IT'S OUR SECOND day in Hawaii. We played a couple different games after hide and seek yesterday, until Mr and Mrs Ashford came home. They took us out for dinner, and by the time we got back pretty much everyone was half asleep. It's now just before noon, and we're all in the back of a family wagon on our way to some beach or something. I'm pretty sure thats where we're going but I was half asleep when Margot told us this morning. Mornings after late nights are not for me.

I have on a cute little navy blue bikini underneath my shorts and tank top, which I bought that time Parker and I were ditched at the mall together. He's in the back with Neki, and I'm pretty sure they're both sound asleep. Jackson is beside me playing on his switch, and James is beside him looking out the window.

The music is playing quietly, but loud enough to fill the silence. I like silence in the morning. It should be illegal for people to speak before 10am. The car comes to a stop and I turn my attention to our surroundings. We're in a car park over looking a beach, miles and miles of clear blue water. It's beautiful.

"Wake up kiddies!" Mrs Ashford claps her hands together excitedly as she turns around to face us.

I hear Neki groan from behind me as Jackson pulls his headphones off. I unclip my seatbelt, doing Jack's too since it's next to mine and slide the door open.

The air is fresh once we step out, and I take a deep, deep breath. The second door opens and Parker gets out. He reaches up to the sky, groaning as he stretches and his shirt lifts, revealing the waistband of his shorts and a happy trail in the centre of his V line.

I pull my eyes away quickly, embarrassed about the heat creeping up my neck. Neki appears, punching Parker in the stomach mid stretch and making him fold. I laugh, until Parker looks up at me, and I wipe the smile off my face as quickly as possible.

James hands me my beach bag from the trunk.

"Thanks." I smile, slinging it over my shoulder.

We begin to walk down to the beach. I slip my shoes and socks off, carrying them so I don't have sand in my converse for the rest of my life. It's hot beneath my feet, almost unbearable alongside the weather, but not quite.

"How about here?" Margot stops, holding a hand out as she gestures to the area.

We agree and begin to set down our bags, Parker unfolding and placing down the chair he carried for her. His mom thanks him with a kiss on the cheek before sitting down and pulling out her book, and I smile. I love their relationship. It reminds me of the way me and my mom were. I unfold my towel, setting it down beside Neki's.

"Can we go swim?" he asks, looking between James, Parker and I.

James nods, his shirt already off, and he wore his swim shorts here. His lips curl up into a smirk.

"Race you!" he yells as he sets off down the beach, heading for the water.

Neki attempts to run after him, forgetting that his pants are still on around his ankles, causing him to trip.

"Cheater!" he calls after him, stepping out of them and continuing to run. He pulls his shirt over his head, discarding it beside a random families picnic blanket. I laugh.

I pull my shirt over my head, and as I begin to unbutton my shorts, I notice Parker watching me. I continue anyway, his eyes running down my body causing me to shiver despite the heat, as I slip my shorts down my legs and step out of them.

"You coming?" I raise my eyebrows, bringing his attention back to my face. He almost looks like he didn't realise he was staring.

"Yeah." he says bluntly as he begins to pull his shirt off. "You wanna come Jack?"

Jackson is sitting cross-legged in the sand, shovelling it into his sand-castle bucket. He looks up briefly, shaking his head no before looking back down.

Parker turns to me and I smile.

"Race you." I say briefly, before taking off down the beach the same way James did.

Parker catches up to me in seconds, pulling me back and running in front of me. I laugh as I sprint forward, shoving him so hard that he falls forward and does a little roll in the sand. I'm back in the lead, but he recovers quickly and he's back on his feet. I squeal as I speed up, making him laugh. I reach the water first, running a little further until it's deep enough to swim. I dive forward, my whole body being submerged beneath the medium warm liquid. It's bliss.

I swim a little further out as the boys mess about together. Laying back, I let myself float, the calm waves creating motion beneath me. My hearing is muffled by the water covering my ears, and everything is so peaceful.

My moment ends when I'm pushed beneath the water by the stomach. I accidentally inhale, making me open my eyes as I feel the water enter my lungs. I kick my legs quickly, instantly beginning to choke as I resurface.

"Bro what the fuck?" I hear Parker as I feel an arm wrap around my waist and lead me a little closer to shore, so that I can stand up.

I gasp for air.

"I'm so sorry Elena." I hear Neki from beside me. "I was trying not to get KO'ed."

I stand still for a moment, my eyes closed, still being supported by Parker. And then I turn to Neki, putting him in a chokehold and ducking beneath the surface. I laugh as we resurface, James chuckling and Parker smiling as Neki splutters.

***

"How much farther is it." I pant, stopping to rest my hands on my knees.

The guys are taking me to some secluded place that they come to when they visit here, but it must be in the absolute trenches because we've been walking up this steep ass mountain for about 25 minutes.

"It's not much further." James calls out from the front.

Sounds too long.

I groan, looking up. Parker has stopped in front of me, his hands on his hips.

"We've been walking for 5 minutes Kinsley." he raises an eyebrow.

"What?" My eyes widen in shock.

He laughs, holding out a hand. I take it and he begins to walk again, pulling me along behind. A warmth spreads through my finger tips. I study the curves of his forearm, my eyes wandering to his bicep, and the definition of his back. As we walk further on, I feel something that almost makes me stop. His thumb moves along my hand. Willingly. Parker Ashford strokes my hand. Because he wants to.

I'm glad I'm at the back right now, because my cheeks are most likely crimson.

"We're here."

As we turn a corner on the mountain, I gasp, tilting my head back to look up. We're at the base of the most beautiful waterfall I've ever seen. Well the only waterfall; I guess the one at the mall doesn't really count.

"Woah," I breathe as Parker drops my hand, too mesmerised to even be disappointed.

"Last one up has to pay for ice-cream!" Neki says as he begins to climb. James starts behind him.

I'm about to follow after them, when Parker takes hold of my biecep. I look at him and he gestures to the left with his head. Following him quietly, I watch my step as he takes me behind some vines, revealing a set of stairs. I smile.

"Cheater." I mumble as we walk up them.

"They said last one up. Nothing about how." he shrugs, a playful smirk on his lips.

We reach the top of the stairs, and are now directly beneath the waterfall. I slip my flip-flops off, stepping forward into the water. Unlike the ocean, the water is cold. It's lovely. I step under it, fully submerging myself as I close my eyes. The water runs from my scalp to my toes, my hair sticking to my back. I tilt my head back, letting it run over my face. Pushing my hair back, I turn to face Parker, who's sat on the ground watching me.

"What?" I pout.

He smiles. "Nothing."

"Parker," I place my hand on my hip, the other one pushing my hair out of my face again.

"Nothing." he repeats as he stands up.

He steps in the water, walking over so he's in front of me. His curls become heavy and stick to his forehead, his lips glistening as droplets of water run down them. My breath hitches as he holds eye contact with me, stepping forward and pulling me in by the waist. My lungs are empty, and my knees feel like jelly.

"You look so good right now." he breathes as he presses his body against mine, the water running between us.

I think I just found my 6 new favourite words.

I hold his biceps, scared that I'll collapse without support.

Parker leans down, and I'm pretty sure my heart stops beating. His breath fans against my cheek and I feel his heart beating against my chest. His is almost as rapid as mine. My eyes fall shut as his lips graze my cheek, and I'm certain he's holding me up because there's no way I'm standing on my own.

"Bro they must've taken the shortcut."

I open my eyes as Neki's voice infiltrates my mind. Parker pulls back a little, letting out an annoyed groan. I still can't feel my legs. He turns around, returning to his seat on the path, leaning down and resting his head in his hands.

I'm still frozen in my spot as James and Neki appear.

"The stairs were off limits man." Neki huffs, slightly out of breath.

"You didn't say that." Parker mumbles, his head still in his hands.

"I didn't think I needed t-" he growls in annoyance. "You're buying."

Kaneki disappears behind the vines and back down the stairs.

James turns to me. "He's a sore loser."

I smile as he follows after him. My eyes land on Parker.

He stands up, not even acknowledging me as he turns and walks off after them, his hands latched behind his head.