I get to have your eyes on me like they are now, I’ll never get dressed again.”
A giggle pushes up and out and I swing my face to the side, letting my hair be a partition between us. He brushes it behind my ear, his smile back. His scent is still strong and the warmth from his body is making my virginal self heat in ways that would make a nun blush.
“So… ice cream?”
“Sure.”
“I know a great place just up there near the rocks; we won’t even have to leave the sand.” His head dips and his eyes twinkle with humour. “It’s a public area of course.”
“I’d like to, thank you.”
He takes me for ice cream and sits across from me on the sand. Every so often he feeds me some of the chocolate treat on the end of a wafer. It’s cute; he’s cute. This situation is so surreal. Things like this just don’t happen to me. I’m nothing special. I’ve always been practically invisible to the opposite sex, so this is a totally new experience. I’m not sure if it’s my naivety, innocence or lack of experience that is making me fall so easily for him.
He’s so sweet and charming and happy. Being around him makes me feel as he feels. His smile and laughter are contagious, his clear love for life even more so. If he asked me right now to jump out of a plane with him for the adrenaline rush, I’d do it. He’s dangerous, he’s addictive and every second I spend with him I lose a piece of my heart and attach it to his.
My mum would probably freak out if she knew how easily I’ve wandered off with a man I barely know and even accepted food from him. It’s not a safe thing to do but for some reason I trust him. Even though I probably shouldn’t, I do. He has yet to take me out of a public space.
He’s so charming and friendly, not to mention completely gorgeous. Ridiculously so.
I’ve never been much of a giggler but he makes me giggle… a lot. Too much. I must look like an idiot.
Every time he gets a happy response from me he smiles wide, looking proud of himself.
“It’s getting late. I’m going to walk you to your street,” he states and holds out his hand for me to take. I do. “And then I’ll meet you at the same place tomorrow. If you don’t show, there are no hard feelings.”
Oh I’ll show. I’ll definitely show. “Okay. And if you don’t show…”
He puts his finger over my lips. “Don’t speak such nonsense. I’ll show.”
This warms my heart to dangerous temperatures.
We walk hand in hand along the cracked pavement, finally stopping five minutes later on the corner of my street.
His hand skims up my arm and cups the back of my neck as he brings our laced fingers up to press against his chest. “Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” I gulp and shudder as his lips touch my cheek. He releases me, much to my disappointment, and starts walking back towards the beach. I see him smile at me over his shoulder before I turn on my heel and run to my house.
“Mum!” I shout as I race through the door, up the stairs and throw myself on my bed. My phone, which has been charging for the day, lights up the second I swipe my finger across the screen. I’m unsurprised to see a lack of notifications. My list of friends is a short one.
“What?” She snaps and enters my room looking tired and irritated. “What is it?”
“I met a guy!” Grinning, I cross my legs beneath me and hold a pillow tight to my chest, forgetting about my phone and lack of social life. “Mum, he’s absolutely gorgeous.”
She rolls her eyes. “Good for you. Don’t get pregnant.” She slams my bedroom door behind her.
Note to self: don’t wake mum up to tell her about guys after she’s been on a night shift. It may piss her off.
My mum can be a bit of a bitch at times, but what mum can’t? Sure she loves me, but mostly I’m an inconvenience. I know she’s provided for me all of my life and I know she’s proud of me for living the life she wanted but never had. She works hard for it too; it’s not like I’m fending for myself. I want to go to university when I finish college. I finish in the summer and I’ve been