Secrets Beneath the Surface

The following day was blessed with an abundance of sunshine, which prompted the gang to hit the beach for a game of volleyball before they left the next morning.

Deliah was beaming with joy and couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Sarah was happy that her sister was finally feeling good, but at the same time, she was struggling with her own conflicting emotions. It was as if she had lost control over them and was experiencing thoughts and feelings she never thought were possible.

Meanwhile, Deliah was skipping merrily along the shore with her buddies, looking adorable as always and turning heads left and right. She wasn't bothered by the attention from other Beach goers since she was accustomed to it, and Alex was the only one who caught her eye anyway.

As they strolled down the powdery white beach, the girls and guys were greeted with a stunning sight: the Aerospace boys and Deliah with her crew. Alex was sporting a white tank top, palm tree-printed shorts and flip-flops, topped off with a woven straw hat and shades.

As Sarah glanced at Alex, she couldn't help but think he looked like he was ready for a high-end photoshoot. No wonder most of the girls' gazes landed on him first when they saw the group of Aerospace guys. He was definitely the visual for a reason.

Once the initial impression settled, the girls turned their attention to the other members, sizing them up and making their picks. Henry, with his fit beach body and shameless shirtless strolls, was the most sought after.

After settling on a nice shady spot, the gang laid out their belongings and the girls pulled out their sunblock. Brad tried to coax Nancy into rubbing it on his back, but he got a knock on the head instead. Meanwhile, Alex did a haphazard job of applying sunscreen to himself, not caring too much about the outcome.

Alex noticed Sarah smiling as she gazed out at the ocean and couldn't help but grin himself. "Feeling happy?" he asked, plonking himself down on the plastic chair next to her.

Sarah raised her eyebrows as she looked at Alex, until she remembered what happened last night. "Hm yeah," she nodded, swallowing.

Despite pondering over it numerous times, Sarah realized that her contentment came from the fact that Alex had not kissed Deliah on the lips. However, she couldn't quite put her finger on why she felt that way. So, she decided to put a stop to those thoughts altogether and move on. Problem solved, right?

Alex leaned back with a smile. "Good," he murmured. "All those nerves weren't for nothing then." He blushed as he remembered the previous night and his difficulty.

//FLASHBACK TO PREVIOUS NIGHT//

Alex took a deep breath, staring at the wooden door. "You can do this, Alex," he muttered to himself. "It's just a freaking kiss. Don't you want to lose your first kiss? You've got a girlfriend, so go and kiss her!"

Alex's heart was pounding in his chest as he knocked on the door. Deliah's face lit up as she opened the door, clearly thrilled to see him. "Alex honey, hey there!"

"Hey," he replied, looking past her to see Sarah sitting on the bed he had been lying on earlier, reading a book. He couldn't help but think she looked cute in her oversized tee.

Turning his attention back to Deliah, Alex bit his lip. "Would you like to take a walk before bed?"

Deliah's excitement was palpable. "Absolutely!" She turned to her sister. "Sissy, I'll be back soon!" Sarah nodded, giving Alex another quick glance. Suddenly, Alex felt a warmth spreading through him.

As they walked, Alex asked Deliah how her day had been, and she happily chattered away, monopolizing the conversation. They strolled around the entire block before returning to the room.

Deliah's face lit up with a radiant smile. "I had an amazing time today, Alex honey. Thank you for inviting us here."

Alex gave a stiff smile. "No problem." He cleared his throat and leaned forward towards her. "Hey Deliah, can you do me a favor and close your eyes for a moment? I have something to give you."

Deliah closed her eyes with excitement, holding out her hands. Alex could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he moved closer to her, taking in her lavender scent and admiring her beautiful pink lips.

Closing his own eyes, Alex summoned all his courage and pressed his lips against her cheek. He quickly pulled back, feeling the heat rush to his face as he heard Deliah's surprised gasp.

"Honey," Deliah said, her hand flying to her cheek.

"Uh, goodnight," Alex muttered, quickly making his exit. As he walked away, he mentally scolded himself for not going through with the kiss.

Alex peeked from behind the pillar and spotted Deliah squealing with joy as she did a happy dance. He wondered if a simple kiss on the cheek had made her that happy.

He swiftly took out his phone and messaged Sarah, hoping that his actions had yielded the desired results.

//FLASHBACK ENDS//

"What are you doing there, Alex?" Joe rolled his eyes. "You're at the beach, man! You've got to strip down and look sexy! Come on, run with the waves!"

Alex grimaced. "No thanks."

David chuckled and pulled Alex up. "Joe's exaggerating, but he's right. Come on, we're starting the game soon," he said, grinning. "Sarah, we're odd-numbered without you. You've got to play too."

Sarah's eyes widened. "Me?" she pointed to herself. "But I'm terrible at sports."

Alex found himself smirking at Sarah's reaction, so he leaned in.

"Okay guys, let's strike a deal. If you can get Sarah Johnson to play beach volley ball, I'll play too."

***********

Before long, Sarah found herself on the sandy shores with a crimson red wristband, determined not to let her team down. Steve, Philip, Brad, Nancy, Iris, and Yvonne comprised one team, while Henry, Joe, David, Alex, Deliah, and Sarah made up the other.

Although Sarah lacked a sporty streak, Henry more than compensated for it. He was a force to be reckoned with and consistently caught and struck the ball at lightning speed. In fact, Philip was even hit in the head once!

Joe played defense beautifully, thanks to his towering height, while the rest of the team followed Henry's lead and commands.

"Alex, get the ball!" bellowed the captain. "To your right! To your right!" he hollered.

Without a moment's hesitation, Alex dove for the ball, propelling it high up into the air before crashing onto the sandy ground.

With a determined look on her face, Sarah watched as the ball bounced towards her. Taking a deep breath, she swung her arm back and gave it her all. The ball soared high in the sky, almost as if it were reaching for the clouds. Deliah sprinted towards it, smacking it over the net with a triumphant shout.

"SCOREEEE!!!"

Deliah turned to her sister with a huge grin and high-fived her. Alex rushed over to help Alex up from the ground, flashing a smile at Sarah. "Not bad, Sarah Johnson." Sarah rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head, grinning from ear to ear.

As the game continued, everyone was having a great time until an unfortunate mishap occurred. Steve, the team leader, was beyond furious as their team was losing. He barked orders at his teammates, demanding that they step up their game.

"Hey Nancy, you see how Deliah is hitting it? Give it a good whack like that, with more force!" Steve exclaimed, trying to help his team win.

Brad looked uncomfortable and nudged Steve. "Dude, that's my girl you're yelling at."

Steve looked annoyed but grabbed the ball anyway. "Whatever, winning is more important."

He tossed the ball up high and delivered an incredible spike with incredible power and precision, but unfortunately, it was heading straight for Sarah.

Sarah's eyes widened in shock as the ball came at her. "Sarah!" Alex yelled, trying to warn her to move.

It was too late. The ball struck Sarah's face, causing her to fall to the ground in pain. Her glasses fell off, and her forehead was throbbing. Who knew getting hit by a ball could hurt so much?

With lightning speed, Alex darted over to Sarah's side, trailed by Deliah and the rest of the group. "Shit, Sarah Johnson!" Alex exclaimed as he helped her sit up. "Are you okay?"

Sarah's eyes fluttered open, and she felt a dull throbbing in her head that refused to go away. "Sis, how bad does it hurt?" Deliah asked, concern etched on her face.

Forcing a smile, Sarah peered up at the sky. Suddenly, she heard Alex suck in a sharp breath. She turned to him and saw that his eyes had grown wide with shock as he examined her face. His mouth hung open, and he was gasping for air.

Sarah took a deep breath when she realized her glasses had slipped off and quickly retrieved them, slipping them back onto her face. "Hold up, what's wrong?" Alex furrowed his brow.

"Liah, could you give me a hand over there? I'm done playing for now," Sarah muttered hastily.

Deliah nodded and obediently helped her sister up, while Steve apologized profusely the entire time.

Alex remained in his squatting position, his gaze fixed on the sand before him. He was in complete disbelief at the sight before him. "She looks..." He paused, taking a deep breath and swallowing hard.

"Perfect," he finished in his mind.

He never imagined that a simple pair of glasses could make such a significant difference in someone's appearance. Today, Sarah looked better than ever, having borrowed some clothes from Deliah.

As Alex admired her, he couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked that day. And then, as if on cue, the glasses fell off, and he had the opportunity to see her true beauty for the first time.

And my, was she breathtaking.

Unlike Deliah, Sarah's beauty was more subtle, a gentle charm that radiated from within. But without those glasses, Alex could see every detail of her face, and it was simply stunning. From her hazel eyes to her overall radiance, she was truly a sight to behold.

Alex couldn't help but admire every feature of Sarah's face, from her lips to her eyes, even down to her earlobes. He realized he was starting to sound like a creep and quickly stood up, stealing a glance at Sarah. She avoided his gaze, perhaps because he was the first one to truly see her beauty.

As he pondered over her stunning looks, he couldn't help but think, *I shouldn't even be surprised. A girl with a heart as beautiful as hers must have an equally beautiful face. But why does she hide it?*

"Deliah," Alex called out, catching his girlfriend's attention. The gang was enjoying their final dinner at the resort before heading back home, making the most of all the facilities available.

Deliah turned to him, "Yes, honey?"

Alex noticed Sarah had originally volunteered to cut the fruits, but Deliah insisted on doing it herself, clumsily struggling with the task. He saw this as a chance to help and engage in a conversation with her.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you something," he said with a frown. "Have you ever wondered why Sarah always dresses up and hides her face?" Deliah turned around and processed the question. "Oh, I think I know what you're talking about. You saw her face when her glasses slipped during the beach volleyball game, right?" she asked.

Alex nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, that's the one. So why does she do it?"

Deliah let out a small sigh before answering. "Honestly, I don't know," she said with a shrug. "I might have known at some point, but I can't remember anymore."

Alex looked confused, and Deliah couldn't help but giggle. "I guess I never told you," she said with a shrug. "I got into an accident when I was thirteen, and I lost some of my memories for about two years. So I don't really know what happened then."

Alex blinked in surprise. "Wow, I had no idea. Are you okay now?"

"I've recovered," Deliah replied with a grin. "I'm good as new, and I've been creating new memories to replace the ones I missed out on."

As Alex offered her a sympathetic look, she met his gaze with a mix of sadness and uncertainty. "I have a feeling that Sarah's ordeal happened during a time that I can't seem to recollect," she confessed. "All my mom revealed was that it had to do with her first love. I can only imagine that he shattered her heart, causing her to retreat from the world."

Alex's forehead creased in concern, and he recalled her earlier question about people liking her for who she really was. Suddenly, it all made sense. "Ah, I see now," he murmured, drifting off into his thoughts and forgetting all about the pile of fruit before them.

*That guy was a real jerk,* he grumbled, his expression darkening with anger. *I wish there was a way to help Sarah break free from her shell. It's not fair that she has to hide away like this.* he said inwardly.