Alex called today around noon.  I was walking on the beach in my swimsuit, looking for the perfect place for a picnic.  

"What's up?"  I said when I answered the phone.  

"Hey Ethan."  Alex said.  "I wanted to see you before I left Lakewood, but I had a three O clock flight."

"No problem."  I said.  "We'll see each other in a few months anyway."

"That was what I wanted to see you about."

"What do you mean?"

"I won't be returning to Lakewood."

"What?  You have to return.  I mean, you're one of the Four Lords.  You can't not come back."

"Sorry."  Alex said sadly, and the dial tone came on as he hung up.

"Damn it."  I shouted at my phone.  "Does this mean that we'll never see each other again?  You can't do this to me.  I didn't even get to say good bye."

"Nathi?"  Patrick/Torarin asked.  "Why are you talking to yourself?"

"I never got to say good bye."  I said, sniffling.  

"Hey, hey."  Patrick said gently.  "Don't cry.  Please don't cry." 

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand.  "I'm not crying.  I just have something in my eye."

"Nathi, Nathi."  Patrick shook his head, smiling.  "You're not a boy right now.  You're a girl.  You can cry all you want."

Maybe it was just the wrong time of the month for one of my friends to leave forever, but I ended up crying for several minutes on Patrick's t-shirt.  I thought about crying a little longer, just so he would hold me, but then I heard the unattractive, hiccuping noises I was making and pulled away from him.  "How about here for a picnic?"  I asked, fully recovered.  

"Sure.  Should we wait for the grandparents?"  He spread out one of those gigantic beach towels on the white sand.

"No.  They probably won't come anyway."  I opened the picnic basket and started setting out the sandwiches and fruit.  "I'm sorry I got your shirt all wet."

"It's no problem."  He replied.  "I was thinking about taking it off anyway."

And he did, revealing such beautiful muscles that I really wanted nothing more but to stare at them.  He was like a David or some Adonis, under that shirt.  I blushed.  Was that really the chest that I had been cradled against?!  In order to avoid turning as red as Taki did, I turned my attention to the food.  

Patrick looked in the basket to help me get more stuff out, and removed a note from the inside.  "Have fun, kids."  He read aloud.  "Signed, the Grandparents."

I put my head in my hand.  These old people were really looking forward to great-grand kids. 

Later that day, I applied for a job at one of the local ocean-side restaurants, where you just walked up in your swimsuit and ate lunch or dinner or whatever.  They said they'd call me back.  They didn't.  Adam did.

"So you're working at one of Daddy's restaurants?"  He said over the phone.  "You start tomorrow.  Ten o clock."

I groaned into the receiver.  "You own that place?  I'll chose a different job."  

"I told you that you start tomorrow, E-than."  Adam said, and there was no joking in his tone.  "I'll see you there."

Would I ever escape him?