Six.

Lara

I added blush to my cheeks and I heard the front door open as I brushed my teeth.

“Laraaaaaa!” I hear Elijah’s voice ring up through the small apartment. He had a key and always let himself in, which I didn’t mind.

I look down over the loft railing seeing him on his phone. I stare down with the toothbrush in my mouth.

“I’ll be right down,” I mumbled as the minty suds dripped down my lips onto my chin.

I eventually made my way down the stairs grabbing my purse from the kitchen counter.

“Ready?” I smile softly, trying not to let the thoughts of Kol creep into my mind and ruin today... 

What if we see him there?

What if he’s with someone else?

What if he ignores me?

I mean I did tell him I hated him.

My thoughts come to an immediate stop as I step outside and the sun hits my skin. I smile, looking upwards with my eyes closed and letting the sun wash over my face.

A few moments later I opened my eyes and saw Elijah smiling.

“You’re such a weirdo sometimes,” he rolls his eyes.

“You know Kol used to joke when I did that, that I looked like—” I stop. My face drops and I grab my sunglasses from my bag, putting them on and not saying anything else as we walk down the street towards the beach.

Elijah didn't ask me to finish what I was saying, he knew where I stood with Kol. He wasn’t going to bring it up or say his name. Elijah didn’t even like Kol, so he would never encourage me to talk about him.

The music hits us a block away from the beach. I smiled hearing an old beach boy’s song flowing towards us with the salty breeze off the ocean. 

The crowd of people maneuvering around the beach. Kids with faces covered in chocolate syrup from their ice cream cones, bouquets of flowers in people’s arms, and some couples dancing to the music being played by the band. 

The smell of food filled my nose and made me instantly hungry. “I want a pretzel and cotton candy.” I point to the booth selling the bright-colored spun sugar on a stick. -I’m probably over here looking like a child begging their parents for dessert in the middle of the day.

Elijah laughs at me, shoving my shoulder. “Can I throw you in the ocean again this year?” His question makes me shake my head. I honestly still believe after a whole life so far of friendship with this boy, he still thinks I can swim. Did he forget that I almost drowned last summer? 

Kol saved my life.

“No, you asshole. I can’t believe you even did that,” I mumbled while we approached a booth and I saw handmade rings, wire wrapped around sea glass.

I let my hand run over a few rings before picking one up. I smile down at the small piece of seafoam green glass wrapped with gold wire.

“Ah that is one of my favorites, that color symbolizes renewal and tranquility.” The older woman behind the booth smiled as she spoke.

“It fits you,” Her soft voice makes my lips curl upward into a small smile. I slid it onto my pointer finger before pulling out some cash from my bag and thanking her.

“Already bought something?” Elijah asks in a playfully sarcastic tone.

“Maybe,” I shrug before putting my hand in his face so he could see my pretty new ring.

“Which one is new?” He lifts an eyebrow as he stares at my heavily decorated hands.

I stick my bottom lip out acting like a child who didn’t get their way. “Really?” I squint.

I wore the same rings every day, they all meant something special to me, and I rarely took them off.

“How am I supposed to know? You have like ten rings on and I’m sorry if I don’t spend every second examining your hands.” His eyes roll as he speaks. -Elijah only had three rings, the new one making four.

Elijah and I spent the rest of the day, eating, shopping, and relaxing in the sun, only to walk again for a while. We looked at a booth selling flowers, my favorite. I stare down at the baskets of colorful flowers, each petal different from the other.

I grab a small bouquet of mainly white daisies mixed with a few pink roses, bringing them to my nose. I handed over some cash and Elijah met me as I walked away from the booth, the sun starting to set in the sky behind the ocean.

“Look!” I smile holding up the small white flowers.

“Oooooooohhhh…” Elijah smiles, leaning down and picking a small bundle from the bunch of flowers in my hand.

“Hey!” I protest, but I close my lips, shutting myself up as Elijah’s hand reaches towards my ear. He gently tucks the little group of white daisies behind my ear, making me smile from ear to ear.

I reach back and pull the clip from my hair, letting the sandy blonde wavy mess fall against the sides of my face. 

“I feel like a flower fairy or something,” I scrunch my nose at Elijah.

“Flower fairy?” He can’t help but smile, I nudged him into his side and nodded.

I stare out at the sun slowly sliding down the sky like melting ice cream. I tilt my head, laying it on Elijah's shoulder, admiring the soft clouds.

“Ready to go?” he asks, leaning his head on mine.

I let out a soft sigh as I listened to the music from the band. I was secretly hoping I would see Kol. . . But I guess it was best that I didn’t.

I held my bag, the small bouquet of flowers, and some other things in a basket I had bought. “I guess,” I mumble, hurriedly looking away from the couples that had started to gather down close to the ocean, dancing to the music being played. the sound of the guitar flowing through the air and into their bodies.

“Lara. . .” Elijah frowns at me as he says my name.

“Let’s go home, are you okay?” His hand goes towards my waist as he goes to pull me the opposite way of where he knew I wanted to be.

For some reason, I was drawn down to the band. I wanted to follow the tune. . .I wanted to stand in the middle of the couples dancing, the wind in my hair, my eyes closed, and my soul letting go of whatever it was holding onto.

“No- I wanted to” It all clicked as it got closer to the band and my eyes fell on Kol standing with a group full of people across the beach. —He didn’t look well...he looked ill.

He is why I felt like I needed to stay, the universe working in its odd way, keeping us close like it always did.

I felt like the universe was punishing me, having him so close, but just not close enough.

He could never give me what I needed.

Kol sips a beer, laughing at something someone said. His perfect wavy hair hangs more towards one side of his face than the other. His old worn-out nirvana t-shirt hanging loosely from his body. A thin gold chain hung around his neck.

“Elijah, do you wanna dance?” I looked over at him.

His face drops. “Lara. . .we should just go-” I cut him off before he could finish his sentence. I grabbed his hand and pulled him with me. 

“Please, please, please!” I whined as I dragged him down towards the water.

A few couples swayed back and forth to the soft notes that swirled in the air. He smiles and gives in to my sad look.

“Fine,” he huffs. “Just one song.”

We stand chest to chest, my arms going around his neck, resting gently on his shoulders. His hands nervously find their way to my waist. I smile up at him as he tucks the flower more securely behind my ear. I close my eyes just trying to embrace the moment, and enjoy my favorite person.

Although this wasn’t what I thought I wanted, it was what I needed. Even without Kol, I was okay—I was proving that I was right now.

I all of the sudden feel Elijah’s body move away from mine. “What are you-” I couldn’t get the words out as I looked up at him and his expression sent a chill down my spine.

Elijah had such an unfamiliar look on his face, something I had never seen. He hesitantly moved away even farther from me, stepping backwards into another couple.

“Eli-” I furrowed my eyebrows, only to turn around to see what—actually who he was staring at?

My eyes landed on Kol, his jaw clenched tightly and his hands shoved into his pockets. His eyes were glossy, probably from being high. The veins in his neck stood out, as his chest moved up and down faster than usual. His eyes were glued to Elijah.

“K-Kol what are you doing?” I squint up at him, but he scoffs.

He looks down at me, “What am I doing?” His eyebrows raised and a snide smirk finds its way along his pink lips. “What am I doing?” He emphasizes the word I.

“I-I. . .” A wave of nervousness fell over me, I let out a shaky breath.

“Yes?” I shrug my shoulders, keeping my tone cold and my eyes off of him.

“The question here is what are YOU doing?” His eyes locked on Elijah’s fear-filled gaze. Without any warning, Kol’s hand finds Elijah's chest as he pushes him backward. Elijah stumbles over his oven feet barely catching himself.

“Kol I- '' He puts his hands up in protest to Kol’s taunting question. Kol doesn’t listen, he just continues to let anger and jealousy control his body. 

He lunges forward, grabs Elijah's shirt, and pushes him backward until Kol has the thin material of his shirt between his fingers. His face is close to Elijah's. “this is the last time I’m going to warn you about this about her.” Kol spat in Elijah's face.

“Hey!” I yell, trying to step between them. my voice made its way over the music officially making everyone stop and stare at the three of us. “Can we not do this?! Please?” My eyes nervously scan Kol’s hardened, spiteful look as he practically holds Elijah off the ground by his shirt. I was so confused about what was happening, and also why Elijah didn't even fight back.

Did he know something I didn’t?