Drowning in the Waves.

Reese made her way up the Spanish tiled path way to the home that she had been nannying for, for years. In someway, this family had become her own. They had taken her on family vacations and were even generous enough to help her out financially on the occasion. It was pretty early in the morning, a little too early for Reese but she yawned the sleep right out of her and knocked on the door.
"Hi pretty lady," Jason answered the door. The kid was a stud, only eight years old and was not afraid to talk to the ladies.
"Hey J," Reese smiled and pounded knuckles with him. "Dad left already?" She asked and looked around the empty house.
"'Bout thirty minutes ago," He smiled and handed Reese the baby monitor. Jason was the oldest boy, eight years old going on thirty. His sister, Lucy, was only 13 months and a real doll. Her curly blond hair killed anyone who saw her and forced them to compliment. "She's beautiful!" They would call out and sometimes they would even question if she was Reese's child.
"Hungry for breakfast dude?" He nodded anxiously. "Go grab a seat on the couch and turn on some cartoons. Pancakes sound good? Banana with chocolate chip?"
"Heck yes!" He hollered and fist pumped the air. His Avengers pajamas hung loose on his skinny body as he ran into the living room. Reese made her way into the kitchen and pulled out everything she needed, quickly whipping up her famous pancakes. The aroma was tantalizing, even Jason called from the next room that his stomach was growling.
As the bacon sizzled on the pan, Reese went to go wash the dishes she had dirtied. The window was a bit fogged from the chill outside and she casually wiped it off but what startled her was the pair of hazel eyes she had come in contact with.
"Mother of god," she breathed. It was their new neighbor. The neighbor that everyone was hesitant about moving in, they said he was trouble. His black hair was pulled back by a beanie and he was wearing a black hoodie. He just smiled from his kitchen window. Reese moved her hand in an awkward little wave and dropped the sponge, enough of the creep for now. She plated the food and sat down next to a sleepy looking Jason.
Reese loved her job, she got to hang out with great kids and it had awesome benefits like traveling every once and awhile. Most importantly, the parents paid extremely well. Reese needed the most pay she could get in order to pay off her school loans. UCI wasn't cheap and they called her almost every week asking for their money back; it was starting to become a heavy burden. Not to mention, getting her teaching credential and masters almost seemed like a joke since she couldn't find a job anywhere. Landing a job in the public school system anywhere in California was a try and fail sort of thing. No school was hiring and budgets were being cut every time a teacher turned around. Her mother had told her to just say in school and get her PHD to become a professor but what no one could understand is that all Reese wanted to do was become an elementary school teacher. She loved kids and just being around them gave her this feeling of pure joy. She didn't mind having glitter consistently stuck on her clothes or glue peeling off her fingers. She didn't mind watching Tangled 30 times a day and dancing to the Oliver & Company soundtrack. To say the least, Reese was a child at heart.
Hours seemed to pass quickly. Reese changed and fed the baby, taking her down stairs and out on to the drive way to play basketball with Jason. Reese placed Lucy on the grass and grabbed the orange ball, tossing it into the hoop.
Swishhh.
"Nice shot!" Jason had on his Larry Bird Celtics jersey on. We played a few games, periodically checking on Lucy, then laid down on the grass.
The Roberts family had always had money. Jason's father, Richard was a CFO of a major marketing corporation in Los Angeles and their mother, Stephanie, was a writer. Primarily her claim to fames were a few Christmas Lifetime movies and a pilot for a crime show that was picked up but canceled four shows in. Together they made a power couple and it intimidated Reese.
Reese grew up in Southern California her whole life. She didn't grow up in Sunset Beach or San Clemente, like one would automatically assume if you say you lived in Orange County. She dwelled in the suburbs, a little more inland than the ocean but only a ten to fifteen minute drive. It was a bustling community, not beachy, just maybe a little too "OC" for her.
To put it in easier terms, at her high school, the students drove nicer cars than the teachers. Her parents lived modestly, pay check to pay check sometimes, but a majority of the time her and her sister got what they needed.
Reese shook her head and broke her daze. Suddenly, she couldn't find Jason...or Lucy. She panicked.
"Jason!" She screamed.
"Over here!" He yelled from the neighbor's open garage. Oh god, the creep! She thought and jumped to her feet. His long driveway held several cars and she could hear older men talking.
"Jason?" Reese said again and stepped inside the chilly cement room.
One man, tall and lanky with jet black spiky hair was holding Lucy in his arms. The creep was playing video games on an old beat up couch with Jason and another, with dirty blond hair and green eyes, was sitting in the corner with a beer in hand. The garage was filled with boxes and a pool table was shoved in the the farthest corner.
"Excuse me," She huffed and placed her hands on her hips. All three men turned to face her, their jaws slacked.
"You fell asleep," Jason smiled meekly and paused his game.
"So you wake me up J, you don't leave me there to worry."
"He's with us! They're safe!" The one with the beer chuckled.
"Oh I'm so sure," Reese hissed and pointed at his bottle. "You're drinking around kids, wanna put that fucking thing away."
"Chill sweetheart," the tall one smiled, "Don't mind Zack, he's an idiot sometimes."
Reese wasn't even listening, she marched over and grabbed Lucy out of his arms. "J, let's go."
"Reeeeessseeee, one more game!" He whined.
"Yeah Reese," a deep masculine voice boomed. "One more game?" His eyes were cheeky, his dimples were playing the same game, and his large muscular arm hung over the side of the couch. His stare was intense and heated, she gulped.
"Uh," she stumbled over her words.
"Fine," Reese snapped out of it. "One more game, five minutes. I'm going to go put Lucy down. Be safe." She whispered the last part.

As Reese walked out the front door, baby monitor in hand, she was met face to face with the muscular man. "I'm Matthew," he smirked and extended his hand to be shook. "I'm the new neighbor."
"Reese," she took it and heard Jason cry out as he lost his game.
"The two guys in there are Jimmy and Zack, sorry for freaking you out. The kid just ran over with his sister when he heard us screaming about the game. I didn't think you were with them."
"It's okay," Reese smiled. "That sounds like J, his ADD mind gets attracted to things easily. His parents don't let him play video games so this is sort of a release for him,"
"No video games!?" Matt laughed.
"None."
"So you're their nanny?"
"Yeah, I have been for years." She smiled. "I've watched little J grow up and was there when Lucy was born."
"That's awesome," Matt spoke genuinely. "So look, if the kid ever wants to play some video games with me, the door is always open."
"Cool," Reese smiled. "I'll have to take you up on that sometime."