Chapter Nineteen

As much as I'm all in for the four steps, this is outraging. I take a look over the edge and fear takes control over my thoughts, again. It's day time and the lake is clear, shining a bright blue. I take a step back for the fourth time.

"Hurry up, Audrey!" Chris yells from below.
"I'm coming!" I call back. I look over the cliff one more time and the water suddenly seem to get farer away from me.

To hell with the four steps, this is dangerous. The waves could swallow me up and I'll never resurface again.

Hayes can talk about his four steps and how taking risks are what makes life fun and interesting all he wants as long as I don't have to jump.

"Is she coming?" Shawn asking out loud. A few minutes later he adds. "I don't think she's coming."

"Oh, she's coming." A voice says behind me."Whether she wants to or not"

I don't need to turn around to know who it belonged to. I would know his voice from anywhere. Hayes is standing mere inches from my back and I can feel electricity shoot through my body. He's not even touch me and I'm already getting light headed. That's Hayes for you. He can make every head turn by just being in the room. His smile can make your heart beat out your chest. His voice can make your body melt. His eyes can make you disappear in them. But his touches can make you forget about everything, take your breath away and leave you wanting more.

"Just jump, Audrey" Teri says. "If Daire can do then you can do it."

"No you mean if Chris can do it she can do it." Daire corrects her.

Chris did scream when he jumped but at least he jumped.

"If you don't go in the next five seconds, I'm pushing you off." Hayes threatens me.

I know he wasn't bluffing. He meant what he said. I give him my death glare and the corner of his mouth tips up in his sexy half smile.

"One" He starts counting. "Two, Three"

Before he says four I interrupt him. "Okay. I'm jumping."

I take a deep breath, as if it were my last one and throw myself off the cliff. It feels like the longest free fall but only seconds. I hit the cold water and a small wave drags me farer into the lake. My head breaks the surface and I felt like doing it again. Actually, I didn't feel like leaving the calm water. I don't know why but it felt like it was calling my name. As crazy as it might sound. It was distant but I can still hear it.

I tilt my head up to see the top of the cliff. "Your turn."

Hayes doesn't say anything but I know he's smiling. I move closer to Teri and the rest not wanting to get wiped out by the ripples Hayes is going to make.

Hayes disappears out of my sight for a second before reappearing. He's get a running start. He leaps into the air. I was expecting a fancy trick, like flipping, but he does a sexy dive. And let me tell you if he was a lifeguard, I wouldn't mind faking a drown or two to see his hot dive again. He comes up out off the water and shake his hair, sending droplets flying out his thick dark silky hair.

He swims over to me. "See that wasn't so bad."

"It was to me." I tell him, smiling.

He rolls his grey eyes. "Because you over think things."

"I do, huh?" I tease. "You should probably do something about that."

His arches one of his eyebrows and before he can say anything, I press my wet lips to his. He kiss me back without hesitation.

My arms snakes around his neck and into his wet hair, drawing him closer. Fire is spreading through me and I was in total bliss until someone clears their throat.

"Keep it PG-13" Chris jokes.

Smiling, I pull away. "Sorry Chris. I forgot you're still a little kid."

He mutters something under his breath and Gina smacks him on the back of his head.

"It's the truth." He protests, holding the spot Gina hit.

We head back to the lake house and gathered in the living room. I place my towel on the floor and sit on it. Hayes sits beside in the circle we made.

"Whose turn is it?" Teri asks.

"I think it's Shawn's" I guess.

Gina went after Chris and before Shawn. Gina picked Daire and asked her what was the odd of her and everyone else jumping off a cliff. Obviously, Daire lost and we had to jump off a cliff. Gina didn't have to jump but she said it looked like fun.

"Okay" Shawn say, his sea blue eyes scan our little circle and lands on me. "Audrey, what's the odds that you will...." He pauses to think of something. "sing for us."

I stare at him. "What's with everyone wanting me to sing for them?"

He shrugs. "I had something else in mind but Hayes would kill me. And I'm curious about your voice."

"Okay. Are you guys ready?" Teri asks. "Three, Two, One"

The highest number you can go it's five. I decided that Shawn would think I would pick five instead of a lower number to confuse him. "Two." I say as Shawn says. "Five"

I stick my tongue at him and he rolls his eyes.

"Mine turn" Teri announces, excitedly.

"Hayes what are the odds of you dropping cold water filled with ice cube on the person to the left of you?"

I straightened my back, quickly. Did she really just asked him that? I glare at Teri. She better hope their numbers doesn't match.

Hayes send me an amusement smile before facing Teri.

Gina begins counting down and I pray they had different number. But like I said life is out to get me. Why? Is the first thing that pops into my mind.

Chris gets up to make the ice water and returns a few minutes back, holding a bucket in his hand. A freaking bucket. Why couldn't it be a glass or something. Oh that's right. We're talking about Chris. This is his payback for earlier. Karma is really a bitch.

Chris hands Hayes the bucket and he gives me an apologetic smile. As if.

"I hate you." I tell Teri, glaring at her.

She throws her hands in the air. "Hey don't hate me. Hate your boyfriend. He's the one who guessed the same number as me."

"But you're the one who-" My sentence is cut of by my scream. "Ahh! Oh my gosh! That's fucking cold!"

I leap from the pouring water and out of the circle. I jump up and down, shaking my hands. Everyone laughs at me.

I stare at Hayes, and he still holding onto the bucket. "A little warning would've been nice" I say, my teeth chattering.

He shrugs. "Wouldn't have been fun that way."

Shriving, I head to the bathroom to get another towel since Hayes decided to drown mine. I cover myself into the soft warm towel.

"No more water possibilities" I say, walking back into the living room and squeezing between Daire and Teri.

Chris rolls his eyes. "Okay fine. No more water." He agrees.

After we played another round, I went to take a much needed hot shower.

With a towel wrapped tightly around me, I step into my shared room. Daire glances up from her phone.

"About time you decide to get out." She hops up and walks into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

I dry off and put on my pajamas. I crawl into my comfortable bed and stare at the ceiling. My eyelids feels heavy and I close them, effortlessly.

Sleep has no trouble finding me and a dream appears.

It's blurry, like a faded memory. I stand there, watching. Listening. It's a song. A familiar song. I don't know how I know it but I knew it.

It plays over and over again before a hear a little girl's voice behind me. I spin around to see a girl who's about four maybe even five, standing in front of me, staring in past me, crying. Her long dark hair is pulled away from her face, making it easy to see her face. Her hazel eyes are red from the tears.

I kneel in front of her. "Why are crying?" I question.

Her eyes shifts to mine. "You don't hear it?"

I frown. "Hear what?"

"The song. It tells you everything."

I stop and strain my ears to listen to the soft song playing, but no words appears.

"What's the song about?"

She cocks her head to the side. "You mean you can't hear his voice? The lyrics?"

I shake my head no. "I can't hear anything but the music."

She stares at me. "What's your name?" She asks, out of no where.

"Audrey." I reply back.

She steps back. "You don't remember." She says.

"Remember what?"

Her head wipes harshly to her left and her breathing becomes quick. She's afraid.

I turn my head and I see nothing. I turn to look at the girl but she's gone. Who is she scared of?

Her words invades my mind.

Remember before it's too late.

"Remember what?" I ask out loud, standing in the white room.

The song. Another voice tells me. Ask him. He knows all about it.

Before I can asks who is he, the dream fades into a different one.