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~ Day Dreams ~
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~ Chapter Twenty Five ~
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~ Diamonds in the Ruff ~
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~ Eighteen-Years-Old ~
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~ Hazel's POV ~
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My head begins to spiral out of control, causing my vision to blur with tears. An ache builds in my temple and scorches towards the pit of my stomach. The hurt of Honey and Jordan being mad at me kills my very being. Why do I always ruin everything within my radius with every touch I make. I am so pathetic...

Pacing the wooden floorboards outside the arena double doors in a panic at whether or not I should bail on swimming practice. Should I bail? Would Jake hate me? Swimming practice is pointless anyway... PTSD has controlled me ever since I was eight years old and it has not changed ever since.

My life would have been different if Jake never moved, not that he had a choice in the matter. Jake and I promised to find each other one day and I did find him and I have been selfish in keeping Jake for myself. I have missed him so much and it hurts my very core that he was gone for so long. His eyes, his smile, his hair, his dimples, and the games we used to play when we were young. It still hurts...

Time with Jake was taken away from me too young and if it is being selfish to know him then so be it, call me selfish. But the selflessness within me is telling me to leave Jake alone. I am hurting him just like in my nightmare. This hiccup cannot continue for much longer and he will have to forget about me sooner or later. All I am ever good at is destroying the good things I have and all I am going to do is bring him down with me and I cannot let that happen. Jake deserves better than me and that cheating 'ogre', Chanel. How does Jake put up with that woman? He has to know that he is being cheated on, but I cannot be the one to tell him. It is not my place to tell.

After what feels as though endless amounts of time slipping through my slender fingers like air as I breathe in slow breaths. I manage to find the courage within me and brace myself for what will happen next, mentally promising myself that this cannot go on for much longer.

Even if 'Summer' is a cover-up. I want to know Jake Rivers for who he is as a person. He is the boy who saves me time and time again. The boy who is my long-lost best friend. I want to know this boy again. Even for a little while. Is that selfish of me...?

Pacing through the double doors, Jake already had everything out of the arena's indoor shed. Countless amounts of items scatter the stone of the ground, consisting of a foam pool noodle, a foam kickboard, an inflatable ring float, inflatable arm floats, and a lifejacket. Jake is off into his own world of imagination, with a pair of air pods in his ears and not yet, noticing my presence. I pace my feet along the stone of the floor and reach the metal of the bleachers. Covering my body with my hands near the metal bench, I kick my shoes off.

The swimmers I grabbed in a rush are baby pink, triangle bikini top and high rise bikini bottom pair of swimmers. Another pair Honey gave to me. Which also hurts the think about. The bowstrings of the bikini top around my neck and back slightly cut off my circulation distracting me from the water and Jake. I feel like I am walking in slow motion towards Jake and gulp once I am close in his proximity and somehow forget to breathe. Jake is a healthy distraction from my PTSD of the water.

Jake's ever glowing olive skin shines above the massive skylight, where the dying sun beams upon Jake's tall and lean figure. But I must have forgotten to breathe again once Jake notices my stares. I would have looked down at the floor or my fingers, fiddle with my clothes or bite my lower lip. All I could muster is gaze into those ocean blue eyes, those dimples when he smiles, and his pearly whites. When Jake runs his tan, long fingers through his messy, shoulder-length, golden brown hair. Oh shoot, I am staring too much. What is wrong with me? I am such an idiot. Who does that? But I cannot tear my eyes away from his.

Right now at this moment, I notice Jake for the first time ever since meeting him on my eighth birthday on the beach. I know I am in deep, deep, deep trouble if I omit it to myself but...I like Jake Gilbert Rivers, romantically. I have always love the 'idea' of Jake, but that was child's play. This is something else and I cannot seem to fight it nor push my feelings aside.

For once in my life, I have never felt happier and for once in my life, I have never felt more broken to remember that this is just a figment of my imagination playing out before me in my stupid head. I am just an ordinary girl with a simple crush on a simple boy, but he is no ordinary boy, he is Jake Gilbert Rivers. But that is just a fantasy and it will never become a reality. You will never deserve Jake... or his love.

Realizing that I am still observing straight into Jake's eyes and as time settles back into its normal rhythm, I remove my gaze from his and try to catch my breath. The shade of my porcelain cheeks brightens like a volcano of tomatoes about to erupt at any given moment. Either from embarrassment or sadness, or maybe both. I am not quite sure... all I know is Jake's eyes are diamonds in the rough and a girl's best friend.

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~ Cheers ~
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Please, tell me in the comments what you thought about Chapter Twenty Five? 🙈 I'll be greatly appreciated, thank you, you very kind soul!
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~ Chapter Twenty Five ~
~ Dedications ~
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HeliiBoh
DebMorey
PeterPetruzzella
CaitlinWoodward9
DaniJones_14
ChloeMayerhofer
savvvy1998
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You guys should totally check out PeterPetruzzella short story! Lighthouse. It's amazing!
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You guys should totally check out ChloeMayerhofer story! Fallen! It's awesome!
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C.Morey 🥕 xoxo
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