"I didn't realise I was texting you." I told Marlon, panic suddenly arising in my body. I looked back in the direction I hoped Baxter would have gone.
"Bax." Marlon said quietly in realisation, and I nodded as I turned to look at him.
"I'm sorry, Mars." I said softly. He shrugged and offered a small smile.
"No biggie." The hurt in his voice was prominent. I looked around at the crowd, seeing a mix of emotions on my friends' faces. What stood out to me was Wren. She was smiling. I took a breath in before I ran in the direction I thought Baxter had gone. I ran into a hall, turning right and slowed down by every door until I saw 'boys changing room'. I placed my hand on the door, wondering whether I should be doing this. But something in me told me I had to.
I swung the door open and rushed in, spotting Baxter sitting on a bench in the middle of the room. He looked at me. It was hard to read his face.
"That was a misunderstanding." I stated. He only raised his eyebrows at me, and I sighed. " I saved the number under your name, automatically assuming it was you that had texted me. I completely forgot that I'd given Marlon my number last night as well. You are all that has been on my mind, Bax."
Bax didn't say anything. He just looked at me with a sad expression, and I felt my heart break a little bit.
"Okay, you obviously don't want to talk to me right now. That's okay, and I'm not going to push you. But I will be here, for when you're ready." I turned around and began to walk out. I opened the door, turning my head I his direction. "I know we haven't known each other very long, but it feels like forever. And I want you in my life."
I left the room, heading out back into the hall. I couldn't help but feel like all joy had been sucked out of me.
"Hey, Rose?" Ari's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Are you okay?"
I nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." He fell for it.
"Okay, good. So everyone is coming back to my house to have some food and wait for the results. Would you maybe want to come?" He asked, a hopeful look in his eyes. "I mean, it'll be so good for us all to actually hang out with you without so many people."
I gave him a genuine smile this time. "I would love to, but I just have to check with my brother first."
"Cool. There's a couple of spaces for you between our cars, so if Harri wants to come too, he can." Ari put his hand on my shoulder for a minute. "We'll be leaving in 5, so if we don't see you, we'll assume you're not coming. But you can always drop by later."
"I'll see what Harri says." I told him, and we parted ways. I got my phone out and called Harrison. It rang a couple of times before he answered.
"Hey bro, where are you?" I asked.
"Still by the pool, where are you?" He answered.
"Uh, in one of the halls, can you meet me in the car park?"
"Yeah, I'll head there now." Harri hung up the phone, and I placed my phone back in my pocket and headed the way I thought was the exit.
I found my way out, finding my brother out there by the doors.
"Where did you go? I came back from the toilet and you had gone, everyone was talking about some kiss?" Harri asked, making me cringe.
"It was all a big misunderstanding. I gave Marlon my number last night because he said he'd text me the time and location of the tryouts today. And I gave Baxter my number as well because I really like him. I completely forgot that I'd given Marlon my number because my mind is all about Bax at the moment. I thought I was texting Baxter this morning, but it turns out it was Marlon. I was being quite flirty, and after the tryouts finished, he just came up to me and kissed me. So, uh, yeah. I was completely shocked and confused. I still am, to be honest. Baxter saw, and now he won't speak to me." I gushed, explaining the situation. Harri blinked at me for a few moments, taking it in before he burst out laughing.
"My mini sis, a player!" He called, and I hushed him quickly.
"No!" I disagreed, "It was a complete and utter accident."
"Yeah, yeah. You keep telling yourself that." He laughed to himself. "I better call Mum to pick us up."
"Oh, actually." I suddenly got nervous, "everyone is now heading over to Ari's house for food. They're all going to wait for the results and see who got into nationals. Ari asked if we wanted to go."
"Uh no." Harri stated, I was about to protest until he spoke again, "I don't want to, I'm going to face time, Emily. But you can. I'll tell Mum where you are."
"Really?" I asked happily. He nodded.
"Yeah, sounds like you've got some messes to fix." He nudged me with his elbow, and I rolled my eyes.
"Hey Rosalie!" A voice called out from across the car park, my eyes landed on Ari about to get in his family's car. Summer stood on the other side of it, ushering for me to come with her hands. "You coming?"
I looked at Harri, and he nodded in their direction.
"Go on." He ushered, "Oh, and I won't tell Mum and Dad about that kiss if you do my washing up duties for a week."
"Done." I stated, "See you later."
I ran across the car park to Ari and Summer. I hugged Summer tightly before I got in the back with her.
"You okay? That was all a bit tense out there?" Summer asked me from the back seat. I nodded at her.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just wasn't expecting it, you know? I thought I was texting someone else, but i was actually texting Mars, I feel really bad about it. Was he mad at me?" I asked them. Ari's dad was looking back in the mirror, seeming intrigued.
"What's Marlon done now?" Thommo asked in a joking tone.
"He kissed Rosalie after the try outs, it didn't end well." Ari filled his dad in. "He wasn't mad at you, I think he actually felt like an idiot."
"Probably not as much as I do right now." I grumbled, looking out of the window for a brief moment before I turned to Summer. "So, tell me everything. You were amazing on the waves. When did that happen?"
Summer smiled, reaching forward and placing her hand on Ari's shoulder. "It started out as something I did to feel closer to Ari and the others, but then it turned into something much more. I fell in love and became engrossed in it." She pulled her hand away. "I don't know how else to say it, but I really felt like I found myself out there."
"Well, you've really come a long way, I'm so proud of you." I told her, reaching out for her hand. "I see you haven't changed, still the American rebel."
"Oh please, once a rebel, always a rebel." She laughed, "You've changed so much though, look at you."
"I guess hard work pays off." I agreed. "I dove into the gym, eating healthy and I got a job at this bakery in the city. I've really focused on myself this past year, like you have Summer."
"Well done, girls, and Rosie?" Thommo's eyes met mine through the rear view mirror. "Do you make cakes?"
"Yeah, all kinds of cakes, pastries, and bread. It's hard work but so fun." I told him.
"Sounds like you really enjoy it. They were alright about you taking 6 weeks off for the summer, though?" He asked.
"Uh, it took a lot of convincing. But it's a small family run business, and they're actually really sound. They said they appreciate the hard work I've been putting in, all the extra hours, early starts, and late nights. So, in the end, they said yes. Pretty cool, right?" I informed them, all of them agreeing.
"How weird is it that there's people from 3 different countries all in one car right now?" Ari randomly asked, causing a whole new topic of conversation.
We talked all the way back to Ari's house, and there were no awkward silences. It was so nice to be back with my friends. They were all such kind-hearted people. Spending time with them helped fill the hole that I had within me.
When we arrived at Ari's, we all sat in the garden. Lapping up the rest of the sun. Ari's little sister, Honey, came out to meet us. After we said our hello's, I helped her get a couple of deck chairs out from their shed.
"You can lay on one of these if you like? Maybe take some layers off. You're as white as a ghost." She laughed at me, and I ruffled her hair.
"Hey!" I jokingly scolded. "All it does is rain in England. We get about 2 months of the year of sun. You'd be pretty pale, too, if you didn't live in this beautiful place."
I sat down on one of the deck chairs, looking around. "But maybe I will sunbathe for a bit. There's not many people here, and I did put my bikini on underneath."
"Go for it, girl." Honey, encouraged. "Can I read you my book about birds?"
I nodded as I took my t-shirt off, revealing my black bikini. "Cool, I'll go get it."
Honey ran off into the house as i opened my bag and began lathering loads of suncream on my body. I burned super easily, but I also tanned easily, too.
"Ariii!" I heard a voice sound, making me turn my head in the direction it came from. Wren ran into Ari's arms, giving him a kiss. Baxter walked in behind her, with red and white checkered shorts on, a white tee and a black denim gilet jacket on, badges coated both sides of the chest area of the jacket. I couldn't help but notice his arms, so toned in the summer sun. He had a sting ray tattoo on the inner side of his right bicep. His pink hair was wavy on the top of his head.
My heart longed for him and I couldn't shake the feeling. As soon as his eyes met mine, I looked away, continuing to rub the cream on myself. I struggled when I got to my back, and I let out a sigh.
"Need some help?" Bax's voice sounded from behind me. "You look like you're struggling a bit there."
I paused for a moment and then turned slightly to him, motioning to my back.
"Sure." I said quietly, turning back away from him. I heard him move the other deck chair closer, I saw his hand out of the corner of my eye reach for the sun cream beside me, then moments later the cold sensation of the cream dripped down my back. I shuddered at the feeling and heard a low chuckle from him.
His hands then touched my skin, my body tensing at first, but then it relaxed. I almost instantly warmed up from the heat of his hands. He rubbed in circles on my shoulders.
"You're a bit tense, Rosie. Maybe I should offer my massage services to help you loosen up." He said quietly, making me bite my lip.
"I would take you up on that offer in a heartbeat." I answered light heartedly. "Baxter?"
"Yes?" He continued rubbing, going further down my back. His hands rubbed around my hips and waist. I got tingles, getting lost in the sensation of his hands on me. I snapped out of it quickly and turned to him, making him stop. I swished my hair to the other side of my neck so I could see him more clearly.
"I'm so sorry about earlier, I feel terri -" I began, but he cut me off, his eyes diverting to anywhere but me for a few seconds.
"So biggie. I didn't text you, so I guess that was on me." He said, making me turn fully to him. I slithered my legs between the gap in his. He watched my legs movements closely.
"That wasn't your fault, I shouldn't have just assumed it was you." I placed my hand loosely on his knee, making him look me in the eyes. "I'm sorry."
"I thought about what you said earlier in the changing rooms," He paused, his eyes scanning mine. I nodded gently, encouraging him to go on. "And I couldn't bear the thought of never speaking to you again. Honestly, I knew that that wasn't going to happen. You're all that's been on my mind, too. It just hurt me to see someone else kiss you. It hurt me more than I thought it would. I was trying to figure out how to deal with those feelings. I realise now that giving you the silent treatment wasn't the right response."
I didn't seem like he was finished, so I watched intently as he searched for the right words. "I'm sorry for making you feel like I didn't want you in my life. My head is spinning out. We have literally known each other a couple of days, but it feels like my soul has known yours for a long time. It's hard to explain, but I don't want to let go of that so soon."
I blinked at him as I took in the information he just gave me. My heart was pounding in my chest. He placed his hand on top of mine that was on his knee. I looked down at his large hand and then back up at him.
"It's kinda scary, confusing, and so amazing all at the same time." I admitted, "I'm really glad you've forgiven me."
He squeezed my hand. "You didn't do anything wrong, so there's nothing to forgive."
I smiled at him. "I did really want you to be my first kiss, though,"
Bax took a deep breath in and chuckled. "I wouldn't even count that as a kiss. You didn't look that into it."
"I definitely wasn't." I laughed. Baxter leaned in slightly.
"When I kiss you," his voice was low and husky, he spoke slowly, making sure I understood every word. His fingertips traced up my arm gently. "It'll be so insanely good. You won't be able to get enough of me." His fingers traced further up the side of my neck. He gently pushed my head to the side so he could lean closer and whisper in my ear. "You'll want me so badly that you will beg for me to take you to your bedroom and fuck you so hard you forget your own name."
I gulped loudly, my breathing becoming ragged at the image being painted in my head. I turned my head to look into Bax's eyes. His face so near mine I could feel his breath on my face. Time seemed to stop when I noticed his lips so close to mine, all I wanted to do was lean in that little bit further and connect us.
A dry cough came from beside us and we both pulled away quickly creating a normal amount of distance between us. I fixed my hair as I faced Honey, who was standing above us clutching her bird book.
"Guys... gross." She empathised on the word gross so much it actually made me cringe a little bit. "Sorry to interrupt your little moment, but Rosie said I could read her some cool facts about birds, so that's exactly what I'm going to do."
"That sounds absolutely riveting." Baxter told her sarcastically, "Alright, I'll scoot."
Baxter stood up, taking one more glance my way, a devilish smile on his lips, making me blush. Honey sat in front of me with her hat on backwards. "Either you've caught the sun or feelings. Neither are good for you."
I laughed at her and laid back on the chair, "You uh, didn't hear any of that did you?"
"Yup." Honey said plainly, with empathis on the p. "But I'm going to pretend I didn't for now and probably tell my therapist in 20 years when we're discussing my childhood trauma."
"Bloody hell." I whispered to myself. Honey then dove right in to her book, hitting me with some facts about Australian birds while I closed my eyes and relaxed.