Lia's POV:-

I look confused at how all the team members were running around the beach. Weren't we supposed to leave in about five minutes?

I spot my brother, Alex, Ian and Dylan along with Luke standing near the bus. I walk closer to them to hear Luke's irritated snap, "-guys, don't say anything like this in front of her. You'll freak her out." The boys vigorously nod.

"Of course man."

"We understand."

"Totally."

"We'll behave."

I clear my throat, and they turn around. Luke's face softens on seeing me, while the rest of them wear identical smiles.

"Lia, Luke just asked me to be his best man at your wedding!" Alex give a fake squeal, coming forward and hugging me.

"But then he decided, I would make a better looking best man" Ian smirks, winking at me.

"Shut up guys!" Max scolds. Luke looks at him gratefully. "If anyone should do it, it has to be me. Cause, both bride and groom will be special to me" Max coos, pinching an annoyed Luke's cheeks.

"And I would recommend, you name your first born after me," Dylan offers. "If it's a boy, Dylan, and if it's a girl, Dylianalla."

"Isn't that what we called you till 3rd grade?" Alex asks. I was quietly observing.

"Dylan I was thinking, we would let you and Julian keep our first born," I explain going closer to him. "You could name the child Judy, you know Julian + Dylan."

Dylan visibly pales, while Luke laughs. "Well played" he fist-bumps with me. Suddenly, Dylan turns a startling shade of red as he glares at someone behind us. Julian was coming towards us, laughing with another boy. 

Before anyone could react, Dylan storms towards them and scares the boy away.

"What gave you the bloody right to do that?" Julian angrily snaps at Dylan, who followed him sulkily. Luke put a hand around my waist, pulling me closer. I look up, but he was looking at Julian and Dylan.

"Hey! You said last nigh-"

"Well I changed my mind" Julian sweetly interrupts. "So get out of my face, you-"

Julian bites back the curses, as he acknowledges the audience. "Hi guys," he speaks calmly, completely contrasting his earlier voice. "Why aren't we going?"

"Coach said we'll be leaving in the afternoon" Max informs, sitting at the steps of the bus. 

"Let's go to the mall then" Julian suggests. "We could roam around there, cause I don't feel like unpacking my trunks."

"Good idea," Alex thumps his back. "Let's go!"

Julian comes forward towards me, but stops on seeing Luke. Luke was not exactly glaring but, he was tensed. Like if Julian pulled me out of his grasp, Luke would let go. But he won't be comfortable about it. Julian passes a silent message to me, 'I-am-good-you-handle-him' and skips along Ian.

"You guys go, I'll be at the beach" Dylan mumbles.

"Nonsense!" Max puts a hand around Dylan's shoulder.

"No man," he mutters, removing Max's hand. "You guys go, bye."

I feel sad, watching Dylan go away. "You guys start walking, I'll bring that idiot," Julian tells us and runs after Dylan. I give Luke a knowing smile. He fondly kisses my forehead.

"How long before you'll be okay with Julian and me?" I ask quietly. Luke and I were walking behind Max, Alex and Ian. 

"Does it make any difference?" Luke mutters, one hand in his pocket, the other holding mine. 

"He's my best friend" I answer quietly. "I can't not talk to him."

"I know," Luke replies. "I know.." he whispers looking ahead. I wrap my hands around his arms, my cheek against his shirt sleeve. 

"Time heals everything" I mumble, poking his shoulder. Luke laughs softly, "I thought it was my job to be bring philosophy and morals?"

"It is. This is just you, rubbing off me." Luke raises a knowing eyebrow.

My smile drops abruptly, "No wait it's bad. What if I also become righteous like you? Then will I be the one to say no to sex?"

"Baby, you won't say no" he mutters lowly. "I'll make it impossible for you to say no," he whispers into my ears. My stomach drops as my mind brings up dangerously explicit images. 

"You are arousing me in the middle of the road" I whisper furiously.

"Hmm.. That tree looks wide enough to cover both of us" Luke says thoughtfully staring into the forest beside the road. 

"When did we switch places? You are starting to sound awfully like me," I point out. Luke gives a throaty chuckle wrapping his hands around my shoulders.

.................................

My eyes were glued to the man. He had a really white hairless head, that reminded me of a boiled egg. There was white light shinning above him, which brightened his head further. His tight t-shirt was too small, and most of his beer belly was hanging out. A golden watch was clasped tight on his wrist. Suddenly he turned around, making eye-contact with me. He gave me weird smile, that showed his really yellow teeth.

Yep, definitely a boiled egg..

I gulp and scoot closer to Max who was admiring Rolex watches. Still feeling his eyes on me, I hold Max's hand. He didn't notice, as he hollers Alex, "Alex if you are my best friend, prove it. Buy me this watch."

"What?" he mutters to my questioning look, "He's rich." I roll my eyes.

"Max I would buy this for you," Alex answers passionately. "But my mother cut me off."

"Damn.." Max laughs. Upon further questioning Alex answers, "It's because I forgot to take her Corgi to get laid."

"Breeding Centre" Dylan answers to Julian's confused face. They both looked better now, sometimes even holding hands. 

"Fucking dog!" Alex spat scornfully. "I knew I should have shot it, the day it was bought.."

"You can't say things like that!" Julian and Dylan cry out together. 

"Guys seriously," Alex explains. "One time, my mother visited the salon, and they told her pets weren't allowed. She yelled at them that, 'This is my child! How dare you!'."

"That explains all your bitchiness" Ian comments.

"She had the salon shut down" Alex says blankly. We all step back surprised.

"Guess, I'm never visiting Alex" I mutter under my breath.

"Oh no.." Max whispers to me. "Alex's mom is actually really sweet."

We all had first filled our stomach with lots of cheese pizza and ice creams. Now we were trying clothes. Ian kept wailing, that if he hadn't over-eaten the pizza he might have fit into the crocodile onesie. 

"Lia!" Julian grabs my arm and points towards a tall guy, leaning against the showroom glasses. "Doesn't he look like Freddy?"

"Who?"

"The one in our previous school. We used to call him, Good-Licker Freddy. He licked cream-rolls in the cafeteria, with such emotion that we both wanted to..."

"Ahh.. Yes, I remember" I shift uncomfortably. Julian narrows his eyes at me.

"You slut! You slept with him, didn't you?" he whisper yells.

"Oh my God! Shush! I have a boyfriend and a brother within one mile," I smack his head.

"But we both agreed to not make a move on him," Julian pinches me. 

"Julian, it was at a stupid party. You had ditched me, and he was the least boring option for me" I explain.

"Fine" he mutters. "Was he as good, as he was with the cream-roll?" I nod smirking. 

"I'm so jealous" Julian smiles. We both drifted back to the rest of the boys. "Lia, doesn't that attendant look like Harry?"

"Now, who's that?" I squint my eyes searching for whom Julian was pointing at.

"Oh c'mon.. Don't you remember Huge Harry. He wasn't quite that right in head, but he had knockers as big as-"

"Okay.." I give a loud fake laugh, as people start looking at us. The boys were already pretending we don't exist. I put a hands on the side of my face, to shield it from embarrassment. "Julian! We are in public!" I whisper scold him. He gives a guilty smile. After a while, Dylan takes him away and I was left with Max, Alex and Luke.

Two girls, shyly smile at Luke who on the other hand, was checking out an iPad. "Hi.." they both giggle at him. Luke looks around like a deer, stepping away from the girls.

Good to know, he has the fear of 'Natalia'...

I was about to possessively cling to Luke, and challenge those girls to a cat-fight, but Max swooped in.

"Oh hey.. Do you find my friend appealing?" Max smiles cordially at them. They give a nervous nod.

"Ladies, don't worry... He may have a face like a dried cabbage," Max pinches Luke's cheeks. "But!" Max stressed on that word so much that my eyes wandered to Luke's tushie. 

"This lad-" he continues "-is a machine in bed."

"Yeah. He-" Luke tilts his head towards Max "-took a test drive yesterday."

"Yeah.." Max smiles assuringly. "What?!" His head snaps towards Luke as he processed the words. The girls gave a weird look and walked away.

"What is the matter with you?" Max wails.

"What is the matter with you?" Luke snaps back.

"Damn it dude.. I was about to make some good money offering yo-"

"Is it true you both slept together?" Alex asks.

"Yeah," Luke answers sarcastically. "Max wanted to explore the male specimen."

That sounds like something I would do...

"I cannot believe you would chose Luke for that," Alex whispers looking hurt.

"What?! Alex he's messing! Luke tell him you are joking," Max angrily pleads at Luke, who had obviously lost interest and was now examining a MacBook.

"I can't believe.." Alex sniffs, making Max look back at him. "After 50 years of our friendship, you would-"

"Fifty? I think it's been only-"

"Oh my God, you don't even believe we were friends in the previous life!" He wails and runs out of the showroom.

"I don't know any of these boys" I announce to the people who were staring at us. "Seriously, I am married. My husband will be here soon."

Soon, boys get bored and plan to go back. "You guys go ahead, I need to buy some things" I inform. 

"Well buy then, we'll wait," Alex offers.

"No, no.. I'll take time" I refuse.

"Yeah you guys go, we'll be back soon" Luke says to the rest.

"No, you also go. I need some Lady-stuff, and I don't want either of you around" I explain. Luke opens his mouth to protest, but then settles for a reluctant nod.

"Ooo.. She's going to buy sexy-Lingerie to surprise her boyfriend," Dylan teases. I give him an unimpressed look. 

"Shut up guys.. Don't trouble her" Luke shoos the boys. Then he turns to me with a mischievous smile, and mouths, "I like black color." My lips widen in a surprised smile.

Once the boys leave, I go into the the shop I spotted earlier, named 'Fine Architecture Tools'. My heart beats excitedly as see all the sheets, drafters and pencil kits. 

"How can I help you Miss?" 

I turn to the woman with a happy smile. 

.........................

"There you go.." I push back the sheet holder, tightly shutting my bag so that nothing was visible outside. I exit the mall and start my way back. I still had half an hour left. 

"That's her!" I turn around startled only to have my mouth covered and my wrist clamped into an iron grip. I struggle as two people take me inside a dark alley. 

"Boiled egg!" I gasp, as they remove the hand from my mouth. It was the same man from before, leaning against a dumpster. 

"Well hello beautiful," he grins at me. "I caught you checking me out earlier" he winks. The two men hold me down, making it difficult to even move.

"What?" The man on my left was dangerously nearing his hand to my breasts. 

"Hey! Keep your hands off her!" Boiled Egg snaps. "You know the drill. First I go, then you two can take turns."

"Take turns for what?" I growl.

"Aww.." Boiled Egg traces a dirty blackish finger, along my cheek. His fingers were glittering with gold rings. "You know what I am talking about." He hooks a finger around the collar of my top and pulls it forward to look down.  "Didn't you wear this top, with that exact intention? It's so tight."

Okay now, he just pissing me off...

"Your mother must have smoked weed when she was carrying you, you fucking dimwit!" I snap. 

"Feisty.." he murmurs in appreciation. "What's your name?" Upon my silence, he signals to the man on my right, who twists my hand painfully.

"Natalia.." I cry out. His grip loosens, I breathe in relief. 

"Why aren't you scared Nattie Nattie Nat Nat.." he whispers coming dangerously close. My body goes numb as an unwanted flashback, jumps out from the corner of my brain. When I was in boarding school, one of the dorm-keepers would corner me, and force me to touch his body. Then he used to groan "Nat, Nat.."

My blood boils as I remember that creepy pervert. "Don't you call me that!" I roar and bring up my knees and ram it so hard into the man, that he fell to the ground, blood pooling from his pants. The two men loosen their grips, staring at their leader in horror. With every ounce of strength I bring my hands together, making their head crash in the middle. 

I am never missing a workout in my life again..

I was not stupid to challenge those men further, so I turn around and run outside the alley onto the footpath. "Get that bitch!" Boiled Egg yells in pain. I hear footsteps running behind me. From the corner of my eye, I see another small alley. Quickly I dive into it, and hide behind another dumpster.

Like I thought, the two men run past me. I quickly go out and run through a different route to the resort. I slow down as I near the beach. There were many people around, so I breath easily. I sit down on a bench with my head in my hands. The first emotion I encountered was joy. I fought off three men. My skin goes cold as I remember what could have happened. I shake it off.

The thing that was bothering me the most, was that flashback. I loathed it, so I had forced myself to lock it up real tight in my brain. I realized that's the reason why, I can't stand it when people call me Nat. My eyes water on remembering the incident. I take a deep breath and force down the tears. 

I go inside a shop, and go to the restroom. I wash my face, fix my hair, and dust my clothes. I look at my reflection and smile. "I got this" I say to myself and walk out like nothing ever happened.

............................

"Lia!" Julian calls me. Everybody were already seated in the bus.

"Crap, was I too late?" I ask running upto Max, who was standing with Coach and Luke.

"Nope just in time," Max answers.

"Are you okay?" I turn to Luke who was frowning at me.

"Of course" I smile. His frown deepens. Coach ushers us inside. I sit beside the window, Luke next to me.

"What happened baby?" Luke asks.

"Nothing.." I smile. He keeps looking at me. "Fine! I am just sad, cause I couldn't find a black Lingerie."

Luke frowns, "I know, you don't get upset over things like that."

"Well then, Wright is not always right" I kiss his cheeks. 

"Everytime I look at you both, you are either smooching or about to smooch" Max grumbles walking past our seat. I chuckle and get up. "Excuse me for a sec" I cup Luke's cheek, and make my way to Max's seat. Alex was talking to Julian and Dylan.

"What do you want?" Max mutters, typing on his phone.

"I just wanted to talk to you" I answer. He puts his phone away, leaning in his seat closing his eyes, "I'm listening."

"So, you are really okay with me and Luke?"

He laughs, his eyes still shut. "Couldn't protest even if I wanted to," he murmurs. "You both look at each other with such intensity, that I feel like a third-wheel without even wanting it." I smack Max's shoulder.

"I'm serious here." He sits up and looks at me.

"You want me to be serious? I'll be honest. You couldn't have found you a better person than Luke" he admits smiling at me. My eyebrows raise in surprise. I definitely wasn't expecting that. 

 "Look I am happy that it's Luke, cause I have seen how he treats girls. I have seen how he treats his girlfriends. I am just relieved you are not dating some hippie tattoo artist, or the 'Village's Bad Boy' with an arrogant ass who would treat you like trash, and convince you to forget about your brother... I used to think, I would have to fight with your boyfriend, everytime I tried to talk or advice you."

"What the hell?"

"Yeah, you know those guys, who make you fall in love with them with their charm, make you change your priorities and then leave you heart-broken?"

"Do I really look like I would date, that type to you?"

"Yeah.." he chuckles. "But Luke is my best friend, so I don't have to worry about any of that. He respects me already, so I don't have to put him in his place. I mean, sometimes he might look arrogant, but that's only because he's very shy. And I know, he's going to spoil you."

"Luke aside, Max listen to me" I scowl at him. "I can never forget you. Don't you fucking dare to think that." He grins at me.

"Yes, you have tormented me enough that it's left permanent scars," I show him a faint scar inside my palm, that he gave me, when he made me sword fight with him. 

"Yeah, I could say the same for you," he shows me his bicep, that had a long scratch that I made when he tried to cut my hair. We laugh at each other.

"What about that party? With Easton?" I ask. "You voluntarily left me and Luke alone?"

Max shivers, "I couldn't stomach your lovey-dovey eyes at each other. So I left the second I could." 

"You know, Luke wanted to tell you. He would try to convince me every time. But I always made excuses."

Max looks surprised. "That is so Luke.." he sighs. "We've been teasing and torturing the boy all day. How he's a bad friend, and all that sort of mental anguish. He never once mentioned it was your fault or even defend himself saying it was your idea."

"I wouldn't say fault-"

I stop on seeing Max's disapproval. "Alright, I was the bad person. But I couldn't tell you, fearing what you would think."

"Lia, I know people are scared of me, but I would never want you to be one of them. I would hate if you think you can't talk to me."

"I'm sorry Max," I take his hand, squeezing it. "I'll make sure to tell you, the next time I hog another of your best friend." 

"Hey!" I laugh at his indignant face. 

"I have known Luke since we were kids," Max says after a while. "I always thought, he'll go for someone quiet and modest. I was shocked when I saw you two, getting along. I thought, if you even did dare to make a move on my friends, it would have been Ian. But like they say, opposites attract."

I lean my head against his shoulder, closing my eyes. "Thank you. I love you, you horrible twerp," I mumble. I feel Max laughing and patting my hair.

For a moment I felt safe. I feel relaxed. My eyes snap open as the faces of those filthy men re-appear. 

"I'll get back to my seat" I inform. Max nods absentmindedly, typing on his phone.

.............................

Along with this chapter, I'll be publishing my next book about, Dylan and Julian. Interested (may I say brave) readers can check it out! Also, thank you for your comments. You people's comments, motivate me to continue this story.

I am not particularly fond of this chapter.. So I won't mind if you guys don't like it :p