acquiescence (adjective) - ready to accept something without protest, or to do what someone else wants
in which michael clifford finds himself falling harder than he ever has before
"There, now I'm wrapped around your finger."
cover - finelinebabyy
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Aster Bradford loved the beach.
She loved the way the coarse sand felt against her smooth skin, the way the breeze would brush against her face, the way the scent of the salty Pacific would fill her nostrils the closer she got to the tide. She adored the freedom the beach gave her.
Sometimes if the ocean was on her side, she could drag her board out and ride a couple of the waves. That wasn't as often as she liked though.
So, she usually indulges in being in the beach's presence in other ways. From reading to painting, you name it, she's done it.
She found herself more often than not sitting in the sand knotting various colors of embroidery floss together into bracelets. It was a silly activity, but Aster found it being her favorite guilty pleasure. She had a million of those bracelets by now, but she didn't care— it provided an escape for her.
On this particular June afternoon, she craved that escape more than anything.
Aster found herself anxiously bouncing her leg up from her seat, awaiting the plane's descent. She was eager to get back to Santa Cruz, but flights never seemed to be on her side when it came to passing time. She tried to distract herself with whatever resources were at her disposal. She finished the rest of her book on the first half of the flight from Seattle to San Francisco, leaving her with very little to occupy her time.
She couldn't stop thinking about the beach. How warm the sand will be on her skin as the sun begins to set on the Bradford beach house, how fresh the air will be unlike the groggy air up in Washington, how cool the water will feel on her fingertips.
Even the thoughts of her family's beach property had her practically squirming in her seat.
Aster had practically grown up in that house. It was her father's first big investment after his residency— it was a home away from home for them.
"We are beginning our descent to San Francisco International Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts. Thank you" The pilot spoke over the speakers, making Aster's heart leap out of her chest. Her hands have never moved so fast in her life. Before she knew it, the buckle was fastened in her lap.
She turned her attention to the window, having to bite back a smile as the California coast came into view.
Almost home, she thought. She still had quite the drive down to Santa Cruz after the plane touched ground, but she didn't care. She could practically feel the grains of the sand on her fingertips.
She felt her palms become clammy, anticipation clouding her senses. This is how it was every year— Aster anxiously flew through her last day of school, trying to get to the final bell as fast as possible, so she could head straight to the beach house with her father. She believed if she did certain things like consuming herself completely in her finals, time would go by faster. She wasn't wrong, her productivity always seemed to make time fly by when her goal was getting to the beach.
