Soul Fulfiller

“Blaine is staring at you in a really striking way,” Kate smirked.

“In what way?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

“In the simplest way. Had you two met before?”

My eyes nearly popped out of my head in shock. I finished the salad and started preparing the pork chops with Gruyère and vegetable papillotes.

“No, we hadn’t met before,” I said.

“He’s acting strange!”

“Who?” Ian called, coming into the kitchen.

“Who?! Blaine!” my friend confessed, almost shouting.

“Kate…” Ian tried to stop her.

“I’m just acting normally,” Blaine said, taking the cucumber from me before I could slice it. He definitely caught the look I gave him that said, “Don’t eat it — I don’t like it when people do that.”

Blaine looked at Kate’s guilty expression.

Kate took the tray with the finished dish from me and put it in the oven for twenty-five minutes.

I set the table for dinner, Kate went to take a shower, Ian was organizing the things, and Blaine finished preparing our dish.

“Blaine, what are you hiding?” I asked, arranging the napkins on the table.

“Why do you think I’m hiding something?” His eyes betrayed that the question had thrown him off.

“Do you always answer a question with a question when a girl asks you something?” I walked up to the counter where Blaine was standing and asked the question that had been on my mind.

Blaine turned toward me, and we were standing very close. I could feel his breath, and it started to make me uneasy.

“Only if it’s asked by beautiful girls who are missing one guy,” he said, looking at me in a way that made me feel as if he could bake me alive.

“You okay?” Ian suddenly appeared.

“Yeah, Aria asked for the forks I’m holding in my left hand,” he handed them to me.

“Thanks, Blaine.” I went over to Ian and started setting the forks on the table.

We had dinner in a cheerful atmosphere; everyone was laughing and having a good time. I learned a lot of new things about each of them. I definitely liked this company. I went to take a shower while the others started clearing the table. Everyone slept in their own rooms: the guys in theirs, and Kate and I in the guest rooms.

I missed Ian terribly and decided I should check on him, especially since everyone else was already asleep. By the way, Ian was sleeping peacefully — it was a shame it was too dark to see how adorably he was snoring.

“Ian, I missed you,” I whispered, hugging him from behind and snuggling under his blanket. He smelled pleasantly of post-shower freshness. I hugged him tightly, pressing my whole body against his.

“Aria, that’s really sweet, but…”

“Damn it, Blaine!” I shouted, having unfortunately mixed up the two rooms that were only a meter apart. I jumped up.

“I liked it all, Aria,” Blaine said, laughing.

Ian walked into the room. While Blaine continued laughing even louder, Ian turned on the light, and Kate came running over.

“What’s going on?” Ian asked, clearly puzzled.

“Ian, I’ll explain everything,” I said. Blaine chuckled.

“Can I explain?!” he offered.

“Go to hell, Blaine!”

“I accidentally walked into your rooms and was just about to leave,” I admitted.

“You weren’t doing anything here, were you?”

“Ian! Are you crazy? No!” I muttered, putting my hands on my hips in indignation.

“Ian, calm down. You’re not the only one who’s confused here,” Kate said.

“Wait, what do you mean ‘confused’? ” Blaine asked, laughing.

“Blaine!” his brother shouted.

“Ian! What does that mean?” I demanded sternly.

“I’ll explain everything,” Ian said, raising his hands in surrender. “I just accidentally walked into the shower while Kate was in there, but I didn’t see anything.”

Our silence was broken by Blaine’s laughter. He laughed as hard as he could, clutching his stomach with both hands.

“Ian!”

“Hey, all of you, let’s sort this out somewhere outside my room. I want to sleep, and unfortunately, I’m the only one here who hasn’t seen anyone naked or been hugging anyone, so at least let me have a decent night’s sleep,” Blaine went on, still not calming down.

We all left his room and headed to our own, but I still stopped by Ian’s. I hugged him from behind.

“You’re not mad at me?”

“No. Are you?”

Ian turned toward me and wrapped his arms around me. His next words left me stunned.

“For a few minutes, I even thought that you and Blaine… that you might have feelings for each other.”

These words made me turn to Ian and, taking his face in my slender hands, whispered,

“Ian, your brother is something unreal, but I’m not dating him, I’m dating you. And that means I’m only looking for a long-term, serious relationship with you, not your brother. If I loved Blaine, I wouldn’t be with you.”

“Aria, I love you.”

I passionately captured his lips, craving every touch of his hands on my waist. I jumped on him and still wanted him.

“This is very sweet,” I whispered through the fullness of passion and risk, tuning into the rhythmic breathing of our bodies.

He threw me off and hovered over me, kissing every inch of my body. Ian tore off his shirt and then took mine off, leaving me in just my purple bra. Our naked bodies felt an attractive current.

Ian’s phone buzzed with a message. He glanced at the screen and let out a tense sigh.

“Ian, what? What happened?” He handed me his phone so I could read the message Blaine had just sent: “Please keep it down, your wild sex is making my imagination run wilder and wilder.”

“Sorry,” Ian kissed my lips, wrapping his arm around my bare body. We quickly fell asleep.

Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains. Ian was still dozing soundly, and I decided to get up. On tiptoe, I went to the kitchen to avoid waking anyone — but that didn’t quite work out.

“How was last night?” Blaine handed me another little cup of yogurt.

“Blaine! How can you ask me that while staring straight into my eyes?”

“I just have an eccentric view on many things, asking such questions is easy for me.”

“You bastard!” I snatched the yogurt cup from him and went to get a spoon.

“Mmm, and I like your pajamas, especially last night when you pressed close to me.”

“You’re such a cheeky guy!”

He held the spoon the whole time while I was looking for mine.

“Thanks.”

“Admit it, you think about me often,” Blaine said, making a bold grin.

“Not more than you think about me,” I teased, digging into my fruit yogurt.

“Don’t lie. After last night in my warm little bed, we could have… What do you say?”

I almost choked on my yogurt.

“Get that out of your head.”

“You’re so snobby,” he sighed and went to pour himself some coffee. “Latte or cappuccino?”

“Latte. Blaine, yesterday you still didn’t answer — where would you want to live, and why? Why are you deliberately hiding it?”

“The sea.”

“What? The sea?”

“You said it yourself, and I’ve dreamed of living by the sea since I was a kid. Ian knows that, but he probably thinks it was just a childish whim. If I had told Kate, she would’ve understood exactly what’s going on.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, raising my hands in exasperation at his secrecy.

Ian sat down next to me and kissed me on the cheek.

How did Ian know his brother had come into the room? I hadn’t heard any footsteps.

“What are you two talking about?” Ian asked.

“About coffee. Which one do you want?” Blaine asked, placing a hot latte in front of me. The foam was decorated with waves. I smiled. “Cappuccino.”

I sent a text to Mom saying everything was fine and asking how she was, but got no reply. I decided to dress warmer since it was only +12°C outside, not +26. Then my phone buzzed — a text, probably from Mom. But no.

“Decided to run away? Mm, but I’ll still find you. (P.S. Your favorite)” — from an unknown number.

It was Colin! Nightmare — now he’s texting me too. But I’d changed my number. In a single second, my world turned completely upside down.

“Aria, are you ready?” Kate came into my room.

“Almost.”

“You look kind of pale.”

“Kate, I’m fine.”

I quickly did my makeup, put on jeans and a gray hoodie. The guys were already ready — Ian went to start the car, and Kate was packing her things. I was left alone with Blaine.

“Aria, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Apparently, I was so unsettled by that message that my mind immediately jumped back to that night. Pfft… I shook my head.

“Blaine, everything’s fine!”

“Aria, I’m not your dumb boyfriend who didn’t notice your scared face. If Ian didn’t notice, then he’s a complete idiot. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“No! Let’s go already.”

“Are you always this secretive?” — Blaine said indignantly.

“I’m learning from you.”

“Very funny.”

This time Ian was driving, and I was sitting in the front passenger seat.

“Where are we going?”

“To the beach.”

“What beach? It’s cold, have you guys lost your minds?”

“No, Aria,” — Kate said, “the beach, a bonfire, barbecue, that kind of thing.”

After which Blaine, as always, joked:

“No, Aria, if you want, we can go skinny dipping.”

“Blaine, you’ll get thrown out of the car and walk home, and I’m not joking,” — Ian grabbed my hand and gently squeezed it.

“That’s more like it!” — Kate agreed.

Nine years ago…

Sam and I decided to go for a swim in the cold water. It was only +14°C outside, but we went for it anyway. The moment we splashed into the water, we froze our asses off, and our underwear was soaked through. Colin brought us towels — the party was insane, and my phone already showed six missed calls from Mom.

“How much longer is this going to go on?” I sighed.

Colin grabbed my phone and hurled it onto the floor.

“Colin, I’m going to be in so much trouble! I need to call her right now!” I protested.

“Oh, come on. You’re not a teenager — you don’t have to report to your parents,” Colin said, starting to kiss my neck.

From the alcohol and the buzz, my whole face was burning.

“Colin, get off me!” I shoved him away and adjusted the towel.

“You’re such a pain,” he snapped irritably and left the room.

I quickly texted Mom that everything was fine and went to look for Sam. She had already managed to drink herself into complete oblivion. Meanwhile, the guys decided to organize a race on the water — to swim to the other shore. Colin was among the participants.

“You’re drunk! The current is strong — don’t swim!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, trying to drown out the roar of the crowd and the surf, but Colin seemed not to hear me at all. He just waved me off as if I were ruining his fun and, smirking, began flailing his arms, egging the crowd on. His movements were unsteady, his eyes gleamed with alcohol, and there was a sense of sheer recklessness in everything he did.

Two others were standing beside him. One could barely stay on his feet. The other — Greg Hesley — didn’t just seem drunk. His pupils were dilated, his face gaunt and oddly detached. He giggled to himself and swayed from side to side, as if the ground beneath him were unstable. It looked as though he didn’t even understand where he was. It was terrifying.

I closed my eyes, clenched my fists, and began whispering silently to myself:

“Please let everything be okay. Please. Let everything be okay…”

The crowd around them buzzed with excitement — some people were placing bets, others were already filming on their phones. A shot rang out — someone fired a starter pistol — and the race began. The guys charged into the water, diving headfirst into the icy waves. Their bodies flashed between sprays of water and sunlit reflections on the surface. The people on the shore went wild — shouting, whistling, clapping.

The minutes stretched on like an eternity. I stood there, unable to tear my eyes away from the water, my heart pounding in my chest as if it were about to burst. After a few minutes, the first swimmer reached the opposite shore and, stumbling, threw his arms up in celebration. Colin came in second — he was breathing hard but smiling, pleased with himself. I let out a breath of relief. He made it. Everything was fine.

But where was the third one?

Panic surged through me as I started looking around, searching for Greg. Nowhere. Water, waves, noise, people — but Greg was gone.

Then, from the crowd, a desperate scream rang out:

“Over there! Over there! It’s Greg! Look!”

I whipped my gaze in that direction and froze. In the distance, slightly off to the side of the main swim route, I saw something — his body. The current was dragging him away, fast and merciless. He was lying on his back, arms spread wide. His head lolled weakly on the waves, and, most terrifying of all — he wasn’t moving.

“He’s not moving!” someone screamed, hysteria in their voice.

Everyone froze. It was as if the entire crowd stopped breathing. The loud cheers and laughter instantly shifted into panic, confusion, and terror. People rushed to the shore — some were already dialing emergency services, others started stripping off their clothes, getting ready to swim out to him. I watched as his body drifted farther away, and something icy clenched inside me.

What had started as a silly evening of fun and bravado had suddenly turned into an absolute nightmare.

“He’s dead!” I screamed. “Someone help him, hurry!”

The guys immediately rushed into the water — two of them heading straight for the waves, and one jumping into a small boat, speeding toward the spot where the current was pulling Greg. Everything around us fell eerily silent. Only the sound of the waves and their heavy breathing filled the air. The laughter and shouting of the crowd seemed to evaporate, replaced by a thick, suffocating silence filled with anxiety. Everyone stood frozen, unable to believe what was happening. Fear spread across faces like a wave — one to another, in a chilling, silent exchange.

“Call an ambulance! Immediately!” a piercing voice rang out from the depths of the crowd.

When they pulled him ashore, everything turned black and white. His body was lifeless, his skin pale, almost bluish. His head was bruised — a thin stream of blood trickled down his temple, leaving ominous red stains on the sand.

“He probably… choked,” I whispered, not recognizing my own voice.

I dropped to my knees beside him and, despite my legs buckling with fear, began chest compressions. One, two, three. More. More. But he didn’t respond. His chest remained motionless, as if it had all been over for a long time.

“I’ll check his pulse,” I said almost automatically, pressing my fingers to his cold, damp neck. Silence. Not a beat, not a faint throb. I rushed to the wrist — nothing.

“Anyone who can’t stand it — leave! Now is not the time to panic!” I shouted, turning to the others. Some turned away, some burst into tears, one girl fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands.

And then, in the distance, a siren howled. Hope — a fleeting, fragile thing — flickered in the eyes of those around us.

“Hang in there, man, the ambulance is almost here,” said a young man standing next to me, his voice trembling.

“It’s too late…” I whispered, feeling everything inside me constrict.

His face remained motionless. No breath, not the slightest movement. Just a lifeless body on the cold sand.

Around us, chaos slowly began to unfold — some were running back and forth, some were on their phones, others just stood there, wrapping their arms around themselves. A few minutes later, the ambulance and police arrived. The flashing lights of the sirens illuminated the beach, as if sobering everyone with their cold, harsh glow. It was like the final chord of this wild scene.

And suddenly, it became painfully clear — summer, fun, carefreeness… it was all over.

Ten years ago…

“Aria, you coming out?” Ian peeked out from behind the car door, squinting at me.

I jumped, snapping out of my thoughts as though someone had snapped their fingers right in front of my face.

“What? Oh, Ian… yeah…” I muttered, losing touch with reality for a moment.

“Alright, spill it,” he narrowed his eyes, and I felt like his gaze was literally burning through me. “What’s going on?”

I lowered my gaze, hiding my thoughts deep inside.

“I was just thinking… about the future.”

“About what, exactly?” Ian’s voice softened, but it only made the question sound even more probing, as if he were looking straight into my soul.

I sighed and shook my head.

“Just… everything, I guess… Honestly, it’s nothing. Everything’s fine,” I forced out weakly, and to steer him away from digging deeper, I kissed the corner of his mouth — lightly, almost like an apology.

He stared at me a little longer than necessary, as if reading something in my gaze.

“Alright,” he finally said, “but we’re coming back to this. You know I won’t just let it go.”

“Fine,” I smiled, trying to make it look sincere, but inside I felt uneasy.

Meanwhile, the guys had started building the fire — the flames slowly came to life, scattering golden reflections across their faces. The air smelled of smoke, wood, and sea breeze. Kate and I focused on making everything cozy: laying out blankets, setting up thermoses, arranging snacks, and hanging lanterns on the branches of the small trees lining the beach.

“This… it’s Darina,” Blaine suddenly said, nodding toward the path leading from the parking lot.

I squinted, trying to make out the approaching figures. A tall girl in a tight black dress — yep, that was definitely her. No doubt about it. And beside her…

“Shit,” Ian cursed under his breath. “Wait… is that Toby with her?”

“It looks like it,” Kate added, her voice measured, but there was a spark of irritation in it.

For a moment, the entire atmosphere seemed to shrink, as though the fire had suddenly stopped giving warmth. We all silently watched the approaching pair, and tension hung in the air — like someone had just pulled the pin from a grenade.

They reached us. Darina kissed Ian on the cheek, and Toby walked up to Blaine.

“Aria, meet my best friend Toby,” Blaine cheerfully introduced him. We shook hands. Ian came up to me, hugged me, and kissed me on the forehead. Darina’s smile immediately disappeared.

“If you want, stay with us,” Kate offered.

Our sharp gazes turned to her. She instantly realized she’d said too much.

“We’ll stay,” Darina said, sitting down on a blanket.

“Aria, you’re going to be in our class, right?” Toby suddenly changed the subject, looking at me a little too long, with that same half-smiling expression that always made me uneasy.

I opened my mouth to answer, but Blaine cut me off:

“Yeah,” he said confidently, maybe too confidently, as if putting an end to the conversation before it even started.

“Wait, Blaine, this is…” Toby began, looking at him in confusion. He didn’t finish his sentence, but the tone of his voice clearly asked, “Are you, like, taking responsibility for her now?”

Blaine shot me a quick look, one that carried a silent warning — don’t say anything — then immediately turned his gaze back to Toby, as if some invisible current had passed between them.

“Who wants some skewers?” Blaine suddenly perked up, standing up and clapping his hands. “Let’s go make some! Fresh air, fire, meat — that’s what we need right now.”

He didn’t give Toby the slightest chance to steer the conversation back. And as everyone reluctantly started getting up and exchanging glances, I felt Blaine’s hand linger for just a moment on my back — almost weightless, but enough for me to know: he could feel something was off. Or maybe he just didn’t want that conversation to happen.

They went off to cook the skewers. Ian was talking to Darina about something, and I decided to sit down on the sand by the sea, lost in thought about that strange incident with Greg. It all felt so… strange…

Two text messages came through. One from my mom, letting me know she was doing fine and wishing us a good time. The next message — again from an unknown number.

“I know you read my message, baby. I miss you… and I’ll find you.”

The world froze for a second. Everything around me — the sound of the waves, the chatter by the fire, the smell of smoke — vanished. There was only the screen, pulsing with that line, and the chilling cold that ran down my spine.

Oh God. He’s writing again.

My hand instinctively tightened, my fingers turning white with tension. I wanted to throw the phone into the water, delete everything, run, hide. I read the message again — and my heart skipped a beat, then pounded violently in my chest, as if it wanted to leap out.

“I’ll find you.”

Where is he? How did he get my new number? Who told him where I was?

Panic surged up my throat like a salty wave. I stood up and, without looking back, started walking along the shore. The wet sand bounced beneath my feet, mist drifting above the water. But inside, everything was burning. I could feel the fear slowly, but steadily, creeping in — its cold fingers tightening around my thoughts.