Confession

I couldn't help but stare as I considered this solitary figure. It was one of Jake's friends, Owen. He sat on the sand near the water's edge, and his dark hair looked almost black in the moonlight.

His posture exuded an easy confidence, and his casual clothing somehow managed to be both relaxed and appealing. The night breeze played with the edges of his shirt, occasionally revealing hints of a strong, well-defined chest.

I took a step forward, contemplating whether or not to take the next one before restricting one step back. Just as I did his head tilted to the side, his blue eyes locked in mine for a brief second before returning his gaze back to the ocean view.

I stood frozen at that spot, my foot wiggled on the cold sand as I had taken off my sandals which I now held in my right hand.

The beach was far off from the main resort, making it extremely quiet hearing nothing but the sound of tides rising and falling.

"Are you waiting for an invite?" He spoke, his words gentle and soft yet direct. His gaze still fixed staring at the ocean, he looked lost in thoughts. Even though he usually had an expressionless face, he looked sad like he was missing something or probably someone.

My heart raced at his words. With a deep breath, I approached Owen, my footsteps quiet on the sand. "No, I wasn't waiting for an invite," I replied, my voice slightly varying. "I was just passing by and noticed you here, you seem to enjoy keeping your own company." I joked, letting out a light chuckle before sitting beside him on the cold sand.

He turned his head to look at me once more, and this time, there was a hint of vulnerability in his eyes.

"Is everything okay?" I asked

"No," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. Returning his gaze back to the ocean view he let off a deep sigh.

I have never seen him like this before. Okay,I have seen him like this but never once had he ever admitted to going through something and this time his words caught me off guard.

I bit my bottom lip contemplating what to say before finally asking. "You care to spill?" my words rushed out before I corrected them. "I mean if you want to, you don't have to if you don't feel comfortable."

"I was thinking of someone." Owen's eyes remained fixed on the distant horizon, his thoughts lost in the crashing waves.

"Like your mom, dad" My curiosity gnawed at me, but I didn't want to push him too hard.

"A girl," my eyes widened and mouth fell wide open but I quickly hid my surprised expression trying not to make him feel uncomfortable.

"A girl," I muttered. "That's new."I said, trying to keep my tone light and non-judgmental.

He turned to look at me, his gaze searching for a reaction. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"What I mean is that you don't look like that kind of guy to have a thing for girls."I replied, choosing my words carefully.

"Hmm, well I was thinking of a girl. Someone who is annoying and won't get out of my head."

I couldn't help but smile, sensing that there was more to this story. "An annoying girl who won't get out of your head?" I poked, my curiosity high.

He let out a sorrowful sigh. "Yeah, exactly. She's infuriatingly stubborn."

"Well, it sounds like she's made quite an impression on you." I started.

Owen nodded, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "You have no idea." Never in a million years would I have imagined seeing Owen smile for the first time. Although it vanished as quickly as it appeared the thought of a girl being the reason only made me wonder what else he hid from everyone.

"Is she in a relationship?"asked, trying to dig a little deeper into Owen's world.

I could see an immediate change in his expression. His brow furrowed, and he stared off into the distance as if grappling with his thoughts. He muttered, "Something like that."

"Tough love huh?" I sighed and bit down again on my bottom lip.

That's when I felt a sudden shift in his movement. I looked up, my gaze locking with his as he leaned in towards me. Nervously, I bit harder on my lip, my heart racing as he closed the gap between us. My mind raced with a thousand thoughts, wondering where this unexpected turn was leading.

Using one hand as support, he slid the other to cup my face. My heart only raced faster, my brow furrowed as I pondered deep in thought with confusion watching over me. He paused, his thumb gently grazing my lips.

"You will hurt yourself," he stated softly, referring to my lip-biting habit, before he pulled himself back to his previous position.

"Oh," I muttered, trying to hide my embarrassment. So silly of me to have thought he was trying to kiss me. It's a good thing we sat under the cover of darkness, so he hadn't noticed my flushed cheeks.

"The view is relaxing," he said, returning his gaze to the ocean.

I looked in the direction he stared. I watched as the water rose and fell, the cold breeze brushed against my skin. It's a good thing my hair was up in a ponytail or else it would have blown my hair over my face just as it was doing to Owen's hair, but he seemed unbothered by it.

Closing my eyes, a fragment of a past memory flashed in my mind. The water was cold, it was deep, the atmosphere around me started to change, and I felt myself struggle for air. My grip tightened around a piece of my dress as I tried to calm myself down. I didn't like this place, I didn't like being around large bodies of water; it only triggered my fear.

As if reading my thoughts, Owen stated, "We should go back now." His voice was enough to snap me out of my hallucinations.

"Huh, why? I thought you liked it here," I replied, my voice filled with concern.

"It's getting late, you should return to your room," he said, getting up on his feet and dusting his clothes, which had sand stuck to them. He stretched his arm towards me, offering me aid.

I hesitated for a moment, my mind still haunted by the memory. But then, I accepted his hand, allowing him to help me up.

"Thank you," I responded, brushing the sand off the back of my dress, before we came to a sudden halt.

I looked up to see the reason for the pause, only for my gaze to meet Jake, who had a stern look on his face. His presence was unexpected, and it sent a wave of tension through the air.

Jake's gaze shifted from Owen to his hand, which had been holding mine moments ago, but I felt Owen suddenly let go.