Elude [H.S.]

SEVEN

Maeve and I finish up our meals as we sit at a table that's right on the edge of the beach. Greyson did a good job of choosing this restaurant. The patio dropped off at a certain point and went right into the sand and that's where Maeve and I's tabled ended up being - secluded from everyone else.

We hadn't talked much during dinner but the more wine I drank the more confident I felt and it seemed like my nerves were slipping away.

"So I looked down the street while we were walking in and it looked like there was a nice club just down the way," I speak up, taking another sip out of my glass of wine. "Still wanna go dancing?"

Maeve gives me a nod, peering over her own wine glass at me as she finishes the liquid off. We were on our second bottle of wine and I knew there was a glass each still left in it. I set my glass down to grab hers and then the bottle, filling it up.

"Thank you," she says sheepishly as I pass it back over to her.

I watch as Maeve looks out to the ocean, her face illuminated only by the torch with a flame near us and the moon. The wind blows her hair around her face and I suck in a deep breath - truly enraptured by her beauty.

"I should let you know that what happened last night wasn't your fault."

Maeve turns to look at me, her moss colored eyes meeting mine.

"It's fine, Maeve. We don't have to talk about it. I overstepped."

"But you didn't," she says, reaching across the table to brush her fingertips along the back of my hand before moving them down to my fingers.

Her eyes leave mine and she looks down at my hand as she begins to mess with some of my rings and I can see her chest swelling - indicating that she's focusing on taking deep and steady breaths.

"Conrad does this thing when he wants to be intimate," Maeve starts before clearing her throat, clearly uncomfortable by the topic of conversation. "He runs his thumb against my bottom lip and shoves it in my mouth - as if I'm..."

She trails off and shakes her head, closing her eyes. Her fingers stop playing with my rings and I turn my hand over to graze my fingertips against her palm. I wanted her to know that I was here, that I was listening.

"So when you did it last night, it's like it all came flooding back. And I know you're different from him, you two are completely separate people, but I just got so caught up in my head. I'm sorry."

I set my wine glass down and move forward a bit so that both my hands are fully wrapped the one of hers I've been paying attention to. "You do not need to apologize for that. Those are your feelings and they are valid."