Riley and James had the perfect relationship: they loved each other, saw each other all the time and protected one another no matter what. Despite a few obstacles, they still managed to jump over the hurdles and took things one stepping stone at a t...
Deborah had decided to go the shops along the road opposite the beach whilst Tom went with his two daughters down to the sandpit for them to make a sandcastle. Having dated James for three years, it wasn't news to me that they had a seaside tradition. Every once a year at least, they'd take a trip down to the seaside and stay there for the weekend. Part of that tradition included a challenge based upon who could make the sturdiest sandcastle and there was a set time when they would do that: that time was when the tide came in because it meant more wet sand.
James was holding my hand in his as we walked along the beach, the sand flaking beneath my bare toes. We'd left all our bags and shoes with Tom at the pit so all we had were the clothes we were wearing so far. The sun was setting and made the sky a beautiful colour. This side of the beach was relatively quiet. There were the odd few couples scattered around, some sitting side by side, some holding hands, some laying on blankets and others even kissing. Not going to lie, it reminded me of James and I but in all honesty, I'm liking this side of us. We're not exactly just friends but we're not dating either and I think this is bringing out the best of us. No arguing, no complications, no verdicts about being friends only . . . We're understanding one another and that's one of the things we were lacking as a couple.
"Do you wanna dance?" James asks out of the blue, moving to stand in front of me with his palm still linked together with mine. I look at him with wide eyes. "What?" I ask him, staring at him confusedly. He leans his head closer to mine, like I had done this morning, but this time he rests his own against my forehead. "Do. You. Wanna. Dance?" he repeats, mimicking my dialect from earlier. Rolling my eyes, I continue to stare at him. Was he being serious?
"Right here?" I question, looking around at all of the undisturbed couples. "I don't want to intervene on the tranquillity, James-" "Riley, you're not 'intervening on the tranquillity'," he mimicks again, making me hold back a sigh but also a tiny laugh. Trust James to find a way to be humorous at the most irrelevant times. "You're just dancing." He lifts my hand up so that it was above my head and then he twirls me around quickly before pulling me close to his chest and he moves one hand to my back, one hand to my waist before looking into my eyes. "Come on," he grins. "I know you want to." "James," I sigh, disgruntled. "Just follow my lead."
With that, he steps away from me, letting go of my hands and then takes out his phone whilst i stand there, raising an eyebrow at his peculiarity. I mean, seriously. I knew this boy was spontaneous but dancing a duet with him in the middle of a beach where there are numerous other couples is not what I had in mind. The music starts up and as it does, I look around me anxiously to see if anyone was looking. James strips his top off, immediately drawing my attention and I stare at him, blushing. He smiles at me and winks so as the music starts, I roll my eyes and take my jumper off, leaving me in my beach outfit. Walking up to him, my body starts moving to the music and he smiles at me, clicking his fingers to the beat.
"God, I've missed that," James laughs as I lay beside him, my hair covered in sand. I laugh and sit up properly to find that one couple had started recording us. James sticks up a peace sign in the guy's direction and I smirk. "You mean you've missed dancing with me so much that you've forgotten how to not drop me?" I tease, only making him laugh more. "That wasn't my fault, okay. The sand makes my feet sag." "Oh, shut up," I reply, grabbing his hat off his head and throwing it in the direction of his hat. We stand up and the couple who had been recording us make their way over. James fist-bumps the guy as if he even knew who he was and he impulsively wraps an arm around my waist, making me move closer to him. "Send that to me, will you? My girl over here doesn't see how amazing we are when we dance," James says and I open my mouth, about to say something, but I don't. It's not that I can't, it's that I don't want to. Like it or hate it, I guess I am James's girl. I still see him as my boy, anyway. "Sure thing. I'll air-drop it to you," he responds, putting his thumb up to us as we walk away, James's arm still around my waist. "I can't wait for you to see the way you fell," he chuckles, himself a laughing mess. "Yeah? I can't wait for you to realise how badly you regret dropping me in the first place," I say. He rolls his eyes at me this time and leans down to kiss my cheek.
Later that evening as we're sat around the logs by a campfire, I was sat beside James who had yet to remove his arm from being around me in someway. It was when we were in the middle of a conversation and I had cuddled up to him, with a blanket covering me, that my phone pinged with a notification from Instagram. Opening it up, I find James had posted a picture of me which he had taken earlier on before we had gone for a swim in the sea and I had to change clothes. As I read over it, I can't help but smile.
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James_Blake: My Riles, always so camera-shy🙈 You may be an introvert but the confidence that shines through you when we're together will always surprise me! Even though we've spent three months apart, when we dance together it still feels like magic✨ @Riley_Davis 🤞🏽
I look up at him after turning my phone off and we both smile at each other before I lower my head down above his lap. I don't know how he manages to do it, but I'm getting pulled into this boy's heart all over again.
