𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢 𝐤𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐢𝐞 ⛤ 𝐥𝐨'𝐚𝐤 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲

sea shells

chapter 11

present day (na'teya pov)

i needed to clear my head. normally, i'd take zuri for a ride, but that wasn't an option. so, walking along the shore seemed like a good alternative. as i strolled, i noticed something buried in the sand. i dug it out and saw the most beautiful seashell ever. its rough exterior concealed a mix of warm colors inside, reminiscent of a sunset. whatever i was upset about before didn't matter anymore. the seashell reminded me of all the nights i'd spent helping my parents with dinner, stopping to watch the sunset together. maybe this was a sign from my parents, saying they were watching over me.

i immediately ran back to my marui and placed the shell next to my bed. from now on, when i missed my parents, i would look at this shell and know they were watching over me and that they were proud of me. as i admired the shell some more on my bed, i heard a young voice from behind me.

"hey, na'teya, are you coming to training?" tuk asked.

"what training?" i replied, confused.

"tsireya is teaching us the ways of the water, and i want you to come. i'm scared to go by myself," she said shyly.

"of course," i smiled.

tuk reached her hand out for me to hold. i took her hand, and she pulled me out of the marui and to the beach, where everyone was standing. when we arrived, ao'nung looked at me and smirked.

"okay, we will go in groups. kiri and tuk, go with rotxo. neteyam and lo'ak, go with tsireya. na'teya, you can come with me," ao'nung said.

i walked over to ao'nung. he started calling for the ilu's. "if you want to live here, you have to ride."

ao'nung told me to make the bond calmly. when i did, the ilu started speeding forward, and i held onto the saddle for dear life. i got it on my first try, unlike lo'ak, who took all day to learn.tomorrow, tsireya told us to meet her on the rocks, where she would teach us how to hold our breath and dive.

i was heading back to my marui pod with neteyam and lo'ak because it was almost eclipse when i bumped into koro. i stayed to talk to him; for some reason, lo'ak stayed too.

"lo'ak, you can go," i said.

he rolled his eyes and walked off.

"who is that?" koro wondered.

"lo'ak sully. oh my eywa, i hate him so much," i groaned.

"yeah, he looks very annoying," koro laughed.

"you can say that again," i giggled.

"have you learned to ride an ilu yet?" koro asked.

"yeah, just before. why?" i responded.

he grabbed my hand and started calling his ilu. i did the same. "i want to show you something."we both dived onto our ilus, and i followed him into a cave. it was breathtaking. "oh my eywa, this is beautiful, koro."

i looked around the cave, captivated by the vibrant corals and ancient paintings adorning the walls, each one telling a silent tale. as i turned, lost in the beauty of it all, i collided with koro's chest. our eyes met, lips mere inches apart. "i've been thinking about you since this morning when you needed directions," he confessed, his voice low. i cleared my throat, feeling a mix of confusion and discomfort. "why did you bring me here, koro?" i asked, trying to regain my composure.

his gaze never wavered. "i can't get you out of my head, na'teya. you're so beautiful." before i could react, his lips crashed onto mine. i pulled away, breathless. "i'm sorry, koro, but i'm not interested in a relationship right now."

"who said anything about a relationship?" he replied, his tone soft. "i just think you're beautiful and wondered if you might want something in the future. i don't mind waiting for a girl like you."i began to feel increasingly uneasy. "we should start heading back; it's past eclipse. i'll be in trouble if i'm not back soon."

"just answer my question, na'teya."

"i don't know, koro. i just met you; i can't make promises to someone i just met," i snapped back."okay, fine, no promises," he said, moving closer until my back was against the wall, trapping me. "just give me one night, and i'll show you what you're missing out on." he paused as his gave moved from my eyes to my lips "may i kiss you?"

i hesitated before nodding. he untied my top, and i felt exposed. koro's grin widened as he cupped my breast, his lips finding mine. he trailed kisses along my neck, searching for my sweet spot, then found it between my collarbone and jaw. a soft moan escaped my lips as he sucked, leaving love bites down my jaw to my chest. his lips returned to mine, and he was about to continue when we were interrupted.

"helloooo."

koro quickly shielded me from view as the familiar voice echoed through the cave. it was lo'ak."koro, is that you?" lo'ak's voice came closer.

"yeah, bro, what's up?" koro replied, attempting to sound casual.

"i'm looking for na'teya. she was with you last. did you see where she went?"

"nah, man. why are you looking for her?" koro asked, feigning innocence.

"don't worry. who's that chick you're kissing?" lo'ak chuckled.

koro laughed. "you'll know tomorrow, trust me."

"whatever you say. well, if you see na'teya, tell her to get back to her marui soon. neteyam and i are running out of excuses for her absence at dinner."

"will do. see you later!" koro called, waiting until lo'ak was out of sight before letting out a sigh. "i've got to go. nice catching up with you," i said, walking out of the cave.

"we should do this again," koro joked.

"you know the deal, hope you enjoyed it while it lasted" i say calling for my ilu and riding her back to the shore.

i slipped back into my marui, hoping to go unnoticed, but lo'ak's voice cut through the silence.

"where were you?" he asked, his eyes filled with genuine concern.

"none of your business," i shot back, my irritation evident.

"what is your problem? seriously, i'm sorry for what i said, but it isn't my fault your parents are dead. so tell me, why do you hate me?"

i glared at him, my frustration boiling over. "i don't have to explain myself to you," i retorted, turning away and closing my eyes, shutting him out.

"you're so damn difficult," he muttered, his voice fading as i drifted off to sleep, leaving his words echoing in the quiet of the night.

end of chapter 11