Dangerous Secrets (Dangerous Series: Book 1)

Chapter 5 - Hold your breathe

The warm, soft air caressed Stella's face when she and Ben drove towards the town. He pushed down the gas and the engine roared. She got butterflies in her stomach. It felt like a rollercoaster.

Stella threw her hands up in the air and shouted with excitement. It felt liberating. Ben laughed and screamed with her. He had the wind in his hair and was wearing sunglasses. He looked like a superstar. Stella couldn't believe that he was her brother.

Ben parked at a store called "Itsy bitsy". It was full of tiny bikinis and the sellers that looked like models. Stella immediately got anxious. She picked a random bikini from the rack and looked at the prize. It cost more than a month's rent. She wanted to ask Ben to leave, but the sellers were all over him. She picked another bikini. It cost even more.

Ben entangled himself from the girls and walked to Stella.

"Do you find anything you like?" Ben asked.

"Are these made of gold? I mean that's the only logical explanation," Stella said.

"What do you mean?"

"How can something this small be so expensive?"

Stella held up a pair of string bikinis. They both burst out laughing. One of the sellers told them to be quiet. She looked bitter. Probably because Ben talked to Stella instead of her.

"Stells, you're getting me in trouble. You know what, I knew you were trouble the same second I saw you."

"Excuse me mister. I've never been a troublemaker. You're a bad influence."

"You might be right." Ben gave Stella a mysterious look. It was like he had a secret he wanted to tell her. "But hey, try this on. I think it would look good on you."

Ben held up a red, triangle bikini. Stella usually stayed away from bright colours. She avoided everything that could bring attention to her. But it looked nice, and this was Stella 2.0, so she took it and walked to the changing rooms.

The bikini fit Stella like a glove. Strangely, it gave her confidence. It was a new feeling for her. Usually she disappeared in the background, but she would definitely be noticed in this bikini.

"How does it feel?" Ben asked from the other side of the curtain.

"Good. It was the right size."

Should I go out and show him? No. I'm too nervous. Besides, he's only doing this to be nice. He doesn't care how the bikini actually looks.

"Great! Do you want to try on some more?"

"No, definitely not. They are way too expensive. This was one of the cheaper ones and it fits, so it's perfect."

When Stella came out from the changing room Ben stood by the counter. He had two big bags in his hands.

"Surprise!" He said.

"I don't understand. Did you buy something for yourself?"

"No. You live in a beach house now. You need to have more than one bikini. The one you're holding is also paid for."

When Stella and Ben came back to the house, Kian and Tessa were already packing the motorboat. Stella and Ben joined them and Winston. They all got in the boat and steered towards an island nearby.

Stella was nervous on the boat ride. When she asked for a life vest the others laughed. They thought it was a joke and she didn't have the guts to correct them. The ride was fast and bumpy, but no one else seemed scared. Stella desperately grasped the boat rail with one arm and Winston with the other one.