Better Kept Secret

chapter 38

When we arrive at the beach, there's not many people there. A couple little kids who skipped school like Ben and I shriek as they run through the sand. Some people walk along the water too, but Ben drives us far away from where anyone else is. We have to walk past an area of trees and rocks to get there.

It's just us, cocooned by the strong winds. They make Ben's short hair messy and my long hair whip onto my face.

I sit down on the sand, looking out towards our surroundings. I have so many memories from the beach. The clean air smells like my childhood and the summer, like when Ben and I kissed for the first time not that long ago. Ben doesn't sit on the sand beside me though, continuing forward to the water.

"What are you doing?" I yell over the sound of the wind.

"Swimming! C'mon!" He shouts back at me. I scrabble up and run towards him. The wind makes me feel like it's pushing me forward, carrying me to his wide open grin.

I look at the water and then back to Ben again. "Wait, we don't have bathing suits though! What are we supposed to wear?"

He smirks at me and waggles his eyebrows suggestively.

"Who said we have to wear anything?" My eyes widen at his words and I smack his arm, trying not to smile.

"I'm not going skinny dipping at a public beach!" I say while giggling.

"You'd do it if it was a private beach though?" I blush all over and cover my face with my hands as Ben laughs. I laugh too, feeling my stomach flutter at his flirting. He hugs me with one arm, pulling me in so my face is squished into his chest. "We can wear our clothes Winnie. Who cares if they get wet?"

I remove my face from my hands and his chest, looking out at the beautifully shiny water. I don't want to ruin his car seats with wet clothes though and-

I take a deep breath and shake my head. There's no need to overthink this, I realize as I gaze at the blue waves topped with white rolling into the sand.

"Okay," I murmur while stepping back so I can take off my shoes and socks. The sand is soft and hot between my toes, and I look down at my feet with a smile. When I look up again, I see Ben smiling brightly as he pulls his shirt over his head. I try not to blush and stare at the sight of his toned stomach and chest, but I can't help myself. My cheeks are pink, I know without needing to see them. But I still can't drag my eyes away from my boyfriend's tan skin, dotted with freckles and moles.

"Whatcha looking at?" He teases at my intense stare.

"Nothing!" I say while dragging my eyes back up to his face, a blush blooming on his cheeks too. His eyes are filled with laughter, and I can't help my lips tugging upwards. Suddenly, he grabs my hand, wrapping his long fingers tightly around mine. He looks down at our clasped hands, his eyes filling with something other than laughter, a look that I've noticed more often lately. He pulls me forward and we run into the cool water together.

The water laps higher and higher onto my legs, pulling me deeper. I feel the chill of the water, Ben's warm hand, the sharp wind, the way my heart beats out of my chest. They all blend together into something that makes my body feel bright and alive. As Ben and I look at each other again, this surging feeling becomes absolutely perfect, making me laugh and yell and shriek like the little kids on the beach.

The wind pulls me one way, the water pulls me the other, but Ben holds onto me tightly. He laughs as he pulls me into him, picking me up quickly. I hold on tightly to his bare shoulders as he goes deeper into the water.

"Ben! Don't throw me!" I yell, stuttering giggles moving through my body. Of course he does throw me though, and when my body hits the water, I let myself melt into it for a second. When I pop my head up again, my eyes flick over Ben's chest covered in water droplets, his hair wet and tangled. What they glue onto though is his smile, still the same big one that's been on his face this whole time. Through laughs shaking my belly, I push Ben into the water.