Antilove

Undici

CAPITOLO UNDICI

a sharp tongues leads to sharp wounds

***

WHAT ROSE FINDS REFRESHING is the feeling of sand against her smooth legs coupled with the fact that Lucien carries their relationship with the same swing as he would any other day.

    They're both lying on white beach towels, sunscreen and two bottles of kumquat juice between them. It's a simple do-over, for the beach date that didn't go quite as planned a few weeks before, and this time, it's Santa Monica. Rose is in her most tan-friendly bikini, perched on her elbows, and Lucien lies on his stomach, a towel over his wet hair and reading a book.

    "This feels nice," she says absentmindedly.

    "Hm?"

    "It's just relaxing. Very relaxing," she says and sighs deeply.

    She puts a hand over her eyes and scans the beach. It's filled today, as it's a Saturday, and as she sips her juice from her straw, she wishes she was in a more secluded beach. It's a make-do holiday but it will work.

    "Kind of reminds me of when I was ten," Rose continues.

    "How so?"

    Lucien removes the towel and looks around at her, an arch to his brow.

    "My parents used to take me here and I'd tire myself out with the ocean before I came back and dozed off. It was a lot safer back then," she frowns. "And my dad would be reading a book underneath an umbrella and he would carry me there because he didn't want skin cancer and a rash. My mom would collect seashells with me."

    "We can do that now if you want," he says. "Collect seashells."

    Rose laughs. "Maybe another time."

    Her timer sounds and she reapplies her sunscreen, a white film massaged into her sweating skin, and a habit ingrained into her as a kid, to never leave the house without SPF.

    A look to her side grants her a view to Lucien's back. It gleams under the sun and his shoulders look loose. Rose assumes it's the Italian heritage that brings his skin an olive glow and she's somewhat jealous, somewhat curious to see what it feels like.

    "Have you ever been to a nude beach before?" she asks.

    "Everywhere is a nude beach if you've been here long enough," he replies casually.

    Rose playfully kicks some sand onto him.

    "It's lunch time" she says, and gets out their sandwich wraps, and container of summer melons.

    It's been a long life for Rose, twenty-some years, and the beach has always been therapeutic for her, on every occasion. The sun massages her tired, convoluted skin, and she doesn't even mind the heat for a few hours. Each trip down to the sand and sea-foam runs her circle whole again, in a way that her daily job never could. It almost makes her feel alright again. Maybe there's something medicinal about saltwater.

    They chew in silence, Lucien still reading his book. Rose won't admit it but she could do with more attention, especially in her two-piece but Lucien never conformed to her desires. When he's in this position, he reminds her of a student, not demon spawn.

    "Do you want to die sometimes?" Rose asks.

    He tips his chin to the side, and lazily tilts his lips towards her.