GIRL PUT YOUR RECORDS ON.

               “What’s real fuckin’ funny is how sure a’that ya sound.” Gait coming to a halt inches from the end of Katie’s blanket, one of Dean’s favorite boards was jammed into the sand and he shook out his long hair. If she got sprayed in the process that wasn’t entirely his fault, right? “So you’re tellin’ me ya strapped your goods into a bikini to just sit at the beach in a sweater? What fuckin’ levels a’crazy are ya feelin’ today, Kate?” There were some days where he never called her the same name twice when within company. She was one of the few longtime friends he’d somehow managed to keep through the years and the troubles, which earned her a plethora of nicknames. “It ain’t that bad. Take that shit off,” a large hand wildly gestured to that stupid hoodie, “you’re offendin’ me in a place of worship.” In the least, she’d been given a warning, even if it meant she only had a few seconds to consider. Reaching down, a grip wrapped her ankle and Katie was tugged forward. “Or it’s goin’ in with ya.”

Pulling her hood up as Dean shook his hair out and subsequently showered her with seawater, Katie Lynn looked up at him with a faux annoyed glare. “I am sure, it’s too cold! And it’s not like putting a bathin’ suit on difficult... not like that wet suit of yours.” She chuckled, digging her toes into the sand as she looked up at him from her spot on the blanket. “And the sweater is necessary, it’s unseasonably cold out here. You wouldn’t want me catchin’ a cold would ya?” A teasing grin spread across her features as she shook her head. “No, it’s keeping me warm! If I took it off I’d be sittin’ here shivering and I’d really rather stay comfortable. So you’re just gonna have to live with knowin’ my bathing suit is under here instead of bein’ able to see it.” She was smugly happy with herself for only a moment until he reached down and grabbed her ankle, eliciting a soft scream from the brunette. “What?! Dean! Oh no no no.” She looked around for something to grab on to as he pulled her forward. “Don’t do it. Take pity on your old friend! I’m much cuter when I’m dry.” She pouted up at him, however despite her protests she pulled off the hoodie and discarded it on the blanket behind her. She’d known Dean long enough to know his threats weren’t empty and she didn’t want to get the hoodie wet. “How about I just... walk in up to mid calf? Compromise?”

   Katie’s sigh itself earned a warm side-glancing smile, a dimple immediately present in Anna’s cheek. “Is that so?” She chuckled, elbow jutting out to give the blonde a toying affectionate nudge. “I think it might just be the instructor, she has an impressive killer instinct.” The fresh air felt cool against her warm face, nimble fingers moving to tuck a few rebellious strands of hair behind her ear. An extra little pep in her step, as there tended to be after a yoga class. “I think I took advantage of our run until you drop buddy status. You know, I kind of imagined you would be all… psh, Anna you call that a morning workout? Let’s run a mile after.” Chuckling, her feet shuffled along the sidewalk towards Orchard Juice Bar. “Now I know better.” The yoga class she tossed into her routine was really the only ‘gym-like’ experience the philanthropist could tolerate. Loathing the ones where you ran on a treadmill and, somehow, Food Network always seemed to be on the televisions in the backdrop. Not that she had ever lived more north than North Carolina, but, Anna would rather run outdoors in the dead of winter than inside one of those gyms.  

“Uh, yes it is.” She said with a breathy laugh, still trying to catch her breath as she gently nudged Annabel back. “I swear it. Maybe it’s the altitude difference? Can I blame that?” Another soft laugh pushed past her lips as she followed Annabel out onto the sidewalk, inhaling a deep breath of fresh air with a warm smile on her face. “Yes! It must have been the instructor. She wanted me dead and keeled over right in the middle of the class.” Stretching her arms up above her head for a moment, Katie Lynn let out a soft grunt at the pain her shoulders. “Goodness, I would probably die if we tried to go for a run right now. Keel right over in the sand. At least you’d be able to just bury me there. Sand is easier to dig in anyways.” Lowering her arms back down to her side, Katie Lynn linked her arm through one of Anna’s and leaned against the other woman as they walked. “Ya know, I fashioned myself bendy before but I’m learning that I was very wrong. Maybe I should come with you to more of these. Can’t let you have all the fun, right?” She teased, releasing Annabel from her grasp as she opened the door to the juice bar and allowed the other woman to walk in first before following behind. “Think they have one of those ‘Reinvigorate’ smoothies here for after a workout?”

“Aren’t you glad you ran into me?” Katie Lynn asked with a wide grin, ice cream cone covered in rainbow sprinkles in hand as she walked next to Caine, nudging him gently. “You were just out, not having the best day you possibly could, but look at you now. You have ice cream, good company, and...” She glanced over at him, pausing her words and her walking to narrow her eyes at him, “Glitter in your beard?” She asked, eyebrows raising as she brought her ice cream cone to her lips to swipe her tongue across the cold treat to hide the amused smirk that came to her features as she tried to stifle her laughter. “What uh,” She chuckled, glancing away from him as her laughter began to get away from her, “Why?” She finally got out, gaze coming back to his face, grin wide as she brought her free hand up to cover her her mouth.

JONAS: Nope which is not shocking in a small town like this... What are you doing?

KATIE LYNN: Ah, I'm sorry. At least you get to catch up on your basic cable shows in the break room right?

JONAS: I know I miss you... [ unsent ]

[ TYPING ... ]

[ TYPING... ]

JONAS: Just been busy at work, the doctor life.

JONAS: They always think alike.

JONAS: I'm doing fine... how are you?

KATIE LYNN: Mhm.

With a card that reads:

‘Katie baby, thinking of you today and always. Pamper yourself like you deserve. 

Sitting on a blanket with her feet buried in the sand and hooded sweatshirt pulled tightly around her body, Katie Lynn watched as Dean ran out of the water and towards her, shaking her head with a smile on her features as she tossed his towel to him once he was close enough. “Yeah, you’re not gettin’ me out there, hon. It’s way too cold on the beach, I can’t imagine how frigid the water is right now.” Leaning back onto her hands to look up at him from beneath her sunglasses, the brunette chuckled. “I’m serious. I’m perfectly content to watch and cheer you on from here. Maybe dip my toes in but that’s as close as I’m gettin’.”

Katie Lynn was a runner who dabbled in free weights when she could force herself to go to her apartment complex’s gym, but when Annabel had texted and invited her to a yoga class that morning she’d agreed and had quickly begun regretting the decision as the class began and progressed. She almost hadn’t made it through, her body unable to fully bend in the ways the teacher had requested without discomfort. So when it ended and the pair had walked out of the studio and in the direction of the Orchard Juice Bar, Katie Lynn let out a relieved sigh. “So I know I said I did yoga in Colorado... which I did, really... but wow. I must have been takin’ pre-beginners classes.” Letting out a soft laugh as she pulled her hair from the now frizzy bun that sat atop her head to redo it, Katie Lynn looked over to her friend. “You do this every week?”

Having skirted the invites from her coworkers to go out since the hurricane, Katie Lynn, now settled and back to a somewhat normal routine, could no longer come up with an excuse to not go. So she’d sent a text to Jacob telling him she’d be home late and had allowed herself to be dragged to Pravda. They’d already been there for an hour, the brunette still slowly nursing the glass of wine she’d ordered when they got there, when she noticed a familiar face in the crowd. So she’d quickly excused herself from the conversation and made her way over to the older male, tapping him on the shoulder to get his attention before wrapping her free arm around him in a quick sideways hug. “Loren! Hey! How are you?”

It was a beautiful day and Katie Lynn had fully planned to take advantage of the sun and the humidity-free weather. She’d already stopped into Kilwin’s, proof of her visit in her hand as she carefully enjoyed the cookie dough ice cream cone in her hand as she pulled open the door to Bespoke to grab an iced coffee before heading down to the Riverwalk. She’d gotten through the line rather quickly and moved to the side to wait for her drink when she spotted a familiar face sitting at a table nearby. “Excuse me,” She said as she walked over to Scott with a wide smile on her features, “Is this seat taken?” She asked, motioning to the empty seat at his table with a chuckle, keeping an eye on the counter for her coffee as she didn’t wait for an answer and lowered herself into the seat. “Fancy seein’ you here again.”

Ever since losing her beloved Jeep in the hurricane, Katie Lynn had been having the worst luck with cars. The first one she’d bought at the used car lot had been a lemon, the test drive having gone fine but within the first three days of having it and driving around town with it randomly shutting off and losing steering every time she went above 45 miles per hour, she’d taken it back to the lot and gotten another new car. It was older and had hand cranked windows and a cassette player but it ran. Or at least it had for the past few weeks until it left her stranded in front of a client’s house, refusing to start no matter what she did. So she’d called the garage to have it towed and shot Jenny a text to see if the woman would be able to come and pick her up. “Thank you so much for coming.” She said as soon as Jenny came through the doors of the garage. “I swear the universe is tryin’ to tell me I’m not meant to drive anymore.” Chuckling softly, Katie Lynn patted the empty seat next to her. “Shouldn’t be much longer, I just need to find out what happened and we can go. I definitely owe you dinner after this.”

She’d sent the SOS text to Beth a little over an hour ago before putting her phone on silent and sliding it into her back pocket. She knew the other woman would know where to find her if and when she was able to get away, and if she kept the phone in her hands she’d go back and re-read the texts that had ripped a little piece of her heart from her chest a week prior. She needed some perspective, something she knew her best friend could supply, so she’d made her way out to their spot on the abandoned tower, laid out a blanket and stared up at the stars as she waited, lost in her own thoughts until the sound of someone climbing the ladder pulled her out of her own thoughts. “Beth?” She asked into the night as she turned her head to look over, small smile on her features when the blonde’s head emerged as she climbed the ladder. “Did you bring snacks?”

The only thing grounding Jacob to Earth at that moment in time was Katie Lynn’s fingers encircling his. It was hard to remember a time he’d felt so happy or at peace. Much longer than just since she’d left Wilmington, that was for certain. But he’d had a lot of time to destroy himself, and then rebuild. The selfishness he’d led his life with had to go. For so long, he’d used every excuse under the sun as a crutch for poor behavior. But now, having been completely honest with Katie Lynn, after convincing himself he’d lose her for it, knowing she still loved him, it was the happiest he’d felt in such a long time. Except, until that moment, he wasn’t entirely sure he’d been breathing, onto as he was pulled up against her as the elevator doors closed and her lips were on his, he knew he was born again. “Screw ‘em.” Jacob replied with a grin, half-lidded eyes staring at Katie Lynn before he leaned in for another kiss.

Releasing the handle of the bag, his hands would find Katie’s hips as he pulled her flush against him, completely distracted by the sensation of her lips against his he’d hardly recognize the elevator dinging on the correct floor. Still, one last hungry kiss before he’d pull back, breathless. Leaning over to hook the handle between his fingers, he’d wait for Katie Lynn to exit the elevator before following. Their door was only a few steps off from the elevator, and as he swiped the room key to grant them entrance, Jacob held the door until Katie Lynn was within the room, at which point he slipped the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign onto the exterior handle and let the door shut behind them. And it really was just like prom night, he realized, as the rose petals covered the floor, and champagne sat on ice with two glasses. “I promise, this was just… It was just supposed to be for you.” Jacob repeated, concerned, naturally, that she might think this was all a ruse again.

A soft, breathless chuckle left her lips at his words, shaking her head slightly as her arms came up to drape over his shoulders. She’d had a soft tease poised on the tip of her tongue but was silenced by his lips on hers, her body leaning into his fully as the elevator ascended to their floor. She could’ve stayed like that with him for the rest of the weekend and she’d have been perfectly happy, but as the elevator doors opened and their lips parted and she sucked in a breath of much needed air, the brunette knew they had to move on to their floor before they ended up embarrassing themselves. So with a final quick kiss to his lips, Katie Lynn exited the elevator and made her way to their room, allowing him to open the door before walking inside, stopping in her tracks as she saw the rose petals and champagne, wide grin forming on her features as she turned to look at him. “You thought I’d want to share a glass of champagne with the housekeeper?” She asked, tone playful as she walked over to the closet and hung the dress in her hands up before making her way back over to him and pressing a kiss to his lips. “Or were you tryin’ to get me all liquored up before you came knockin’?” The grin on her lips and light tone gave away her teasing words, lips finding his in a slow kiss she hoped would show she hadn’t taken the gesture in any negative light.

With her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers tangled themselves into the messy blonde hair on his head, Katie Lynn allowed herself to get lost in the kiss, get lost in him, as she slowly began to make her way back towards the bed, pulling him along with her. Once the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed, she pulled back from the kiss and fell back against the mattress, smirk on her features as she looked up at him and gestured for him to follow her. “You wanna tell me just how much of prom night you wanna relive with these rose petals and champagne and the pretty dress?” She asked, leaning up to gently grasp at his shirt and pull him back down with her as she laid back, finding his lips once more in an eager kiss.

It seemed like the world was trying to tell him something when the sky suddenly opened up and let the rain pour down along with thunder and lightning in the middle of Feliks’ first run ever since his gunshot wound. It hadn’t been at the fast pace he was normally able to keep, but with good reason. If you asked him, he had waited long enough for this to happen already, but it was still a little heavier than he had expected, and with the sudden change of weather it seemed that he wasn’t meant to go on at all. Luckily, finding shelter wasn’t hard, the lifeguard tower just within reach and far less crowded than the pier. Even as he made his way into the tower, he managed to escape the worst of it, pulling out his earphones as he moved to get a better view of the raging storm outside, feeling completely drenched even with the little rain he had encountered compared to what was pouring down right now.

He didn’t see her approaching, but by the time the door opened behind him and a voice was heard, he knew that he no longer had the place to himself. His chest still heaving from his run, Feliks turned around, gaze landing on the brunette that had suddenly stepped inside. “Sure did — it’s a fuckin’ shitshow out there.” One hand reached up to comb through the wet strands of hair on his head, initially not paying her much more attention than that. Although, the quiet ‘oh’ didn’t slip him by unnoticed, and his gaze soon steered back up, eyebrows furrowing slightly as he looked her over. She was blushing. “Same as me. Luckily, there’s room for both of us.” It wasn’t an actual joke, and his features remained serious, but the words were still said with mild irony. The girl seemed to recognize him — only that he couldn’t say the same thing just yet. “Do I know you?” Voicing the question right away, he took a few steps closer, looking her over a bit more thoroughly until the connection was starting to come back to him. “Oh, yeah — I remember now. Jeez, why are you blushin’?” Oh, he was pretty sure he knew why — he just wanted to hear what she had to say about it.

She needed to get her wits about her, her now burning cheeks giving away just how uncomfortable, surprised, and embarrassed she’d been upon seeing the man in front of her, her reddened features only deepening as he didn’t seem to remember her. “Yeah.” She agreed with a nervous laugh, beginning to move about the small space in search of a towel she knew was inside. Enough of her friends had been lifeguards on this very beach in high school and college, so she knew there was a stash somewhere inside, she just needed to remember where. Maybe it wasn’t important now that she was protected from the storm outside, but being able to move around and avoid eye contact with Feliks sounded better than standing there and facing him and the mortifying memory of the night they’d met years ago. “I’m not blushin’.” She lied with a nervous chuckle, opening up a closer and beginning to look through it. “Just flushed from the run.” Her voice was muffled as she leaned down into the closet and open a box, finding the towels and grabbing two before reemerging and holding one out to him. “Towel?” She asked, sucking in a breath through her nose as she did her best to offer him a warm smile, using the second one to begin drying her hair as she changed the subject in hopes of not having to discuss the humiliating night. “Hopefully it won’t last too long...” Her voice was drowned out momentarily but the sound of thunder, “But we definitely needed the rain.”