Unseen

Chapter 24

The deafening roar of the waves rolling towards the shore brings a wide smile to my face and I close my eyes as I sink back in the warm sand, soaking in what's left of the sun as it cascades down on this little slice of heaven during its slow descent into the horizon. One day, I'm going to own a home right on the beach so that I can be surrounded by these sights, sounds, and smells all the time.

"Are you hungry?" I turn my head to see Flynn digging through a cooler bag he brought with him and sit up, dusting my hands off once I'm settled.

"I could eat."

I turn my focus to the sunset, wishing my phone was able to capture this image as clearly as I'm seeing it with my own eyes. The orange glow and reflections across the water bring me so much peace, and such a feeling of home. I can't imagine being anywhere else.

A small container is placed in front of me, along with utensils and a soda, and I look over to see Flynn placing pillar candles in the sand before lighting them. The smile that stretches my lips in that moment is so large that it actually kind of hurts, but this is the sweetest thing that anyone has ever done for me, I can't help the explosion of happiness that erupts inside me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asks, and I realize I've been grinning at him without saying anything for long enough to probably make me look more than a little crazy.

"I just... this is really sweet, Flynn. Thank you." His expression softens and his own smile curls his full lips as he shuffles closer to me.

"I know I'll never be able to make up for the things I've done in the past, but... I can set a precedent for the future; our future." My eyes sting with the threat of tears and I blink rapidly to try and rid them, turning my gaze to the ocean in front of us to watch the sun make its final dip behind the water.

Flynn's arm wraps around me and I lean my head on his shoulder as we watch in silence together, and this moment is so picture perfect, I can't imagine it getting any better.

We eat the food he prepared for us, and once we're finished, I adjust my position so that I'm sitting between his legs, my back to his chest, as we watch the full moon cast a bright, white glow over the ocean. His arms wrap around my waist and he rests his hands on my stomach as we enjoy the peace and serenity of the quiet night, thankful there aren't a bunch of people wandering around. He presses a soft kiss below my ear and I tilt my head back to rest on his shoulder, humming softly in appreciation.

"Mouse?" he whispers, and I hum again to let him know I'm listening. "I'm sorry for everything." When I try to turn to face him, he tightens his grip on me and I feel him shake his head. "No, just let me say this. I spent so long being afraid of who I was and how I felt when I could've just accepted it and been happy. That day that you kissed me... I didn't know it was possible to feel so happy, but so fucking terrified at the same time.

"I tried so hard to push you away, to try and stop the feelings by making you hate me, because I figured if you hated me, the feelings would go away. It was stupid, and I know that now, but by the time I came to terms with myself, it was way too late, and I thought if I told you how I felt, you would reject me – rightfully so – and it would crush me. My fucked up brain decided that negative attention is better than no attention at all, so I convinced myself that as long as I kept harassing you, at least I'd be on your mind, so it was okay.

"That day in the cafeteria..." His whole body tenses around me and I can feel his heart racing against my back as his voice cracks slightly. "I hate myself for what happened, Dalton. I know I've hurt you way too many times in the past, but that... fuck, when I heard your head hit the ground, it felt like my heart stopped beating. It was too far gone to even break any more, it just... gave up. And then you wouldn't open your eyes, and I..." He trails off with a quiet, broken sob and I finally manage to wiggle free of his grip and turn around so I'm straddling him, but he refuses to look at me.