The surfing lesson was better than I'd expected it would be, but then again, my expectations weren't that high. In fact the only expectation I had going into it was that I would embarrass myself even more than I thought possible or that we wouldn't talk the entire time, which would of course end with Douglas surfing off to who knows where.

After a short and at first unsuccessful try at surfing, Douglas and I had resorted to a small water fight. It had started by accident because he'd said that I was heavy when he was trying to push me onto the board. Of course I denied this claim, signing off my weight change to the water weighing me down, but then he chuckled as if he didn't believe I word I was saying, so I'd splashed him.

Soon enough a water fight ensued, the surfing lesson soon forgotten. The water fight was quite even, where Douglas' splashes were bigger and stronger than mine, mine were faster and more compared to his.

"Give up?" I asked once I reached shore while he lost his footing and disappeared under the small wave that had washed over him. I chuckled as I sat on the sand when he soon reemerged, chuckling and very, very wet. The plain white shirt he had on over his board shorts was so wet it had become see through, his tanned body on full display as if he had nothing on.

Douglas shrugged in answer to my question before a somewhat devious smile appeared on his face like the devil's. I didn't like the look on his face but before I could say anything he disappeared under the waves again.

I calmed down instantly. Maybe he just needed to cool down a bit.

I smiled at the thought that I'd won, whatever sad little victory I'd had over him now as I tried to remove the water that had gotten itself trapped in my ear from failing to swiftly stand up on my surfboard. One thing was clear from this half of my lesson. That getting on a surfboard on land was much, much more easier than getting on one in the water, where the elements did everything to keep you from succeeding.

"What are you doing?" I called out once I saw that Douglas had emerged from the waves, shaking his head violently to rid the water. The smirk from before was on his face now as he drudged towards me, his eyes lingered briefly to whatever was in his hands before he looked at me again. I stared at his hand, trying to guess what it could be.

A crab? Sea snake? A small, wriggly sea creature?

He shrugged as he continued towards me, the evil smile on his face made me wary and stopped me from trying to remove the water from my ears.

"Douglas..." I held up my hands to block whatever it was he had, just as he reached me.

He grabbed both of them with his free hand, prying them away from my face as he snickered. "One thing you should know about me, Krystal," he began as he bent towards me, "I'm a sore loser," he added just as he reached for my head and rubbed something grainy against my hair.

"Wha-" I began as I reached for my hair and groaned as I felt what undeniably was wet, sticky sand. "Seriously?" I arched a brow at him, unimpressed. "And here I was thinking it was some ugly looking sea critter. What are you, in pre-school?"

He chuckled, shrugging, undeterred with my words. "I'm the pre-schooler that got sand in your hair..." he smirked. "I'm good with that."

"You're surprisingly childish," I commented as I successfully removed the water from my ears.

"And you pegged me as?" he asked as he shook his hair, trying to air dry it.

"Someone stuck-up, snobby and older than you are..."

"Older than I am?"

I nodded. "Yeah. You like to party, but more mature than you appear, I guess."

"You forget..." he laid down beside me, spreading his arms out as if he was going to make sand angels, "...I'm the idiot that crashed a day old Lamborghini. A mature person would wait at least six months before pulling a stunt like that."

I scoffed. "A mature person wouldn't even dream of crashing a car worth a house' mortgage."

He nodded. "You just proved my point. Did you forget that I'm the idiot that threw a fit over overcooked steak and threatened the airline to turn the plane around?"

I chuckled as I tucked away the straying strand of hair behind my ear. "Okay, okay. You're a spoilt brat, I get it."

"Hey, I didn't say I was a spoilt brat!" He sat up, pouting.

"You have a father willing to clean up after you. You ran a Lamborghini into a 7/11 and you threw a fit over overcooked steak," I playfully shoved him. "Oh right. You're an over-spoilt brat."

He held up a hand. "Let's just say I thrive on ...attention, okay?"

I nodded. "That you do."

"Okay, okay. Now what about you?" He looked me in the eye, all joking aside as he waited for my answer.

"What about me?" I asked, confused.

"I live for the attention, but you..." he furrowed his brows together as if he was genuinely trying to understand me, "it seems like you rather live away from it."

I now understood where he was coming from. He was talking about what I'd been talking to Alex about. He was referring to that conversation.

I averted my eyes, directing them to the golden sand by my feet and the tiny crab that was waddling about just a few feet away, scuttling it's head in and out of its shell. "It's not that I want to live away from attention. I just..."

"You don't let anyone in easily?"

I chuckled nervously. "No. I'm friends with you guys, aren't I? Even after knowing each other for only a couple of weeks, right?"

He didn't chuckle, or laugh. I could feel that he was still watching me closely. "You know I didn't mean it that way, Krystal."

I nodded. "I know."

He touched my hand tentatively as if he was worried I'd run as soon as I was frightened, before he pulled it back again."It's okay, y'know. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

I faced him slowly, biting my lower lip softly.

He smiled comfortingly. "In fact, you should be proud of yourself. You're patient enough to wait for the right guy to come along and just sweep you off your feet. Unlike the lot of us who are driven by our hormonal tendencies."

I chuckled softly at his statement. "You're an attention seeker and I have commitment issues. What at an odd couple we'd make, eh?" The words slipped out before I thought better of it, but once it was, I couldn't take it back.

Odd couple? Douglas and I? Couple? Good going, Krystal! Good going.

I hoped he hadn't picked that up, but when I looked at Douglas, I could see he was surprised.

"I didn't-" before I could further explain myself, I heard Will's clear voice call out, "Kryyyys!!!"

Even before I could turn around and mentally shout praises at Will, I was enveloped by damp body and pulled up.

"You're wet," Will said once he pulled back, his eyes appraising my body.

"I did just try to learn how to surf, remember?"

"Without me? I was supposed to teach you how to surf, remember?"

Douglas cleared his throat behind me. I turned around to face him. "Excuse me," he said, where his eyes said something else, 'Let him go.' Then he walked away.

"Will, I need to tell you something..." I began, trying to rouse up some courage.

"Yeah, what?" He smiled down at me with warmth and I just felt like a bitch for doing what I was going to do to him. But then I concluded that I would be worse than a bitch if I continued to let him think our friendship could be something more.

"Yoiu know you're a good friend, right?" I held his hands, hoping that would somehow ease the pain.

Instantly even before I could continue he frowned, squeezing me hands. "Don't."

"What?"

"Don't do this. Give me a chance, please."

I sighed. "No, Will. I don't-"

He held up a finger, silencing me. "Remember our second meeting?"

I didn't know how this was relevant to our current conversation but I decided to go along with it, still adamant about telling him how much I cared for him as a friend, and only as a friend. I nodded slowly, remembering the day Douglas dragged me out to play golf in the hopes of losing me at the reception.

"Remember how the guys and I made a deal, and how you ended up owing me a wish?"

I nodded, slowly seeing where this was going. "You can't ask me to like you, Will." I know it might've sounded harsh, but I couldn't allow myself to lead him on. I couldn't give him hope where there was none.

He nodded. "I know. But you can let me take you out for one whole day. Just you and me."

"Will..." I sighed again, not knowing how I could let him down slowly when he was this determined.

He held up a hand. "Just one day, Krys. One day. I promise I won't do anything to make you uncomfortable, but I just want you to give me a chance. Just one chance to prove to you..." He smiled hopeful.

"I..."

"You don't have to like me at the end of the day, Krys..." he paused, "But I'm not going to be held liable if you do, okay?"

"Will..."

"You do owe me a wish, Krys and I wish you would spend one day with you. Just you and me."

It might have been the water in my ears or the way I just couldn't bring myself to say no to an almost innocent request, but I nodded as I looked up at the guy that I had gotten closest to in the smallest amount of time. "Okay."