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CHAPTER FOUR

❝THERE'S THIS LOOK IN YOUR EYES THAT DRAWS ME INTO YOU.❞

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Winnie took a small sip of her green tea and went straight back to typing up her chapter with the sound of Say You Won't Let Go by James Author played through her headphones.

She wa so focused in writing she didn't notice a woman walk up to her table, she gasped softly and smiled as she took her headphones out.

"Sorry."

"You were so deep into your laptop, I was thinking I'd have to shut it to get your attention."

Winnie laughed softly as the woman did too and sat down across from Winnie with her coffee in her hands making Winnie shut her laptop.

"I'm Jade."

"Winnie."

"So either you're trying to bug me or you're new to Santa Monica."

"Pardon?"

Jade laughed. "That's my usual seat, everyone knows that."

"Ah, well it's all yours. I was just leaving."

"No stay, we can chat."

"No, I actually have to finish up this book."

Jade pursed her lips and nodded as she watched Winnie head out of the coffee shop and down the boardwalk with her laptop in her backpack and her phone in her hand.

As she walked, she looked at all the nice shops that she passed by making her do some window shopping to pass the time.

Winnie continued to walk until she stopped when she recognized the crab shack she had seen and the one Peter mentioned making her smile.

She walked across the street and headed over to the entrance and stepped inside and was hit with the sudden smell of seafood and seasoning.

Winnie walked all the way over to the bar near the kitchen doors and sat down onto the wooden stool just as the bartender walked up.

"What can I get for you?"

"I'm actually looking for someone."

"Hm, really? Twenty bucks and I'll talk."

"Twenty bucks? The guy works here."

The bartender shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not looking for him, you are.

Winnie huffed and pulled her wallet out of her backpack and pulled out a twenty dollar bill and slammed it down onto the counter making the bartender smirk as he picked it up.

"What's his name?"

"Peter."

"He's back there."

Winnie creased her eyebrows. "That's it? I want my money back!"

Just then the bartender was going to open his mouth to speak, the sound of the back door opening made them book look and reluctantly, Peter came out with a bucket of crabs.

"Winnie?"

"Hey, Pete."

"Hey. . .uh—"

"I was in the area." Winnie murmured softly as she walked over to Peter and fiddled with her fingers making him laugh softly.

"Well give me just a second."

Winnie nodded and watched Peter walk up the hill of the bar and drop off the bucket of crabs to a table full of men, he nodded and walked off and headed over to Winnie.

"Well, how would you like to hang out?"

"I was hoping you'd ask."

Peter smiled and just looked at Winnie and to his surprise she was smiling back as they stood in silence — that was until the bartender broke it.

"Pete, you know her?"

"Yeah."

"Give me back my money."

"Money?"

"He made me pay to know where you were."

Peter sighed heavily. "Dude, come on, I thought we told you no more conning the customers."

The bartender huffed and reached into his back pocket and took the money out and slammed it down onto the counter and rolled his eyes.

Winnie smiled and walked over and snatched up the money and placed it back into her backpack making the bartender scoff.

"Thanks, Jake, follow me, Winnie."

Winnie nodded and followed behind Peter, but stopped at the entrance of the door and looked back at the bartender seeing his eyebrows creased.

"What?"

"Thanks, Jake."

Jake rolled his eyes and shook his head and headed off to the other side of the bar making Winnie snicker and open the door and follow Peter again.

She looked around and noticed she was in a kitchen where there was about five people walking around and cooking, organizing, or heading out the other back door.

"What's out there?"

"The sea, that's where we get our food supply."

"That's so cool. . .and convenient."

Peter laughed and picked up a cooked crab from the bucket set to go to a table and turned around to give to Winnie.

"Try it."

Winnie hummed and hesitantly took the crab from Peter and cracked the shell open and ate the crab meat inside making her moan at the perfectly seasoned taste.

"Good?"

"Yes. . .honestly I've never had crab."

"Seriously?"

Winnie nodded and giggled. "Hard to believe?"

"Eh. . .how would you like to catch one of your own?"

"What?"

"I'm serious, we close in about an hour or so, hang around and we can go catch some crab."

"Okay. . .maybe I'll go chat with Jake."

Peter chuckled and shook his head as he watched Winnie walk out of the kitchen and back out into the restaurant making him go back to doing his job.

While he did so, Winnie found a seat in the far back of the restaurant, it was a booth and the area around her was quiet.

She reached into her backpack and took out her laptop and headphones and got back to work on her chapter that she had started earlier to pass the time once again.

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"More popcorn?"

Iris hummed and reached into the bowl and got some more popcorn as Justin held it for her and he continued to watch Iron Fist on Netflix in his living room.

Iris took a handful of popcorn and ate them individually as Justin took a handful and stuffed it all in his mouth.

Iris looked at Justin out the corner of her eye and cleared her throat and readjusted herself on the couch and moved closer to Justin.

"Justin?"

"Hm?"

"Why does another woman stay in this beach house with you?"

Justin snickered. "Long story."

"Ah."

Justin creased his eyebrows and looked over at Iris and saw her focusing back on the show making Justin take the remote and pause the show and place the popcorn down onto the coffee table.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"Iris."

"Where do you expect to go with us?"

"Us?"

Iris nodded and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, Justin."

"Where's this coming from? Is it from yesterday with Win—"

"Don't even finish that sentence."

"Oh, I know what this is. . ."

Iris rose an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yep. . .you think me staying here with Winnie is going to affect us, huh?" Justin asked as he leaned closer to Iris and wrapped his arms around and her waist and pulled her close.

"I just. . .I don't know, I've been hurt before, Justin. I don't want that to happen again."

"I won't hurt you. . ."

Iris blinked a couple of times and looked over to Justin and saw him searching her brown eyes for some time of emotion as he cupped the side of her face.

"I trust you."

"Good, now can we finish this episode?"

Iris giggled softly and nodded as she pursed her lips and watched Justin grab the remote and press play again, Iris saw Justin sink into the couch making her rest her head on his chest as he pulled her closer and held her.

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"Ready?"

"Peter, please remind me why I have to wear this?"

Peter looked at Winnie as she came out of the bathroom with the waterproof overalls and knee high boots on just like him making him snicker.

"It's for your protection out on the boat."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."

Peter laughed a bit and reached behind him and grabbed the waterproof gloves and passed them to Winnie. "Last thing."

Winnie caught them and huffed as she watched Peter grin and take his gloves and place them on his hands as he leaned off the counter.

"I'm regretting hanging out with you."

"Winnie, that almost hurt my feelings."

Winnie rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head as she walked out of the kitchen through the other back door with Peter that led them to a long dock that had a medium sized boat at the end of it.

"Here's your fishing rod, here's the net, and the machete."

Winnie opened her arms as Peter passed her the net and fishing rods, he took the machete and lead him and Winnie off to the boat at the end of the docks.

Once they got to the boat, Peter climbed on and threw the machete onto the small wooden table and gave Winnie a hand getting on.

Once they were on the boat, Peter walked over to the wheel and put the key into the ignition and started up the motor making Winnie turn around and look at Peter.

He winked at her making her shake her head and smile as she turned around and feel the boat take off as Peter steered the boat.

After riding for for a moment, Peter came to a stop in the middle of the ocean making Winnie puff out a breath as the boat came to a stop.

"Okay, ready?"

"I've never fished before."

"That's why I'm here, m'lady." Peter spoke in a country accent as he winked at Winnie making her roll her eyes and pick up one of the fishing rods.

"What do I do?"

Peter walked over to a bucket and pulled out the bucket of fish heads and opened it as Winnie walked over, Winnie had never moved back so fast. She jumped and squealed trying to move back that she dropped the fishing rod and shivered.

"Peter!"

"What? It's the bait."

"Fish heads? Oh god, I think I'm going to puke. . ."

"Well. . .the ocean's right there."

"Peter I'm going to kill you, that's not funny." Winnie murmured softly as she ran her fingers through her curls and licked her lips softly.

"Winnie you got this, I'm right here."

"But—"

"Right here."

Winnie pursed her lips and sniffed as she saw Peter place the fish head onto the hook of the fishing rod line and pass it to Winnie.

Winnie bit her bottom lip and took the rod and watched Peter get behind her and guide her to the edge of the boat.

"Okay, we're going to one good swift throw of the line and into the water, okay?"

Winnie nodded as she felt Peter's hands touch her wrist to guide her throw, he swung her arm back slowly and counted down from three and helped her swing the line into the water.

"Good throw."

Winnie looked at him over her shoulder. "Good guiding."

Peter chuckled as he felt his cheeks get hot and he watched Winnie turn around and look out into the ocean, he then cleared his throat and creased his eyebrows as he looked at Winnie's line stand still in the water.

"Okay. . .usually it doesn't take long."

"Maybe it's bedtime for Mr. Krabs."

Peter chuckled. "No, give it another minute, they love fish heads."

Winnie nodded and pursed her lips as she watched her line in the water stand still, she then saw Peter walk beside her and look down at her.

Wow he's tall, Winnie thought.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"Nothing. . ."

Winnie hummed in response and squinted her eyes as she looked back out at her line in the water as Peter licked his lips and looked at it as well.

"Last night. . ."

"Was a complete disaster. . .," Winnie murmured softly as she sharply inhaled a breath and looked over to Peter seeing him grinning. "Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize, most fun I've had in awhile, actually."

"Why?"

"Well my grandma is a diabetic. . .I have to keep close tabs on her."

Winnie creased her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, Peter."

"No, don't apologize."

"Well, don't you have to go home to her? Make sure she's okay?"

"No, her nurse is there for another hour."

Winnie pursed her lips and nodded slowly and looked back out at her line and noticed it move a bit making her sigh.

"Winnie, can I be honest with you?"

"Sure, about?"

"Well. . .yesterday when we met in the store? That wasn't the first time I'd seen you."

Winnie looked over at Peter and snickered. "What?"

"I'd seen you on your first day here, I was heading to work and I saw your cab stop to let you use the bathroom in that shoe store. I saw you window shopping for a minute and I knew I had to see you again, I didn't know how, but when I saw you in the grocery store I kind of saw a chance."

"And that's when you made your move on me. . .?"

"Mad?"

"No. . .it's cute." Winnie whispered softly as she looked over to Peter and smiled softly and caught Peter staring at her again.

Just then, Winnie gasped as she felt a hard tug on her line making her gasp and hold on tight to her rod. "Peter, help!"

"Okay, pull!"

Peter got behind Winnie again and helped her pull the crab into the boat, after fighting for about a minute, they finally got him onto the boat.

He was crawling around on the ground making Winnie squeal and watch Peter chase the crab like it was a turkey gone wild.

Winnie couldn't help but laugh as Peter chased him until he got stuck in between the tables, he sighed softly and picked up the crab and held it carefully.

"See?"

"Aw, he's cute."

Peter shook his head and placed the crab down into the crate they kept and shut it back as Winnie squealed from the edge and jumped up.

"We got it!"

"I did."

Winnie giggled and turned around to get the fishing rod, only to have it fall off the edge. That's when her instincts kicked in and she tried to catch it, only to tip over and scream.

Peters eyes went wide. "Winnie!"

Peter dove into the water after Winnie and searched around in the water for her, seeing her just a few inches from him making him swim over to her and wrap his arms around her and swim up to the surface with his other hand.

Once he got to the surface, him and Winnie both gasped for air, but Winnie started to cough up water as Peter swam them back to the boat.

Peter swung Winnie's body so she'd go up the stairs first, once she got to the top and slipped onto the ground, Peter followed after her and slipped onto the ground next to her.

They both lie on the wooden ground trying to catch their breaths as their bodies lie just a few inches from each other's.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. . .thank you."

Winnie opened her eyes and looked to see Peter looking at her with those beautiful green eyes of his making her purse her lips.

"Winnie?"

"Yes?"

"About your father. . .I hope you don't mind me asking, but what happened to him? You had this look in your eye yesterday when you mentioned him."

"He. . .died when I was a little girl, heart attack. . .you know, to this day, I never understood how he got sick."

"What do you mean?"

Winnie softly laughed. "He was as healthy as a horse."

"Maybe he was sick and you didn't know?"

"I don't know. . .but his love for me and my mom. . .it was inevitable."

Peter smiled softly. "I bet."

Winnie and Peter had then let silence fall over them an Winnie took the time to think about Peter's words making her crease her eyebrows and look at him again.

"Pete?"

"Hm?"

"Why'd you say that? You know. . .that I had a look in my eye?"

Peter leaned his body up and used his elbows to support his weight. "I don't know. . .there's this look in your eyes that draws me into you."

Winnie kept quiet as she looked up at Peter seeing him slowly lick his lips and look down at Winnie's lips making her look at his.

Peter leaned his body down and slowly let his face get closer to Winnie's making her heart beat faster as he got closer.

"Pete. . .I can't."

Winnie placed her hand on his chest softly and pursed her lips as she looked up at Peter seeing him crease his eyebrows as he cleared his throat and nodded.

"Sorry, I didn't mean—"

"It's not you, Peter, honest."

Peter nodded and hopped up from the ground and headed over to the steering wheel of the boat and started the engine as Winnie got up as well and sighed.

Nice job, Winnie, Winnie thought.

Winnie watched at Peter steered the boat back to the dock, she was feeling a pang in her chest and a feeling like she should've let Peter kiss her. But did she really want to kiss him?

That's when Winnie's father's words came to mind.

Ten valor y se valiente.

Winnie bit her bottom lip and walked over to Peter and when he saw her out the corner of his eye, he creased his eyebrows.

"Winnie—"

Winnie cut him off by giving his lips a quick peck as she cupped his cheeks and moved back a bit making Peter clear his throat and focus back on steering.

"Can I help you?"

"Steer?"

Winnie nodded and smiled as Peter chuckled softly and moved a bit so Winnie could come over, she got in front of Peter and felt him get behind her and place his large hands on her small ones.

"We're almost there, it's just like driving a car."

Winnie felt her stomach doing flips as she felt her cheeks getting hot, maybe it was from the kiss. But Winnie knew she didn't want the feeling to stop.

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"Thanks for driving me home, Pete."

"No problem, goodnight, Winnie."

"Goodnight. . .," Winnie murmured softly as she patted Pete's truck and began to walk off toward the house but paused and turned back to Peter's truck. "I had fun tonight."

"Me too."

Winnie smiled softly and walked to the door with her key in her hand, she opened the door and walked inside and shut the door behind her and walked into the kitchen.

Once she placed her plate of crabs in the fridge, she went upstairs and only got to her bedroom door when she heard the sound of a chuckle making her sigh and turn around to see Justin at his door with a grin on his lips.

"Have fun?"

"Yes and I left some crab in the fridge."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"No details?" Justin asked making Winnie roll her eyes and shake her head as she slammed the door in Justin's face making him scoff. "That's why I'm going to eat all of it!"

Winnie stopped in her tracks in her room and turned around and opened the door and saw Justin still in the same spot.

"If you want to make it to the end of the summer, you'd leave it be."

"Damn, you're hot when you're feisty."

Winnie rolled her eyes and shook her head as she slammed her bedroom door again, leaving Justin to chuckle and shut his door and head to bed as well.

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