Marked by my vacation fling

Coming to this island seemed like a good idea at the time. It meant I wouldn’t have to return home and take care of my parents during my summer vacation while they were too wasted to even get out of bed, except when they needed to find their next fix. So, when my boyfriend, Abel, suggested that I join him to visit his family on the island, I thought it was a great idea. This place is so much more than I expected. They even have a high school and a college here, which makes it even better. As we are about to start our freshman year of college, we thought this would be the best way to spend our vacation—on a beautiful, sunny beach that is surprisingly peaceful, considering how many people live here. Until now, with the boat over selling tickets we weren’t able to leave as planned. But I’m starting to think we’ve over stayed our welcome here anyway. I hadn’t really made an effort to get to know anyone while I’d been here all summer. It might be good to get back home and back into my normal routine again. But of course, there was the last party of the summer vacation on the last night, and Abel was the first to agree to go to it. I was never one to shy away from a party, but I always knew when enough was enough. I refuse to end up like my parents. We were sitting on the couch in the living room and I heard someone call Abel’s name in the distance and there was a group of people on the other side of the room waving at him, so he gave me a kiss on the cheek to go over and say a quick hello to them. I sat there for I don’t know how long and I was starting to get a little bored with this party. All I wanted to do was go back to Abel’s mother’s house and catch up on preparations for college. Even if we’re not there to start yet. I was just about to get up and go find Abel to tell him that I was leaving when his best friend from middle school, Dean, sat next to me and handed me a drink. “Dean, right?” I asked. “Yeah. We met the other day. Just briefly.” He said. “Right. Where’s Abel? Did you see where he went?” I asked. “I think he went to get another drink. And I thought now would be a good time for us to get to know each other.” He said. “Abel told me a fair bit about you two as kids.” I said. “Oh crap. I hope he didn’t tell you everything.” Dean said, shaking his head. “He told me enough to know that I need to watch out for you.” I smirked. “I can imagine. We were a nightmare for every adult responsible for us—parents and teachers alike,” Dean replied. “I've heard. Impressive,” I said. “I’ve heard some stories about you in high school as well. You weren’t the easiest kid on teachers.” Dean said. “What can I say? It made school more interesting.” I said. “Oh, yeah? I can’t wait to hear about the rest of the stories that you got up to. But aren’t you guys supposed to be starting college soon? Why are you still here?” Dean asked. “There was a mix-up with our tickets. Apparently, they overbooked the boat back, and now we have to wait for an opening. So, we’re not sure if we’re going to sign up for college here until we can get back home or not,” I explained. “That sucks. Boats aren’t very frequent around here—usually only every couple of weeks,” Dean replied. “I’ve been talking to them, and they told me there’s no guarantee. So I called the college here in town, and they said we can sign up here so we aren’t missing out on school, at least until we can get back home,” I explained. “Wow, very organized,” Dean said, raising his eyebrows. “Yeah. I guess so. We can’t really afford to sit around an island and do nothing.” I said. “Why don’t we go outside where it’s not so loud?” Dean suggested. So I looked around a bit and I couldn’t see Abel anywhere, so I agreed. We made our way through the house, which smelled of cigarettes, beer, and m*******a. As soon as we stepped outside, I lit up a cigarette as well. “So, how long have you two been together?” Dean asked. “Since sophomore year. So, almost three years,” I said. “Wow. That’s impressive for Abel,” Dean remarked. “I have a feeling there are a few stories he left out,” I commented. “I think that might have to be something that he tells you about. I might have just put my foot in it.” He said. But all I did was nod my head. He took a step closer to me. It felt a little uncomfortable, and I noticed he was more focused on my chest than my face, which was becoming quite obvious. The guy didn’t seem that drunk, so there was no excuse for his behavior. I wasn't wearing a bikini like many of the other girls at the party; I had on a tank top and denim shorts, which wasn’t revealing at all. “Hey, my eyes are up here,” I snapped at him. “Yeah, I know. I’m just surprised that Abel was able to catch a girl like you,” he said, stepping closer. I instinctively took a step back. I made it clear that he was being inappropriate and started looking around for someone else to talk to, hoping to find a way to escape. However, I didn’t really know anyone at the party. That’s when I spotted him—a guy leaning against the side of the house with a few friends around him, staring straight at me. I hadn't seen him all summer, and I couldn't help but wonder how that was even possible. He was tall and well-built, with tattoos covering his arms and neck. I could only imagine how many he had hidden beneath his clothes. I looked away, but I could still feel his eyes boring into the back of my head; he was still staring at me. Glancing back at the house, I noticed I couldn't see Abel. It shouldn't take him this long to get a drink, so I started walking toward the house, but Dean grabbed me by the arm. “Where are you going?” he asked. “I need to go to the bathroom. Is that alright with you?” I replied. Once I said that, he released me. I went back inside the house and headed to the kitchen, but Abel was nowhere to be found. I began walking down the hallway away from the kitchen in search of a bathroom when I opened one of the doors. That’s when I realized that I had walked into a bedroom and there were two people having s*x on the bed. “Oh s**t. Sorry.” I said, before I looked at them again. “Abel!” I yelled. In his naked sweaty mess, thrusting inside this other girl he didn't even realize someone opened the door. Not until I yelled his name. “Oh s**t. Novalee, this isn’t what it looks like,” Abel tried to plead. “How the f**k could I confuse this for anything else?” I yelled. “I thought she was you,” he defended. “I have blonde hair. She has black. Try again,” I remarked as the girl began getting dressed. “Maybe he just got tired of having s*x with the same girl,” she taunted. My fists were clenched at my sides. “Macy, shut up,” Abel warned her. Macy? As in his ex-girlfriend? f**k this s**t. “What? Maybe she needs to hear it,” Macy said, putting her bra back on. I stood there, waiting for her to finish getting dressed before I walked over to her. I grabbed her by the hair and kicked her in the stomach, causing her to fall straight back through the closed window behind her.