The Enemy - Kelsey Clayton Page 0,94

back to the shore."

"No," she argues back. "Not without you coming with me."

Panic takes over, and nothing she says registers. All I can focus on is that she's still here. What she's risking. What could happen. I need to get her out of here. She's not safe.

My jaw ticks and I scream at her with everything in me. "I said fucking go! Can you just listen for once in your fucking life?"

She flinches before looking at me the same way she did when I showed up at Colby's—let down and full of hate. Still, I need her to go. She doesn't belong out here. Not when she's only been surfing for a month.

She spins the board and starts to paddle back to shore, when a wave comes out of nowhere and takes her out. My heart drops as I watch it pummel her into the water. The board comes up and flies into the air, but I'm yet to see Lennon. Even Bryce and Jayden are running into the ocean to get to her.

I abandon my board and swim as fast as I can toward her. The waves threaten to toss me around but I use all my strength to stay on path. Finally, my hand grazes soft skin. I pull Lennon into my arms and push up off the bottom.

As we finally reach the top, Lennon coughs violently. She's gasping for air and holding her chest as I bring us both to shore. Once she's out of the water, she stops and bends over. Her hands are on her knees while she gets all the water out of her.

"Are you crazy?" I ask when she catches her breath. "Why would you risk going in there?"

She shoos me away. "I get it, okay? I was stupid to come here."

Seeing her go to walk away, my brows furrow. "Lennon."

"No, okay?" She turns back around. "Don't Lennon me. I know. I'm an idiot for thinking you wanted to see me. I'm sorry I ruined your storm surfing." She looks out at the water and sighs. "And another board, apparently."

I look over at the water to find both mine and Bryce's boards in pieces, but this time I don't care. Before I can tell her that, however, she keeps going.

"My whole world is falling apart, and you happen to be the only part of it I want to keep whole, but it's fine. I deserve it after how I treated you at Colby's."

"Lennon."

She raises her hands defensively. "I'm going, I'm going."

Turning to walk away, I can't help but smile at her retreating form. She only gets a couple steps away before I rush forward and grab her wrist. With one pull, I spin her around and into my arms. She opens her mouth to say something, but I don't give her a chance. I press my lips to hers for the first time in almost two weeks, and my whole body comes alive again.

The sky opens up as the storm finally arrives and rain pours down on top of us. My arms wrap around her waist, wanting to hold her close and never let her go. All I want to do, for the rest of my life, is be right here, doing exactly this.

She breaks the kiss to catch her breath and pulls her head back. "But I thought you—"

I shake my head. "You thought wrong."

Sighing in relief, she rests her forehead against mine. "No more running. No more pushing each other away. I'm tired of each of us having one foot out the door, because I'm invested in this."

Her words cause a wide grin to stretch across my face. "You know, my dad told me that when it's real, you can't walk away. It's funny because when he said it, I laughed. But now, standing here with you, I realize he was right. Because I know I should walk away. You deserve so much better than me, and I know I'm being selfish, but I can't fucking move."

"Are you saying..." Her eyes stare into mine, with nothing but hope and admiration in them.

I chuckle and look her up and down, smirking. "I love you, Lennon. You're everything to me. I'd die without you. And I mean it, completely."

She lights up like the sun and pulls me down into her, connecting our lips once again in a kiss I never want to end.

Epilogue

CADE

The theater is packed with people. Some old, some young, and all dressed up. I stay firmly seated between Knox and