"Yeah." I truthfully answered him "I am."

He nodded and he started to take a step closer. With my newfound confidence in the water, I splashed him and swam away in the direction of the shore.

After he erupted with a deep noise that sounded like a half-laugh half-growl, he followed behind.

The surfer was faster at swimming than me and he caught up in no time. However, he did not pounce or splash back. Maybe he was worried that I would end up drowning.

As soon as the sand touched my feet, I started to walk up the beach.

He followed behind quietly. Too quietly. Like a predator before it kills its prey.

I turned around and he smirked at me evilly.

Flight or fight set in, and I chose flight. I was worried that he would still try and kill me, so I broke out into a sprint away from him.

As I reached our clothes that were randomly placed in a heap on the sand, I picked up the towel and wrapped it around me.

Stone did not run after me. He casually strolled up to me, chuckling at my ridiculous attempt to flee from him.

I let out a laugh as he neared and towered over me with a devilish smirk.

I thought he was going to kiss me again but just as he moved closer, his phone went off.

He let out a cuss as he rummaged through his jacket pocket until he picked up the phone and answered it.

After he hung up on the caller, he appeared furious as his attention drew to the other end of the beach.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

His jaw ticked but when he looked down at me, his dark eyes lightened but only slightly.

"I need to go." He grumbled.

My eyes widened before I offered him a single nod.

I tried not to show him how disheartened I was.

I stayed silent on our way back to the truck and I stayed silent the drive back to my apartment building.

The conclusion I drew from his disappearing act was that he could not wait to escape me.

He regretted the kiss.

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

The stairs dug into my back as I waited patiently for Lana to arrive. I was deep in thought as I sat and arranged my hair into a side-braid.

I was still left with so many unanswered questions from the day before. A million thoughts had kept me up at night. My brain had constantly been making theories about where the leather jacket-wearing giant had disappeared to.

All my theories were the same. My conclusion was there was no place he had to be.

He just needed to go somewhere that I was not.

I planned to avoid the large man like the plague.