🌊 Kai's P.O.V.🌊

I watched as Alessia stormed out of the Dining Hall and I instantly felt as if I had to go to her. I wondered what had been said at her table to make her so mad. Without trying to make anything obvious, I excused myself from my table and slowly walked towards the door. By the time I got outside Alessia couldn't be seen anywhere. So, I had a few options. She either went to her room, back to the W.A. to throw some punches at a bag, or to go see Boomer. So, I took the chance that she was possibly with Boomer.

I started walking towards the Lab as fast as possible, then threw open the door. I walked over to one of the women sitting behind a desk and asked her politely, "Has a blond girl come in here within the past few minutes?" Not everybody knew Alessia yet, so asking that was my best bet. The woman looked up at me as she pushed her glasses up her nose.

"Yes, actually. She went up to the second floor." I quickly thanked her, then headed towards the elevator. That is until someone stepped in my way. F-

Lexi stood, blocking my way to the elevator, once again. Her arms were wrapped around a clipboard and I could tell she had just ironed her Lab coat. She was smiling too hard and I could see wrinkles forming by her eyes. Couldn't she just give it up already? She tries way too hard and gets nothing in return. You would think she would've given up by now.

"Yes, Lexi?" I asked tersely. I was running out of patience with her. Ugh, I have to get to Alessia.

"Hey, Poseidon." She said, twisting a piece of hair around her index finger. Yup, she definitely tries too hard. "I was wondering if you would go with me to the party at Chase's place tonight." She batted her eyelashes at me. It was hard trying to hold in a gag. What is the easiest way to say 'I don't like you'? Exactly, I don't like you. Also, by this time, you're probably thinking 'wow, they have a lot of parties on base' and you have that absolutely right. S.I.A. was a pretty wild and reckless place where the teenagers and young adults partied a lot. Not my favorite thing about the base.

"Not tonight Lexi. I have plans." Her face fell slightly, even though she still had a smile plastered on.

"But you say that every single time. Can you really be busy or are you hanging out with someone else?" Yes and yes actually. Busy with my girl who I need to be with now! I sighed.

"Lexi, listen, there will be someone, one day, in your life who will hang out with you every spare second he has. He will always want to be with you and do everything with you. He will love to see you happy and he will do everything he can to keep you happy. He will love you with all of his heart and he will walk through fire for you. He will even take a bullet for you if he has to. But Lexi, listen to me. That guy isn't me. He will be here one day, but it isn't the guy standing in front of you this very minute. I don't like you like that, but he will." I watched her smile completely disappear and her eyes started to well up with tears. She sniffed a few times.

"Lexi, I'm sorry. Don't worry. You will find someone way better than me, trust me." She just gave a little nod as she tried to smile.

"Thanks, Poseidon," She whispered and then walked away, wiping away a tear as she did. I felt bad for her, I honestly did. It's not every day you're rejected by a guy, being as pretty as she is. But right now that didn't matter. I had to get to Alessia.

I boarded the elevator as it opened and a few women came out dressed in Lab coats. I hit the 2nd-floor button and waited for the doors to shut. I sighed when they finally did and in five seconds I was on the 2nd-floor. I started looking in different rooms, casually, trying to spot Alessia. I finally came to a room where I saw a blond girl bent over a dog on an examination table. Nobody else was in the room, so after I walked in I shut the door quietly.

I walked up to her and slid my arms around her waist from behind. She gave a little jump before she rested her hands on top of mine. I buried my head in her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I watched Alessia stroke Boomer's head. I heard her sigh. Her voice came in a broken whisper.

"I just don't get people sometimes. I don't get why people have to die. I don't get how when some people die, it just makes others happier." I felt a tear drop onto my hand. I squeezed her tighter.

"I know Sia, I know. Everything that happens never seems to make sense anymore. But my sister told me something a long time ago that really helped me." Alessia turned around to face me, my arms still around her.

"And what's that?" She asked with a sniff. Boy, the third girl that I've made cry today. I'm not on a very good streak.

"She simply told me that everything happens for a reason. Even the bad things. And even the death of a loved one. She said we will always have trials and errors, but they are just to make us stronger. They're to prepare us for the life we have ahead. We need to be able to conquer things to come, but we can't do that without knowing how first. That's why we have these awful situations, they test us and then try us. Without them, we would be useless! We will have our bad times, Alessia. But if we didn't have bad times, we wouldn't enjoy the good ones." She looked up at me with the most sadness in her eyes I have ever seen anyone have. That is, until she buried her head against me as I felt her tears.

"It just hurts so freaking bad." Her words were muffled against me and her tears as I pulled her tighter.

"I know, Alessia, trust me, I know."

"But, it really does make sense to me. Thank you." Her voice was music to my ears. I could listen to it forever. I heard her sniffle again, trying to get rid of the tears. I squeezed her tight then let her go, so she could see Boomer again.

"Oh, and before I forget, Blaire said Boomer was being released today so you can take him back to the Bunker with you." She nodded her response. I wiped away one last tear from her cheek before grabbing her hand and lacing my fingers with hers. She smiled up at me. That just made my day.

The moment was ruined, however, when the door opened and Blaire walked in. Alessia quickly let go of my hand and I felt angry at Blaire for intruding. This is never going to work for us here. Unless I resign my position as Instructor...

"Ah, I see you guys are already here. Ready to take Boomer home, Alessia?" Blaire asked with a smile.

"Yes ma'am. I've missed him by my side."

"Okay," said Blaire, taking out her clipboard. "You shouldn't really take him with you anywhere today except for the Bunker. I would take him back to your room to finish recuperating and then I would take him with you tomorrow." I saw Alessia nod her head as she stroked Boomer's head. She had to sign a release form for Blaire, but once she was done, we led Boomer out of the room to take him to the Bunker.

We left the Lab and I opened the Bunker door for Alessia and Boomer as they walked inside. Once we made it to her room, then we felt comfortable talking again.

"So, what happened at lunch? Do I need to create another bloody nose?" I asked as we laid down on the bed together. She laid next to me as I put my arm around her, her head on my chest.

"Well, apparently Chase has heard a rumor about the rescue mission for my father. He says he thinks that the people who will be going will be chosen Wednesday. He was telling the others how they should all try really hard to show off their fighting skills so they could be picked to go. He said killing some more K.A.I. idiots would be fun." I felt a tremor run through her body as she said this. I rubbed her back to soothe her. But, no. She wasn't done talking yet.

"I made a big point of how he wouldn't like someone to plan his murder and talk about it like it would be fun if he was in the enemy's situation. I told him that if I ever have to kill someone it will not be because of the pleasure of doing it. It will be a matter of life or death." I totally understood her. That's my girl! She will never know how proud I am of her.

"Yeah, I get what you mean. Chase can be so blunt about it that it disgusts even me. I have never killed someone because I've wanted to. I've only done it because I had to and I didn't have a choice."

I started thinking about how I could make her forget about all of this, even if it was only for one night. I wanted her to have fun and to actually be able to relax and forget the world for a while. I wanted her to be the wild and fun teenager I knew she still was. I may be eighteen, but I still want to feel like a kid sometimes, because it is just so fun to forget. Sometimes that even included being reckless. Suddenly, I had the perfect plan.

"How 'bout we do something fun later? What do you say? I have the perfect idea." Alessia's big blue eyes stared up at me.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" I could tell I had triggered her curious side. I inwardly laughed.

"You are going to have to wait to find out." I kissed the tip of her nose. She groaned at me.

"Are you serious!? You know curiosity killed the cat right? In other words, curiosity is going to kill me." I couldn't help but laugh at her. She glared at me.

"I'm serious. What are we gonna do?" I knew this was going to be fun.

"Oh, you'll see. Soon enough." She huffed at me. but I guess she knew she would get nowhere asking me questions.

"Fine."

I looked down at our intertwined bodies and Boomer laying by our feet. This is so perfect right now. Why can't it always be like this? We always seem to get interrupted or we have to be somewhere.

I noticed that Alessia was dozing and as soon as she fell asleep, even though I wanted to hold her forever, I would get up and put my plan into action. I saw Boomer had already fallen asleep and he was starting to snore. I had no idea dogs snored... I played with Alessia's hair, enjoying its silky feeling. Soon, I heard her slow, even breathing and I tried to think of how I could get up without waking her.

I slowly removed my arm from around her shoulders and she didn't so much as flinch. I forgot she was a deep sleeper. I slowly lifted her head off of my chest and she still didn't move. I put a pillow underneath her head and slowly covered her with a blanket. I slowly got off the bed, more scared of waking up Boomer than I was of Alessia. Thankfully both of them slept through my movements as I got out of bed. I kissed Alessia on her head before slipping out the door to leave.

I walked out into the hallway and instantly rushed back to the Lab to find Kairi. I had to hunt down Kairi and Maddox to see if they were in.

⭐️ Alessia's P.O.V.⭐️

I woke up to someone yelling my name and knocking on my door again. I didn't need to use my alarm clock when I had living ones. I rubbed my eyes and felt the empty space next to me. What happened to Kai? I looked up at my clock. 3:45. How did I sleep for that long? More importantly, how did Kai sneak out without me waking up?

"Alessia! You still alive in there?" I realized someone was still pounding on the door. Whoops! I saw that Boomer was already stationed by the door, ready to pounce on anyone ready to harm me. I jumped out of bed and ran to open the door. When I opened it, I was surprised to see Kairi standing there. She gave me a sheepish smile. She held out her hand.

"The way we met the other night wasn't exactly proper. Sorry about that. Not my best first impression. Anyways, hi, I'm Kairi. Nice to meet you." I couldn't help but laugh at the act. I decided I would play along.

"Hi, I'm Alessia. Nice to meet you too." I gave her a questioning look. "That's not the real reason you came all the way over here, though, is it?" I watched her give a little shake of her head.

"No, actually I'm here because my brother asked me to come to get you ready for tonight. I brought some goodies." For the first time, I noticed the plastic bag she was holding as she held it up.

"And what is happening tonight?"

"That I cannot tell you, but may I come in?" I had totally forgotten my manners.

"Oh, yeah, of course!" I opened the door wide for her to enter. I looked suspiciously at the bag that she was holding. I crossed my arms after shutting my door.

"So, what exactly did you bring?"

Kairi opened up the bag, spilling the contents onto the bed. I saw bikini tops fall out along with towels, swimsuit cover-ups, and shorts.

"Okay..." I held up a specific top that I liked the color of.

"Well, as I said before, Kai wanted me to come to get you. We have half an hour to get ready. Just be prepared to get wet." She winked at me. What in the actual frick did Kai plan for me?

"I didn't exactly know what top would fit you, so I just brought a bunch of them." She said as she picked up an orange bikini top. "And I figured that you didn't have one with you when you came here, so I brought some from the Lab. And just so you know, since you may not have many clothes left, we have a 'mini-store' inside the Lab. We may be out in the middle of nowhere, but we still have to have clothes imported for people." I just nodded at her as I looked through the items spread on my bed.

I was never very 'blessed' when it came to my chest size so I had to go with the smallest top I could find. Kairi was quite a bit bigger so that was difficult. The smallest I found was a baby blue top so I found the baby blue underwear bottoms to match. At least my butt isn't an issue. After I put on my assortment, I put a baggy, green shirt on as a cover-up. Kairi chose the orange top she had picked up which went wonderfully with her dark and tan skin.

I went to the bathroom to braid my hair and Kairi joined me. After we did our hair, Kairi sprayed some kind of perfume that smelled amazing. She doused both of us in it and then we decided we were ready to go.

I was excited for what this night was about to turn into. Kai has made my life so much more exciting since he has been in it. I smiled as I remembered when he had brought me to the cliff, confessing his feelings like I thought he never would. I was so happy we had become more than friends, as long as we took it slow. I've seen so many of my friends get hurt when their relationships seemed to happen overnight. My friends would give their boyfriends everything and once they had it, they left the girls in the dust, never talking to them again. I trust Kai, I really do, but I need to be careful. I didn't want this to turn into something that was more than I could possibly ever handle.

Kairi intruded on my thoughts, however, when she asked, "You ready to go?" I cleared my throat.

"Uh, yeah, sorry. Just spaced out for a minute." I grinned at her as she gave me a knowing smile. She opened the door up for me. I told Boomer to stay as we headed out. I had a feeling he couldn't come with us this time. It was 4:15 by this time and I was instantly more suspicious as we neared the garage. I walked inside and the lights were already on. Kai and Maddox seemed to appear out of nowhere and I gave a little squeak.

"Hey, Sia, have a good nap?" Kai closed the distance between us with a hug. He kissed me on the head before I attempted answering.

"What is this all about? Where are we going?" Kai shook his head.

"Always my curious girl." He already calls me his girl. "Well, as I always say, you will find out." He smirked at me as I let out a frustrated groan. "But, I promise you, you will have fun. Don't worry." He gave me a wink. I couldn't help, but give in and smile. Kai put his hands on my shoulders and steered me over to two sides by sides, packed with drinks, food, and blankets. Kairi and Maddox got in one side by side while me and Kai got in what I now consider 'our' normal one.

My stomach stirred up with butterflies as we got in and Kai handed me the black helmet. I knew instantly that this was going to be fun. I thought about how I thought that same thing the night of the kickoff. Well, I guess anything is fun when you hang out with the people you treasure most. Kairi and Maddox got into their own side by side and we opened the garage, preparing to leave. Kai took my hand in his and grinned at me, making his dimples pop out. That irresistible smile... I didn't have any more time to think about it as we flew out of the garage.

Our duo was ushered through the gate quickly, the guards not even giving us a second glance. They must see this all the time then. I noticed that Kai headed for the same trail that we took before. My curious senses were suddenly aroused even more. Same trail, we had food and friends... Nope, I still had no idea what we were doing. I knew it had to be some kind of hangout, but where or why?

My heart skipped a beat as Kai jumped something and I gave a squeal. He turned to me and laughed, his way of telling me he did it on purpose. I smirked at him. Okay, you got me this time... We drove for quite a while, Kai and Maddox racing while Kairi and I just rolled our eyes at them.

I could see the sun setting as Kai and Maddox were starting to slow down. We had been in a wooded area for quite a while, so I assumed we were probably going to Lake Tahoe again. I found ourselves exiting the rough trail and onto a normal, paved road. I gasped as I took in the sight of cute little shops and restaurants. There were people milling everywhere. Tourists, I thought. I could see little kids playing at a little park while some adults were window shopping nearby. I was amazed by what I saw.

I felt a hand grab mine and I looked up into Kai's eyes as he grinned at me. He knew that I missed the city and getting to see people... well... not on base. He started to rub circles on the back of my hand with his thumb, which soothed me more than he'd ever know.

"This is Incline Village," he yelled at me with a smile. I continued to absorb my surroundings as we neared our destination. Eventually we left the road and entered another dirt trail. We came to a clearing that opened up to a shack and a beach spread out before us.

Kai and Maddox parked side by side (no pun intended) as they came to a stop beside the shack. The clear blue waters of Lake Tahoe spread out before us, creating a beautiful landscape. I knew that on the other side of the lake was California. Where I was born, where I was raised, and where I wished I still was. The others started getting out of the vehicles, so I decided to follow.

I unstrapped my helmet and set it on the passenger seat as I fixed my braid. I turned to see Kai lifting a red cooler out of the back of the vehicle while Maddox grabbed another out of his. Kairi had a bunch of blankets gathered in her arms and I felt like I should help with something.

"Do you guys need any-." Kai cut me off.

"Nope, just relax. We've planned this for you. So you can relax and be a teenager again." I couldn't help, but melt at his thoughtfulness. He was right. I needed this. When was the last time I felt like a teenager, anyway? I slipped off my sandals, so I could feel the warm sand beneath my feet. I closed my eyes, trying so hard to imagine the ocean. I tried to smell the salt in the air and feel the wind blowing my hair. I felt arms wrap around my waist as I was still imagining.

"What're you thinkin' about, Princess?" I have no idea why Kai started calling me pet names, especially Princess, but I secretly loved it. Nobody had really ever called me a nickname, except for my father.

"Mmmm, mainly just memories. Trying to imagine the oce-." I caught myself, but it was already too late. I could feel a shiver pass through Kai as he held me close. "I'm sorry, I just-."

"No, it's ok. Don't be sorry, it isn't your fault. You loved the ocean." I could feel some tension rising in the air and I could tell Kai had become uncomfortable. I need to watch my mouth. But Kai, as if knowing I was growing uncomfortable, he announced, "I brought you here to have fun for the night. Let's get it on, shall we?" I turned around as I gave him a smile. I planted a single kiss on his lips then ran away across the sand, seeing if he would chase after me.

I laughed at the shocked look on Kai's face as I fled. His expression turned into a smirk and soon he started to follow suit. I ran down the beach, kicking up sand as I went. But, again, it wasn't long before he caught me. I giggled as he gathered me up in his arms, bridal style. Then, as if he was a retriever, he carried me back over to the other couple.

"You can't just leave me hanging like that, cheater." He kissed me this time, then put me down.

"We can all play that game." Maddox leaned down to kiss Kairi. I just laughed as I saw Kai set up a blanket.

"Come here," he said once he sat down. I gave him my hand and squealed as he pulled me down on top of him. I smiled as he kissed me again, then he propped himself up. I positioned myself to sit in between his legs, his arms around me. I smiled as his warmth comforted me and Maddox and Kairi sat next to us, copying our position.

Suddenly, I had a strong longing to be in the water. It seemed to be pulling me in and it was hard to resist. I knew that Kai hadn't been in a body of water since his accident. I wonder if I could somehow possibly convince him to come in with me. I really wish I could help him get over his fear. I looked over my shoulder at Kai.

"Would you be willing to try coming into the water with me?" I looked up at him with my best understanding face. I saw a dark shadow cross over his eyes and I instantly regretted asking.

"I-I mean you don't have to, but in case you wanted to come with me-." What he said next startled me. He stared off into the distance. He stared into the water.

"Actually, I think I want to. It's been way too long and I need to get over this stupid fear." I saw determination fill his eyes, but I could still see the fear. I felt guilty because I knew I was the only reason he said that.

"You don't ha-."

"I want to, Sia." He looked back at me, his deep brown eyes boring into my soul. I gulped, knowing I was in it now. No excuses. I got up and took off my baggy T-shirt. I saw Kai's face light up at that and I inwardly rolled my eyes while smiling. He smirked as he got up also, taking off his shirt and throwing it on the blanket. I couldn't help but stare at his perfectly toned body. His strong shoulders and broad chest made him look unstoppable. He had a perfectly chiseled six-pack and the veins were popping out of his biceps. And I could just barely see some of his tattoo wrap arounds his sides-

"Like the view?" His voice brought me back from my world. He smirked at me with a wink and Maddox and Kairi burst out laughing. My face flushed at the fact that they caught me staring for too long. I shifted in place as I gave him a light slap on the arm.

"Well, if you mean the view of the water then yes, I love it." I winked at him then started running towards the water. I could hear him running after me and I giggled. Once my feet hit the water, I froze in shock at how cold it was. I slowly made my way in until it was at my waist. I turned around to see how Kai was doing. He was still knee-deep.

"Are you okay, Kai?" I looked at him, worried. I started walking towards him and grabbed his hand. I gave it a tight squeeze, trying to comfort him. I looked deep into his eyes, trying to decipher the emotion I was seeing. I could see fear that clouded over. When I looked even deeper, I could see pain and hate. I could tell he was just hit with a wave of emotion. He gripped my hand harder.

"I will be once I get this over with," he said through gritted teeth and a set jaw. His handsome face was twisted with all of his emotions and it hurt me to see him this way.

I heard some music startup. I saw Maddox come out of the little shack, beatbox in hand. He started cranking up the volume and set it on top of our side by side. I sighed and looked back up into Kai's eyes.

"Are you ready?"

He gave the slightest nod of his head. So, hand in hand, we stepped deeper and deeper into the water, chilling us to the bone. I shivered once it got to my chest and I looked up at Kai to see how he was doing. He was walking through the water confidently. That's my Kai, I thought proudly. It's not everyday someone is so confident in overcoming their fears.

We kept walking farther and farther into the cold depths of the water. When the time came for me to start treading water it was only up to Kai's chest. I finally let go of Kai's hand when I had to tread water. Kai seemed to freeze on the spot as if remembering he was in the water. I instantly went to his side again.

"Hey, it's okay. You made it. Look." Kai looked around in relief. "I knew you had it in you." I smiled proudly at him. I thought he was about to cry, but I must've been wrong because he didn't. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him. When he pulled away, he whispered in my ear.

"Only for you. Honestly, I totally forgot where I was when I was holding your hand. You always make me forget about everything around me." I blushed at his words and kissed him again. Suddenly, I squealed as he picked me up while in the water. He hoisted me onto his shoulders as I saw Kairi and Maddox heading our way. As they neared, I could see that Kairi had been crying. I could tell she wasn't scared of the water, so I didn't know what was wrong.

"Are you okay, Kairi?" I would've gone to her, but I was still on Kai's shoulders. She came over to Kai and gave him a huge hug while I awkwardly sat on Kai's shoulders. Okay... Eventually she pulled away.

"My little brother actually did it!" She turned her eyes to me. "You must be some special to get him out here. I couldn't even get him out here." I flushed again at the compliment. Kai looked up at me with his gorgeous brown eyes.

"You've got that right." He winked at me while grabbing my hand. "With you anything is possible."

"So, are we having a water fight or what?" Maddox said, as he pulled Kairi onto his shoulders, causing her to scream. I saw Kai and Maddox exchange a dirty look. Oh no... I caught Kairi's eyes right before the guys started dashing towards each other with us on their shoulders.

We had a water fight for a while (yes, me and Kairi ended up enjoying it, even though I was dunked quite a few times) then we headed back towards the beach once the sun had fully set. The music was still blasting and it only got louder as we came closer to the beach. Kairi grabbed towels out of the back of the side by side and handed them out to everyone. I started to dry off my hair, as I suddenly felt a quick, sharp pain on my bare thigh. I turned to see Kai doubled over in laughter. Oh, game on. Cameron and I used to whip each other with towels all the time. I had only learned from the pro himself.

Before you can say S.I.A. I whipped Kai back with my towel, which snapped him out of his fit of laughter. He looked surprised for a minute, maybe even in disbelief, but then he recovered and was quick to react. When he started moving to get me again I dodged it and I turned and got him again. I saw the look of challenge accepted across his face. He came at me again and I dodged again. It was hilarious to see the reaction on his face every single time he missed.

I giggled at how he seemed to give up after a while, just dropping his towel on the ground. I turned away, believing he had given up. I put my towel down on my seat, but I felt hands grab my sides. I let out a scream as Kai carried me over to the blanket he had set up earlier. He put me on the ground gently, but he immediately started tickling me mercilessly.

"Who's in charge now?" I could see the devilish grin on his face as I struggled to breathe.

"Me." I managed to get up a bit and pulled him down on me in a kiss. When I pulled away, he couldn't help but smile as he shook his head.

"You play dirty."

I had finally just gotten my breath back and he suddenly started tickling me again. This time he pinned my arms above my head, exposing my stomach. This time I couldn't defend myself as he attacked my stomach with his fingers. He was too strong for me, he was able to pin my arms back and still be able to tickle me with one hand. I had no clue how I would get out of this one. No way was I giving in. So, I came up with a better idea.

"I.Can't. Breathe." I tried to get out between my laughter. I literally couldn't really breathe, although it wasn't a life or death thing, but he didn't believe me.

"Ohhh, no ya don't, you aren't foolin' me again."

So, what did I do next? Oh, the best actress in the world only passed out on him! I could have technically passed out if I wanted to, because of my lack of air, so it did help the effect.

"I. Cannot. B-." And my body went limp.

"Woah, woah, wait. Alessia, are you okay?" It was even harder not to laugh now, than it was when he was tickling me. He stopped tickling me, but I thought I would drag this on a little longer. He was right. This would be fun!

"Hey, hey, Sia, are you awake? C'mon!" I could feel him shaking my shoulders trying to 'wake me up'. Suddenly, I took my chance. I scrambled up as fast as possible and dashed to... I don't know where I was planning on heading actually. I turned back to see if he was going to try to catch me again, but I just heard him say, "Sia, look out!" I looked in front of me. Too late! I ran into Maddox and we both fell over. I fell over next to him, but I couldn't help but laugh even though my head hurt now. In an instant Kai was on top of me.

"Sia! Are you okay?" I didn't answer him.

"Who's in charge now?" I grinned at him as I just kept laughing. I was literally laughing as if my life depended on it, as I curled into a ball, rocking back and forth. I saw him shake his head with a smile.

"I think we both know who that is." He pulled me up off the sand.

"You two are psychotic." Maddox groaned. Kairi came over to him and inspected his head.

"Only for each other." Kai winked at me and dipped his head to kiss me.

"Well, you two may be crazy for each other, but I know one thing. She's crazy when it comes to bruises." Maddox shook his head. "It's never gonna heal."

I winced. I saw Kairi bend down and kiss his bruise.

"Better?" She asked with a wink.

"Of course. Come here you." I saw Maddox pull her down on the sand next to him as he kissed her. Now it was my turn to shake my head. Kai inspected my own head, but I just waved him off.

"Are you thirsty?" Kai looked at me. I looked at him suspiciously. He held up his hands defensively. "No, it's not alcohol."

"Yeah, the boy doesn't drink," Maddox spoke up. "Buzz killer." He smirked.

"Better for me," I said giggling. Kai grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the blue cooler. He grabbed out two glass bottles of Pepsi and handed one to me. I popped the lid off, loving the satisfying sound. Kai went back over to the blanket and held his hand out to me.

"I won't tickle you again."

I looked at him skeptically with a brow raised.

"Promise?"

He held up a hand.

"I'd put a ring on it."

My heart jumped to my throat. He must've seen my panicked look because he quickly spoke up.

"One day." He gave me one of his adorable winks.

I pursed my lips trying to hold in a smile as I shook my head. I accepted his hand and sat down next to him. He gathered me in his arms and cuddled me. I love this. It was so peaceful out here, sitting under the stars while the water in the lake gently rippled. I could hear Kai's heartbeat as I rested against his chest as well as his gentle breathing in my ear. Kairi and Maddox were turning on the lights I didn't realize were strung up on poles as I recognized my favorite song playing on the beatbox. September by James Arthur. I snuggled in closer to Kai.

"This is my favorite song," I sighed. I could feel his body tense.

"Do you wanna dance?" It was one of the most heartfelt whispers I had ever heard.

"Sure."

He slowly got up and brought me with him. When we both stood on the sand I put my arms around his neck as he put his around my waist. I buried my head into his shoulder as we made a slow circle in the sand. I could feel his hot breath on my neck which left it tingling. I felt Kai pull me closer to him until it seemed our bodies were plastered together. We were one. This seemed perfect. Almost. Something seemed missing, but I didn't quite know what it was. I suddenly heard Kai's heart start to beat so much faster.

"Sia?" I felt his whisper on my neck. I was scared about what he was going to say since I could feel that his heart was racing.

"Yes?" My whisper barely came out. I felt him pull away just enough to look into my eyes.

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you. I didn't know when the right time would be or where the right setting would be, so I'm just going to say it here and now." The breath seemed to stop in my chest. "For a while now, I've been feeling things for you that I have never felt for anyone before. I feel like the connection is more than just a crush like my sister said. Truthfully, I would take a bullet for you. I would walk through fire for you. I would give up everything for you. I don't think crushes would do that for each other. I feel like it's something even more than that. I want to keep you forever. I want to protect you for as long as you live. I don't ever want to lose you." I could see the fire and compassion building in his eyes. I'm going to cry...

"I never want to let you go. I want to be with you through everything. I always want to see you, be with you. I can never get you off my mind. You're engraved in there for the rest of my life. No one has impacted me the way you have, Alessia. No one has taught me as much as you. No one has been able to help me conquer my fear of water, but you made me forget about it altogether. I don't know how I would live life without you. Everyday I'm with you, the harder it is to let you go, the harder it is not to have you in my arms. I'm obsessed with you now, Alessia. I may not be scared of much, but I have been scared for so long to tell you this," he took a deep breath, making me nervous. "I love you, Alessia. I love you more than I've loved anyone in my life. I have never met a girl like you, as special as you." That's it. There went the tear that I was trying so hard to hold back. But I knew what I had been feeling for him. I also would die for him. He made me feel like no one else ever has.

"Kai," I took his handsome face in my hands. "You have brought so much excitement to my life that I have never had before. You have made me feel so special like nobody else has. My family died and I just felt, and still feel sometimes, like giving up, but then you came into the picture. You give me a reason to keep living. I never want to leave you and just stay in your arms forever. I could never get tired of seeing your face and never want to stop feeling what I am feeling right now." Tears continued to stream down my face. "I guess what I'm trying to tell you, is that I love you too."

I had just committed and admitted it. There was no going back now. I could see the love in Kai's eyes as he looked at me, the admiration and respect. He is nothing like the boy from ninth grade, I realized. He would never hurt me like that. He would die first.

Kai's lips claimed mine, telling everyone around us that I was his and he was mine. Even though the only people around us were Maddox and Kairi. I gripped him tighter as he pulled me closer to him once again. This is it, I thought. This is perfect.