Fall With Me

Never mind my fear of going insane. I was convinced that I’d already gone crazy anyway.
    There was no way to predict what would happen to me after that night.
    During her better days, my mother already warned me about this. She said that I should expect life to dish out my own fair share of surprises.
    But Derek Novak was a surprise that was far from fair…
     
     

Chapter 1: Sofia
     
    I was taking an evening stroll along the beach, feeling the smooth sand under my bare feet with every step. The rhythmic crashing of heavy waves against the shore soothed my ears. My skin was tingling with every blow of the gentle summer breeze, the distinct scent of ocean salt filling my nostrils. As I dabbed cherry-flavored Chapstick over my parched lips, they formed a bitter smile. The balm only served to add its sweet taste to the numerous sensations engulfing me at that particular moment.
    I’ve always found myself completely attuned to all five of my senses, but that night, I was to all but one. My sight was blurred by the tears I was fighting to hold back. I couldn’t appreciate the exotic scene around me. All I could think about was the disappointed expression on my best friend’s handsome face.
    Benjamin Hudson was the only person in the world who could make me feel the way I did that night.
    Perhaps the sorrow I felt was mostly due to the fact that I still held expectations – expectations I knew would only ever cause me pain.
    I reasoned to myself that I had the right to be hurt. It was my birthday. He was my best friend. He shouldn’t have forgotten.
    But he did. Again.
    I knew the disappointment in his chiseled face was more toward himself than me. I knew he could beat himself up endlessly over his careless slip-ups, and do believe me when I say that he had many of those. So, that night, I was wondering to myself whether I had just over-reacted.
    I would find myself deciding that I did, in fact, over-react and that it was time to stop wallowing. I’d turn back toward the villa the Hudsons rented for their family vacation, determined to just start having fun again with the most important person in my life, but then I’d remember…
    I’d remember what it felt like to see him with his arms around Tanya Wilson, the gorgeous blonde he’d had the hots for all summer.
    The image quickly threw all thoughts of kissing and making up with Ben out the window.
    “Gosh, Sofia… I’m so sorry… I’m an awful best friend…” were the words that came out of his mouth when he realized his mistake. I walked out on him and ended up at the beach, wanting to hit myself over the head for being so sensitive.
    I was being unfair. After all, it wasn’t Ben’s fault that I fell for the biggest cliché of all time when I decided to grow non-best-friend-like feelings for my best friend. That was why seeing him with Tanya hurt so much, especially realizing that I could never be like Tanya. I simply wasn’t the type of girl a guy like Ben would go for. I knew that and yet I still allowed myself to fall for his charms. I hated myself for it, but it was what it was. At that time, I was so sure that he was indeed the “love of my life”.
    But could anyone really blame me for how I felt around him?
    Ben was as dreamy as dreamy gets. He was tall, well-built, smart and had that dashing smile that would put to shame those of the models gracing the covers of any magazine. He was fun, confident and popular. He was also sweet and kind whenever he wanted to be. More than any of that, he saw me. He gave me the time of day when no one else – not even my own parents – would. It was with Ben that I never felt invisible…except when Tanya was around.
    As I took that evening stroll, I knew I was fooling myself. There was no way I could stay mad at Ben for long. I liked to think of myself as strong and independent, but truth be told, I couldn’t imagine a life without Ben in it. My dependence on him scared me. It was frightening realizing that I needed another person as much as I needed him.
    I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
    He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”
    I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk