Between a Rock and a Hard Place // c.h.

32 - Ocean Water

   Before I'd met Calum, the farthest I'd traveled was always within California. After around my first fourteen years of life, I'd begun to suspect that the world was only as big as my home state. Time seemed to only increase that belief for me. As I got older I experienced new things, especially heart break. Soon the size of my world was decreased again. What had once seemed so big, so open, was the size of a state, then the size of a city. I was trapped, living in the small reality I'd been given. In the three months that I'd known Cal, I'd traveled out of my state, across the world, home, and back again. When we exited the plane at a barren runway on a shore in Oahu. Happiness bubbled through me, filling my inside and outside. When my feet touched the Hawaiian soil, a fresh feeling rushed through me. Cal lifted me onto his shoulders unexpectedly, causing me to giggle like a child. I wrapped my arms and legs around him for support, planting a firm kiss on his cheek. We laughed and smiled as we were met by a native. He was a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He looked at me and Cal, his face bright and happy.

   He turned to address the whole group, while I remained on Calum's shoulders. He held me with little effort, balancing me as if he were used to it. "I am Joseph." The man spoke, smiling widely at us. "I'll show you to your hotel. I also work there, so if you are in need of anything I am available." He had a slight accent, different than Calum's Australian one of my west coast one. I hadn't ever heard anything like it before. We followed Joseph towards a building that was resting next to the beach runway. As we got closer to the building I identified it as a house. It was large enough to be a mansion, technically. Joseph showed us into the building, which turned out to be a hotel. He gave us our room keys, wished us luck, and left us to do whatever we wanted.

-

Calum's POV
***

   She looked absolutely gorgeous in the Hawaiian sun. We dropped out stuff in our hotel room, then we were gone. Swimsuits were the clothing of choice. I threw on my clothes, then waited for Cara. She walked out of the bathroom where she'd been changing. A black bikini adorned her small frame. I noticed that the bottom rose up just  high enough that her scars were covered by a shielding layer of black fabric. Still, she looked stunning. Her colorful hair swayed loosely around her face, making her look like an angel.

   We ran to the beach. I carried a surfboard and she carried towels. When we reached the sandy area that sat on the edge of the blue ocean water she threw the towels down. I leaped into the water, Cara quickly following suit. The warm liquid rushed over us, splashing against any exposed skin it could. I dropped my board on the water, sitting on it calmly. Cara climbed on the back, and I paddled put into deeper water, a broad smile growing on my face. I turned my body on the board, holding her face in my hands. She wrapped her arms around my waist, using me for support as well as holding me close. I pulled her face to mine softly, resting my forehead against hers. Slowly I placed my lips on hers. She tasted salty, like the ocean, but sweet, like Cara always tastes. Her movement was soft, light, relaxed. It was my favorite feeling in the world. The kiss became slightly more intense as the seconds ticked by, though we barely stopped to breathe. All I wanted was her. Since the day I'd met her, my mind was scrambled and my thoughts unattainable. Kissing her was like adding gasoline to the fire in my heart, fueling me, keeping me alive. The love I felt for her was indescribable on multiple levels, yet simple on many others.

Our moment of passion was cut short by an unexpected wave. One minute we were on the board, kissing each other, and the next we were flipped into the warm, salty Hawaiian water. I emerged from the ocean, gasping for air, confused by the situation. I began to grasp what was happening and panic spread throughout my heart when I realized there was something missing. "Cara!" I called, looking at the water. Where had she went? I was so unbelievably worried and terrified. When I felt a cool hand touch my back I nearly had a heart attack. I spun around, exposing my beautiful girlfriend, her long multicolored hair was wet from ocean water and her smile was full of pure energy and enthusiasm.

"Scare you?" She asked, wrapping herself around me underwater.

"Scared me like hell." I smirked. I stood in the ocean, grabbing the end of my board with one hand and the arch of her back with the other. I waded my way to the shore, holding Cara tightly the whole way. She struggled to get free, but I was relentless and she soon realized that I wasn't letting her go any time soon. I stumbled onto the dry sand, dropping my board and, still refusing to release Cara, walking over to the beach towels she'd lain out earlier. I tenderly placed her on one, then laid next to her in the hot sun, feels the rays of light reflecting off of my wet skin. Cara rolled herself onto me, her hips resting conveniently on my own, and straddled me. She giggled when I blushed, heat filling my cheeks. She leaned forward, planting a strong kiss on my lips. Before she pulled away I held her there, savory the moment with the girl I loved. This kiss was stronger than the last, less gentle, yet more caring. Neither of us made a move to pull away, so we held it for a while. I loved her so much, and in that moment I swear nothing could've been more perfect.

We spent the rest of the day lying on the beach, talking about everything under the sun. Sometimes we would wade in the water for a bit, our conversation never wavering. We kissed, a lot. Cara pulled out her phone and blasted all my favorite music while we danced wildly on the beach, our toes in the sand and the sun on our backs. When the ball of light finally started its descent, we made our way back to the hotel, stopping at our room only momentarily to change into actual clothes. We met the other boys and girls at dinner in a dining hall of the building. Cara had dressed in a simple turquoise sundress, which complemented her gorgeous eyes perfectly. Over dinner, conversation about everyone's activities of the day was the topic. Ash, Luke, Mads, and Ari had all went hiking, despite the girls' opposition to the matter. Miley and Abby had went on a tour of the jungle, seeing wildlife that one can only find in Hawaii. I allowed Cara to describe our day, simply because the excitement and happiness in her voice made my stomach fill with butterflies and my heart skip a beat. Her eyes lit up as she talked about the beach, about the sun and the surf and the way the sand felt beneath our feet. It was, without question, the most beautiful Cara had ever looked.

Abby and Cara excused themselves from dinner, heading to mine and Abby's room to have 'girl time.' Though I wasn't sure what exactly that meant, I knew better than to ask. Mads and Ash headed up to their room too, stating that they needed to turn in for the night. Luke walked outside for a moment to call his mum, and I was left in the now-empty dining hall with Ari. She smiled at me, then looked around. "So you and Cara.." She questioned looking at her nails as she awaited a response of some sort.

"Mhmm." I grinned, not knowing how else to react. Ari scooted closer to me, an action that sent a worrisome chill up my spine.

"Are you a virgin?" She asked randomly, her eyes flickering to my face, then down to something else. I gulped and nodded, scooting away every-so-slightly. "Oh? Well that's interesting. I wouldn't have guessed." She cracked a devilish grin, "the possibilities are endless." She winked at me, causing me to feel incredibly uncomfortable. Who was is girl here with Luke, and if she was here with him, why was she hitting on me?