x marks the spot {Completed}

Chapter 12

•~••~•~•~•*change in POV*•~•~•~••~•
I thought I could make a quick run. I thought I'd make it back in time. I thought wrong. I was climbing across the plank, minding my own business when I heard the door close. I saw her there, I was about to make me presence known, but then her towel fell, and the sunlight shone upon her body I was absolutely speechless. She was stunning. Her petite structure was gorgeous. Her body was littered with scars, near her belly, between her bosom and as she turned I saw a vast sum scattered across her back. I had frozen. Senses gone numb. So when she turned, saw me and screamed, there was no reaction whatsoever. Her scream subsided. My senses revived.
"Luke?"
"Yeah?"
"Go back into you're room and shut the curtains until I say other wise."
Her tone wasn't firm, it was...vulnerable. So I nodded, turned, climbed back to my room and shut the curtains while she most likely went to become clothed. I decided to get cleaned up myself. I had just came across to put my phone to charge. Who knew a dead phone could cause so much trouble?
I decided to take a quick shower, but I ended up washing my hair too. After that, I threw on beach shorts and a plain T-shirt. I needed to make this up to her. I grabbed a spare towel and threw it around my neck. Shortly after, a pebble hit my shutter, then another. I guess this was her way of 'saying otherwise'. So I crawled across the plank, and hopped into her room. She was fiddling with the ends of her shirt. She wore a pretty blue blouse and a blue and white pleat skirt. Her outfit played right into my plan. Everything was going smoothly, that was until I heard the front door close. Shortly after footsteps started coming up the stairs. I knew she heard it too because she looked to the door the same time I did. Miss Pascal's head popped in when the footsteps stopped.
"Ambe- oh Luke you're here, I just came to let y'all know I'm home. Were y'all about to go somewhere?"
Her eyes dropped to my towel, then my duffle bag on the floor from the previous night.
Amber was about to say no. But I cut in.
"Actually yes, I was just about to take Amber for a coastline drive."
Both of them looked shocked. Miss Pascal was the first to speak up.
"We'll drive safely, and tides are high so you can't go swimming."
She closed door behind her. I bent to retrieve my duffle bag, throwing my towel in. Then I dropped it back on the floor and made my way to the door.
"Come on, an adventure awaits."
She followed behind me, a tang on pink still lingering on her cheeks. It went like that all the way to the car. Until she stopped me from opening her door.
"If you're doing this because my mom asked then don't."
"Too bad I'm not doing it for her then."
I moved her hand and continued opening her door,once she was seated I closed it as usual. When I went around to my side, and started the car, I also tried to start a conversation.
"I work at Bens diner. The owner, Mr Ben, is a cool dude. My shift starts at three and I come off at eight, sometimes six. I can drop you off before I head to work."
"Can't I stay with you?"
I didn't expect her to respond.
"Sure you can."
She smiled at that.
"Tell me more about work?"
I obliged.
"Bens son, Keith, you'll meet him at school, is a good friend of mine. Ben's a good guy. His diner isn't all that big, but it's always packed. The staff room is probably the biggest area. He lets the staff leave their uniforms on work so they can't damage or misplace them. He even takes them to the dry cleaner. Which of course comes out of our generous paychecks so I don't mind all that much. Linda quit last Sunday to skip town so there's an opening that I'm hoping you'll fill."
I hadn't realized what I had said until I had already said it. She looked at me, I looked at her. She smiled, and for some reason I smiled back.
"We have five hours, whatcha wanna do?"
"Coastline drive?"
"Fair enough."
She giggled. And so our adventures begins.
It took about fifteen minutes to get to the coast. And as usual, it was packed. She didn't look too eager about that. So when I passed straight, I only received a tiny questionable glance.
"The crowd will be near gone when we get back."
"Get back from where?"
"I gotta return some books if that's okay with you?"
I somehow turned that into a question in which she just nodded to in response.
The library was far to say the least, on the drive there we stopped by the gas station, quick store(she needed snacks) and even a flower shop because why not. I learnt that she liked lilacs and that it was also her favorite color.
We were finally pulling into to the city library's carpark at 11:30am.
"You can wait in the car if you want."
She shook her head. So I unbuckled my seatbelt and went to open her door, she slipped out and took some steps back, cheeks pink all over again. Having closing my door, retrieving my books and locking the car, I went back to her side. We made our way up the stairs in comfortable silence. I pushed the door and held it out for her to pass. She threw a curt nod over her shoulder. She slowed down so I could walk in step with her, which was probably because she wasn't familiar with the surroundings but I was happier believing it was because she liked my company. We walked up to the reception desk where the head librarian, Mrs Managroo was calmed seated, typing away on her outdated computer. She looked up from the time we were three feet away. I'm pretty sure she had the ears of an elephant. But I'd never tell her that. I saw her assistant, Maggie, wasnt here again. Mrs Managroo would've probably fired her already if it was voluntary.
"Hey Mrs Managroo, just here to drop these books off,"
"Oh Luke it's so nice to see you, Maggie isn't here again...could you put those books in that trolley back on shelf for me?"
"Uh sure no prob,"
"Thanks Luke."
I help out here whenever I can. I literally have nothing else to do. So I grabbed ahold of the trolley and turned to Amber.
"You can stay seated, or you can can come with me,"
"I'll take a seat,"
"I'll be back soon, then we can grab a bite to eat or something..."
She laughed at my uncertainty and took a random book from my trolley. She sat by the empty middle table and launched herself into what seemed to be her reading mode. I gave her a little wave and drove my trolley off to pack shelves.