Chapter 9

The next morning, they went out to find a realtor and look for a house. To their disappointment, they didn't find anything that would suit them. After a few weeks of house hunting, they finally found a house on the beach near Deer Creek Beach. Which was also in the state park. It was perfect for them, although they couldn't move in right away, they had to wait for the current owners to move out.

Finally, after two weeks they got the call that the owners were moved and they could come pick up the keys and start moving in. Leaving the realtors office, keys in hand, they couldn't be happier. Now they had to go buy furniture to fill their new house, and shopping just made them even happier. After making arrangements to have everything delivered and set up for them, they went back to the hotel to get their stuff and check out.

Before they left Santa Monica, they decided to celebrate by going surfing. They had been so busy trying to find a house they hadn't had the chance to hit the water. Waves were splashing around their ankles and the smell of the salt water was in the air. A sense of calm came over them as they started paddling out. Over and over again they rode the waves like nothing else in the world existed.

The sun was starting to lower in the sky when she seen the face. The one that she hadn't been seen in a long time. And in that moment, she forgot everything else. She felt the ripping and the stabbing in her heart and chest. The same feeling she had when she tore herself out of his arms and left him standing in the woods. For a split second she was back in the woods, feeling his arms around her and feeling the touch of his lips on hers. She could smell that sweet smell that she knew belonged to him and him alone. His blood. She could feel it pulsing under her hands.

Then she was back to being on the water, well, rather under it, for she forgot where she was and forgot there was a wave crashing down on her. She didn't struggle against it. She didn't need to. Time almost stood still. She felt like she was going to explode from the pain that was tearing at her. She almost wished she could drown in the water, and then the pain would go away. She thought it had, she was almost positive it had. But she was wrong. She didn't pay attention to the arm that wrapped itself around her waist. Nor she didn't pay attention to the body that was pressed against the back of hers. She was only aware of it when they broke the surface and her head wasn't surrounded by water.

Even still she just let herself be limp. She wasn't sure how long she had been under the water but it had been at least a few minutes, she knew that people would think it a little strange that she was still fully able to swim back to shore and even stand up and walk off like nothing ever happened. She closed her eyes and let herself be carried to the shore and laid down on the sand. She felt fingers on her throat and wrist trying to find a pulse. But there wasn't one to be found. Hands pinched her nose and tilted her chin then opened her mouth. Lips closed around hers as breath entered her body from another. Then the hands were pushing down on her chest trying to get her heart to start again. She tried to hold back the laugh that was struggling to escape. If it was only that simple. The mouth closed around hers again and then the hands were back to pushing on her chest.

She heard her sister pushing through the crowd yelling at everyone to move the hell out of her way. Along with the sound of her sister came the sweet smell that she longed to forget. She faked a cough and opened her eyes. Arianna was just making her way through the crowd. As she was trying to sit up a hand pushed her back down.

"Alaina. Are you ok? What in the world were you thinking? Are you trying to get yourself exposed?" That voice was the same in so many ways but different still, deeper. Caleb was whispering in her ear.

"I'm going to call the ambulance and have them take you to the hospital. You're pretty cold." Said the lifeguard that pulled her out of the water. Caleb was fixing to object but Arianna beat him to it.

"There's no need, I can have her there by the time they get her."

"No need for a hospital, I'm a doctor. I'll check her out make sure she is ok." Caleb said.

Arianna looked scared, she knew what this doctor would find, or rather not find. But she didn't know what he was going to think.

Caleb bent over Alaina and put his fingers to her wrist and looked at the watch he had on. A minute went by before he let go.

"Follow my finger." He held up a finger and moved and back and forth in front of her face. "Does your head hurt at all? What about your chest, any pains?"

"Yes." She said so low that he barely heard her. He could see the pain on her face. She looked up at him and a little louder "No, my head does not hurt and neither does my chest, I am fine. Can I please get up?"

He smiled at her and held out his hand to help her up. "Any dizziness?"

"No," she smiled back, "Really, I'm fine."

"I'll go get our stuff and get the car." Arianna looked at her sister and then to the human, she didn't know what the hell just happened. But there better be a good explanation.

"I'll help you to the car."

Arianna got the stuff together walked off to pull the car around. Caleb took Alaina's arm and followed. When they got to the parking lot Arianna was already there waiting. He opened the door and Alaina slid in.

"You too doc. Get in." Arianna growled.

"Why?" Alaina said quickly.

"Because I want some answers. Now get in."

Caleb closed the passenger door and got into the back. Arianna sped off towards their new house. None of them said a word until they parked the car and got into the house.

"Ok, what in the hell just happened out there? Are you really a doctor?" She turned towards Caleb.

"Yes, I really am a doctor. And before you ask yes, I am a medical doctor."

Arianna looked so confused. She walked over to the sofa and sat down. Nobody said anything. Minutes passed by before Alaina finally broke the silence.

"He knows."

Arianna looked at her then to Caleb. Her gaze rested on her sister when she finally asked "How long?"

"Eleven years."

Arianna stood up and went to the window. She didn't know what to say. There was no telling who he has told by now, she thought, wait, eleven years ago we were in…

"Devil's Lake. That's why you were in such a hurry to leave that day, wasn't it?"

"Yes. When I went out into the woods, I ran into him. I saved him from a mountain lion." As she spoke, she hung her head. "I'm so sorry, but I couldn't let him die."

There was so much pain in her voice and it had Arianna turn from the window. And for the first time she really looked at Caleb. She knew that she has seen his face before but she couldn't remember where. She also remembered all the times that she heard Alaina crying in her sleep. Was he the cause of her pain? She just couldn't figure it out.

Alaina looked up at Caleb, he hadn't taken his eyes off of her since they got there. She turned from him quickly, but Arianna saw the pain in both faces. And she realized something that she had completely been blind to. Alaina loved him.

"Ok, so was it before or after the mountain lion that you two realized that you loved each other?" With that comment she had both of them looking at her. "I'm right, aren't I? You do love each other."

"It's impossible, Ari." Alaina said.

"And why is that?" Arianna replied.

"Because he is human." Alaina put her face in her hands.

"That's not a good enough reason Alaina."

Alaina couldn't think of a good reason why so she just stayed quiet.

"The first time I saw her in the woods. It was three of you actually. But she was the one that I couldn't take my eyes off of. Ever since then I saw her face every time I closed my eyes. That's why I went looking for her that day. I didn't really expect to find her. But I had to try."

"How many people have you told about us?" Arianna asked.

"None. I am a man of my word and I have kept the promise that I made." He had put his fingers under Alaina's chin and lifted so she would look at him.

Arianna wasn't so sure about this. Frustrated she turned back to the window. She was watching the sun set when what he said hit her and where she had seen his face before. He was the kid in the woods. The one that Abigail tried to hunt when Alaina stopped her. She groaned.

"Ari, what's wrong?" Alaina rushed to her sister.

"He's the one you saved from Abigail." She said it so softly.

"Yes. Arianna, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I just wanted to forget it all. It hurt so bad, for a while I just wanted to die."

"For about two years after we left, you would always cry in your sleep every night." She sighed. "But I didn't want to bring it up because I didn't know what was hurting you, but you were suffering enough in your sleep. I didn't want you to suffer while you were awake. Now that I know what the cause of it was, I'm glad I didn't bring it up."

"Are you mad at me? Oh, please don't be." Alaina pleaded.

At first she didn't say anything. Yes, she was mad. But not at her sister. She was mad because this human has caused her a lot of pain. More than he realizes. She looked at him and seen the way he was looking at Alaina. Maybe there was pain for him too. Arianna smiled. "No, I'm not mad. You love him, and more than you realize. You have saved his life more than once. And after all this time here he is. The question is, what are you going to do about it?"

"The same damn thing I have been doing for eleven years. Nothing."

"Something."

"I don't want to talk about this right now, please." Alaina begged.

"Fine, but we will talk about this later." She handed Alaina the keys to the car. "You might want to take him back wherever he is staying at, or would you rather me do it?"

"I will. I need to talk to him anyway." She kissed her sister on the cheek. "I love you. I will be back shortly." She turned around and took Caleb's wrist and walked out the door.