Celix's Pov:
I sit in the dimly lit bar by the beach, nursing a glass of tequila and staring out at the horizon. The waves crash rhythmically against the shore, the sound blending into the murmur of chatter around me. It's become a routine now coming here every evening for the past week.
A week. It's been a week since I saw her. That girl. The one who ran from me as if she had something to hide. I know it was her those eyes, they were unforgettable. The same eyes that haunted my memory from that night.
The night I was saved.
I've been trying to convince myself that what happened wasn't just some fantasy, some delusion my mind conjured while I was on the brink of death. No, it wasn't an imaginary creature that saved me—it was real, and I'm almost certain it was her.
But why did she run away from me? What was she afraid of? I wasn't going to harm her. Hell, I just wanted to talk to her, thank her, maybe understand what happened that night. Yet the moment our eyes met, she bolted, like a scared animal.
I take another sip, letting the tequila burn its way down my throat. My eyes scan the beach again, hoping, just hoping I might catch another glimpse of her. But there's nothing. Just people lounging on the sand, some playing volleyball, others swimming in the water.
Why did she run?
The question has been gnawing at me, consuming most of my thoughts lately. Between the stress of my final year and the constant pressure from Dad to start "getting familiar" with the family business, I don't really have the mental space to deal with this too, but here I am. Familiar, my foot.Dad just doesn't like seeing me relaxed. He's always on my tail, telling me I need to start thinking about the future, about the company. But I still have almost a year until I graduate. Isn't that enough time to breathe?
I roll my eyes at the thought, swirling the tequila in my glass. As if I don't already have enough to think about.
From the corner of my eye, I spot Ren walking toward me, his usual swagger on full display, and, as expected, Cecily Moore is clinging to his arm like some designer accessory. I groan inwardly. Of course.Couldn't he have left her at home for once?
Cecily, the so-called It Girl of our class. I never understood what people saw in her. Sure, she's pretty in a conventional way long blonde hair, big eyes, that fake smile plastered on her face wherever she goes but there's nothing real about her. She's slept with nearly every guy in our year, and somehow, she still manages to walk around like she owns the place.
And now she's dating Ren. God knows why. Ren's no saint himself, he's slept around just as much, but Cecily's a whole different breed of annoying. Even though they're together, she flirts with every guy she meets, and that includes me. It's almost a game to her, seeing how far she can push it right in front of Ren.
I don't get it. How can Ren put up with that?
Hell, I'd take the beach girl any day over someone like Cecily. Now she was something else natural, mysterious, with an air of grace that Cecily could never even dream of having. There was something captivating about her, something… real
I groan again as Ren and Cecily approach, slumping further into my seat and rubbing my hands over my face. Maybe if I don't look at them, they'll go away.
"Celix, my man!" Ren's voice cuts through the background noise, his laughter loud and obnoxious as usual.
I peek through my fingers and glare at him. Why does he have to be so loud?
"Oh, hey! Celix, it's been a while! How are you?" Cecily chimes in, her voice sugary sweet as she drapes herself over me, pressing her body against mine in a way that makes my skin crawl.
I force a tight smile, barely looking at her. "Hm."
"Come on, don't be like that!" she says, pulling me into a side hug. Her perfume some sickly sweet, overpowering scent fills my nose, and I have to resist the urge to push her off.
I stay frozen for a second, clenching my jaw. Great. Just what I needed.
"You guys should call me over sometime. We can all hang out," Cecily says, her voice dripping with false innocence as her hand slides up and down my arm. I can't help but notice how casually she's doing this, right in front of Ren.
Annoyed, I snatch my arm away, turning my attention back to the ocean. The waves crashing against the shore are infinitely more interesting than whatever she's trying to do. Can't she take a hint for once?!
Ren, of course, is too busy laughing to notice or care that his girlfriend is blatantly hitting on me. Typical.
"Cec, give the guy some space, yeah?" Ren says, finally noticing the tension in the air. He doesn't seem bothered though. He's probably used to this by now.
"Sorry, sorry!" Cecily giggles, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Just trying to be friendly."
Friendly? Is that what she calls this?
I roll my eyes and take another sip of my drink, willing them both to disappear so I can get back to my thoughts.
Ren nudges me, clearly not picking up on my mood. "You've been coming here a lot lately, man. Something on your mind?"
I shrug, not really in the mood to explain. "Just thinking."
"Thinking, huh?" Ren leans back in his chair, his arm casually draped over Cecily's shoulders. "About that girl?"
I freeze for a second. How does he know?
Ren grins, noticing my reaction. "Ah, I knew it. You've got that look. So, what's the deal? You see someone you like?"
I sigh, setting my glass down. "It's not like that."
"Oh? Then what is it?" Ren presses, his grin widening.
I shoot him a look, hoping he'll drop it, but knowing Ren, he won't let this go.
"There was a girl," I admit reluctantly. "I think she… saved me, you know, that night."
Ren raises an eyebrow. "Saved you? What, like some hero shit?"
"Something like that," I mutter, not wanting to go into details. Especially not with Cecily sitting there, her eyes wide with interest.
Cecily gasps dramatically, as if this is the most fascinating thing she's ever heard. "Oh my god, Celix! That's so romantic! A mystery girl saving you in the night. You should totally find her."
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. As if it's that simple.
"She ran away from me," I say, more to myself than to them. "The moment I saw her, she bolted. Like she didn't want me to know."
Cecily pouts, leaning in closer. "Aw, maybe she's just shy. You know how girls can be."
I highly doubt that's the reason, but I don't bother correcting her.
Ren, ever the joker, winks at me. "Maybe she's playing hard to get, man. Girls love doing that."
I ignore them both, my mind drifting back to the girl on the beach. Her wide, startled eyes. The way she looked at me for that brief moment before she ran. It wasn't just fear it was something deeper, something almost… desperate.
I groan, rubbing a hand over my face again. This is driving me crazy.
"You're overthinking it," Ren says, clapping me on the back. "Just relax. If it's meant to be, you'll see her again."
I doubt it. But part of me hopes he's right.