Remember me.

part eleven.

The last time Amelia had stayed out this late at night was more than 3 years ago, the day where she first met Nathan on this very beach, a few miles away from her home. She had also made a promise on that same fateful day, promising her parents that she would never break another curfew again. And so she stuck to it for exactly 3 years 7 months and 12 days, if you don't count this day.

The beach was eerily quiet now and there was barely anyone around them. The sun had long set and the moon was hanging high up above them, illuminating the night sky. The sky was dark, darker than smeared charcoal, with only a few small splashes of gold glittering in the most unexpected places as if an artist had brazenly attempted to light it without a care in this world. And Amelia had long forgotten about her strict curfew, unaware that her phone was blowing up with missed call notifications and text messages from her worried parents as they talked about practically everything under the sun.

"What's your favourite drink?"

"Black coffee, for sure. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?"

"Milk chocolate." The smile on her face grew wider when she noticed the look of disgust plastered across his face. 

"Are you serious? Milk chocolate?" He teased, scrunching his nose which only made her laugh even louder now. "They are so sickeningly sweet."

"Yes, I am aware of that. Thank you very much. Your turn," she announced as she narrowed her eyes at him, her lips twitching into a smirk, pausing for an extra touch of dramatic effect. "What's one thing you are proud of?"

"I was on the school's track and field team."

"Oh really?" She mocked, mischief evident in her voice as her eyebrow shot skyward. "Are you any good?"

"Is that even a question?"

"Well, we are going to find out real soon," she announced as she leaned over closer to him before slowly backing away, keeping her gaze steady. "Race you to the sea!" She exclaimed out of nowhere before springing up from the ground and charging full speed ahead shortly after. She thought her legs were going to fall off at the speed she was running at but it wasn't long until she felt the cold liquid water hit her ankles. She swung her head around to see Nathan running right towards her, only slightly a few seconds behind.

It should have been known that given any other circumstances, he would have definitely been way ahead of her. He would have reached the ocean in a blink of eye and Amelia wouldn't be looking back at him with a look of satisfaction on her face. After all, he wasn't lying about being on the track and field team. But this was not like any other circumstances, this was different. He cannot help but notice how that was the Amelia he knew- happy and carefree. It was also in the same moment that he once again felt closer to her, yet seeing her like this only pricked his heart once more as he thought back to all the good times they once shared- the times that slipped out of her mind.  Trust him when he said that he didn't want to harp on the past memories that were lost to the wind but somehow his mind never failed to bring him back there, to the place he didn't even want to go. 

It took a while but he finally managed to shake that thought off his mind, kicking it to the curb. Gone was the hurricane of thoughts that were swirling in his head, the second his eyes fell on her once again. That smile, that damn smile. He couldn't even help it but to smile as he watched her. That was why he was seconds later, only because he had so much going on in his mind when Amelia just learnt to let all her worries and fears go. 

"You cheated!" He yelled, protesting as he finally ran towards her. And before she could even say another word, she was met with splashes of saltwater and soon enough, she was soaking wet from head to toe. Droplets of water sliding down the side of her face, dripping back down onto her shoulders and neck.

Her plain bright yellow shirt clung onto her torso like gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe. Her long dark hair that was once unkempt was now sticking flat to her head. She gawked at him for a while before he too was doused in the cold water. Their laughter lingered in the night air, stifling any sounds of peace and tranquillity that they once enjoyed and loved so much. 

Maybe it was the fact that they were both howling with laughter or the fact that it felt as though everything was magically falling back into all the right places and things were right where they were meant to be, but she did not once feel the coldness strike her. Her heart was filled with so much warmth, and for a while, it didn't seem to matter that she barely knew Nathan right now. It was undeniable that all she wanted right there and then was to get to know him. It's ambitious but she might have even wanted to get to know him better than before, better than the old Amelia.

Amelia used to think that Disneyland was the one and only magical place on Earth, it was the only one she knew filled with so much love and joy. But she realised that a magical place could also be the very beach they were standing on right this second. She thought it was crazy and insane that a place could hold so much power.  The beach was powerful, powerful enough to pull these two humans together in just a couple of hours. They didn't want the night to end but it was a pity that it had to be cut short as abruptly as one could imagine when she eventually realised how late it was. "Crap," she cussed out loud. "It's way past my curfew."

Before he could even say another word, she had already dashed out of the sea, leaving him behind as he stared at her retreating silhouette. However, it was not long after when he finally caught up with her as they quietly made their way to the bright red car that stuck out like a sore thumb. The quietness did not last any longer than a minute when a shriek pierced through the air. 

"Woah, careful." It wasn't surprising when he realised Amelia was falling as she stumbled over a small rock. It was also why on instinct, he had reached out to catch her especially since this was not his first rodeo- he had many practices, in fact, all thanks to her. He cannot help but snickered as he thought about how she had tripped and fallen even when walking on flat ground one too many times.

It was nothing out of the ordinary but to her, everything was new and foreign. Nathan had his arms wrapped around her waist, their breaths mingling together and their faces only mere inches apart. Almost instantly, her body stiffened and her muscles went rigid. She couldn't tell if the insane pounding of her heart against her chest was due to the fact that she just tripped or the fact that they were this close. 

Momentarily, his gaze flickered down to her lips. There he was, looking into the eyes of the girl he loved, the girl that meant the world to him. Unlike Amelia, Nathan knew for a fact that his racing heart had everything to do with the fact that he was holding her in his arms. Somewhere deep inside, he knew what he was going to do next might just be one of the biggest mistakes.

Yet, without another thought, his lips soon came crashing down onto hers. 

A/N:

Hello everyone! Happy Monday hehe 

Hope you have been enjoying this book so far, don't be afraid to leave a comment telling me what are your thoughts! I would really love to hear from you and I absolutely value all your feedback <3

Don't forget to vote, comment and share if you like this chapter! :)

Have a great day ahead!

Much love,

Rachel xx