Right Person Too Late

chapter 12

Noah

"Someday, I know we're gonna feel again, just like we did when we were younger."

Song: Like A Drum by Guy Sebastian

"You feeling better?" I ask Arsema as she tosses her now empty ice cream cup into the cup holder and sits back with a content sigh.

"Yeah, I am, thanks." She glimpses at me before turning her focus back onto the beach in front of us.

As soon as we left the park earlier I drove us to Port Melbourne beach and Arsema got an ice cream while I got myself a sandwich because I left the sushi that I'd barely touched at the park when we abruptly left. We've sat in silence for the past two hours just listening to the music on the radio and the waves crashing onto the beach through our open windows.

"It's alright, you wanna take a walk? Get some fresh air."

"Omg yes, I was just about to ask you." Her eyes twnikle with mischief as she grins but I don't question it, I'm just happy that she's smiling again. She starts untying her Converse. When she sees me looking, she shrugs, "What? I'm not gonna walk in the sand with Converse on, it has holes which the sand will get into. And ugh, I hate the feeling of sand in my shoes."

I lightly chuckle and hop out before rounding the car to open her door just as she's peeling off her socks. She jumps out and slams the door behind her with a bang.

"Oof, I didn't mean to close it that hard." She says, cringing.

We link arms as we make our way down to the shore. Arsema walks on my left splashing through the shallow water.

"So do you wanna talk about it?"

She doesn't make eye contact when I ask her, lost staring at the rippling water.

"Talk about what? Cos there's just so much I don't know where to start you know?"

I see her shoulders tense before relaxing almost immediately. I reach over and slightly turn her her chin towards me to see her eyes welling up. A single tear drops from her right eye and I wipe it away with the ball of my thumb, tormented about the fact that I don't know what I can do to help her.

"I don't know, but you can tell me anything. You know that right?"

She snuggles her head into the side of my shoulder sniffling, "Yeah I know."

"Okay then, so don't feel like I'm pressuring you to talk about anything alright?"

"Mhm." She mumbles, still not meeting my eye.

"I did love him you know?"

I look up where I was shuffling around the sand at my feet to see that Arsema is finally looking at me. Her eyes are brimming with sorrow and regret, those tears from earlier threatening to fall.

"Love who?"

She exhales heavily, "Michael. I really did love him, at least when we first started dating. I mean he was the sweetest person to exist. Not that he isn't anymore, but it's more like his bad side comes out more than the good one you know? I just...I don't know what's going on anymore."

"Well do you still love him?"

She removes her arm from the bend of mine and drops them in frustration, "I don't know anymore. I think I do, but then he pulls shit like today. You know acting like he did and treating you like that."

I wait a bit before calmly replying, "So why are you still with him?"

"How am I supposed to make up my mind though? One day he's the Michael I know and love." Her eyes soften around the corner, pulling at my heart, "Then the next he's an absolute asshole."