"... Just take your time to
recover 'Cause it's easier said,
it's easier said than done..."
~ Alessia Cara

...♛...

"Summer, wake up," Alice shakes me. I lazily wave my hand around in the air, trying to get her to stop. "We're stopping for fifteen."

"Okay," my eyes flutter open just in time to watch her exit the bus. I stay seated for a few minutes just to fully wake up. Today is the start of the three day camping trip and camp is still three hours away.

All last night, the smell of Alice's vomit and the sound of her coughing kept me up. I didn't complain because it isn't her fault, but it was really annoying. I let out a long yawn before getting up and exiting the bus.

As I exit the bus, I watch Kai's black Audi pull up, making me miss mine. It was precious and everything to me. Now, I have to depend on Alice to go anywhere and everywhere I have to go.

I walk into the convenience store and find Alice with a basket full of junk food.

"Ooh! My favourite," I grin looking at the bag of Maltesers.

"Yup," Alice pops the p. I look around and spot Cole wearing a white t-shirt two aisles down.

"I'll be right back," I tell Alice who nods in response. I walk down and take a left towards Cole's aisle.

"Hey," I greet standing next to him.

"Hi," he responds, confused.

"Can you, maybe, take care of Alice for the rest of the trip?"

"Why?"

"Because her vomiting kept me up all night, and since she was drugged on your watch, I think you should be the one handling the aftermath," I cross my arms.

"Whatever, give me the pills," he extends his hand out. Even though, I'm surprised as to how he consented so easily, I don't question him and hand him the pills.

"Thanks, and let Kai know I'll be riding with him." I turn around and walk back to Alice. "Good news."

"What?"

"I'm getting a break."

"What?"

"Cole's gonna take care of you."

"Oh my god, thank you," Alice sighs and my jaw drops open.

"I was the one who stayed up all night because of you vomiting," I complain.

"And I was the one you had to listen to your complaining."

"Whatever, just make sure you puke on him."

"You know it," Alice laughs. "I'm gonna buy these."

"Okay, I'll be riding with Kai."

"Good luck."

"Thanks," we both smile. I linger around the store a bit longer, until I watch the bus departure. Seeing that Kai's car is still parked outside, I walk up to the counter, "Two packs of cigarettes, please."

"ID," the clerk asks. I reach down my pocket. My heart skips a beat when my ID is no where to be found.

"Isabella, you dropped your card," the depth of his voice sends shivers down my spine. Kai stands next to me and hands the guy my fake ID. The clerk looks at it and hands me the two packs in exchange for the amount due.

Before I can take the two packs off the counter, Kai beats me to it. I glare at him, but he gives me a look saying 'Don't you dare'. My lips form a thin line as I walk past him aggressively brushing his shoulder.

I walk outside and take a seat in his car. The smell of his cologne catches my attention. This smell is worse than my addiction to smoking. It's nearly becoming a habit and I need to stop before it does.

"Where's Cole?"

"With Alice," I reply to Alec who enters the back seat.

"Mm," before we can talk further, Kai takes a seat on the driver's side.

"Give me my cigarettes."

"You smoke multiple packs a day?"

"So? It's none of your business," I scold Alec. "Kai, I'm serious take away my food and water, but I need the packs you're keeping hidden in your jacket."

"I'll give them when I want to. Until then, stay quiet."

"Only because I know my hands are tied, not because I'm succumbing to you in any way."

I don't wait for a reply and pull on my seat belt looking out the window. A few seconds later, the movement of our car, indicates the departure.

Not wanting to make the three hours seem longer than they are, I close my eyes and lean my head against the door falling into a deep sleep.

...♛...

I turn around under the warmth of a blanket sitting in a weird position. Finding no comfort, I switch onto my other side, but something just doesn't feel right making me forcefully peel open my eyes in the direction of which direct sunlight hits.

I wince and face the opposite direction. I blankly stare at the empty driver's seat. Recalling the events from yesterday, I remember falling asleep in Kai's car.

I sit up only to have my back crack. It's not painful and makes my back feel a little less sore than before. My hand shields my eyes from the bright sun as I look out the window at the vacant parking lot.

Bringggg!

I jump in my seat as my heart loses its rhythm. I calm myself down and frantically search for my phone. I finally find it in the cup holder and pick it up, "Please tell me you're alive."

"I am. I think, but where are you?" I ask Alice.

"Where am I? I'm at camp where we're supposed to be. The real question is where are you?"

"In Kai's car."

"Please tell me you're fully clothed. Summer, I thought you said you saw all guys as bastards. I can't believe you spent the night in Kai's car doing the dirt with him."

"Dude, calm the fuck down. No babies were in the process of being made last night. I was fully clothed, nothing but a few words were exchanged back at the gas station."

"Okay, good. If you're in his car, that means you're in the parking lot. I'll be there in five." Before I can reply, she cuts it and I look at the black screen of my phone dumbly.

I put my phone in my jean's pocket and brush my long hair back. Mentally, I praise myself on bleaching my hair before coming here so I don't have to worry about anyone spotting my black roots.

I look down at the black blanket covering me. I bring it up to my nose and take in the familiar smell associated with Kai, making me believe the blanket is his. It's weird that I can recognize Kai just by a smell. What is it that most intrigues me about him? It's not just the fact that he's Nick's brother. No, there's more. But what?

Convincing myself that my thoughts are useless, I rub my eyes and head out in the open air, closing the car door behind me. I can't believe he left me in his car for the whole night. What the fuck was he thinking? And my cigarettes, I need those tonight no matter what.

I lean my back against the stainless car waiting for Alice to show. I look around at the forested area. I've never been camping before, but my brothers have taught me how to use compasses and other unusual resources I could use to my advantage if I ever get lost in the woods.

Thinking of my old life is giving me a headache so I remind myself that I have two more days to be me and the worries of yesterday are not going to be the worries of my tomorrow.

"Oh my god, you're okay," Alice engulfs me in a hug.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"None of the guys would tell me where you were, so I just stopped and went to bed."

"Forget it. I'm fine, so let's just go."

"Okay, we're going to start a five hour hike in an hour," Alice informs. The roll of her eyes states she isn't excited.

"Let's go, don't wanna be late," I smile pushing Alice to walk faster.

...♛...

"How much longer?" Alice groans exaggerating the agony in her voice.

"It's only been fifteen minutes," I laugh.

"And I can feel my makeup already coming off because of my sweat," she complains.

"Maybe you shouldn't have applied on a second face today," I suggest.

"Always gotta look good for myself," she proudly announces with her right hand held over her heart.

Alice is the kind of girl that looks like a total girly girl when you first meet her, but if you get to know her better, she's willing to do anything for what she wants. The girly girl thing is just an act and a little makeup doesn't harm anyone.

As we walk at the back of the line, following the herd of students in front of us, I look at the natural beauty surrounding us.

The bright sun is seeping through some of the gaps between the tree pines shining down on the damp soil smelling like the fresh sea, but there is a smell stronger than that. A smell that I'm afraid will linger around me for a long time, the hair-raising smell of his cologne.

I stop in my spot and turn around meeting eyes with the devil himself. He left his usual attire in exchange for a white v-neck with black shorts and blacking hiking boots.

My eyes roam up to his and I'm left speechless. His eyes just suck me right in. They're so exposing yet so secretive, it kills me to know that he, himself is a secret that would take a lifetime to understand and I've already wasted eighteen years of my life not trying to figure him out.

"What?" my words come out as a mere whisper. He looks at me with no change of expression.

"I never said anything."

"You've been lingering," I feel my heartbeat increasing.

"How would you know?" I bite down on my tongue before saying that I smelled him. That'd just add to his bitch comments.

"I have a sixth sense."

"Mm," his ripe lips form a thin line as his eyes roam around the area. "I'm just keeping an eye on my money maker."

I don't reply. I just stand there staring at him and asking myself why me. Why did he come into my life? Why does he care so much about me?

"Summer, stop wasting your time and let's go. We're gonna be left behind," I hear Alice's voice behind me.

I peel my eyes away from Kai and turn around. "Yeah-," I clear my throat. "I'm coming."

Walking a little faster, I slow down once I catch up to Alice. "What did he say?"

"Nothing," I reply. We continue walking and my mind flashes back to five minutes ago.

After thinking about it for almost fifteen minutes, I finally determine why this interaction has such an impact on me.

When I was kidnapped, Nick never let me see the light of day for days on end. I would sit in the dark basement waiting to even see a speck of light, but for days, no one would even come down to check on me. I lost hope. I thought that I was going to die alone in the dark, not even allowed to see my own reflection.

But as cruel as he was, he didn't let me die. He came down one day and brought me up to hell.

The intervention I had with Kai made that memory reappear in my mind. I was appreciating the outdoors when in, walks Kai, ripping it all away. His presence, alone reminding me that in three days, I might have to go through everything Nick did to me again, but this time, worse. And for the first time in a long time, I'm actually terrified of the thought.

"Summer!" I hear Alice yell in the distance. I turn around and get a glimpse of her worried expression just before gravity is ripped from beneath my feet.

A scream releases from my lips.

A/N:

Ivy: Long time no see, how's everyone? How was this chapter? I'm so sorry about the bad updating schedule hopefully, I can fix it soon!