Who Says? [Jaynehkinz and Meeeee]

Those didn't look like car accident scars... He thought to himself. Then he got an idea. He pulled up his shorts a bit so that it exposed his thigh, and a nasty scar. "Shark. Small one, not good. Never stopped me."

Bella swallowed hard and looked at him with pained eyes. "Get out of the car for a minute." She told him and got out walking over to the side he was on. She stood behind the Jeep where no one could see but him, and waited for his attention.

Alex furrowed his eyebrows, but got out and looked at her attentively. "Yeah?" He asked, lessening against the Jeep.

Bella was glad she had put on a bikini top underneath her tank top. She pulled up the tank top to the bottom line of the bikini top. She showed him the scars on her torso which started below her waist line and traveled up further then she had lifted her tank top. She pushed it back down on her torso and pulled it down slightly on the top to reveal more scars on her upper chest between the straps of her bikini. "Great white, not so little, killed my-" She blinked several times as tears filled her eyes. "And it did stop me." She recollected, she couldn't continue her first sentance. "There are more scars, but I can't show those to you."

He blinked. "Woah. Yeah, I knew I've seen you before. I saw you surfing before....that," he gestured to her to torso, "happened."

Bella shrugged and took a shaky breath before readjusting her shirt. "Used to live in Florida." She told him blankly. "I dropped out of school and moved here as soon as I was well enough. My mom couldn't come because my grandmother needed her. I don't know why but I wanted to come alone anyways."

"Hm. Floridas nice, but I prefer this." He gestured to the ocean. "But now I know why you won't go out there. But promise me something." He looked over at her, squinting against the sun but still perfectly serious.

"I won't promise until you tell me what it is." Bella told him and crossed her arms over her chest somewhat stubbornly. "I hate promises especially ones people can't keep."

"Just tell me that you'll still come watch me surf in the future." He looked up. "I mean, if there is a future."

"I'll never get back in the water Alex," Bella told him truthfully, "But I promise to come and watch you surf." She nodded and punched his upper arm playfully with a forced smirk.

He smiled at her. "Dont force it." He said, flicking her nose gently.

"I'm sorry." She apologized for some reason and leaned against the side of the Jeep with a shaky breath. "I guess I shouldn't complain, but I miss it so much." She said softly, very softly a distant look in her face.

"Theres always long boarding. That's sort of the same." He suggested brightly.

"I've not even been in a lake since then, or a pool." Bella told him and lowered her eyes, "Even taking a shower is torturous." She took a shaky breath then forced another smile, "Guess my time in the water is just over."

"But...it's impossible for a shark to get in your shower." He said, giving her a funny look. "Sorry, not sympathetic."

"It killed my best friend Alex." Bella hissed as tears filled her eyes she gritted her teeth forcing herself not to cry as she walked back around to her side of the jeep and leaned against it closing her eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath and climbing back in, she waited for Alex.

Alex climbed back in and gently touched her arm. "Hey, I'm sorry." He said gently. He pulled away and looked up at the roof of the Jeep. Then he looked back at her and tugged on his necklace. "This was my dad's. He gave it to me before..." He stopped, then restarted. "Before he died. Again, shark attack. Which is why I still surf. To keep it alive, maybe for him. Maybe for me." He turned away and looked back out. "Maybe you could do it for your friend too."

Bella let out a whimper and she looked over at him with tears streaking her face, "I loved him Alex." She whimpered softly and then swiped at her cheeks. "I'm just too afraid." She whispered, voice trembling as she began to shake to some degree. "I loved him so much."

"Hey, hey it's okay." He whispered, wiping her tears. "I understand. Sharks suck."

"I probably seem like such a baby." Bella said pulling back with a forced smile. "I just can't stop thinking about him."

"No, I understand. I had a girlfriend. We were planning on getting married. Got her a promise ring and everything. We were going to go to college together, then once we graduated we would get married. Then her family went on a road trip." He stopped, thinking about it. They were actually on the phone when it happened, but he left that part out. "A semi rolled over, right on her car." He shook his head, trying to stop the tears. "Still can't get her out of my head." He said with a sad smile.

"Get out." Bella told him as she climbed out of the Jeep and walked to the side he was on. She waited for him to get out patiently. She bit her lip and looked at him with soft eyes. Maybe they could heal together?

He blinked but got out. "Whats up?" He asked, looking at her worriedly. Was she mad? What'd he do wrong? He told her the truth...Then he saw her eyes and his worry went away.

Bella had just met him but she was surprised at how he was so much like her. She stepped forward and slowly wrapped her arms around him. Hoping it didn't make him feel nervous before she stepped back and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry." She whispered, knowing it was very forward.

"You're fine. But..." He trailed off, looking at her carefully. The wind whipped his hair, which was now dry.