The day had started off perfectly. The sun was warm, the waves gentle, and for once, you and Sabrina had the beach almost all to yourselves. You both kicked off your shoes and walked along the shoreline, Sabrina’s arm loosely around your waist.
“I missed this,” she said softly, glancing at you with that gentle smile she always gave you when you were together. “No work, no distractions. Just you, me, and some peace and quiet.”
You smiled back, leaning into her a little more. “Yeah, feels like forever since we’ve had time just for us.”
Sabrina nodded, squeezing your waist gently. “We should do this more often. I don’t care how busy things get.”
But as you both found a spot to sit, you noticed people gathering near the edge of the beach, cameras in hand. The paparazzi. You sighed, immediately feeling the shift in the atmosphere. Sabrina’s posture straightened, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of them.
“Oh, come on,” she muttered, pulling you in closer. “They seriously can’t leave us alone for one day?”
You gave her a reassuring smile. “Let’s just ignore them, Sabs. We’re here for us.”
She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, but as the paparazzi started moving closer, it became harder to brush off. The flashing cameras were relentless, and the questions they were shouting began to make your head spin.
“Hey! Sabrina, over here! Is this your new girlfriend? How long have you two been together?”
You tried to keep walking, but the crowd was getting closer, more aggressive. Sabrina grabbed your hand, holding on tightly. “Let’s move down the beach,” she said, her voice strained but calm. “Maybe they’ll back off if we keep moving.”
But they didn’t. The crowd kept following, edging closer until you were practically surrounded. In the chaos, someone bumped into you, and before you could catch your balance, you tripped over a rock, hitting the sand hard. Pain shot up your leg as your knee scraped against the rough surface, leaving a gash.
“Hey!” Sabrina’s voice cut through the noise, sharp and furious. She immediately knelt beside you, her hands hovering protectively over you. “Are you okay, baby?”
You winced, trying to sit up. “I’m fine,” you lied, the sting of the wound throbbing. “It’s just a scrape.”
Sabrina’s eyes flickered with anger as she stood up, glaring at the paparazzi. “You’ve gotta be kidding me,” she snapped, her voice shaking with rage. “She’s hurt because you can’t back off for five seconds?”
The cameras kept flashing, and the questions kept coming. Sabrina stepped in front of you, shielding you from the relentless crowd.
“I’m serious, back the hell off!” she yelled, her tone more intense now. “She’s bleeding, and you’re all just standing there with your cameras out. What is wrong with you?”
A few paparazzi mumbled something about “just doing their job,” but Sabrina wasn’t having any of it. “Doing your job?” she scoffed, her voice filled with disbelief. “Your ‘job’ is to hound people until they get hurt? This isn’t some game for you to mess around with. You don’t get to treat us like this.”
You reached out, gently tugging on her arm. “Sabs, it’s okay. Let’s just go. I’m fine, really.”
She turned back to you, her face softening as her anger gave way to concern. “You’re not fine,” she said quietly, kneeling again to check your knee. “You’re bleeding.”
She carefully helped you up, wrapping her arm around your waist as you leaned on her for support. “Let’s get you somewhere we can clean this up,” she said softly, but there was still fire in her eyes when she glanced back at the paparazzi.
Before you left, Sabrina turned one last time to the crowd, her voice steady but firm. “You’ve crossed the line today. Don’t think I’m just gonna let this go.”
As you both walked away, Sabrina kept her arm securely around you, guiding you gently down the beach to a more secluded spot. You could feel the tension in her body, but her touch was soft and comforting as she helped you sit down again.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” she murmured, grabbing a towel from your bag to gently press against your wound. “I wanted today to be perfect. I never wanted you to get hurt because of this… all of this.”
You smiled at her, reaching up to touch her cheek. “It’s not your fault, Sabs. You can’t control what they do.”
Sabrina’s jaw clenched. “Yeah, but I should be able to protect you from it. It’s so messed up. They don’t care about us, they just want their stupid pictures.”
She sighed, her frustration melting into concern as she checked your knee again. “Does it hurt a lot?”
You shrugged, trying to be brave. “It’s not too bad. I’ll survive.”
Sabrina smiled softly, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead. “You’re tough, but still… I hate that this happened.”
You leaned into her, resting your head on her shoulder. “You being here makes it better, though.”
She wrapped her arms around you, holding you close. “I’ll always be here,” she whispered, her voice soft now, all the anger gone. “And I’ll always have your back. No matter what.”
You smiled, feeling safe in her arms despite everything. Even though the day didn’t go as planned, you knew that as long as Sabrina was by your side, you’d get through anything together.
