-

I adjusted my body closer and, with our hands still connected, I leaned in. His mouth almost enveloped mine in a fiery kiss.

Keyword being almost.

Before our lips could make contact, Aaron's finger did. He raised his index finger to my lips, stopping me in my movements.

"Please." He strained out, his voice laced with exhaustion.

My eyes snapped open at this and I stared at him, hoping he would offer me a reasonable explanation- But one never came.

I recoiled away from him, nodding numbly.

"Sorry." I mumbled. Tears formed in my eyes, but I wouldn't let them fall. Aaron's eyes didn't meet mine as he spoke, his voice quiet.

"No. I'm the one who should be sorry. I didn't mean to start anything. I'm sorry." He said, his eyes looking everywhere but at me.

I turned to Aaron who eyed our connected hands with a mixture of disgust and despair.

I waited. I don't know what for, but I didn't feel like moving right now. Aaron clenched and unclenched his jaw, eyeing our hands. His palm pressed against mine with a little force before he hesitantly parted his hand from mine, moving it back slowly to his side.

_________________________

No, that was her vehement response to his request, every time he asked.

"Come on! I won't look while you undress." He reasoned, turning her around to face him; turning her around so he could understand her sharp reaction. She let out a sigh at this, not quite meeting his eyes and he wondered what had caused her sudden shift in mood. He didn't like it.

"It's not just that. I'll feel... uncomfortable." She hesitated as she spoke and he wanted to ask whether she meant she was uncomfortable with swimming or uncomfortable with him. Nevertheless, he didn't ask that, knowing the answer would probably be something that wasn't to his liking. Instead, he furrowed his brow, assessing her.

"Why?" Was all he questioned and she let out a huff, shaking her head. It was clear that this very conversation was also making her uncomfortable.

"You won't understand." She finalised, walking away from him his curiosity only deepened as he walked after her.

"Understand what?" He called out and let out another huff when she felt him near, making him dampen.

"Nothing." She answered sternly, walking faster and he let out a sigh, continuing after her. After all, she didn't even know where she was, where would she go?

"Why do all girls say 'nothing'? It's obviously something." He groaned in earnest. He had met his fair share of girls to know this was true; even one of his best friends- Venni- would fall victim to such a dialogue.

He walked faster then when she said norhing, grabbing her arm to stop her.

"What is it?"

She didn't fight against him at this and he stilled at the downcast look on her face. He had never seen her upset like this and it wasn't something he'd say he was fond of.

"I said nothing." She murmured quietly, but he wasn't going to give in. It was surely something.

"Please." He spoke with a more gentle tone this time, waiting for her to relent; hoping she would.

Finally she did, turning to face him and he listened intently to her somber voice.

"You won't understand how it is to feel ugly- how it feels when your body is just not good enough." She admitted heavily and he could tell it wasn't something said from the spur of the moment. It was something that she had been internalising for a while. He felt shock at her words. Sure, he too had his insecurities. There were times when he felt as though no one could ever take him seriously. And, times when his intelligence fazed him so much so to the point where he'd skip going to lessons that he couldn't quite understand.

But, with Lexi, he couldn't understand.

Standing there, in all her innocent beauty, he wondered why she even felt the way she did. She was a bit on the slim side, yes, lacking the slopes and curves that many others aspired to have. But, he was quite fond of the daintiness of her form. She was like a ballerina, her skin pale and he swore it would often catch the moonlight, glowing subtley. Even her hair was something of wonder: the chocolate brown strands so soft, even in its appearance.

Her words perplexed her but, still, an insecurity was an insecurity. He was in no place to question other's insecurities when he knew his was far beyond understanding. Instead, he placed a hand against her shoulder, knowing that she probably needed some friendly assurance.

"Lexi." He muttered, smiling in a bid to comfort her, but she didn't meet his eyes, looking to the ground.

"What?" She huffed out and he sighed at this, wanting her to know that her line of thinking was ludicrous. This time, he gave more than a hand on her shoulder and used his forefinger to lift her chin. He tensed slightly when her unfamiliar doe eyes met his, a striking vivacity within them. She was a wallflower beauty, but a beauty, nonetheless.

"You're so beautiful." He murmured out before he could control it and he felt her tense at his words, her body stiffening under his touch.

He didn't care much for that, however, as he was now too busy appreciating her in ways she could never appreciate herself. He couldn't help it as he let his eyes run slowly over her form before moving his hand away.

"Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He finished his murmuring and it was only when she blushed that he realised what he was saying. Still, he wasn't one to give in so he stood and watched as she looked to the ground, seemingly in thought. Moments passed before her eyes dampened and she shook her head.

"You wouldn't understand." She repeated her words from before and he wanted her to know that he too felt the same, turning her to face him.

"I do understand." Aaron spoke honestly, holding on to her arm so she couldn't try to leave again. But, she wouldn't heed him and he watched as she scoffed, rolling her eyes at his words.

"Oh, please, Aaron! You've said it yourself- girls love your body- do you really expect me to believe that you understand how it feels to be ashamed of it?" She finally edged out what she had thought of him and he reeled back, letting go of her arm in the process.

She wasn't wrong.

He knew that there was a semblance of truth to her words, but he still couldn't help but feel the hurt at her blind accusation. He could see then, from his peripheral, as she turned around to look at him as though she was scared of his anger. He, however, couldn't find it in himself to be angry. No, not when she was entirely right. All he could do was try muster a smile, nodding slightly.

"That's a funny joke." He voiced out because it was all he could find himself to say. What else could he respond to the cold splash of reality of her words. It was a fault he was already aware of: his debaucherous reputation, but he chose to avoid speaking about it in the fear that it would show him what he had truly become. Or, rather, whom.

"Aaron. I didn't mean to-" She began with a sigh, but he didn't want to hear an excuse. Not right now.

"No, it's fine. Really." He interrupted her before she could continue whilst smiling to show she was okay. With that, he turned and moved towards the lake; he found that the water really calmed him.

He could hear her footsteps as she neared then before she sat down beside him. It was silent for a moment before she spoke.

"Hey, princess." Her voice broke the silence and he could tell she was copying his endearment from the restaurant. The memory made him smile slightly, but it faded away with sordid memories of his own faulting. He'd have thought that would dissuade her, but she merely edged closer.

"What made you upset? My good looks or my good looks?" She mimicked what he had once said, trying to put her voice deeper but failing terribly.

He found her attempts to do so, however, oddly cute and the smile fought its way to his face again. Yet, just like last time, he couldn't help but let his mind turn to much darker thoughts.

"Why are you so uptight?" She suddenly said, nudging him and he let out a breathy chuckle, shaking his head to let her know it wasn't going to work.

"I know what you're trying to do." He told her, hoping it would make her stop. When he got trapped in his mind, nothing would work to get him out; it never did.

"Don't think you know me because you know nothing about me."

And with those words of the past, he couldn't help but break down, laughing at her words. He'd have thought the memory would be a sore subject for her yet she had used it to her advantage. She was definitely a different type of girl to what he was usually accustomed to. Even so, he had thought it would be a sore subject for him, but he couldn't feel the hurt anymore. He could just feel warmth as he turned to her, smiling widely. She, indeed, was different from the rest.

"I need a favour." She suddenly said, her laughter dying down and he stopped laughing then, smiling at how she had used his words yet again.

"What is it?" He asked curiously, wondering why she was smiling mischievously at him. It made a glimmer of anticipation run down his spine.

"I need you to smile and strip, so we can get this swimming show on the road." She clapped her hands together as she spoke and, when he words registered, he felt his lips quirk up.

"You're going to swim?" He asked, feeling excited at the prospect that she was conceding and she shook her head, the mischievous glint still in her eyes.

"No. We're going to swim. Don't try to get out of it." She joked and he couldn't help but want to tease her again, smirking slightly.

"I won't try getting out it. I know how much you're yearning to see me." He taunted, of course in a joking manner. Those who did not know him probably thought of him to be vain; he hoped Lexi would understand his humour, at the very least.

Much to his excitement, she smirked back, letting out a derisive scoff.

"Oh please. I just hope that a shark finds the sight of your body, in the water, appetizing and eats you up whole." She joked, giving it back to him without hesitation. It was something he was becoming to like a lot about her; the unpredictability of their conversations.

He came closer then to faze her, wanting to see her flustered again.

"Yeah, well the 'shark' should know that my bark is not worse than my bite." He murmured, assessing her every reaction. Still, she didn't seem affected, only raising an eyebrow poignantly.

"Yeah, what else should the 'shark' know?" Her voice drawled and he could have sworn they were flirting then. He briefly wondered if she had done this before, from the way she was acting so natural, but he dismissed the thought. Why would he have to care for such a thing?

"The 'shark' should know that it would be dangerous to come after me." He flirted back, his voice slow and deliberate in a means to make her blush. The very blush that had transfixed him.

"Really?" She simply said and then she was moving closer, much to his shock. He could only nod then, taking in her sweet scent.

"After one day with me, the 'shark' will be begging on its knees for a way out." He teased further, not able to look away as she gazed up at him with those big eyes. They were so close at this point and he fought the habit to close the gap.

"Sharks don't have knees." She corrected him, using her as-a-matter-of-factly tone and he smiled at her typical nature, moving closer until her lips were a finger width away.

"Who said we were talking about sharks?"

***************************

Splash.

He was in the lake now and he relished in the feel of the cold water. It served as a soother for his erratic thoughts. Just a mere few hours ago, he had left Mason's party, thinking of heading home due to his boredom. Little had he known then that he would willingly choose to spend time with a girl and show her his special place. It was something that was not even in his realm of understanding.

He couldn't think of why he was doing what he did, but he didn't think to question it either. The fact of the matter was that Lexi was not who he had chalked her to be; she had more dimensions and he enjoyed her company as he would Justin's. He could see them becoming friends and that was that. He had no time for anything other than that, not after what had happened with Avalon.

He would have delved further into his dark thoughts, had a small cough not sounded from behind and he turned slowly to see Lexi, her bare body within the water.

All he could see was her bare shoulders, but the mere thought of her with nothing set a fire within him that he couldn't fathom.

Her hair floated around her like a halo and her small body bobbed up and down slightly. The effortless beauty of her was something that confounded him and he couldn't help it as he neared her, his gaze fixing on her curious one.

"Aaron?" Her voice was soft and gentle, like music to his ears and he watched as her back hit the bank. Still, that didn't stop him and he moved closer to her, for reasons still unknown to him. If he didn't know, what he was doing.

And, oddly, he was okay with it.

_________________________