Krystal's POV

I spent most of my day anxiously waiting for six o clock to come by. I could not for the life of me sit still. I tried to relax in the spa but that didn't work so I tried swimming. No luck. Then I sat on the swing imagining all the scenarios that could unfold tonight. Hours passed while I sat there swinging softly.

When it was five twenty I started to get ready. All I did was shower and put on shorts with a tank top and flip flops. I threw my hair up in a bun and left.

When I got there I sat by the water and hugged my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a nervous wreck.

A pair of hands covered my eyes.

"Guess who?" Asked a familiar voice.

"Dr. Seuss?" I replied.

"Funny," Reese sits next to me. "You look like the perfect Tumblr teenager in one of those teen movies sitting here like this."

"Sitting by the ocean is nice," I reply.

He stands and takes off his t-shirt before running into the water.

"You'll freeze to death!" I call out.

"The cold never bothered me anyway," he quotes winking. I cover my face groaning. He didn't not just quote Frozen.

Reese dives under the waves and I watch mesmerized a she comes back out shaking his hair out. I could watch him all day and never get bored.

Yeah. I've got it bad.

I know it's crazy because I've only know him for about a month and half but I believe there's no time limit on love. I feel like I know him more than I know anyone else in my life. I've never confided in anyone like I did him or trusted anyone else like I did him. He's seen all of me, the good parts and the bad. Any other person would be left feeling vulnerable, but I'm glad that he knows all of me, the real me, and not the persona I put on.

Reese comes back dripping water everywhere. "Let's build a sand castle."

I laugh. "I haven't built one since I was like six."

"Good thing for you, you have an expert on your side," he grins.

We get to work patting, molding, and shaping the sand. When we're done I stare at it.

"It's lopsided."

"Duh that's because it's not a castle; it's Wayside school," Reese says.

"I loved that book series and tv show."

"Exactly. We've built Wayside school," he nods his head.

As the sun starts to set Reese constructs a small fire. Then we both sit by it side by side.

My heart is pounding in my chest because I know it's now or never, and if I don't do it now I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it.

"Reese.." I start.

"Mhm?" He turns to me.

I bite my lip and try to calm down but it's hard.

Deep breathes. In. And out.

"I- there's something I need to tell you."

"Okay," he shifts fully to face me. "What is it?"

I might as well just get it over with. Like ripping off a bandaid.

"I'm in love with you."

There I said it. Huh. That wasn't...too bad.

At first Reese's face remained perfectly still. I waited, my heart about to beat out of my chest and my hands shaking.

Then he laughed.

The sound cut through me like glass.

"You're in love with me?" He repeats. "Please tell me you're joking."

Okay I actually really felt like I was going to throw up. What the hell? He was being a complete dïck about it.

"I don't see what's funny," I said slowly. "And I'm not joking. I love you Reese," I repeated the words to emphasize my point.

He abruptly stood up. "Stop saying that."

I stood up too. "Why?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and I could see his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the absolute truth. I love you so much and I want to be with you, officially. That's why when Josh gets back I'm going to break up with him. I realized I never loved him. And I know it'll be hard but we can make this work! I don't care what anybody says about me or if they judge me. Even if it means giving up everything to be with you I would. Because that's what love is. Making sacrifices. And I understand that maybe you don't love me now, that you're not at that point yet, but I'm willing to wait for you to be ready. As long as I know you care about me."

After my long speech I waited for him to say something but he didn't and the silence was killing me.

"Reese," I whispered. "Say something."

"Are you fücking delusional Krystal?"

I stepped back as if slapped.

"You're just like all the other girls," he mumbles. "You knew what this was when you got involved with me!"

I wanted to cry. My throat closed up and I found it hard to speak but somehow I got words to go through.

"Are you serious?" I laughed but it was a tearful one. "What exactly did I get into with you? I didn't know there was a contract or something I was supposed to sign!"

"Because you're just supposed to know!" He yells. "You were a fling Krystal. Nothing more and nothing less."

I feel like I don't even know the guy standing in front of me. This is not the Reese I got to know and fall in love with over the summer.

"So everything you said, everything you did was just to get in my pants? You told me you cared about me! I shared parts of myself with you I've never shared with anyone else! I opened up to you! And you opened up to me! And now you're going to stand here and tell me to my face that I meant nothing to you, that I was just a hot piece off ass! No, you don't get to do that because I know what we had was more than a fling!"

He looks conflicted and for a moment I have that small sliver of hope he once talked about. Maybe he's just scared. And it's okay because I'm scared too. But together I know we can get through this.

I reach out to touch him and he slaps my hand away.

"This is on you," he says coldly. "I never told you to fall in love with me. You did that on your own. And I don't know what you thought this was, but ultimately I got what I wanted. I got to see what Krystal Parker was hiding underneath all those clothes," he smirks and I feel sick to my stomach. "Now I can finally check you off my list. I have to admit, you put up a good fight."

"You're lyin-"

"And-" he interrupts me. "I even got to have your pretty mouth suck me off. You should be glad your first time was with me. Now you can show Josh what you learned."

My palm connects with his face hard. I feel the sting and see my hand turning red.

"You're disgusting!" I scream. The reality of what I've done sinks in and I stumble back.

I've completely ruined my life.

I turn and sprint back to my car. My hands are shaking and it takes me several tries to actually get the key in the ignition and start the car. Tears stream down my face and blur my vision, I'm not sure I should be driving in my state but I don't care.

I peel out all the while thinking:

What have I done, what have I done?

Reese's POV

I feel like how I felt after my parents found me the night of Valentino's murder.

Numb. And in a daze.

"You're home," my mom says once I come through the door.

Huh. I am. I don't even remember leaving the beach and coming home.

"How was it?" She asks.

I look at her and immediately her face creases in worry.

"Reese-"

"It was fine," I wave her off. "I'm tired, going up to my room to sleep."

Before she can answer I head upstairs and shut my room door.

What the fück just happened?

"I'm in love with you."

"I don't see what's funny. And I'm not joking. I love you Reese."

"I love you so much and I want to be with you."

"Even if it means giving up everything to be with you I would. Because that's what love is. Making sacrifices."

"So everything you said, everything you did was just to get in my pants?"

"You're disgusting!"

Everything is playing through my head like a bad movie. I dig my fists into my eyes and groan.

"You're in love with me? Please tell me you're joking."

"Are you fücking delusional Krystal?"

"You were a fling Krystal. Nothing more and nothing less."

"Ultimately I got what I wanted. I got to see what Krystal Parker was hiding underneath all those clothes."

Fück. Why the hell did I say those things?

I am disgusting. And a complete pussy.

Everything started off with her as being a fling but it changed. I knew it changed. I don't know when and I don't know how but it grew to be something more. So why in the hell did I lie like that?

Because you were scared.

In the end, everything stems down to my deepest, darkest fears.

And one of them is the fear of being loved.

It's insane I know. My parents love me but that's different. They're my parents. It's a different type of love.

Ever since Valentino's death I closed myself off to everything and everyone. I went through life not caring about much and I was fine like that. If you don't care about something it can't be taken away from you. You don't have to go through the pain of losing it. Somehow I'd convinced myself I was this unlovable person and made peace with the fact that I'd probably never be happy again. Not like how I used to be.

Then Krystal came along.

I wish I could explain it, but I can't. Something about her just drew me in. The more I got to know her and spend time with her I liked her more and more. Being with her made me happy. There was never a dull moment with her. She accepted all my faults without question. She never doubted me. She had such faith in me and cared about me so much. It was strange. But it felt good. She was the first person I truly got close to besides Marcus after everything went down. There was something pure about her, despite her terrible family whenever we were together she always had a smile for me.

I started to feel like the old Reese. The one who cares about things and could actually be loved. She did that to me and I couldn't for all the money in the world explain why.

So when she told me she loved me I was so unbelievably happy. Then that fear came slithering back like a snake.

She loved me? No way? There's no way someone like her could love me. I didn't deserve someone like her to love me.

So I pushed her away. Like a complete and total pussy I freaked out.

What's worse is that now I know those strong feelings I have for her that I couldn't figure out. It took this terrible ordeal for me to finally realize....

I'm in love with her too.

Damn how the fück did this happen? How did it all go from this causal thing to fücking love? And how could I have screwed up so bad?

Why am I always responsible for losing the ones I love most?

Damn this chapter was really intense for me to write. I must've taken like several hundred breaks.

So, what do you think is gonna happen next?

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