A Bittersweet Life (1st draft)

Chapter 29

I missed Oak Grove more than ever. This place was too fucked up for my liking. Yes, I struggled back home. Things didn't come easy. Just living one simple day was hard as hell, but it certainly beat this place. I would take no electricity for a week and struggle to make money to buy groceries than to live in a place like this. Though beautiful, it was vile.

I stood on the beach behind Ellis's house and watched, yet again, a flawless sunrise. The giant ball of fire rose ever so slowly over the horizon. Teasing me. As if it were purposefully moving disgustingly slow as to hold me in its clutches, standing on the beach, for just a few moments longer. It really pissed me off how perfect this town looked on the surface, but under it all, all the fancy cars, mansions, and heaven-like sunrises, this place was more messed up than I could even describe. Blackmail, affairs, stabbings, and arrogant assholes, it was all too much.

All I wanted was to get in my car and drive home. Back to the place I felt safe. I didn't feel that here. One might think they were safe with all the high tech security around here, but that's mostly so people can keep their secrets hidden inside indefinitely.

A hand gripped my already tensed shoulder. I knew it was Ellis without even looking at him. The way his soft, uncalloused hand caressed my shoulder was comforting in all the chaos. But I still felt the urge to pull away. He was just another thing keeping me here.

"Enjoying another beautiful sunrise?"

"Yeah. But I find the beauty becoming dim." His hand slipped away and plunged into his pockets.

"Is that so? I seem to think this sight never gets old. This is the one time of day I don't have to deal with the stressors of the real world."

"I think the opposite." I turned and looked up at him, squinting from the sun's harsh rays. "Being out here in the quiet only makes me think more and more about all the crap going on in my life."

"Like what?" I wanted to tell him everything. He needed to know that his so-called friend was trying to blackmail him. He needed to know about what I found out about Charles and his records from the mental hospital. Maybe he even needed to know about my feelings for Ryland. But, I kept it all to myself. Burdening him with all of this when he obviously had a lot on his plate wasn't fair to him. So I swallowed my thoughts once again.

A loud pounding on the front door sounded all the way down to where we were standing in the sand. I followed Ellis inside. Randall beat us to the door. I was just going to saunter up to my room and relax in a warm bubble bath. But that plan was shot to hell once Randall opened the door.

"Brother! We got the boat." Mark ran inside, wrapping his arm around Ellis's neck and rubbing his knuckles against his friend's already messy hair. Ellis pulled away, grinning at this juvenile act. "Hello, Talia," Mark said when he saw me standing there.

"Hi." I raised my hand to give a small wave.

Just as I was about to head upstairs Mark said, "Ryland, get in here." My arms stiffened at my sides. My mind was yelling at me to bolt up the stairs and avoid any and all contact with him, but my feet stayed plastered to the floor.

Ryland peaked his head around the door and walked in casually. He wore a white tank top and a pair of board shorts, like he was about to go to the beach, but instead, his father dragged him here. Obviously kicking and screaming because the look on Ryland's face made me know for a fact, he didn't want to be here just as much as me.

"Randall, why don't you get me and the soon to be birthday boy here some champagne."

"Right away sir." Randall scurried into the kitchen.

"I would like to say I know what you are talking about. But, I'm very lost." Ellis ran his fingers through his hair, attempting to make it look presentable.