Until You Read Online Free

always had an edgy, rocker chick kind of style, even at the beach.
    She gulped down the beer. Mmm, refreshing. She needed it after the night she had. She hadn't gotten much sleep and had been dragging since her mid morning nap. Her brain just wouldn't let her rest.
    Thoughts of her blond surfer boy neighbor kept her awake the first part of the night. His hard tan body kept dancing through her mind. If that was all that kept her awake she wouldn't complain. However, once she finally had fallen asleep, the nightmares started about Marc's accident. She didn't dream about it often, but when she did, the memories were so real. Occasionally she had woken up in tears.
    She dreamt of visions of the crash site and his over turned SUV. Where was he? She couldn't find Marc anywhere. It was his license plate on the unrecognizable vehicle that was now a mass of metal. She knew it was him, but where was he? Police were everywhere. The flashing lights and the noise left her feeling dizzy and confused. Screaming for him between her sobs left her throat raw. The policeman took her in his arm and told her the words she was terrified to hear, but somehow knew.
    Marc was dead.
    She woke up in a cold sweat, her heart pounding. Trina wiped the dampness off of her forehead. She was tired of reliving that night. Would she ever get past it all?
    She sat for a moment in her bed, in the dark and the silence. She looked around her room in order to convince herself it was all just a bad dream. The clock beside her bed read 3:30. There was no sleep to be had tonight. Toby was still sound asleep on the floor beside her. It was still dark outside as she slid out of bed.
    Grabbing her pillow and a blanket, she headed for the living room. After getting snuggled up on the couch and opening all the windows so she could hear the ocean, she turned on the television, if for nothing else but some light in the dark room. Keeping the volume low enough so she could still hear the relaxing waves, she occupied herself with movies and infomercials until dawn. Sleep was overrated anyways.
    Once the sun came up, Trina and Toby went out for a long run along the beach. Two coffees and one energy drink later, they had run five miles and got some grocery shopping done. She was not moving fast today, but that was the purpose of being at the beach, to relax. Her mind finally cleared from the hellish night. She admired the beautiful day.
    She had wasted enough of the day and wanted to get out in the sun for a while. "Alright, boy, let's hit the beach!" She grabbed her beach bag, hoping to get some sun and take a dip in the ocean while Toby played. "Time to go be beach bums! Say, how 'bout we grab some hot dogs for dinner on the boardwalk?" She had a habit of talking to Toby like a human. He danced around at the idea of hot dogs, his favorite snack.
    Locking up her condo, she took a quick glance towards surfer boy's place. Half hoping he was sitting there, she was disappointed that he was nowhere to be found. Just as well, that dream last night left her feeling raw. She needed a little alone time to recoup. She ran her hand over her stomach; it was tan and toned, not a stretch mark to be seen. You can't move forward while looking back , she thought. Got to keep moving forward.
    Forward was her only choice. "Trina, that is all in the past. Get your head out of your ass and keep looking ahead," she s aid out loud.
    Looking up at the bright sun, Trina knew that she was going to be fine. She had not made it through hell and back for nothing. She was stronger now. She took in a bi g breath. Her heart didn't feel heavy anymore. For the first time in a long time she was happy, and she wasn't going to let that damn dream rattle her.
    "Let's go!" she called to Toby as they jogged down to the beach. She dropped her bag on the sand, and spread out her blanket. The bright sun was high in the sky and the sand was warm. She took a handful of it, letting it pour through her fingers. The beach