Wrong Quarterback | ✓

26 | deep waters

           "This isn't normal, you know that right?"

Avery's smile widens, her hold of Ethan's hand tightening as she almost slips on a wet root where they're out on the beach trail. The gravel's darker and softer than usual from the wetness coating it, their sneaker clad feet sinking into it. He shoots her a glance of feigned disapproval as she slips over another root, shaking his head at her near accident as if to further punctuate his words.

The light sound of her laughter melts together with the sound of rainwater smattering against the leaves of the trees. Using her free hand she pulls at the arm of her windbreaker zipped all the way to her collar, the rain pouring from the gray October sky prickling the black fabric.

"Come on Taylor, live a little."

It's early morning. Early morning in the sense that it had been just past 5 a.m. when she dragged him out of her bed and the comfort of her warm pink sheets to go on a walk in the pouring rain. The overnight mist from the drop of warmth has held out, cloaking their path and lingering in a fog across the beach and the sea – shades of deep blue reflecting the dark clouds above.

            She tilts her head back while walking, cheeks warming as they tighten with her smile as the water prickles her skin. It trails down her cheeks, the slope of her nose, lingering in her brows and on her lips. Strays of her hair has loosened from her ponytail and they're just as soaked through as the rest of her as they fly in the wind, whipping her forehead.

Grabbing his other hand, their cold palms somehow warm against each other as they melt together, she pulls him off the track and across the wet grass towards the edge. 

"Let's just stay here for a while. Enjoy the rain."

"I thought that was what we're doing."

She glances up at the dark sky. "It's different like this."

Out of the corner of her eye she sees his lips twitch, the still green tree crowns dancing in the wind behind him. "You really are something."

"I hope that's a good thing."

He lets go of one of her hands and she flickers her eyes back to him as he pushes back the few errant strands of hairs having glued themselves to her skin. "There's not one bad thing about you."

"He says to the West Capulet."

"Okay so one bad thing."

Smiling, she turns around to glance out at the water below – relaxing back against his chest as he wraps his arms around her. She wraps her arms around his, their hands finding each other again. Blinking away the droplets lingering on her lashes she watches as the waves crash onto the shore with a thundering beat, gaze flickering across the dunes of sand beneath the fog and lets a deep exhale tickle her lips.

          It's nice to be able to be out like this, the two of them – not another soul in sight. Even with the rain soaking her to the bone, even though she's barely slept thanks to the crack of thunder having awoken her at dawn, there's a sense of peace to just being here.

She imagines it's a sensation close to the one Ethan had spoken of that day he grabbed her hand outside the T.H Publishing offices, dragging her to his car only to place her in front of the ocean – telling her to let it help whatever was hurting her. Whenever she's caught in a rain storm, water prickling her face and trailing down her skin, her lungs always seem to expand as if opening up to give her enough room to breathe. Proper breaths. Deep inhales and exhales. Slow. Steady. No rush.

Just the two of them.

           Tilting her head back against his shoulder as his hold around her tightens, her smile falters slightly as she glances up at him. She lets go of one of his hands, lifting her thumb to gently press it to the crease of concern on his forehead to smooth it back out. Just as she's imagined so many times before.