Ocean Love

Chapter 18

The soft sounds of the ocean were the first thing I heard as I slowly woke up. The light streaming through the cottage windows was gentle, a calm contrast to the brightness of the previous day. I stretched, feeling the softness of the bed beneath me and the warmth of the morning sun on my face. The bed was large, but there was a pillow dividing the space between where Dylan and I had slept.

I glanced over to the other side, noticing that Dylan was already up. My mind drifted back to the previous evening when we had cleaned the cottage and prepared everything for today. He had insisted I sleep in the bed while he took the other side, and I was grateful for the respect he always showed me.

Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and glanced around the small but cozy space. It was only one floor, so it was easy to see everything from the bed. The sound of waves crashing caught my attention, and I instinctively looked out the window. There he was—Dylan, sitting on the sand with his back to the cottage, letting the waves gently crash over his feet.

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. He looked so peaceful, so at ease with the world around him. It was a side of Dylan I didn’t often see, and it made me appreciate this moment even more. He was always so full of life, so energetic, but here, in this quiet morning light, he was simply himself.

I quickly got out of bed, straightening the sheets as best as I could before heading out to join him. The sand was cool beneath my feet as I walked toward him, the ocean breeze brushing against my skin. He didn’t notice me at first, too lost in his thoughts as he gazed out at the sea.

When I finally reached him, I hesitated for a moment, not wanting to disturb the tranquility of the moment. But then, he turned slightly, sensing my presence, and gave me that familiar smile that always seemed to brighten everything around him.

“Good morning,” I said softly, sitting down beside him.

“Morning,” he replied, his voice calm and content. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” I answered, looking out at the ocean alongside him. “It’s so peaceful here.”

He nodded, his gaze still fixed on the waves. “This place…it has a way of clearing your mind. It’s what I needed.”

I studied his profile, the way his hair moved with the wind, the slight smile on his lips. He seemed so at home here, like the ocean was a part of him. And maybe it was,the scale, the way he was acting weird sometimes.After all, this was his element, his world.

“You look happy,” I commented, more to myself than to him, but he heard it.

Dylan turned to me, his smile growing a little wider. “I am. It’s nice to be here with you.”

His words were simple, but they made my heart flutter in a way I wasn’t prepared for. I turned back to the ocean, trying to steady myself. Today was going to be a long day, and I needed to keep my focus. But being here with him, in this moment, made it hard to think of anything else.

“Ready for the day?” he asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied with a grin, pushing aside the feelings that were starting to surface.

...

Marlia insisted on changing into something more fitting for the beach, and I nodded in agreement, though my thoughts were elsewhere. As she walked back into the cottage, I turned my attention to the sea, letting the sound of the waves wash over me.

The ocean had always been more than just water to me—it was home, a place where I once ruled with certainty. But now, standing on the shore, I felt the weight of my past bearing down on me.