We just arrived at the beach, stopping at a stand to buy some colored powder for the festival. We scanned the packed beach. People were coated in different shades of bright colors, some green, some red, some pink, blue and god knows how many others. We all opened our packets and threw colors at each other first, eventually splitting up, me and Alex together.

I covered his face in blue while he covered mine in pink. I dumped my entire packet out on his head before running along the shore, away from him. I lost him in the crowd before I heard him call my name while he ran right to me.

He caught me, emptying his color on me. I shook some powder out of my head while he did too. "I'll go get some more," he laughed.

I waited where I was until I heard someone call my name.

"You seem to be tainted in shades of pink."

I instantly knew the voice. I let out an exhausted sigh and turned to face him.

"It's unfortunate no one's here to apply any colors to you, isn't it?" I arched an eyebrow at him. "Did you come here to find another girl?" I rolled my eyes.

"I came here to find you," he replied.

Confusion graced my face and before I could comprehend anything, he pulled me to him and kissed me.

I pulled away as soon as my instincts kicked in.

He took two fingers and wiped them across my cheek, pulling the color off and rubbing two streaks on his face, one on each cheek. "I'll see you around, Faith," he walked away.

I tried to swallow past the lump in my throat but I couldn't avoid the feeling of bile rising in my throat. I took deep breaths before turning to go look for Alex but found him standing there, staring. "Alex," I sighed, beginning to run over to him but he stepped back.

"Did you kiss him?" he looked at me in disbelief.

"No!" I said defensively. "No, I didn't kiss him! He kissed me, Alex-" I stopped talking when he threw the colors onto the ground in rage. I jumped back when he stormed up to me.

"How did you let him do it, Faith?" he clenched his jaw while grabbing my arm roughly.

"I pushed him off when it hit me, I swear," I blinked rapidly preventing tears.

He let go of me and stepped back, kicking the sand. He began walking off.

"Where are you going?" I asked, keeping up with him.

"I'm going home." I began breathing heavier.

"Alex, I didn't do anything!" I yelled.

"You never do anything! He just keeps on coming back to you, doesn't he? You never tell anyone, never ask for help! Have you even told your parents?" he screamed. My throat ran dry and lips remained sealed shut. "Faith, you have to tell people, no one can help you if you don't." He walked off with that.

I ran my hands through my hair, panicking on the inside, wondering what the fuck I should do. I looked around to see if I could find Hayley or Daniel and when I couldn't, I began looking for Cody with anger flooding my veins. I clenched my jaw and fists while marching over to where I last saw him.

He was standing at the drinks counter, watching everyone, smirking at me when his eyes met mine.

"What the fuck do you want?" I tried keeping my shit together.

"Why don't we step aside?" He led us further away from the crowd.

I stopped halfway. "I think we're far enough. Spit it out, what the fuck do you want?" I spat.

He put his hands behind his back before speaking up. "You. It's that simple."

I was fuming. "It's not that fucking simple! I am not yours! I don't fucking belong to you! You hurt me and now that your little plan failed, you're acting like you wanted me the entire time when you didn't! You wanted to make sure I never find anyone else, so you got with Amber. Now that she's gone, you're trying to pull me back. Fuck you! You need to fucking stop, Cody!" I snapped.

"Why?" I could see the anger seeping through his eyes.

"Because I love him!" I screamed.

"You love him? You love him but you couldn't love me?!" He took daring steps closer to me. "I gave you everything!" he yelled.

"You gave me everything?" I scoffed. "You gave me nothing, Cody. Nothing. You wouldn't even look at me when another girl was in the room! You made me feel like something was wrong with me! And Alex? He makes me feel like I'm the only girl in the world! He's there for me, he cares about me, he helps me. He fucking loves me and that's something you could never do and that just doesn't sit right with you." My nails dug into my palms.

"What doesn't sit right with me is how you chose him!" he glared at me.

"You weren't even an option for me. You're dead to me, Cody." As soon as the words slipped, I saw him storm at me. I was so sure he would hit me and when his hand was winding back, my doubts were confirmed. I ran back, as quickly as I could, as fast as my feet could carry me, I ran.

He grabbed me, pulling me back while I screamed at the top of my lungs. He threw me in the water and I surfaced while gasping and choking from the water that entered my lungs.

"Cody, don't! Please!" I coughed, struggling to get my words out while choking.

"Faith! Are you okay?" Hayley ran over. She was rubbing my back, helping me breathe right.

"Hayley, get the hell out of here," Cody glared at her.

"What the fuck are you doing? Are you insane?" she looked at him in shock.

"Hayley, go." She took the hint and left to get help. "Look at you. Look at what the fuck you're doing," I got out of the water and stood in front of Cody. "You're crazy." I felt a sudden stinging on my cheek and I knew he slapped me.

I felt someone pull me back and drag me away while all I heard was yelling. I stopped trying to look and turned to Daniel who was carrying me to the car.

"Where's Alex?" I asked. He didn't answer. "Daniel, please go get him. Please. I'll call the cops, I'll be fine, just please go get him," I said while he sat me in the car beside Hayley.

"Fine," he huffed before sprinting back while I began crying, as I grabbed my phone and dialed 911.

x-X-x

"How the fuck can he just do that with no one here for security?"

"Sir, please calm down. You need to stay seated," the doctor held him down.

"We'll take him to the station and take care of him, please get the medical attention you require and go back home," the Sheriff explained.

I sat in the paramedic's vehicle, getting a cut on my cheek cleaned and a cut on my forearm which I don't even know how I got. Something could have cut me in the water, I'm sure someone tossed a broken beer bottle in there.

Alex was bruised. His lip was cut, his cheekbone had a cut like mine and his knuckles were bleeding. Cody looked much worse. I'm pretty sure he broke his nose.

"Are you okay?" Alex pushed the doctor away and climbed back over to me.

"Alex, will you please just sit down and let them take care of you?" Daniel yelled at him, pulling him back to his seat.

I sat there numbly until I heard my dad's voice. They were supposed to be traveling tonight and I ruined it for them.

"Honey, are you okay?" My dad ran over to me with concern painted across his face, his forehead wrinkling like it does when he's stressed.

"I'm okay," I said quietly.

"You're coming back home," he huffed.

"No, dad please." I requested. "I really want this holiday with my friends, please?" A tear rolled out and I didn't even know what it was for. "They'll take care of me," I mumbled.

"Alex will be there, Mr. Hughes," Hayley said.

"That's what I'm worried about. Look, I love the kid, alright? But every time he's involved, you both get hurt," he sighed.

"That's not true!" My voice was louder than I thought. I looked ahead of me to see Alex standing up from his seat again, ready to run to my side. Daniel sat him back down while I turned to my dad.

"I'm going," I stated. "He saved me, dad."

He sighed in defeat, "Fine. But I'm staying here until you're treated," he sat beside me.

"Dad, your flight is in thirty minutes," I huffed. "Please?"

He kissed my head before leaving after some persuasion.

Once I was all bandaged up and cleaned, the paramedics left, the Sheriff left with Cody's paramedic and we were all left there. We all got into Daniel's car in absolute silence. I sat in the back with Alex.

"Are you okay?" he asked after five minutes into the drive.

"I'm fine, thank you for saving me," I said quietly.

He reached for my hand but I pulled it back.

"Thank you for saving me, but you shouldn't have taken it this far."

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