Beige

Chapter Twenty-Six*

Alexis Monpettit

"I love you."

My lips crash into his as my body fills with an emotion I'm unsure of. His grip on my waist keeps us close as my arms tighten around his neck, bringing him closer to me.

I break from the kiss, pulling back as the waves crash around us, "say it again." I whisper, pulling my bottom lip into my mouth with my teeth.

He looks down at me, droplets of water falling from his hair into his eyes as I reach up to brush his hair back, "I love you."

A laugh leaves my lips as I turn my head to see that the sun has fully set behind the ocean line and the moon now sits perfectly in its place in the sky.

I feel Harry's eyes, staring into the side of my head as he waits for my next actions.

I've never been told that someone loved me in the way Harry does.

I never thought the day would come when someone would come to love me for me.

No, I was always told this day would never come. It's been cemented into my brain over the years of abuse that no one would ever come to the love the sad girl.

Which is also why I've convinced myself I've never seen what love looks like.

Sure, I grew up in a house where my parents were together and were disgustingly obsessed with each other. But how could I believe that was love when every time my mother left the room, the flip would switch within my father's eyes and there was nothing but pure hate?

The endless romantic books I've read led me to believe that there are two types of love. The kind you'd kill for, and the kind you'd die for. It's a simple way of saying how you would rather give up everything you have for one person.

I never thought someone would feel that way about me.

I've always believed in what I can see; the sun, the moon, and the ocean. They all work together like a symphony that you can see.

It's why although I feel this overpowering emotion rushing through my veins, I can't fully believe that Harry means the words he spoke.

My legs unhook from around his waist, as his hands lower me back down so that my feet are touching the ocean floor. I grab his hand, turning back towards the sand as I lead us back to the blanket and speaker that we had abandoned.

Harry takes the blanket wrapping it around my shoulders and bends down to grab the speaker and his phone before leading us back into the house.

As we enter through the backdoor, my heart races.

Harry knows that I need time to process this, I can tell by his silence as he repeatedly looks back at me while we continue up the stairs to his bedroom.

"I'll let you shower first, Sunshine." His voice fills the void that has come across my head as I look up at him, walking away, to leave me alone in the bathroom.

"Harry," my voice surprises me as he turns around. He waits for me to continue as my eyes fall to the floor, my head filling with thoughts that distract me.

My head is tilted up by a finger as my eyes raise and Harry stands in front of me, "what's wrong, Lex?" His voice is a whisper because he knows how small I feel right now, standing in front of him.

I shake my head as I close my eyes and take a deep breath, "will you show me how much you love me?" My voice shakes as I open my eyes back up to see his reaction.

His eyebrows crease together, as we remain in silence until he shakes his head, "Lex, I think we've already been through a lot today. I don't want to do anything that will make your head swirl even more."