"What was that?" Elias asks as he walks over to where their towels originally were.

Leon followed after. "What was what? I was just trying to have a conversation," Leon shrugs uncaringly.

Elias suddenly didn't feel like swimming anymore, so he just slouched on the chair and whipped out his phone.

"Since when do you 'just want to have a conversation'?" Elias mocked. Leon didn't do casual conversations, at least not with girls. Especially girls as pretty as Candice.

Leon found himself chuckling since he knew that the words that were flowing out of Elias' mouth were everything true.  "Does it even matter now though? You saw what I saw. It was as plain as day, she has a boyfriend."

Elias frowned unhappily. "We don't know that it was her boyfriend," Elias grumbled under his breath childishly. He didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet.

"Yeah, yeah," Leon waved him off seemingly unfazed. "It's a shame though, you could've had her after I was through with—" He continued in amusement. He stopped right away, his words falling short when he saw the look that Elias was giving him.

Leon wasn't easily intimidated but Elias looked pretty cross right now, and he surely didn't want to be further the receiving end of his anger.

"I'm just gonna..." His words trailed off as he motioned towards nothingness with his thumb. "Yeah..." With that, he awkwardly turned around and walked away.

Elias gritted his teeth together. What was he going to do now? He could meet up with her and discreetly find out if that really was her boyfriend. But they didn't exchange numbers and the odds of them meeting three times in one day was highly unlikely.

Elias looked down at the seat he sat on and realized that Anthony's phone wasn't accounted for, nor was he in the pool. He then figured he ran off somewhere.

Without thinking straight, he clicked the call icon on his phone and taped on Anthony's name. If there was one sane friend he had, it would be that dude.

"Yeah man, what's up?" He answered on the third ring.

"Where are you?" Elias spoke through the speaker of his phone as his fingers started to twitch.

"By the bar, why?" Anthony says as Elias hears movement on the other side of the phone. "What did Leon do now?" Anthony sighed through the phone.

"What didn't he do? Don't worry about it for now, look, I need your help with something," I speak.

Anthony grabs his wallet from the bar counter and slams his shot on said counter. The bartender never even asked for some ID from him since he looked like a grown man in his 20's. "Sure man, what's up?" He asked without hesitation.

"Are you sure?" Elias looked at his watch impatiently. He was sitting here for half an hour already, which really wasn't a long time, especially for a guy who was patient. However, Elias wasn't feeling that trait in a situation like this.

"Just relax, E. I know my stuff and she'll be here any moment," As if on cue, a blonde-haired girl wearing a dress walked into the market across from them, Elias' eyes following her every movement.

"That's her, right?" Anthony found himself asking. Elias felt himself nodding quickly before jumping out of the car and stalking towards the market, not making it as far as he was planning to due to Anthony quickly gripping his arm and pulling him back to face him.

"What? You're just gonna stalk up in there and do what? Ask her out? Not only do you suspect she has a boyfriend, but she'd think that meeting you three times today wouldn't just be a coincidence." Eli stood and thought for a while, the inside of his cheek becoming a victim of his constant gnawing and chewing.

Anthony had a point. He wasn't good at these sorts of things at all. As mention prior,  he never really had to put in the effort into asking a girl out, it would all just fall into place.

"What do you suggest I do then?" Elias hated how he wasn't in control right now. He hated it.

"Just— act natural. Don't go in there like a crazed man searching for her," Anthony advises as he places both of his hands on his friend's shoulder firmly. "I'll be waiting out here,"

With what seemed to he a reluctant nod of his head, Anthony watched as Elias strolled up to the building, hands stuffed in his pocket.

"He's a goner," He mumbles under his breath with a shrug of his shoulders as he retrieves his phone from his back pocket and plays a game.

Meanwhile, Elias tried to take Anthony's advice. He has to be smart, smooth and charming.

The air conditioner smacked him straight in his face as soon as he entered the building. It was a complete contrast from the hot, sunny weather outside. The place smelt like cleaning supplies and he couldn't seem to figure out how he didn't realize this earlier.

Inhaling through his nose, he walks confidently through the aisles of the store, looking at the different products that he didn't even know existed. He sees the disgusting goat milk again on the shelf and his face scrunches up on distaste, making him momentarily forget what his purpose here was for.

He soon remembered fast enough when he felt a soft body collide with his form. He stood still at the impact, despite the slight change to shock on his facial features.

However, the victim of his assault was soon going to be a victim of the cold ground if it wasn't for Elias' quick reflexes once again.

He pulled the girl flush against his chest but that didn't stop her glasses from falling from her face and sliding straight across the ground.

"Cheese and sprinkles," Candice mumbles in panic. Her eyes instantly become squinted as she readies herself to get on her all fours to search and scamper for her spectacles.

"Hey, hey," Elias quickly whispers huskily as he grabs ahold of her waist. "I'll get them." He suggests as he walks a few feet and bends to retrieve her glasses.

Walking back towards the girl with squinted eyes, Elias slips the glasses back onto her face, watching in awe as her beautiful eyes blink numerous times up at him before a soft sigh leaves her lips.

"We have got to stop meeting like this," Candice heard herself saying as a slight giggle passes her pink lips.

Elias watches her. He wasn't exactly expecting to meet her again this way but he supposed that it was better than nothing.

"And you've got to get those glasses tightened," Elias jokes as he pushes his hair back.

"I suppose," She wrings her fingers together. "My brother always reminded me back home, but I always forgot. If these break, he'll rub it in my face," She couldn't help but mention.

Elias listened intently. "You have a brother?" He converses as his eyes travel all over her face.

Candice tucks her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, he's the one who I left with from the pool," She reminds him.

From Elias' leaning position on the shelves, he quickly straightens his stature. "That's your— your brother?" He heard himself asking as he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

Candice didn't seem to notice his change in demeanor as she nodded her head slightly, "He's 15, and a bit of a loner," She mumbles the last part.

How couldn't Elias see the resemblance? Similar color hair and facial features, it was uncanny. What made Elias' ears prick up however was, "He's 15?" Elias raised his voice. "As in merely two years younger than us?"

Candice giggled, the sound being music to Elias' ears. She wasn't quite surprised by his reaction. Many people acted this way when they were told how old Midas truly was.

"Not exactly," She shuffles from foot to foot.  "Maybe like a year, he's turning 16 in September," She explains.

Elias could barely register her words as he looked behind her into thin air. Does this mean that she was single?  A slow smile swiped across his lips.

He couldn't get his hopes up too high, for this meant nothing. She was a beautiful girl, breathtaking smile, vibrant blonde hair, and innocent doe eyes. It was unrealistic if she didn't have a boyfriend.

Candice looked behind her confused. What was he looking at? He seemed to be in his own personal bubble at the moment. "Elias?" She called softly as she waved her hand in front of his face.

"Uh, hm?" He shook his head quickly. "Yeah, sorry," He cleared his throat. "So just to clarify, that guy earlier was your brother, right?"

Candice tilted her head to the side. Hadn't she explained this already? Why was it so important?

"Yeah..." She trailed off with uncertainty. "Why?" She questioned.

Elias shook his head with a breathtaking smile on his face, "No reason, just curious is all.

Using her toes to gently rub on the back of her other foot, Candice licked her lips to add some moisture in them. "Well, I'm sorry for taking up your time," She apologized softly.

Elias quickly shook his head with a flick of his wrist. "Not a waste at all," He murmurs.

The two seemed to have fallen into an awkward silence. This was his time, right?

Indeed it was.

"Anyway, my parents— they're going out tomorrow night and my friends and I were just planning to chill at our suite, wanna join maybe?" He asked. "That is— if your parents are fine with it." He added on considerately.

Candice was surprised by the invitation, her stomach feeling all giddy inside. How could she decline? She had only known him for less than a day but this was a chance for her to get to know him better.

"Yes!" She said excitedly. "I-I mean, yeah, sure," She cringed at her wording, trying to sound cool but painfully failed.

She blushed as Elias just stared at her with a dashing smile on his chiseled features, "Maybe we should exchange numbers," She grumbled, trying anything to stop his staring. Whenever someone stared at her too long, it felt as if they were assessing every one of her flaws. She hated it.

Elias was glad that he wasn't the only person interested in the exchange. Pulling his phone from his pocket and studying his it, Candice glanced up from her own phone through her eyelashes and watched as he typed away, his veins popping and muscles flexing. His arms were deliciously sculpted, she admitted. They were truly a nice sight.

The pair exchanged phones, each typing in their names in the electronic devices, along with their hotel number and personal digits.

"So... I can come and give you a ride or...?" He trails off.

"I suppose, you can message me the time?" Candice asks politely.

Elias released a shirt breath and nodded his head with a swipe against jaw with the palm of his hand before folding his arms across his chest.

Sending a dazzling smile at Elias, Candice walked past him and spoke, "I'll see you tomorrow?" She says softly as she stopped at his side.

"I'll text," Was his short reply.

Candice gave a tight-lipped smile along with his a tender squeeze of Elias' arm before readying herself to walk off.

However, her arm faltered the movement of removing itself from his arm as she took two steps back, her lips formed in the shape of an 'O'.

Elias watched the movement as his eyes evaluated Candice. He felt as she gave his bicep a squeeze again, and then another, and another.

His eyes were floating in amusement as she looked up at him, "How are they so hard?" She murmured softly. "It's like steel!" She countered adorably.

The boy couldn't help but to belt out a loud laugh. "See you around, Candy." Elias' lips tugged up at the corners as he turned to leave, leaving Candice standing there with butterflies in her stomach at the nickname.

"How was it? What happened?" Anthony continued to throw questions after Elias.

Elias simply kept his face stoic as he walked towards his friend. In a few simple movements, he gathered his phone in his hand and showed Anthony the contact of Candice.

A slow smile tugged on Anthony's lips, "You lucky son of a bitch." With that, Elias' own smile grew as the pair gave each other a bro hug, clapping each other on the back.

"So what's the plan?" Anthony straightened his back. Both men got into the car, Elias behind the wheel.

"A little get together at our suite," Elias adjusted his arm on the wheel. "Bring a girl, will ya? I don't want her feeling uncomfortable."

Anthony hummed, "And Leon? What the fuck to do about him?"

Elias' jaw clenched. What was he gonna do about that fucker?

Word Count: 2175

One month and a few days without an update? Please don't kill me.

~TheOfficialSinner