"I'll wait for you. Like the sand waits for the sea."

Arabella Karve I focus intensely as I guide my fine rounded paintbrush smoothly across the vast canvas, that is smothered in soft, beaming colors which slowly make the image drift to life.

Pastel blue steadily stains the top of the canvas, right above the majestically painted swans that are floating upon the still water.

Vivid yellow drips softly from the depicted sun, that is casting an embellished reflection onto the calm lake.

I mix more oil into my fine paint as I portray the setting of lush mountains covering the magical background, with black and blue birds flying gently into the distance.

I take a deep breath as I carefully paint my signature on the bottom right corner.

Painting makes me so happy.

I lower my tired hand and take a slow step back and immediately a proud grin breaks out across my flushed face, as I stare at the painting that I have casted every last fragment of my soul into. Maybe a little dramatic.

I pompously turn around with my hands, that are caked in dry paint, on my hips and look towards my professor who is standing behind me, analyzing my work.

"Arabella, this is lovely. I am very pleased with your performance" Mrs. Smith says while placing one of her thin hands upon my cold shoulder.

"I try" I say with a smile.

She purses her lips proudly at me and then promptly walks away. The moment she moves I am met with Eros who was sitting on my stool directly behind her. Of course.

He glances up at me with a disinterested expression as a scowl spreads across my, once grinning, face.

I study how his flawlessly dark appearance, strikingly contrasts with the vibrant colors of the eclectic painting room, that feels more like home to me then anywhere else.

"Hm. It's fine" Are the first words he says as his numb eyes scan the elegant painting. Fucking dick.

"Please do remind me when I asked for your opinion." I say coarsely as I smoothly pull off my thin black apron.

"per essere una brava artista, sei una rottura di palle, Bella" he mumbles angrily while glaring at me.

I roll my eyes at his never ending attitude, as I place my painting gently onto the broad drying rack, that is crusted in old paint.

After grabbing all of my belongings and waving goodbye to my professor, I walk out of the main door and towards the parking lot, without sparing Eros a single glance.

"I didn't like them" I hear the deep Italian voice grumble from behind me. How the fuck did he catch up to me?

"Who?"

"The people you ate with, dumbass"

"They are much better company then you, you twat" I say curtly as i thankfully reach my drivers car and smoothly pull open the door and slide in.

I look up to the rearview mirror, where my elderly driver gives me a polite smile through it, and then looks ahead once again. He is so sweet.

After Eros makes his way to the other side and gets settled in, he roughly tosses my backpack, that I had him carry, onto the car floor and looks back over at me.

"They are fucking annoying"

"Says the most annoying piece of shit to ever roam the planet" I say as I begin to pick at the crusted paint that is stuck on my smooth hand.

"Me? Did you not hear the stupid fucking ginger you talked to?"

"Don't worry darling, you still come in first place" I say with a condescending smile.

"Fucking child" ************************ "The sun will be setting any fucking minute" He says angrily from behind me as I stare out the cold window, and watch the passionate waves crash against the soft sand.

The sun is slowly fading along with the last hint of warmth. Clouds begin to cover the skies with the moon brightly shining over them, causing dark to slowly take over the horizon.

"It's not like it's going to take that long! Just for a couple minutes you old woman" I say snappily as I turn around and roll my eyes at Eros.

"Dear, your parents want you to go straight home" My driver says nervously.

"Please. It won't take that long and I won't say anything" he's going to fold.

My driver sighs and then smiles kindly, "okay but just for a little while, and not past dark"

I squeal excitedly as he smoothly pulls over, right by the side walk, that lines the shore.

"God damn it bella-" Eros begins, but is suddenly cut off the moment I crawl out of the tall car and slam the door shut.

I instantly start pulling off my black, strap wedges and throw them to the side, needing to feel the soft sand against my toes that are painted with dark red polish.

I start jogging towards the strong waves, that waft the salty smell of the ocean.

A crisp breeze softly blows my dark hair to the side. I smile faintly as my feet hit the brisk water that sends a chill throughout my body.

I playfully kick the water up and close my eyes as it softly blows back at me, and greets my rosy cheeks.

I look behind me and see Eros slowly sitting down further back upon the sand, his muscles bulging with every small movement.

He is dressed in his usual black dress pants that is held up by a black belt, and a black pullover that covers his neck slightly, only giving away the top of his many dark tattoos.

He sits down with his knees sightless bent, and his sculpted arms wrapped loosely around his knees, linked by his scared fingers.

His dark hair slightly blows over his forehead as he stares straight at me.

"Look how fucking pretty it is!" I yell excitedly as I throw my hands up in the air and take steps farther back into the water.

Thank god I wore a dress.

This morning I decided to wear one of my favorite short white sundresses, along with a holy, knit black sweater over top. Probably not the best for this weather but who gives a flying fuck.

"Get out of the water, your going to get fucking sick." His deep voice yells back.

I take another defying step back, father into the cold water, so that it is now up to my pale knees.

I give him a daring smirk as the bottom of my skirt slightly scraps against the surface of the water.

Eros slowly stands up with dark eyes, and dauntingly walks down towards me, but stops right before he reaches the wet sand.

"Get the fuck out. It's my fucking job to make sure you are safe and if your dumbass dies from hyperthermia then I probably won't get my paycheck for the month." He growls darkly.

"Sorry my death would be so inconvenient for you" I tease while grazing the water with my fingers.

"If I wasn't your fucking bodyguard I would drown you myself"

"It doesn't matter, you probably wouldn't want to ruin your pretty little outfit anyway" I say while taking another brazening step back, so that the stinging water is now touching my upper thigh, and soaking the bottom of my dress.

"You don't know what extent I would go to, in order to get you to shut the fuck up" Eros say's menacingly.

"Well then why don't you come and get me?" I say with a teasing smile while continuing to back up a little more.

I am a master in the art of pissing people off.

Eros tightly clenches his tan jaw and looks away from me. He then suddenly, to my surprise, smoothly slides his leather black derby shoes. He fluently pulls his shirt over his head, leaving him shirtless, displaying his sculpted body. Oh.

He bitterly begins to walk towards me, only clothed in his black dress pants.

I keep taking slow steps back, until the water reaches up to my ribs, and the bottom of my long hair is consumed by the cold water.

Eros doesn't take his cold eyes off of me as he continues walking towards me, making my heart beat faster in anticipation with every step.

Once Eros reaches me, he coldly stands just a foot in front of me with water only reaching his toned waist.

We stand still in the cold water and the light breeze surrounding us, not moving, not saying a word, just staring at each other hatefully. I feel the cold water slowly numbing my body, but it is no more frigid then the glare Eros is throwing at me with his icy eyes.

"So what now? Are you going to drown me?" I bite out with a small chatter of my teeth, as I look up at him and try to ignore the chill crawling up my body.

"No I am taking you back to the car so you don't fucking freeze." He utters darkly. Before I am even able to move, Eros wraps his large, warm hands around my waist and swiftly throws me over his broad, bare shoulder.

I instantly start kicking my legs aggressively, and angrily start punching him with the sides of my fists, in his masculine back. "Put me down Eros!" I screech loudly.

Every time my hand hits his back, I can feel the rough, sunken scars, that are hidden by dark tattoos, coating the entirety of his back.

"I fucking hate you!" I scream with hate drenched in my voice. Then, before I am able to react, I am consumed by cold water that I am suddenly dunked beneath.

The water stings my entire body, as I claw at Eros's hard bicep that is keeping me in the water.

The sound of my desperate struggling and splashing is the only noise accompanying me underneath the remorseless water.

His large hand slowly moves down to my lower back as I continue to panic. This is how I am going to go. He is going to fucking kill me.

I begin struggling less as fear clouds my senses before I am swiftly pulled back out of the water and thrown once again over the broad shoulder.

I vigorously cough up the salty water as the frigid air hits against my wet skin and stinging eyes.

Eros pulls down the back of my dress that was rapidly riding up, and wraps his powerful arm around the back of my thighs.

He begins to easily walk back to the shore as I continue to yell scornfully at him to put me down.

We reach the sand and Eros effortlessly bends down, to pick up his belongings. Only once he reaches where I threw off my shoes does he carelessly set me back down.

I quickly pick up my shoes and walk past him towards our driver who was staring out the window with a small smile plastered across his wrinkled face. Why the hell is he smiling?

"You need more fucking training." Eros mutters under his breath as he shuts his car door and I latch my seatbelt.

"Oh yeah because training would help me take down a 6 foot fucking asshole." I say angrily while trying to assume his height.

"Well no matter how tall I am, that was way to fucking easy, marmocchia."

I roll my eyes at him and go to look down at my lap, only to look straight back as a flush covers my cheeks.

I wore a white dress into the water... and now it is fucking see through. And I wore a black set.

I rapidly pull my sweater tightly around me while crossing my arms defensively. I look back towards Eros, only to see him looking straight into my warm, brown eyes with a careless expression.

"Do you fucking need something?" I ask in an antagonized tone.

"Nope. But thank you for asking." his deep voice rumbles sarcastically as he picks up his belongings, and fluently pulls back on his black shirt that clings perfectly to his body. Not that I cared, nor noticed.

"You just tried to fucking drown me." I scoff in disbelief.

"Thirty seconds. Don't be dramatic."

"I could have fucking drowned."

"Thirty seconds under the water? A pathetic death, but it fucking fits you."

"I hope you rot in hell." ************************** "Do you ever feel like your being watched?" I speak for the first time in almost half an hour later. Because I feel like I am every single day.

And I do right now.

It feels like everything and everyone is watching me, like there are unknown eyes always circling.

"No."

"Me neither."

"You implied it." Eros says while raising a dark eyebrow at me.

"Well I don't." Eros just hums unsurely in response while watching me look back out the window.

"You don't always have to be such a dick." I mumble quietly.

"vaffanculo." ********************** HEYYY I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER!!!<33333

Should I make another chapter from Eros's pov? I can't decide😭

Have a good weekend! I do plan on posting another chapter!

PLEASE VOTE!! Word count: 2212