Marked by my vacation fling

CHAPTER 2

I turned around and stormed out of the room, with Abel chasing after me while trying to put on his clothes.

I made my way outside, where Dean was standing near the same window from which the girl had been thrown. A few people were trying to help her, but she was lying on the ground, crying. Abel caught up to me and grabbed my arm.

“Get the hell off me!” I shouted, struggling to break free from his grip.

“It was an accident,” Abel insisted.

“Wow. So, who threw her out the window?” Dean asked, drawing everyone’s attention.

“She did. And where the hell were you?” Abel shot back at Dean.

“Wait a minute! Dean was supposed to be distracting me while you were f*****g your ex?” I yelled.

“It was his idea,” Dean said, quickly blaming his friend.

“Don’t do it.” Abel pleaded. But I pulled my arm back and punch the unsuspecting Dean right in the face, making him fall backwards on the ground.

“If you ever come near me again Abel, I will beat the living crap out of you. Now stay the f**k away.” I yelled, storming off into the dark forest.

I had to pass that same tattooed guy who was still watching every move I made, but this time, I only glanced at him as I walked by.

I made it back to Abel's parents' house, and they were asleep, leaving a light on for us when we returned home. I quietly entered the bedroom, grabbed my suitcase, and started tossing all of my clothes into it. I needed to go to the bathroom to get my toiletries, and I placed them in my suitcase as well.

“Novalee. Sweetie, what’s going on?” Abel’s mother, Rhea, asked as I was zipping up my suitcase.

“Thank you so much for letting me stay here. I really appreciate it, and I like you and your family. But maybe you should talk to Abel about this,” I replied.

She lowered her head, shaking it while pinching the bridge of her nose. “Was it Macy?” she asked, and I looked at her strangely. “Macy has always been a pain in my ass, ever since Abel started dating her and even after they broke up,” she explained.

“Well, I guess Abel doesn’t have to tell you,” I said.

“Where are you going to stay? You don’t even know when you can leave,” she said.

“It’s fine. I’ll be okay. I can take care of myself,” I reassured her.

“I can’t just let you leave without a plan,” she insisted.

“Rhea, I really do appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But I can’t stay in the same house as him. I promise I’ll be alright,” I said. She then walked over and hugged me.

“For what it’s worth, we were really hoping he wouldn’t f**k things up with you. You seemed really good for him,” she said.

“I appreciate that. I should go before he shows up. I might see you around,” I replied.

“Alright. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call,” she said.

I left the house with my suitcase and managed to get out without running into Abel. He was probably still at the party, trying to help Dean and Macy. But he should have known he was playing a dangerous game.

I don't like to do it, but he knows that when I’m angry enough, I tend to lash out.

I'm not proud of my actions, and I often feel ashamed the next day once I've calmed down. In the heat of the moment, however, I find it hard to control myself. I lash out, and for some reason, I have the strength to hurt others. I trained in kickboxing when I was younger, and even my instructors were impressed by my strength.

It has been useful in the past when certain assholes have visited my parents, but I realize that I could probably address things differently.

I walked around the dark island alone and made my way to a private beach where I knew no one lived. I didn’t really have anywhere to go, so I sat on the beach, lit a cigarette, and stared up at the stars.

Suddenly, I heard something rustling in the forest behind me. I turned to look, but I couldn’t see anything; it was too dark. I assumed it was just an animal, so I lay down on the sand, using a couple of my clothes as a pillow.

When I woke up the next morning, the sun was shining right in my face, waking me early. I got up and looked out at the ocean for a few minutes before grabbing my suitcase and heading back towards town.

I knew the college would be open, so I snuck into the gym and went to the locker room for a shower. I changed into some fresh, clean clothes.

As I was coming out of the locker room, I bumped into something hard. I looked up, and it was the same tattooed guy from the night before.

“Sorry,” I said.

He looked at me oddly before turning back to the locker room, where steam filled the air.

“Did you just shower in there?” he asked.

“What’s it to you?” I replied.

“You were staying with Abel, weren’t you?” he pressed.

“Maybe,” I said.

“Where did you sleep last night?” he continued.

“That’s none of your business. Do you always ask strangers this many questions?” I responded.

“It’s a small island,” he said.

“Apparently, not small enough,” I said, looking away.

“You slept on the beach,” he stated.

“I have to go,” I said, pushing past him and walking out of the gym.

Not sure where to go, I wandered downtown and found a coffee shop that was open.

I went inside and took a seat at a table, where I ordered a coffee.

I looked at my phone, which I decided to turn on, and saw dozens of messages and missed calls from Abel. The town was small enough that I knew he would find me eventually, so I had to be careful about where I stayed. I didn’t want to see him because I was afraid I'd lose my temper again. There are only so many times I can do that before someone calls the cops on me and gets me arrested.

Honestly, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet.

I checked how much money I had, and I realized I only had enough to pay for this coffee. Once I finished, I left the café and headed to the park near the forest.

By the time I arrived, storm clouds had started to roll in, and I couldn’t escape them. I tried to sit under a gazebo, but the wind was pushing the rain straight in at me.

Feeling completely defeated, I sat there in the rain, staring off into space.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you that you’ll catch a cold if you stay out in the rain?” a guy asked. I turned around to find it was the same tattooed beauty from before.

“Are you stalking me?” I asked.

“I was walking by and saw you. And before you ask, I had football practice this morning, which is why I was heading to the locker room,” he said.

“Congratulations,” I replied, looking away from him.

“Come on, I’m not leaving you out here like this,” he insisted.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“My house,” he said. I scoffed at the suggestion.

“Dude, I don’t even know your name. Why would I go home with you?” I questioned.

“It’s Adam. Come on, Novalee,” he said, picking up my suitcase for me.

I stared at him for a moment, but eventually, I got up and started walking beside him toward a residential area near the forest, not close to the town.