happen if they happened to fall off the sea shelf into the open ocean. The other beaches are protected by sea walls, which keeps out dangerous currents and sea-life. Which is why I don't know why most tourists think they could spot anything bigger than a butterfly fish. Even with a calm day and a knowledgeable person the rocks and coral can easily harm a un-skilled swimmer or wreck a boat. I get so lost in thought that the sun is barely hanging onto the horizon, causing the sky to turn beautiful hues of orange and pink and when I scan over the water again there is the man again.

I stare at him in shock for a moment, part of me thought he wasn't real, the other part never expected for him to come back. We stare into each other's eyes for a moment as he swims slowly closer keeping most of his face hidden under the water. I stand and walk to the water's edge and hesitate. We are maybe ten feet apart now when I squint I can see tears in his eyes before he suddenly pops his whole head above the water and the air in my lungs all rushes out in one moment.

He is beautiful.

However, he looks pissed off, "You weren't supposed to come back." He says weakly and I tilt my head to the side when his voice wavers.

"Something kept calling me back, I had to find out what it was." He breaks eye contact and looks down at the water.

"They caught me on film, I know they did. I didn't see the guy until he made a noise. Andy will definitely come back for me now, I am surprised he hasn't come back for me yet. You have to leave Pete you can't be here."

"How do you know my name? Who are you? Why do I keep seeing you in my dreams? When I look at things these images hit me and you are always there! You are always in them who are you? Please, I am begging you my life is falling apart, I can't sleep, nothing feels like the truth anymore." As I speak I walk into the water I begin by yelling but soon I am waist deep in the water and only a couple of feet away from him. I want to grab him by his pale shoulders and shake him.

He looks shocked, to say the least, "I didn't think you would ever be able to remember anything. I am so sorry Pete." He whispers and I feel anger boil inside of me.

"How the hell do you know me! Tell me who you are!" I demand hearing my own voice echo off the rocks but the anger doesn't subside as I glare at the short blonde-brown haired man who refuses to stand and stays down in the water.

He looks up with tears falling down his cheeks and my anger drains away and I want to apologize, "I know you Pete, and you know me. I tried so hard to forget about you, to forget and move on. I tried so hard and then you moved away and I know that I told you to do it, but it hurt so badly to never be able to see you again. I gave up everything because I wanted you to be happy but now I realize how alone I am without you. You complete me Pete." Suddenly he shoots forward and wraps his arms around my neck and my hands fly immediately to his hips and he presses his lips against mine.

Suddenly an onslaught of memories hit me like a freight train, flooding back into my mind like an explosion of colours, thoughts, and feelings. It makes my head spin every single memory comes back. I found Patrick in that fishnet, and we built a relationship together, we were kidnapped and I was starved nearly to death and Patrick almost died, but then Patrick left, he told me to forget about him.

He breaks away from the kiss and I stare at him in awe.

"Did it work?" He asks shyly.

"Patrick oh my god you absolute asshole, you couldn't be a normal boyfriend and break up with me like a man? I cannot begin to tell you how much of a dick move that was but oh my god please jut kiss me again." I say tears in my eyes as the memories continue to pour in. I pull him to me and kiss him as if I need him to live and breathe, I bite his lower lip softly and he moans softly as I begin to explore his mouth with my tongue, desperation and hunger fuel me and I pull him closer my hand pressing into the small of his back wanting to feel him all over me, wanting to merge us into one. Kissing him makes me shiver in excitement and makes me feel whole yet again. I feel his heart beating against my chest as Patrick runs a hand into my hair. "Never leave me again," I whisper against his lips my forehead pressed to him and he looks at me with black eyes, I should feel afraid but I don't all I feel is happy as I look at him.

He nips at my bottom lip gently and cups my jaw in his damp hand. "Never." His lips ghost over mine and I shiver, I know he means it. I pull him in for another kiss my heart racing as I squeeze him against me, I just need all of him I am afraid if he lets go I will crumble to pieces and this will have all been a dream.

"Pete what about Andy?" He asks between my kisses.

"We can handle it if it happens. I will keep you safe." I pepper kisses across his jaw and he gasps when I kiss over his gills.

"What about the fact that you are human and I am not?"

"We can find a way to solve that," I whisper before sucking a mark onto his shoulder, he tilts his head to give me better access as he claws the back of my neck. "I am not leaving you for anything ever again." I lean back and looked at his wrecked look, cheeks pink and lips swollen and red, his eyes still black as midnight with no hint of the sea blue.

"Don't you have a job?" He asks softly, looking concerned I just give him a lazy smile.

"screw my job," I say, and I continue trying to kiss every inch of him, Patrick lets out a laugh, and I will never get sick of that sound. 

The End?

Authors Note: Well here it is Three years after its original release I finally had the chance to go back to it, rewrite the mistakes and flesh it out more to what I wanted it to be. The story while following the main plot points almost doubled in length and it has taken me six months to get to this point. I wish I could go over it and write it again and again, and perhaps that is the artist in me that is never happy with the end product but this has kept me going all these months and I am so happy to finally share it in a new and exciting way with all of you who read it. Writing for me is very therapeutic and seeing other people actually enjoy it brings me such joy. I hope you all enjoyed the rewrite! Thank you for reading!

-Madicat