Thinking You Know Someone

"This will be fun, aren't you excited?" Natasha asked with a bright smile.

"So much I can barely contain myself." Malachi answered. Natasha didn't seem to hear him as she looked for the others that were to meet them. He really didn't enjoy some of the things that they went and did. Especially since it was normally dull things with Natasha's group of friends. Could they go do something he'd like for once?

Next to him on his other side he heard Ariel choke back a slight laugh at his words. Ariel obviously got his sarcasm. She was however looking the other direction not making eye contact as normal. Why was he here again? Oh yeah, trying to pretend that he might actually be able to like Natasha a bit more than he did. He mentally told himself to try. Natasha seemed to think there was more here than there was.

He'd rather be working than doing this right now. Natasha was at his home more than not lately to hang out or stay. Simply because she didn't work and they were going to be getting married in a year or so. The date had been set and it was announced as well. His father urged him to go out with the rest. He was twenty six. This was not fun to him. All this time had passed and his feelings toward her had not changed. She didn't change, and there was no real end in sight at the moment with the struggle for land here or money. If anyone thought that shit took a couple days and well placed words you were wrong.

Currently they were at a beach at the moment and he looked up at the cliffs around that jutted up and over the water. Some extremely high. He could see others jumping off of them, that might actually be fun. He swore if they were stuck down here laying in the sun tanning all day or some shit, he was jumping off the highest one head first.

"It's not as bad as it looks. You should learn to relax a bit." Ariel said to him quietly. Natasha moved calling out to her friend Marie as the three of them approached the beach area through the trees. Three others showed up, a Nick, Kyle and Sam. He watched Ariel spread out a couple towels and then sit down looking off into the water.

She came a lot with her sister. Mainly to do her sister's bidding. He never asked her for anything nor required her to carry anything. However Natasha did all the time, had Ariel do her hair, and clean her room. Sometimes he wondered how Ariel was still putting up with it. She was twenty two now, and he had yet to see her with any real friends. He hoped for her sake she was finding a way to save up money and move out from her parents and sister. Though they sure liked to keep a short leash on her.

He kept watching Ariel as the others came up, she wore a light blue sun dress that covered the swimsuit she wore. She never took it off though, at least that he had seen. She always kept herself covered, but came with the pretense like she might swim. He'd like her to take that sun dress off, because he was curious to know if her body looked like her sister's.

Malachi pulled his gaze away from Ariel. It liked to stray there a lot when he was bored with nothing else to do. His gaze wasn't the only one either. After all she was good looking, and so were the rest that were with them.

"Malachi!" Came a loud voice. Not one from their little group. He turned to find the source as did a few others. Jogging toward them was a taller man about Malachi's age. He had sandy blonde hair and hazel colored eyes, an easy smile on his face.

"Cameron." Malachi called back. He felt so relieved to see him. He wanted to shout, "Save me from this hell!" But he didn't. Cameron had an easy smile on his face, and was probably Malachi's only true friend. Malachi wasn't introverted persay, but he really didn't care too much to make a ton of friends. He was fine with the few he had. Initially he'd asked CAmeron to come with so he had someone to talk to. Cameron said he was probably coming here today already with a couple others. He was glad that was true.

"Hello Natasha, Marie." Cameron said as he came up. The two gave hello's back. Marie with a slight giggle. The two other young men just kind of glared at him, whatever. So Marie found Cameron attractive. He was a good looking guy. Marie also giggled every time Malachi greeted her, hence why he'd stopped doing it.

"Want to come and dive with us?" Cameron asked Malachi and pointed to the cliffs. Malachi had to keep himself from shouting his happiness at that request. He looked down at Natasha who was laying back on her elbows. A rather skimpy bikini on, well she had the body for it. He wasn't going to lie, he liked her body, so did apparently Nick who kept staring at her. Malachi just felt irritated, not mad. Natasha clearly liked the attention.

"Do you want to come?" He asked her feeling that he had to. Natasha looked at the cliffs and then smiled.

"You know what, yeah. I think that would be fun." She got up and he was surprised. She snapped her fingers at Ariel. Who to Malachi's surprised looked rather pissed at being snapped at. The look disappeared quickly and Natasha didn't notice.

"Ariel carry my bag." She said and shoved her bag into her sister's arms.

"Natasha can you please stop shoving things into me? Why should I carry this up there if you are just going to jump down?" Well look at that, she could speak up. Malachi felt a slight smile, good for her.

"You aren't going to jump, and I don't want anything stolen." Natasha said with an almost irate tone and a sneer at her sister.

"I might like to jump." Ariel commented with her quiet tone and the group looked at her like she had grown two heads. First because she never talked back to her sister in the slightest. Two like hell she was jumping off of the cliff. All of them would bet their life she wasn't taking the leap. Natasha laughed.

"Alright fine, but if you don't jump then you have to carry everyone's things back." To everyone's surprise Ariel set Natasha's bag down. She turned toward the cliffs and the pathway up and walked that way.

There were a few laughs and the rest hurried up to follow her. Most passing her to run up the path first. Ariel felt a heat in her face, why couldn't her sister just leave her be? She could have sat on the beach and watched her stupid bag. No, she had to make her get up to carry the stupid thing up there and then carry it back down.

"Are you really going to jump?" She was walking up the steep path with Malachi next to her and Cameron just behind.

"I said I would." Ariel commented. "I know that I'm just a meek spineless little girl to you. But I can do things too." She picked up her pace. She was tired and cranky today. She hadn't slept because Natasha had been up late, and been loud. Then expected Ariel to get up very early to make sure that everything was packed for the beach. Plus she had a few errands to run for her parents. Not to mention the exams she'd been studying for.

"Wow, I think the sun is getting to you Ariel." Cameron said. Ariel didn't respond, she just hunched her shoulders and moved on a bit faster. Cameron nudged Malachi slightly.

"How much you want to bet she doesn't do it?" He asked. "How can one like her have no confidence at all. Look at her, and that body. Too bad she hides it all the time, she'd be just as devastating as her sister can be."

"Have a crush on my future wife do you?" Malachi said with a smile. "I'll sell her to you." Cameron laughed.

"Hell no, too high maintenance for me. Plus all the attention she gets, it's alright. I have the love of my life anyways."

"Where is Sally?" He asked Cameron, a sad look came to him.

"Her father passed away two days ago. I've been with her, but today they were going to the reading of the will." Sally was a good woman. She and Cameron were like peas in a pod. Cameron really did love her and had told Malachi that he knew she was the mate his wolf needed. So Cameron might jest about other women and how good they looked, but he really only had eyes for Sally. Jealous, Malachi was jealous of him and his choice.

"Tell her I'm sorry for her loss." Cameron gave a nod and they came up to the top where the out cropping was. A forty foot drop at least, you could hurt yourself if you did it wrong. Hurt yourself badly.

A few of them were looking over the edge. Ariel was standing there as well and took a few steps back, her look was unreadable.

"Alright Ariel. Go ahead." Natasha chidded smugly with a smile on her face. Ariel stood there for a second and then pulled off the blue dress she had over her swim suit that was a lot like her sister's but just a bit more covering. It was a dark purple.

Nick and Kyle spoke quietly to each other looking Ariel over with approval. Though Ariel ignored them and was looking at her sister.

"I can't jump if you don't move." Ariel said quietly to Natasha who gave a shrug to step out of the way.

"Think she'd be as good as Natasha? I'd love to feel that body." Kyle said to Nick. They were a short distance from Malachi and Cameron. However the two of them could hear what was said as if they were standing next to them. It wasn't because it was said loudly. Obviously Cameron shared the same affliction that Malachi did.

Malachi glanced at them as they whispered and slid their gazes over Ariel who for the first time showed actual skin. Ariel seemed to also realize how exposed she was, but straightened herself to take a run forward.

"Probably better, you could do whatever you wanted. She wouldn't fight you off." Nick stated.

"Oh yeah." Kyle said and Malachi was disgusted by the two of them.

"Assholes." Cameron grumbled. It was one thing to appreciate a woman's looks or skills. Another to talk like that about her. Ariel suddenly ran forward and shocked them all by taking a leap. She brought her legs together crossing them and plunged downward. She didn't even scream as she went down, and then she hit the water with a splash.

"So does that mean you're carrying our stuff?" Cameron asked Natasha who sneered at him.

"Shut up." She snapped and they saw Ariel's head come up to the surface a minute later. She looked up at them and moved off. With a shrug, Kyle jumped next following her down.

Ariel looked up at them and a most triumphant smile on her face, that had been amazing! She could do that again, it was so freeing. Falling like that, as if the air was pulling all your worries away and making you fresh and new. The others all followed jumping down and she swam to the shore.

"Here's your dress." Cameron said as they came up to the shore as well, she had wrapped a towel around her.

"Thanks." She said sitting down and not meeting his gaze. Now that it was done and over, she felt good and relieved. She was worried what Natasha would do later, probably scream at her for being an idiot or something. Natasha never liked being showed up.

"I didn't think you'd do it." Malachi said sitting down next to her. His ice blue eyes examining her and making her feel uncomfortable. Mostly because she was insecure about her looks.

"I wasn't sure at first either." She admitted meeting his gaze. Cameron sat down on the other side of him. She really liked the color of his eyes, and looked away from him feeling silly and stupid.

"So Ariel." Kyle said sitting down on her other side. "What are you doing later tonight?" Ariel looked at him. She didn't like the look that was in his gaze. She watched Natasha lay down on the towel.

"I'm busy." She said. He gave a laugh and reached over to turn her head to look at him. His grip wasn't all that nice, and it made some kind of fear go through her. She knew Nick was a player of women, he liked to bed 'chicks' and leave them. His own words too.

"Doing what? You should come with us to the party." He said. "I don't have a date, you could be it." Natasha laughed.

"Please, imagine how awkward she would be." Natasha laughed again.

"That's nice of you. But Natasha's right, you'd be better with someone else." Ariel moved her head out of his grip and looked forward toward the water. Kyle scooted a bit closer to her. She felt a shudder go through her as his breath touched her ear. It made her feel cold inside, she felt an almost panic hit her.

"You should come with, I can teach you a few things." She jumped knocking into Malachi when Kyle's hand slid over her thigh. She didn't like it and it made her feel nauseous.

"She said no." Malachi said rather harshly steadying Ariel. Cameron was also giving Kyle a rather dark look. Ariel stayed where she was closer to Malachi because he felt safer than moving over toward Kyle and his angry gaze.

"What business is it of yours? She's not your girlfriend, I was just asking her a question." Malachi leaned toward Kyle and in a low voice so only they could hear spoke.

"She said no, clearly she doesn't want to help full fill your fuck fantasies. So leave her alone, or I'll make it my business." Kyle gave a rude noise.

"Just trying to help her out. She's so cold and lifeless anyways probably a waste of time." With that Kyle got up and Malachi sat back. Ariel moved from against him and a couple feet away.

"Thanks." She said and there was a tightness to her throat.

"Don't listen to him Ariel." Cameron said. "He's a loser, just saying that because he was hurt that you rejected him. You can do far better than that. You're worth more than a creep like that." Ariel looked over where Kyle was now sitting with Sam and laughing. It was just the three of them really privy to the conversation they were having.

Marie and Natasha had moved slightly to a brighter spot and were now sunning themselves. Ariel gave a sigh and met Cameron's hazel gaze, there were slight tears in hers.

"That's nice of you to say. But he's right." Ariel stood up holding the towel to her tightly. "I'm just going to go for a walk. Thanks again for defending me. Sorry I can't have more of a backbone." She gave a sob that she wasn't able to control and walked away fast. Her tone was sad and she was clearly upset at herself, no one else. Being called cold and lifeless wasn't exactly nice, and Ariel's self esteem was already pretty low.

"Ariel." Cameron called after her as his phone went off.

"Just let her go." Natasha called. "The whiner will come back. She's so annoying." Malachi looked at Natasha and then over to where Ariel was walking. She'd pulled on her sopping wet dress and then tugged the towel around her.

"Hey it's Sally I have to go." Malachi just gave him a nod. Cameron slapped his shoulder lightly as he got up to leave. Malachi just nodded to him. After a moment he got up, no one really noticed at first. He moved over to stand just before Natasha.

"Shouldn't you go get your sister. She's clearly upset." Natasha sighed.

"Like I said she'll come back. If she doesn't get lost." She made an aggravated sound. "Now that you mention it, she probably will get lost or do something stupid. Would you mind getting her?" Malachi stared at her.

"Please?" She asked sweetly. "Just drag her back if she doesn't want to come." Malachi rolled his eyes and turned going to retrieve Ariel because her sister wouldn't. Why did she not care about her sister?

"I know she's annoying I'm sorry. Thanks babe." He cringed at the word. Babe? What were they twelve? He just moved on to go find Ariel who'd disappeared from sight. Easy enough though he just followed her scent.