(CH2) Chapter 11: Beach House

Not everyone was on the same flight to Hawaii. Seth and Emma were on the same flight that arrived at six in the morning. They planned to pick up the rental car then go to the beach house to set it up with food from the closest grocery store, and it turned out that they had paid for the bar to be stocked with alcohol. Since no one was over twenty one, it couldn't be purchased through other means.

Dalen and Julian arrived at eight in the morning on another flight together and took a cab to the beach house, where Julian awaited anxiously for Riane to arrive. He had left her with Joe at the airport rather annoyed. Joe didn't want to go alone with Dalen so it forced the two of them apart. He knew this wouldn't have been an issue if they had made their plans a great deal ahead of time.

The beach house was beautiful. The second floor held an open floor plan with the kitchen looking into the bright living room. It was surrounded by windows that allowed them to see the blue ocean that was so close to their porch.

A barbeque was available for use along with lounge chairs on the wood patio. Downstairs were the bedrooms and a play room that held a pool table, gaming systems, a television, and other entertainment.

Sitting on the white couch with blue accent pillows, Julian kept looking at the clock on his cellphone.

Emma and Seth had finished putting away the groceries, while Dalen stared at his friend from across the room. The two were chuckling as they completed their task, and talking about what they had seen on their trip to the store. He too was sitting on a white couch. There was no television in this room and was merely for entertaining guests or as the case may have it each other.

"Her plane hasn't even touched down yet. Give it a break before I break your phone, asshole. You are driving me bat shit insane." Dalen growled.

Julian did not reply with anything other than a cold glare, before picking up his phone and looking at the time again.

"There is a fucking clock on the wall." He hissed under his breath and pointed to the circular clock behind him.

The harsh words could be heard in the open concept kitchen as granite counter tops circled the three of the walls with a large island and attached breakfast bar.

Emma looked towards Seth and spoke under her breath, "We are the only ones looking like we are having any fun."

"I bet Julian talked about Riane the entire time which let me tell you is annoying." He whispered. "Plus, Joe is coming so I bet Dalen has a lot on his mind too. He hasn't said anything, but I am thinking he wants to try to make amends with her."

"Ah, well, regardless, lets get away from them when we finish here." She put a cereal box in the cabinet.

"Want to get our swimsuits and head down to the beach? I think the areas in front of the houses are rather private."

Emma smiled and nodded her head, as she continued to put the boxed foods away. "Anything to get away from this."

"Stop looking at the fucking phone!" Dalen barked. "She barely just got in the air!"

"I wouldn't have to look at my phone, if you hadn't fucked it up with Joe!" Julian snapped back loudly and stood from the couch in an attempt to intimidate, but all that did was make Dalen stand in defiance.

Seth rolled his eyes, "Guys! If they get here and you two are in shitty moods or if they figure out you were fighting, they won't be happy."

That seemed enough to calm Julian down and he tossed himself back onto the couch, but it took a moment for Dalen to sit back down. He slowly lowered himself while he continued to glare across the large coffee table at his friend.

"Why don't you two go pick your bedrooms and unpack your bags? We are here for a whole week, we might as well get comfortable." Emma suggested hoping that it would separate them and also giving them something to do.

The two jumped up from their couches and both headed towards the stairs with suitcases wheeling behind them.

"Are Joe and Riane sharing a room?" Seth asked.

She nodded, "Yeah, Joe was a last minute addition so Riane decided to share her room. It would be unfair for her to ask one of you guys to give up a room."

"It would be more suitable for you as well. Joe and Riane are like sisters so it would be more comfortable for them to share." He was loading everything into the large refrigerator.

They had filled four shopping carts at the grocery store and figured they would leave whatever they didn't consume. After all, they paid for a clean up service after they left.

Even if they would be eating out a great deal it would be nice to have some home cooked meals from time to time. Dalen was more than happy to cook and liked the idea of a large group dinner. Though most suspected it was another attempted to win over Joe, who he hadn't spoken to that morning while they waited in the airport.

"For fuck's sake! I can hear you turning it on and off all the way down the hall!" Dalen's voice filtered in from downstairs.

Seth rolled his eyes, "We should have given Riane and Joe our seats that way the testosterone fueled rampage wouldn't be happening right now."

"Yeah, but then we wouldn't have been able to get here early to set up nor would we be about to swim." Emma chuckled, "I am kind of selfish like that."

"Hey, we would have found plenty of fun to be had at the airport. Trust me, I can make it happen." He sat up on the island now that his task was completed.

She smirked at him and joined him once the last of the pantry items were put away. "So, do you think the puppies will return the moment the girls arrive?"

Seth nodded, "Yeah, but at least you are getting a feel for what it was like to be Riane before Julian fell madly in love with her."

"Lucky me." She said sarcastically and sighed at all the bags on the kitchen floor.

Seeing where her eyes fell, Seth jumped down and began to collect them. Once he was finished he shoved them into the trash compactor and then leaned on the island.

"They won't get here for a couple more hours, so let's get to swimming and leave those two to tear the other's throat out." He smacked his hand on the table before heading down to his room where his luggage was on the bed.

"Ok, but let me unpack first." Emma jumped off the table and headed down the stairs where she was greeted with a long hallway of doors to her left and the entertainment room to the right. Two of them held bathrooms and the one at the end of the hall was the master suit which had it's own private bathroom. The master would be for Riane and Joe since they were sharing.

Heading into her bedroom with a comforter with a large white flower on the center, she began to open her luggage up. The boys only brought one each, but the girls had two each. One carry on and one to check in.

This was her first vacation and she had been excited to go on it, but the more she spoke to Seth the more she realized he might like her. She knew he was engaged to someone else, and she wasn't willing to be that type of woman. She decided it might all be in her head, however, and she need not jump to conclusions just yet.

Pulling out her swimsuit, she set it aside on the bed before opening the closet up and removing the hangers. This would be a long week and she needed to pace herself, she decided.

---***---

Stepping out of the taxi, Riane and Joe looked at the large two story home surrounded by palm trees. The ocean was so close that they could both smell and taste it in the air.

Both smiled at each other as they made their way up the long walk way and knocked on the door. Even if they knew their friend's would be inside, Riane feared they might have gotten the address wrong.

The door opened and Emma, who was wearing a one piece red swimsuit and a towel around her waste, smiled at them. "Yeah! I am so happy you are here!"

Riane returned the smile and the two hugged even though they had just seen each other that morning. "You smell like the ocean."

Joe didn't acknowledge her and tried her best not to look annoyed that she had been the one to open the door. All she could think was, "Just make yourself at home, why don't you?"

"Seth and I went swimming." She stepped aside to let them in and they both looked around the entry way. To their right was the kitchen and living area, and to the left was the stairs down.

Riane and Joe stepped inside both holding one case and wheeling the other behind them. When they were inside and the door was closed, they set their large luggage down and looked around the house with wonder.

"This is so beautiful." Riane said out loud.

Joe agreed with a nod.

"Watch this." Emma smirked before walking over to the hallway and shouting, "Riane and Joe are here!"

Within seconds, the sounds of stomping and doors slamming could be heard downstairs. Julian and Dalen ascended the stairway both shoving each other in the arm trying to be the first to reach the top.

Julian smiled at Riane, ignoring Joe completely. "How was your flight? Did they give you something to eat? Do you want a snack?"

Riane returned the smile, "I am fine, thank you, and the flight was just fine."

After hearing from him that she looked annoyed by him in front of others, she realized that she was acting inappropriately. She decided to treat him the same among their friends as she did when they were alone. No more eye rolls or sighs unless they were genuine.

"That's good to hear." Dalen said to her and seemed to be trying his best not to address Joe though he kept taking glimpses out of the corner of his eye.

"Let me take your stuff to your room." Julian reached out of the two suitcases and began to head down the stairs.

Dalen cleared his throat and looked towards Joe, "May I?"

She nodded and offered out the luggage. The two men disappeared while Emma leaned against the wall trying her best not to laugh out loud.

"Wow." Joe mouthed while the two were still in earshot.

"What the hell got into Dalen? He's usually the mature one." Riane finally spoke. "It's like he is taking Julian's Art of Seduction class."

Both Emma and Joe giggled at her comment.

"He is probably just nervous that I am here after what happened. It will pass as we become more comfortable." Joe turned around and headed into the kitchen. She immediately saw the view of the blue ocean. "Riane, come here."

Stepping into the kitchen, Riane looked out of the windows. "So, beautiful."

"It isn't cold either." Emma told them. "Seth is still out there. I just came in for more sun screen when I heard the knock."

"How was your time spent with him?" Riane leaned against the island.

"It was a lot of fun actually."

"Well, head back out there. There isn't much to do on the first day but pick a restaurant." Riane motioned with her hand towards the back of the house.

Emma smiled and gently touched Riane's shoulder before giving it a slight squeeze. "I am glad you are here now. Both of you."

Joe gave a fake grin as she watched the girl skip towards the back of the house and out the door.

"I am starting to think they might like each other." Riane said out loud when the door shut behind her friend.

Joe walked over to the couch and flung herself upon it. "I kind of want to take a nap. That guy sitting next to me kept trying to steal my arm rest the entire flight. I feel like I have fought a battle."

Riane smirked as she heard the sounds of footsteps heading up the stairs. Julian arrived in the kitchen first with a grin followed by Dalen, who looked around to find Joe.

"Do you want to go swimming?" Julian asked when he saw her staring at the ocean and he hoped he had spotted a desire in her. He wanted to be able to fulfill her wish list on this trip as much as possible.

"I thought you didn't like the ocean." Riane partly teased, but she was concerned for him. Before he could make an argument about how it was for the sea creatures, she spoke again. "I don't really feel comfortable in a swimsuit anyway. I thought I would be able to do all that stuff, but I doubt I'll touch the ocean this trip."

"Nonsense. If I am willing to get over my fear of the ocean, you can put on a swimsuit and enjoy yourself."

Riane nodded in agreement, and felt happy to know that she was getting over a fear next to her friend. It would make it easier. "Alright, but tomorrow. I am tired from the flight and waiting around the airport."

"Tomorrow then." Julian noticed Dalen heading over to the living area and sit down on the couch across from Joe. She had her head tossed back and was resting her eyes.

"How about a walk on the beach then? Throw on a sundress and leave out the shoes?" Julian suggested and his heart raced for fear that she would say no. He had been waiting since that morning to see her again and as dark as he made his room the sun shined through those curtians just fine. So there was no meditation room to make his time pass faster. He could have used the bathroom, but he wouldn't have had a bed in there. Instead, he had laid on the blankets and allowed the minutes to pass like hours.

"A walk before dinner sounds nice. I'll go change." Riane left the room and quickly descended the stairs.

Julian smirked at the fact that she liked and had agreed to his idea. "What are you two going to do?"

Dalen shrugged his shoulders and leaned back against the couch with his arms spread over the back. "Hang out."

Joe sat up and stretched out her arms. "I think I am going to take a nap. Can one of you walk me up before we pick a restaurant?"

"Yeah." Dalen told her as she got up from the couch and followed behind Riane.

With the two women gone the house went silent for several moments, as they both waited for Riane to appear. When she did, she wore a light blue dress with large pink flowers and a sunhat.

"Ready?" She asked.

Julian hurried over to the couch and pulled off his socks and shoes. "Alright, let's go. We can collect sea shells along the way."

"Alright."

Dalen watched the two step out of the house and sat forward when they were out of sight. He thought about the woman downstairs and how she was so close right now. They were alone, but he knew he had to bide his time. They had only been broken up for a few days and it had been a rash decision on her part. He was going to try to win her back, but he knew he needed to work slowly and make sure it was her choice.

---***---

The group stepped outside with itineraries in hand and backpacks filled with sun screen, swim suits, towels, and any other items they thought they might need. The morning had been spent discussing their plans for the day and ensuring that everybody would know where everyone else would be and at what times.

It was decided where they would eat and find each other to switch partners for those that wanted to do different things. The excitement level was palatable as they all filtered out of the house.

"I am going to eat so much coconut and pineapple while I am here." Emma announced as they stepped out the door.

Riane chuckled at her remark and turned her head so she could see her friend before speaking. "Macadamia nuts for me."

"Oh, good call." Emma spoke with enthusiasm. "We should buy the most outrageous tourist shirt in the world to take home with us as a joke to ourselves."

Seth shook his head with an amused look upon his face. "I think you two should pace yourselves."

Julian snorted, "Riane can move at whatever pace she wants. She's never been on vacation like this before and I plan on doing everything with her that she wants."

"That's nice of you, Julian, but I will want to hang out with Joe and Emma. WE have a girls thing already planned." Riane tried to tell him in a pleasant voice.

"Don't worry, he'll stalk you from the bushes." Dalen teased.

"Yeah, Riane, don't you think for a moment that Julian will let you out of his sight." Seth added and the group laughed, except for Joe who had been icy all morning.

"Hey, guys!" A familiar voice rang out and they all looked across the screen as a woman came hurrying down the sidewalk. It was as if she had been waiting for them.

"What is Adonia doing here?" Julian asked as he stared at the woman who was running towards them with a purse in hand.

Dalen gave a long groan, "She called me and asked about our plans. I should have realized that she was fishing for information."

Riane snorted, "She did the same to me. Actually, I might be the reason she called you in the first place."

Adonia arrived in front of the group of six with a big smile on her face. "I heard you guys were going to be here and I thought I'd surprise you!" She was speaking more to Julian than anyone else.

"That's wonderful, but we already have everything planned out for the day. Maybe you can join us tomorrow?" Emma knew of the woman but they had never been formally introduced.

Adonia had seen Emma sitting down with Riane and Julian during lunches, but she didn't know why she would address her. "That's fine. I'll just hang out and do whatever you are doing." She was definitely speaking only to Julian that time and it was emphasized by the way she grabbed his elbow with one hand and his hand with the other.

Joe sighed audibly, "I am going to use the bathroom." She announced before heading back inside. In truth, she just wanted to get away from this conversation as she could already see it would head no where good.

Dalen said nothing as he followed her inside, though everyone knew it was probably to talk with her alone.

Riane frowned at the woman in front of her and wondered what had gotten into her sweet friend. This wasn't the Adonia she knew and she didn't like that way she freely handled her fiancee even if it was fake, Adonia didn't know that. It was disrespectful.

Seth and Emma shared a glance before heading back inside themselves. It was obvious that they weren't part of whatever was happening between the three of them.

"Well, we were about to go have lunch together and then split up for the day. You are welcome to join us." Riane invited her.

Adonia bounced up and down in excitement though it seemed as if she was trying to rub her chest against Julian's arm.

Julian pulled his arm away after another moment and tossed his free arm around Riane. "Riane and I really wanted some alone time today, so today is not a good time. I am sorry, maybe one of the others want you to come along."

"Don't be rude." Riane mumbled under her breath and tried not to be bothered by his arm around her shoulder.

Adonia had frowned for a moment but a smile slowly reappeared. "Thank you, Riane."

"No, we had plans." Julian growled to Riane though his frustration was with Adonia.

"I promise you I won't be a bother. Please? I know it was rude to show up without telling you first, but this was a last minute idea. All my friends are in Europe and Blake and I broke up. Please?" She directed this inquiry towards Riane because she knew she was the softer one of the two. Placing her hands together she begged to add to the look of desperation.

"You can come with us." Riane told her and with that Julian mumbled several curse words under his breath and headed back inside.

Adonia bounced once more. "Oh, thank you, Riane. I appreciate this so much. I promise I won't get in the way."

The thought of telling her she already did crossed her mind, but she decided to keep that rude comment to herself.

"And for being so nice, I have something to tell you." Adonia stepped closer to her and spoke softly into her ear even though there was no one around to hear her, so it seemed more theatrical then necessary. "Do you know the reason that Blake broke up with me?"

Riane didn't know what was an appropriate response, so she remained quiet.

"He is in love with you." She said almost proudly. The look on her face wasn't one that Riane would expect to get such news from. I mean if she was a best friend telling her that her crush liked her then yes, but this was not the look of a jilted woman looking for revenge.

"I don't think so." They were the only words that she could combine together after hearing such a thing and seeing such a sight.

Adonia nodded her head, "It's true. I accused him of it and he admitted it. He has been in love with you for a long time, and he was always afraid to act on it."

"I see." Riane still had no idea how to respond to this information and she wondered if it was even accurate.

"Anyway, I am going to take a peek at your place, alright?" She asked and headed inside before she even saw Riane nod.

Sitting down on the cement stairs, Riane wondered why her heart didn't flutter at this news. Was it because Adonia, Blake's ex-girlfriend, was telling her? It was strange to receive such information in such a friendly way from a woman who had just been broken up with by that very same man.

The door behind her opened and Emma stepped outside to sit on the cement stairs with her. "Are you alright?"

Riane nodded, "Yeah. I think Seth is right, I just need to pace myself or I'll be exhausted before anything happens." She didn't want to tell Emma what Adonia said, and she had no idea why she wouldn't. Emma and Joe would be better suited to figuring out why Adonia would tell her such a thing.

"Alright, well, we should gather everyone up and head to the restaurant. It's late enough in the day as it is. If those dumb asses hadn't gotten so drunk and hung over last night, we would be out and about already."

Riane laughed and gave a nod. "Yeah, let's get started."

---***---

While Riane and the other had been chatting outside with Adonia, Joe had made her way to the patio to look out over the ocean. There were some families nearby that were playing on the beach, but for the most part it only looked like people that owned or rented the beach houses.

She knew she shouldn't have come along. Since she arrived all she had done was act annoyed by Emma and tried her best to avoid Dalen. She couldn't even explain to herself the former, and knew exactly why she was avoiding the latter.

All evening long last night, Dalen had been looking her way and trying to start up conversations with her. It took everything she had to not ruining the evening by yelling at him to leave her alone.

What had she been thinking? She broke up with Dalen and then she thought it would be a good idea to go on a one week vacation with him. It was especially annoying considering that everyone else had found pairs. Emma and Seth seemed to be enjoying each other's time, and Julian would not be letting Riane out of his sight.

This would mean that she had no choice but to be someone's third wheel unless Dalen was there in which case she would be abandoned to him. It was difficult to decide who she would even hang out with anyway. She had decided on Riane and Julian, but Julian was far more annoying than Emma could ever be.

She liked him better when he was a complete ass, but this cupid's arrow version of him was intolerable. She didn't know how Riane didn't punch him in the face every time he opened his mouth. Such uncomfortable declarations of love and cheesy lines. It was worse that Riane didn't even act annoyed by it anymore, she simply played along. If her friend really didn't want to be with him, she wasn't making it any easier on herself.

"Hey." Dalen's voice called her out of her thoughts as he opened the sliding door and stepped out onto the porch.

Joe turned around quickly and put her hand over her heart. She had been startled and the angry burning up inside of her wanted to yell at him even though it wasn't his fault, but she calmed herself before she was the cause of drama on this trip. Not that she could beat out Adonia. That woman had won the crown. "You scared me."

Dalen smirked, "I see that. Sorry."

She shook her head and turned back around to look at the ocean as Dalen walked over to stand next to her. They both leaned on the wooden banister and watched the waves for a few moments.

Joe wondered why he had come out here, but she didn't want to be the one to start a conversation. Surprisingly, she wasn't ill at ease with his presence even though her mind told her that the lack of feeling uncomfortable is what made it uncomfortable.

"So, I was thinking." Dalen finally spoke and turned to face her so that he was only leaning on one arm.

Joe already didn't like the start of this conversation as she had a feeling she knew where it was going to head.

"Emma and Seth are hitting it off, and I think those two are going to end up ditching the group entirely. I also think that Julian has several plans that include annoying Riane in his attempt to woo her. We won't be invited to some of those, which means you and I are going to have a lot of time either walking this island alone or awkwardly together." He watched her nod.

"Yeah, I had similar thoughts. I shouldn't have come. I am not in the mood for this type of trip and I don't want to be the wet blanket." She inhaled deeply of the ocean air.

"Yeah, the wet blanket is Adonia. Like what the fuck is up with that? She literately got information from Riane and I in order to like stalk Julian here. Did you even know she liked Julian? I mean I am reading that right, right?" He chuckled.

Joe shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, but the two of them are a match made in heaven. If only we could get Julian to look Adonia's way again. That would ease Riane's life."

Dalen laughed, "I think he is pretty dead set." He sighed and went quiet for a moment, "I want to suggest something, if I may."

Joe turned towards him as she stood completely up. "What is that?"

"Let's use this week to be like a trial run of our relationship. We aren't together, but we aren't broken up yet. If at the end, you really don't want us to be together then we will be done." Dalen swallowed for fear that he would get an immediate response of no.

She seemed to think about it for a moment, "What do you mean exactly?"

"I mean we both seemed to misunderstand each other in our first fight, by the way. I think I deeply offended you and didn't try to understand where you were coming from, and I think the reverse can be said about you. Do you agree?"

Joe nodded her head.

"So, let's retract our break up for one week, but with no belief that we will remain together or in any way have to act as a couple. I guess I am saying is, Jolene Bradford, will you be my friend on this trip while being open to the idea that you could be my girlfriend again?" He put his hands together and pouted his lips.

She chuckled, "Alright, but only because this shit will get awkward fast. I don't want to be running around Hawaii by myself or acting as a third wheel."

"Whew, good, because neither do I." He looked inside to see most of the group had come in from the front yard. "So, that guy Neil..."

"I am allowed to have male friends. You have female ones. Don't go there." Joe frowned.

Dalen immediately threw up his hands, "My bad, let's not start our new friendship this way then. Um, any reason that you dislike Emma?"

Joe sucked on his bottom lip and glared at him. "Drop it."

"Ok." He stood for a moment thinking about what else he could talk about that would be safe. "Oh, I got one. How fucking weird if it that Julian actually fell for Riane, but not her for him? I mean, did anyone see that coming?"

She began to smirk, "I know, right? After that big stink he made about this whole ordeal for him to suddenly want a relationship with her, so strange."

"No kidding. And what kind of fucking dork is he? I can't believe that person was secretly living in my friend all along, and Riane was the one to pull him out. Who is that person? What is happening?" He turned his back to the banister and leaned his back against it before crossing his arms. "He is constantly running around trying to do things for her."

"I am more worried that Riane is just accepting the behavior now. It's like she doesn't even notice it." Joe didn't know why they were having this conversation, as she wasn't usually one to gossip, but it was a safe topic to discuss at this time.

"Do you think Adonia will be able to win him over?" He had already said that he didn't believe she could, but it was the only question that came to mind.

She shrugged and pressed her lips together, "By every measurable account, Adonia is better than Riane. From a man's perspective, I mean."

"I guess so. She is prettier. She doesn't have anxiety. Her family has an established career waiting for her. However, there is one thing that Riane has that Adonia doesn't."

"And what's that?" Joe asked as they watched Emma, Seth, and Julian talking to each other in the kitchen.

"Everything Julian wants." He looked over to her. "Her."

Joe smiled gently, "You really think that he is that into her?"

"I know he is." Dalen knew he was speaking about himself more than Julian, but he doubted that was getting through to her.

"Is that Adonia?" Joe stepped forward as she watched Adonia look around the house. "That bitch convinced Riane to let her follow us around, I just know it."

---***---

The little place they found for lunch was just a small building that was entirely made up of a kitchen with outdoor seating of picnic benches. Their food came in Styrofoam containers and mostly everyone ordered some sort of meat over rice.

Dalen and Joe had excused themselves from the group for the day before even arriving at the restaurant. It was odd to see them head off together, but they explained that they were going to hang out just the two of them. Everyone understood, even though Riane didn't like the fact that her guest was being taken away. She didn't say anything, because it was just one day.

On one side of the bench sat Seth and Emma and on the other was Julian in the center between Riane and Adonia.

Adonia had ordered kabobs and was pulling all the items off the stick to place over her rice. She mumbled under her breath that this should have been done for her. The other four members of the group who ate with plastic forks shook their head at her, and gave annoyed knowing glares to each other.

"Here try some of this." Julian took a piece of his meat out of the container and gently laid it on top of Riane's rice.

She picked it up with her fork and chewed it, "That's really sweet. Mine is more spicy." She grabbed a piece and set it on his rice.

Julian hurried to eat it and coughed, "Too spicy." He swallowed it down and drank some of his water, while the group laughed.

"Can I try some of yours, Julian?" Adonia asked with a sickly sweet tone in her voice and hit his arm gently with her shoulder.

He frowned and spoke harshly. "No, I can't be sharing with everybody otherwise I won't have any for myself."

"Julian." Riane called his name as if it were a reprimand.

"What? Is it not true?" Julian asked her and then looked at Seth and Emma to gain their approval, but they both immediately looked down at their own food.

"Don't be rude." She scolded, before turning her attention to the woman beside him. "Do you want to try some of mine, Adonia?"

She shook her head, "No, I have an aversion to spicy foods."

Emma could see the snark in the woman's reply and decided it was best to change the subject all together. "We are going scuba diving after this, right?"

Seth nodded his head excitedly with a mouthful of food, but he tried to say yes anyway only to cover his mouth to prevent any food loss.

"I love scuba diving. I bet you are a natural, Julian." Adonia said with a smile before cutting up a piece of the meat. She then stabbed it onto her fork before stabbing a piece of pineapple.

"Julian doesn't like the ocean." Riane told her and tried her best not to frown.

Adonia was obviously trying to flirt with Julian, but she had no idea that her relationship with Julian was fake. This was quite rude behavior and Riane didn't care for it, but she didn't know what to say other than to outright accuse her of it. Julian didn't seem bothered by it and Riane thought maybe it was welcomed otherwise he would say something to that effect.

"Oh." Adonia frowned, "Why not?"

Julian's pressed his lips together and his face started to turn red. "It's unnatural for humans to go into the ocean. That's where sharks live not us!"

Everyone but Adonia laughed at his reaction.

"What's so funny? You shouldn't make fun of someone's fears. That's rude." Adonia snapped at them. "You are right, though, Julian. It really isn't our place. Why don't you and I do something else while the others go scuba diving? I bet there is all sorts of fun we can find around here."

"No, I promised Riane that I would go with her." He continued to eat his food and seemed oblivious to what Adonia was actually asking of him.

Riane swallowed down some strange feeling in her chest. "You don't have to come, Julian. I am sure you would have more fun with Adonia then dealing with the ocean."

He brought his brows together and glared at her for a moment. "We said we were facing our fears together. Do you think I make promises like that and then run away when it is my turn to pay up? I am going scuba diving and none of you can stop me."

"What fear do you have, Riane?" Emma asked with concern.

She cleared her throat as she thought about wearing a swimsuit in front of everyone, but before she could answer Julian slammed his hand onto the table.

"Don't ask people that. They'll tell you when they want you to know." Julian barked but it somehow came off as more playful than anything else.

Emma grinned, "Of course. You're right." She knew he was protecting Riane and she would ask her later. No doubt the person he was protecting her from was Adonia. No need to give her any weakness since it was obvious that Adonia was coming after Julian, and Emma could see that this made Riane anxious even if she didn't see it herself.

Adonia smacked her lips together briefly and continued to eat. Emma could see the annoyance growing within her and wondered what the hell the woman was really up to. She hadn't interacted with her much especially not at school, but this just didn't seem to be the way she normally acted. She usually smiled and waved at Riane and the others and seemed polite enough.

This sudden interest in Julian seemed suspicious, but Emma was new to the group and didn't know exactly what Adonia's place among them was. It was another item to add to the list of things to ask Riane later.

"So, Joe and Dalen running off together is a little weird, right?" Emma once again wanted to change the subject. "I thought they broke up."

"Yeah, they didn't even talk much to each other last night, and suddenly they want to spend the day together. Do you think they made up?" Riane poked at her food, even she needed small breaks between spicy bites.

"I think Dalen would have told me that." Seth interrupted before Emma could speak. "He has been talking non-stop about trying to convince her to get back together though. Maybe this is all part of his plan."

Julian snorted as he shoved more food in his mouth then began to talk. "She's kind of a bitch. I don't know why he'd want any of that."

Riane frowned, "First of all, don't talk with food in your mouth. Second of all, that is my best friend you are talking about."

He swallowed his food down, "Sorry."

"Wow, you just boss your fiancee around like that, Riane? That is rather harsh right in front of all of us, isn't it?" Adonia scoffed and looked towards the people sitting across from her for validation. They both looked down at their food.

Riane was about to defend herself and even apologize a little, but Julian spoke up before her.

"She can talk to me however she fucking wants. I'll decide if its rude or not. I don't need someone running to my side to protect me." Julian didn't sound angry, it seemed like he was genuinely explaining the situation. "Do you see how tiny she is? I think I can take her."

Riane smirked at his comment, which made Seth and Emma chuckle, though Adonia seemed unamused.

"I see." She hissed and returned her attention to her food.

Emma looked between the three and wondered if anyone was aware of what was happening here. Adonia was obviously frustrated that her attempts were failing. Julian seemed blissfully unaware that anything was happening, while Riane looked distressed and then relieved whenever Julian chose her instead. It wasn't her place to say anything so she decided to just watch the drama unfold, at least for now.

-***-

Marcus was the name of the instructor for their scuba diving lesson. He was a tall and handsome man that walked around without a shirt to be seen, even when giving the long lecture about safety and how to use the equipment inside the small hut off the beach.

It wasn't until he put the wet suit on for them that his chest muscles finally disappeared and the two men in the room could finally stop trying to buff themselves up. It had been a tiring endeavor that had been truly worthless as the girls hadn't noticed. Adonia and Emma had their eyes locked on the handsome instructor, and Riane was stuck in her own swim suit hell.

The five of them were the only ones in the class during that time. Marcus had been more than willing to smile and wink at all three females in the group. Though Riane seemed oblivious to his flirtations which only made the instructor more intent of getting the girl to pay attention to him. It seemed he had never been told no before or in Riane's case, he had never not been noticed before by a woman.

She wasn't the most beautiful among the three girls and that was the only reason that Adonia could come up with for why he kept touching her and smiling at her more.

"Alright, let's get the gear and suit up." Marcus clasped his hands together and motioned towards the lockers where each person could find their equipment.

Adonia was quick to rush to Julian's side and since Julian chose the locker at the end of the row there was no space for Riane to stand next to him. She instead took the spot next to Adonia and gave a concerned look towards Emma.

Emma was partly engaged in a conversation with Seth about how excited they were to be doing this, but she was watching enough to be able to give an annoyed shrug to her friend.

When everyone had their wet suits, they sat down on the bench. Everyone was wearing their swim suits with Adonia in a bikini and the other two girls in one pieces. Seth and Julian were wearing tight swimming trunks.

"Now, put your feet in and pull them higher than you would a normal pair of pants without bringing them over your knees." Marcus instructed. "When you get that done, keep pulling excess up so that you can get the suit over your knees and hips. Help each other if your partner needs it."

He watched as each member of the class did as they were instructed. Riane was having an issue and he came over to assist her which caused him to touch her hips in the process.

Julian watched intently and before any reaction came to mind, Adonia's face appeared in his eye sight.

"I've put these things on hundreds of times before. I love scuba diving it is so much fun and I just know you'll love it once you get started. Do you want some help?" She asked with a wide smile and began to help him without hearing his answer.

Julian did need the help and tolerated her intrusion. He didn't see Riane look over at him and frown at their interaction. "Thank you."

Marcus stepped back when he was finished then motioned for Riane to come towards him. "It's an odd number class so I'll be your partner and use you to show the class, is that ok?" He gave her one of his best smiles.

Riane nodded and returned the smile. She felt uncomfortable being the center of attention, but she tried to fight it away. She was already fighting her urge to run away screaming as she was wearing a swimsuit in front of everyone.

When she had first appeared Julian hand squeezed her hand and told her she looked great, which eased some of her nervousness. She had been feeling slightly better by this whole experience until Adonia stole the person that was supposed to help her get over her fears and she wanted to be there to help him with his own.

Julian was not pleased by Marcus touching Riane as he had already used himself to demonstrate how the wet suit went on. This seemed like unnecessary touching to him.

Seth and Emma paid attention to the instructor and weren't all that worried about what the other three were doing. Though it was obvious that some sort of jealousy war was going on to Emma, but her attention was focused more on Seth.

"Do the same with your arms." He helped Riane put her hands in. "Pull it up further than you would normally pull on a shirt so that you can get the excess all the way up to your shoulders. Ask your partner for help if you need it."

He assisted Riane in getting her arms into each sleeve and then pulled the excess up for her over her shoulders.

Adonia was helping Julian and noticed that his eyes were watching the instructor and Riane with intensity. "Are you nervous about getting in the water?"

He didn't reply to her and continued to stare.

"Julian? Julian?" She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes.

Julian seemed to come back to her for a moment. "Sorry, what?"

"Are you nervous about getting in the water?" She repeated and watched as he slowly turned his attention back to Riane.

"No, I am more concerned about the animals that lurk within the water." He frowned as he watched the instructor.

Adonia chuckled, "I suppose that is what I meant."

On the other side of the room, Seth and Emma helped one another when Emma couldn't get the wet suit over her shoulders.

"Just getting into the suit is quite the workout." Emma joked and Seth grinned at her as he yanked the excess up as much as he could.

"Now, remember to give yourself excess in the armpits so that you can put your hands up over your head comfortably." Marcus told them and then reached for Riane's armpits.

She jumped back with a giggle, "I'll do that."

"Someone is ticklish." Marcus teased.

"No, I just hate having my armpits touched by others. I can't even lay on my back with my hands behind my head if someone else is nearby. I get nervous they will try to touch them." She told him with humor in his voice.

"When I was a kid I had that same problem, but with my feet. People thought my feet were ticklish, but I really just hated having them touched." He continued to smile as he related to her.

"Exactly. I hate when people think its funny to tickle me." Riane put her hands above her head briefly. "Ok, I have a good range of motion."

"Perfect, and don't worry I won't tickle you unless you ask me to." Marcus winked at her and gave a charming grin.

Riane looked at him blankly for a moment, "Why would I ask you? I just told you how much I hate it."

Julian smiled widely at her flat out rejection of the man, while Marcus stood dumbfounded at her response.

"I didn't mean..." He shook his head and turned back to the class. "Ok, zip up and apply the lubricate around the neck area to avoid chaffing. I'll get the air tanks out to the beach and you will meet me there."

Marcus helped her quickly to zip up then handed her the tube of lubricate before leaving the room.

Riane applied it around her neck and then noticed Adonia basically acting as Julian's scuba diving squire as she applied the lubricate around his neck for him.

"Thanks." He mumbled to her when Adonia finished and began to apply it to herself.

Riane smiled at him when he looked towards her. "Are you nervous?"

Julian took a deep breath and smacked his hands together. "You'll hold my hand the entire way, right?"

With a grin, Riane nodded. "Metaphorically speaking, we are swimming and need both hands."

-***-

After spending a couple hours in the ocean, the group had climbed out and changed back into their clothes. The girls had all put their hair in ponytails since the water destroyed their hair styles. It was a bit harder for Riane to do since her hair was shorter, but Emma used hairspray to get any loose pieces from falling.

They laughed and giggled about what they had seen and said all the things they had wanted to say while underwater.

Riane had tried to stick near Julian, but every time she turned around Adonia had whisked him away. He didn't seem to put up much of a fight and she decided that he had wanted to go with her. A pit began to form in her stomach as she thought that she might lose her friend to this other woman. They were supposed to spend this vacation together, but it seemed Adonia was dead set on stealing every second that she could.

Seth and Emma seemed closer than ever before and the two flirted at other table with one another, while Adonia showed Julian the photos that had been taken. There was a video as well that they were waiting to receive from Marcus.

Even though Riane was sitting with them, she wasn't privy to any of the photos that had been sent to them as they sat on the benches near the beach. She sighed as she realized that she was the fifth wheel on this double date.

It was supposed to be six people that allowed for three groups of two at any given time. No one was meant to be left out. They had discussed this several times as one of her fears of going on this trip and every single person that said they wouldn't let it happen had done just that.

Her phone began to vibrate in her short's pocket and she reached in to see Blake's name on the screen. She didn't know what he wanted nor did she care, she just didn't want to be left standing here all by herself talking to nobody.

Stepping away from the table, she answered the phone and didn't see Julian watch her walk away with curiosity. "Hey, Blake."

Julian heard the name as she walked further away towards the bathrooms, and he frowned deeply.

"How is your trip going? Am I interrupting?" He asked the second question quickly as if he had meant to ask it first.

"We went scuba diving. It was so amazing." She told him and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"Really? You wore a swimsuit in front of other people? I thought Joe and I were the only lucky ones." He teased in a friendly manner.

Riane giggled, "Yeah, I guess I am getting more confident in that area." She remembered suddenly the words that Adonia had spoken to her that morning. Her heart didn't race, but she felt a sudden discomfort with talking to him so casually. "Adonia is here."

"What? I didn't know you invited her. That was nice of you." Blake sounded genuine in his praise and didn't seem hurt at the mention of his ex-girlfriend.

"I didn't. She called Dalen and me to get information about where we were going, and just showed up all on her own." Riane tried not to sound bitter but it was a losing battle. "She has been flirting with Julian since the moment she arrived. Literately, pushing me out of the way at times. It just so not like the girl that you were dating."

"Are you serious? She loathes Julian. Why would she be..." He cut himself off when a thought came to mind. "She may be trying to punish you. I'd be careful. Something in her just snapped after we broke up, and I think she is angry with you."

She didn't want to ask him directly if he announced his love for her to Adonia, but something in his warning made her think that it was probably true. "She is being weird and standoffish towards me. You might be right."

"Do you want me to call her?"

Riane thought for a moment before answering, "No, I am a big girl. I can handle this on my own."

"Alright. Have you given any thought to moving in with me?" There was a nervousness in his voice as he asked the question.

"I am going to stay with the Swithins for now, at least that is what was decided before coming here. If Adonia has her way my staying with them will be awkward." She exhaled loudly, "I don't know. Can we put a pin in it for now?"

"Sure. I have already made up my second bedroom for you. It's available at a moment's notice. Anytime, alright?" He sounded more like a man offering shelter to an abused woman than to his friend, whose fiance was being stolen by his ex-girlfriend.

"Who are you talking to?" Julian draped his arm over Riane's shoulder.

"Blake."

Before she even knew it was happening, Julian snatched the phone out of her hand and placed it to his ear. He held her at bay with his other hand. "Hey, Blake. It's Julian! We are on vacation right now and shouldn't be taking phone calls while others are waiting for us. Please refrain from calling in the future."

"Um, ok. Let me talk to Riane." He somewhat ordered panicked.

"Nope, we have plans. Got to go." Julian hung up the phone as Riane tried desperately to grab for her phone. Julian's long arm kept her from getting close enough, but when he hung up he handed the phone back to her. "So, rude of you to be chatting on your phone while every one else wants to get moving. You are holding us all up."

Riane looked towards the others. Seth and Emma were still chatting and Adonia had followed Julian over. "They don't look like they are ready to leave yet."

"They would be ready to go at a moment's notice, because they are not on their phones." He retorted. "Now, we'll need to make our way home soon since you and I have dinner duty tonight." With that he turned back to Seth and Emma and seemed to be heading towards them to give out his orders. Neither woman saw the satisfied grin he held on his lips.

Adonia smiled gently, "How is Blake?"

"He seemed fine." She remembered Blake's warning and wondered to herself how that nice girl from school could be the same woman standing beside her.

"You've won, you know." She held her grin, but there was something of a feeling of manipulation that Riane couldn't quite place.

"Won what?" Riane felt nervous.

If Blake was right then Adonia was just using Julian to make her jealous, but if he was wrong then Julian had a chance of having the girl of his dreams. She didn't want to be the one that cast doubt in his mind about Adonia. She also didn't want to be the one that allowed a woman to manipulate his emotions and then crush him.

"Blake." Adonia told her with humor in her voice as if she should have known that. "You don't have to play hard to get. He really loves you and wants you to move in with him. I told you he said he loved you. That's what caused all those break ups. The girls figured out who his real feelings belonged to. You've been his girlfriend all along, he just forgot the kiss and fucking parts." She laughed as she covered her mouth playfully, "Whoops, shouldn't be cursing like that. Sorry."

Riane swallowed, "Are you alright? You don't seem to be acting like yourself."

"I am fine, why?" Adonia watched her shrug, "You have Blake now. So, you can stop pretending with Julian and have a real relationship with him. It will be healthier for you in the long run."

Riane said nothing as Julian called from the benches for them to get moving and Adonia immediately ran towards him like a dog being called by their master.

-***-

Seth and Emma followed the group of three up to the door of the beach house, but didn't enter to take a moment alone. They had been giving each other looks over the odd trio all day and now was the time they could actively speak about it.

"Be right in." Emma spoke loudly before shutting the door and turning to Seth with exasperation in her eyes.

"Wow." Was the only word that Seth could conjure in that moment. He couldn't believe Adonia's behavior.

"This is weird, right?" Emma asked in a low tone. "I mean what is up with Julian? He declares all this love with Riane, but he spent almost all day playing with Adonia."

"I know, when we were scuba diving, Riane practically spent all her time with Marcus. I think I saw Julian with her once." He cleared his throat. "I don't know what is going on inside that head of his, but this is fucking uncool."

"Should we talk to him and see what is going on?" She didn't like the hurt look that Riane carried with her all day.

Seth gave a nod, "No, I think we should go out and do something on our own. Give Dalen and Joe the heads up and let them work it out on their own."

She thought for a moment, before replying. "Should we really be so cruel as to leave Riane alone with them?"

"Look, I don't know if Riane was acting jealous of her friend or if it was more. I mean, if looks could kill, right?" He paused as he watched her laugh. "But now is the time for her to figure it out. She can step aside and let Adonia have him or she can shoulder her way in."

Emma looked hesitant and played with her fingers as she thought over his words. She knew they made some sense but leaving her friend all alone was unsettling. "Do you really think that was jealousy?"

"I don't know. I just think Julian has made himself very clear in his intentions while Riane says she isn't interested but then accepts all the benefits of being his girlfriend. She needs to make a decision, don't you think?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

She exhaled loudly, "I feel like I am abandoning my friend here, but I guess you are right. Even if this is only over friendship, she needs to let Adonia know that she is butting in where she doesn't belong." She held up her index finger towards him. "I am going to tell her that we are going to hang out together and let whatever happens happen."

"I'll call Dalen and let him know. Hopefully, Joe will agree." He pulled out his cellphone as she stepped out of sight through the door.

She found Riane standing in the kitchen with Julian on the couch. Adonia was sitting so close to him that their thighs were touching and she continued to go through the photos that Marcus had sent them.

"Hey, Seth and I are going to head out by ourselves for dinner, alright?" Emma could see the plea that said she didn't want to be left alone and immediately she wanted to backtrack on her words. She knew in her heart that while Seth's words made sense, the real reason was she just wanted to spend more time alone with him. She was being selfish.

"Ok, I guess it will be the three of us then." Riane said with a pleasant smile which broke Emma's heart a little.

"We will be back soon."

Riane watched her exit the house and looked over at Adonia and Julian. The two laughed and Adonia touched his arm whenever she could.

This was not how this vacation was supposed to go. Her friends were not supposed to abandon her to play with their want to be love interests. She expected it to happen from time to time, but not all at once.

Standing alone in the kitchen, she could feel herself getting angry. Adonia wasn't supposed to be here. She hijacked their scuba diving time, their meal time, and now their evening time. She destroyed any plans they had made that morning as well.

Riane was angered and confused by Adonia's actions. None of it made any sense. She didn't know this person and this person certainly didn't seem like she was her friend.

"Where are Emma and Seth?" Julian asked from the living room as Adonia continued to look through pictures on her phone, but she sat at such an angle that her shoulder touched Julian's in order for him to see the screen.

"They went to hang out together." Riane told him and tried to make her voice sound as sweet as possible even though she was bitter inside. "I think they have a thing for each other."

Adonia smiled at her, "It must be going around."

That was obviously a hint for her to get lost and leave Julian to her, and she couldn't think of anything else she could do. Julian had obviously stopped wanting to be with her and had decided that he would rather spend some time with Adonia.

She was the third wheel and all of his talk about liking her had been what? Lies? She wanted to cry as she felt her heartbreak. She wished she had never come on this vacation with them. She would rather had stayed home where nothing would have changed. This was meant to be her special vacation and it was more of a nightmare where she was left all alone in a strange place.

"That's a good one of you." Julian told her. "Are you playing with it's stomach? Is that how to got it to stay there?"

"It was the strangest thing, it liked being pet." Adonia giggled, "I just rubbed it's underbelly and it just hung around me."

Julian chuckled and looked up towards Riane, "Pretty awesome day, huh? I went in the ocean, you wore your swimsuit. We are both knocking those fears down, aren't we? Maybe after dinner, we can get everyone together and build a bonfire on the beach."

Before Riane could reply, Adonia answered. "We should probably see if that is legal first though?"

He nodded his head, "You're right. Wouldn't want to end our first day here having a chat with the police."

"Since it's the three of us, why don't I make dinner?" Adonia clasped her hands together in excitement.

"It's Riane and my night to make it. We couldn't impose." His voice was much sweeter then when he talked to anyone else.

"I imposed on you all day. It would be a thank you for letting me come along. If anything you can help me." She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave a large smile.

"Well, if Riane is fine with it then..." He looked towards the kitchen and found it empty. "Where'd she go?"

Adonia shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe she went to the bathroom?"

Julian stood up from the couch and quickly ran around the house calling out Riane's name, but he received no answer from her. "She left the house."

"I guess she wanted to be alone. More dinner for us then." She continued with her smile and was glad that Riane finally got the hint.

"What? I am not eating dinner with you. Riane and I had plans. When you showed up you ruined everything, do you think I am pleased that you are here?"

Adonia looked shocked as he raised his voice to almost a shout.

"I was only nice to you because Riane told me to be at lunch. I can't stand you! You are a bitch; who took information people gave to you in trust and used it to crash our vacation. What is your end game? Are you trying to break up Riane and me because you are angry at her for being the reason that Blake broke up with you?" Julian shook his head, "You know, nevermind, I don't care. I have to go find Riane." And with that he ran out the front door, leaving behind a very embarrassed and hurt Adonia.

-***-

Seth and Emma had found their way down to the beach as the sun set on the horizon. The two had taken off their shoes and were casually walking in the sand with shoes in hand.

Every so often, Seth would look over at the girl walking beside him and smile. He couldn't imagine that she was actually hanging out with him and that she had done so all day. He knew it was because Riane had her own difficulties which caused Emma to cling to him and in a way he was thankful for that. He wasn't glad for the problems she was cursed with, but he was appreciative of the situation they placed him in.

He remembered his brief crush on Joe that was quickly diminished with her interest in Dalen, and now another one of Riane's friends was introduced to him. He wondered if this was a pattern, but more importantly he wondered if Emma had any interest in him.

She laughed at his jokes even the ones he didn't think were all that funny. Hell, he told a couple really bad ones just to test her and she still laughed. That meant she liked him, didn't it?

He didn't know. He had girlfriends in the past, but they were all dates set up by friends for him, since his family was more interested in him remaining engaged to Angela. They would last for a few months and then the girl would find a better looking guy.

He had told Julian about it once, and Julian suggested that he was the common denominator which meant he should look how he acted in those relationships. Of course, in the beginning he did mention his arranged marriage in full disclosure, but he soon learned that it was not a good leading topic.

Whenever the women were told he would explain that it wasn't ironclad, and they would seem fine with it. No more than a couple weeks later, they would break up with him and be with someone else.

Emma knew he was engaged but she didn't seem too concerned about it. Not that she had anything to be concerned over.

"You keep looking over at me. What's on your mind?" Emma asked as she kicked some sand in front of her with her toes then watched it fall back to the earth.

He shrugged, "Nothing much. It was a fun day, despite Adonia's attempts to utterly ruin it. Hopefully, it will be less dramatic tomorrow."

She nodded her head gently, "If Riane doesn't handle this tonight, I think we might have to have a group discussion. Adonia can't be allowed to interfere all week. It would not be a vacation then, at least not for Riane."

Emma watched him nod his head and they both returned to walking in a comfortable silence that she didn't expect to have with him. She had lunch with him, but they had never truly been alone until that moment.

She knew she had a growing crush on him during those meals spent together, but she also was aware of his situation. Of course, she sometimes forgot that she was the scholarship student amongst these people. They treated her no different then each other.

It was when she went to Dalen's house for the first time that she realized just how rich these people were. She had yet to go to Julian and Riane's home or anyone else's for that matter. It scared her a little, because as much as she liked Seth, she didn't want people to think she only cared for his wealth. It scared her to even think of being called a gold digger.

"How was your date with your fiancee before we left?" She cleared her throat. "I am sorry about dropping the vacation news on her. I hope she wasn't too upset."

He shook his head, "Honestly, I don't really care. Before we became officially engaged, she was a sweet girl, but now she is rather bossy and downright unpleasant."

"Really? I am sorry to hear that." Emma lied.

He chuckled briefly before replying. "I blocked her number on my phone while I am here, because before we even boarded the plane she had sent me thirty two texts and tried to call me twelve times. I knew I wouldn't be able to enjoy this time away with my phone constantly going off."

"She'll be pissed when you get home, you know that right?" Emma was genuinely horrified for her friend.

"I know. Since her family and mine are close friends, I can't just break up with her via text or a phone call. I have to look her in the eyes and probably allow her to throw a fit while hitting me in the arms a couple times. I think it's some sort of rich person code for arranged engagements." He joked in order to lighten the mood, but in truth he truly feared having to do such a thing in person.

Emma stopped walking and turned towards him. "It is the right thing to do though, and you shouldn't let her hit you."

Seth faced her and smiled, "I'll dodge as much as I can. I just wish she had been as pleasant as she portrayed herself out to being, or if I had shown she was like this all along I wouldn't have tried to move things forward."

"What we call experience now was once a mistake in the past." She noticed a bench nearby and walked over to sit down.

The waves of the ocean crashed against the beach. Their only light was the illumination from the beach houses so the waves appeared back and were becoming mostly sound as the sun completely disappeared.

Seth sat down beside her. "How are you doing with the school? You haven't mentioned being harassed in a while."

Emma giggled, "You know, it's funny, but from the moment Riane stood up for me and I started eating with you guys, they have left me alone. I guess it helps to have friends within that school."

"Yeah, I think Julian may have had something to do with that. Sometimes we meet behind the cafeteria and skip classes, not as much now that Riane isn't skipping her classes, but from time to time." He seemed saddened to admit that Riane didn't hang out with them as much now. "One time, I saw him talking to a group of guys that I have never seen before. I don't know what he said, but I heard them promise to 'leave her alone' and then they walked away."

"Really? Julian? He has never really seemed to like me." She snorted in amusement before leaning on her knees with her elbows.

"I didn't think he liked Riane either, but look how that turned out. I have never seen him act like this before. Smartest man I know. I have seen him work his charm on girls in clubs, at restaurants, and anywhere else he pleases. Riane walks into the picture, he denies any feelings for her, says he is going to make life miserable for her, and now he is the lamest romantic that I have ever seen." He laughed.

Emma grinned as she listened to his laughter.

"My player friend is madly in love with a girl he swore to hate forever. Though, in someways I actually respect this approach. He is being direct and he is not backing down when she says she isn't interested." He cleared his throat, as he realized that he should be listening to himself when it comes to Emma. "Anyway, I like the new Julian."

"I didn't know him before so I'll have to take your word for it." She sat back up from her leaning position. "I thought we were going to get food, do you want me to find a place nearby?" She pulled out her cellphone from her short's pocket.

"I like you, Emma. A lot." Seth held his breath as he waited for her response. He feared she might think he was talking about friendship.

Emma stared at him for a moment before responding. "I like you a great deal too."

He began to lean in close to her, but she immediately put her hand up to stop him.

"I like you, but I am not the type of woman that does this to another woman." She explained to his shocked expression.

Seth nodded his head, "I understand. I'm sorry."

-***-

Julian searched the front yard and then went around to the beach. He figured that Riane wouldn't get far because she wasn't adventurous enough to leave the house completely. It didn't take long to find her standing in the sand, her sandals left by the house and her somewhat baggy shirt and hair fluttered in the night breeze. Only the light from the house illuminated the area which meant there were many shadows cast.

"Why did you run off like that?" He asked as he quickly came in behind her. There was both worry and anger in his voice.

Riane seemed a little shocked to see him. "Huh? Oh, I was feeling like a third wheel, and since Adonia obviously likes you now I thought I would give you two some time alone." She was trying her best to hide any emotion from him. She didn't want to give away how utterly annoyed she had been all day that her friend had been stolen. She wanted to be the cool person that lets their friends have what they want in life and not stand in their way. It is why she didn't argue with Joe when she left her for Dalen or when Emma abandoned her for Seth.

His chest filled with anger that she would so nonchalantly hand him over to another woman, but he decided to ignore the feeling for now. "You shouldn't wander off like that. I was worried."

"I have my phone." She patted the pocket on her shorts and tried to offer her best smile as if she wasn't bothered by the obvious annoyance in his eyes. "You could have just called."

The thought hadn't occurred to him and slight hue of red appeared on his cheeks, but in the darkness it was impossible to see. "Let's go back inside." He reached out to take her hand, but she was quick to pull it away before he touched it.

Riane slowly shook her head and took a couple steps back. "No, go back to Adonia. I'll be fine out here for a little while. It's nice being alone anyway. I've been with people all day and I need some time to recharge."

Julian believed what she was saying, but he could tell something else had been bothering her all day. He didn't want to bring it up and ruin her first day of vacation, but he could see that she wasn't going to work this out on her own. "You've been strange all day. What's going on?"

She looked down towards the sand for a moment, before returning her eyes to his own. "Adonia told me why they broke up. She says that Blake outright admitted to having feelings for me."

Jealousy filled his heart as did a ting of heartbreak, worry, and sorrow. He didn't want her to leave. He never wanted her to know about Blake. So, he snorted and lied the best he could. "She is probably just jealous of your friendship with him and wants to cause trouble."

Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. "I don't know if it was that, but my problem isn't that she told me. It's that I didn't get excited or in the least bit happy about it." She sighed. "Anyway, get back to Adonia. I'm fine here."

"I don't want to be with Adonia. I came all the way to Hawaii to spend time with you. The only reason I was even nice to her today was because you scolded me at lunch!" He started to raise his voice. "You know I am starting to think you are just jealous that I paid any attention to her at all!"

He didn't know why he was yelling. Perhaps it was fear that she knew about Blake, or maybe it was because Adonia had caused this whole situation to begin with. If she hadn't showed up that morning, Riane and he would have had a fun day together. They would be sitting in the beach house enjoying each other's company.

Instead, he was standing outside trying to convince her that he didn't want anything to do with the other woman. He hoped that Adonia had the good sense to leave after he had yelled at her, because if she was still there he wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again.

"Maybe I am." Riane mumbled. The words were only meant to be thought, but they slipped out the moment they entered her mind.

All of his emotions were immediately replace with confusion, and Julian couldn't believe his ears. She could not have just agreed that she was jealous. "What?" It was the only word that his mind would allow. There were just too many questions and he would never be able to get them all out in time. One word was enough.

"Maybe I am jealous." She turned to look towards the ocean and sighed heavily. "I don't know, but I was pretty upset that she was taking away all your attention. I've never really been jealous before so I don't..."

Riane felt a hand on each cheek and warm lips press against her chilled one from the breeze. She felt Julian step forward as he gave her a rather chaste kiss, and he lingered there for several seconds though it seemed like an eternity in those moments. She could feel him hesitate to step away and when he did so, Riane's emotions twirled out of control within it. Unexpected feelings that she couldn't believe herself.

Julian dropped his hands to the side, "I don't like Adonia anymore. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that. Do you think I have been lying this entire time about how I felt? Do you honestly think I was just taking you as a consolation prize?"

Riane stood with the breeze playing with her hair and a shocked expression on her face. Her brows came together slowly and she looked as if she would become angry.

Suddenly Julian realized that she had never been kissed before and he had done it nothing like he had planned. He had always not allowed her to give him any indication that it was something she had wanted.

"Uh, did I read the situation wrong?" His confident voice gone and the one of a nervous boy who knew he was about to get into trouble took over. "Were you not insinuating that like you don't like Blake and you like me instead?"

She continued to stand without speaking and staring at him as if she was a pressure cooker about to explode. At least that was how he saw her.

"This is not how I pictured our first kiss. I had a plan, you know? It was going to be really nice. Comfortable enough for you, but romantic. I was thinking a picnic or something that there wouldn't be a lot of people around so you wouldn't have to worry." He could hear himself rambling, but he couldn't stop himself. It was like the words were falling from his lips before his brain could identify what he was trying to say. "Riane? How pissed are you?"

Her brows softened and Riane looked him directly in the eyes. She slowly stepped forward and Julian thought for certain he was going to get the slap he deserve as her hand reached out. Instead, she touched his face and kissed him with her other hand on his shoulder.

This time it was Julian that was shocked, but as his brain caught up with the actions happening around him he quickly pulled her into an embrace. Her exposed skin was chilled to the touch and she smelled deeply of that fruity perfume that she liked to wear. She had put on quite a bit after swimming in the ocean claiming she smelled like fish.

Julian's heart was racing as she didn't pull away and the kiss continued. As much as he wanted to deepen the kiss, to pick her up and brace her against a wall, he knew better. This was her kiss to control and he would do nothing that he wasn't invited to do.

On Riane's side, she was uncertain of everything that she was doing. All she wondered if this was right. Not just if her kissing technique was accurate, but if she was doing this because she actually liked Julian.

She had every intent on being angry with him, but her heart pounded in her chest and butterflies danced in her stomach after the first kiss. Her whole body was trying to tell her something that she refused to admit to herself she thought. So, she decided a second kiss was necessary and every time she thought to pull away, he clenched her tightly until the idea left her head completely.

In the shadows, Adonia watched the two near the house. She had come to apologize for her behavior to Riane in order to buy herself another day with the group. Watching the two, she swallowed down her pride and turned around to head back to her own house. Tomorrow could be a new day even if this set back occurred, she tried to convince herself.

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