Foreign

Chapter 16

I scream when something cold and wet touches my hot skin. I open my eyes and look around me, horror showing on my face.

Hero just smiles at me like a playful little boy that just got caught.

"Sorry," he says, smirking. "It was just too tempting."

"You asshole!" I try to sound angry but I can't. I can't look at him and stay angry. I just can't. I start laughing too. The others have started taking out food and drinks out of the picnic basket. Isabella is filling our glasses with champagne and Josh is placing the food on the blanket. We all gather around the food, the sun on our skin and the water as background noise.

"God, get a room!" Brody screams when Hero tries to feed me strawberries. "You guys are disgustingly cute!"

"I can't believe your flatmates put up with this last year," Josh says before taking a sip.

"Oohh, they didn't have to," Hero says. "This one hated me at first and then tried to deny her feelings. I had to work really hard to get her." Isabella starts giggling.

"I didn't hate you!" I start defending myself. "You were just so full of yourself and such a slut." Everyone starts laughing.

"I'd probably have done the same thing. Be a slut I mean." Scott says. "I wish I had been famous when I went to university. I couldn't get any girls!"

"Oh yeah," Isabella answers. "I remember that! You used to go to school with my best friend. She told me about you."

Scott stares at her with his eyes wide.

"What?! What did she say?"

"Nothing," Isabella says with a smile and a wink.

"Dude, come on!" Isabella teases Scott some more before ending his misery.

"She said you were a bit of a nerd but very adorable. Too bad you were so busy with your films that you didn't realise there were girls who were actually interested."

One look on Scott's face is enough for the rest of us to start laughing again. Tears run down my cheeks and my tummy aches but I can't help myself. It's just too good.

"Honey," Brody starts. "Man up, ask the girl's phone number and give her a call now." Scott still is too shy to reply. His cheeks are bright red.

"I think Natalie would love that," Isabella winks. Scott smiles sheepishly.

We all start talking about university and the adventures we had there. We all had different experiences. The cultural differences between America, Australia, Wales and Belgium are very interesting.

"I was so happy to finally leave my small town for college," Brody says. "Imagine being the only gay guy in your town. It was horrible! I loved going to college!"

"You especially loved moving to L.A.," Isabella says. "If we're talking about sluts.. he was a slut when I met him!"

"I had some catching up to do honey," Brody says with an attitude before taking a sip of champagne.

After lunch and a nap in the sun, we play some beach volleyball. None of us is really good except for Josh, he used to play this all the time growing up in Australia on the beach. Isabella is terrible though. We end the game when she slams the ball hard on Brody's face.

I would describe this as a perfect day. Champagne, food, friends, the beach, sun and fun. I certainly needed a day like this. It felt good to see Hero free of stress. We're on Hero's balcony and he hands me a glass of red wine.

"Today was a good day," he says while sitting down behind me on the lounge chair. He wraps his arms around me.

"It was." I agree. "I wish we had more days like these."

"We will after filming is done."

"Oh, I enjoy filming, it's just.." I don't know what to say. I don't want to ruin a perfect day by bringing up Melany but she's the main cause of our problems. This should be an exciting time for me. I'm in America, filming on location. My first official job on set should be a dream come true. I'm with the man I love who happens to be gorgeous. A year ago I would have given everything to have this.

"Melany." Hero softly replies. He sighs. "I thought we were past this, Char."

"I know. We are." I give a soft kiss on his arm to put him at ease. I don't want to cause more stress.

"I promise that I will never do another film with her."

And that's enough for me. We look at the lake and the sunset in silence. The perfect ending of the perfect day.