Changing Tides

Eight

The following days turned out to be a brand new start. James and I spend the day at the beach. I was kind of hesitant at first on what I will wear. It's no surprise that I am not overly confident about my body. And being with someone like James McAvoy definitely made me more self-conscious. I opted for a black two piece which I wore underneath a crocheted bikini cover up. He resorted to a blue board shorts and sunglasses. I refrained myself from thinking how good looking he is. But my inner fan just keeps on resurfacing from my consciousness the more I repress it.

We decided to tick off the items on Eris' list so we went kayaking that morning. It was challenging especially for a person like me who has no experience nor inclination to sports or any physical activity. James did most of the paddling and it made me feel useless. 

"I should definitely go to the gym from now on." I said. He looked at me like I said the most impossible thing in the world. "What?" I blurted. He seemed to be deciding if he should continue or not.  "There are a lot of things you should consider doing, you know." He said. My eyes widened. "Uh, huh? Like what can you suggest?" I asked. He replied,  "I don't know, maybe start living without a perfectly planned schedule?" I considered that for a moment. When I didn't respond he said, "Did I offend you?" he looked worried. "No, not at all. So stop walking on eggshells. I'm not as weak as I look." I chuckled.  

After an hour kayaking, we decided to rent a boat and go around the islands. Such display of beauty and wonder before our eyes. I took pictures of the scenic background. Suddenly, James took my camera. "Hey!" I scolded him. He continued looking at my shots. "Not bad. You know your angles, aye." He said. "You're not the only one with an eye for beauty, you know." I replied. It was then that I realized that I have taken some shots of him in our town sight-seeing which he probably wasn't aware of. I tried grabbing the camera from him but he wouldn't let me. His eyes widened and a grin formed on his face. "You really have an eye for beauty." he said, while showing me the picture of him I took while he was looking through a shelf of books. I felt myself blush. "But what's really beautiful is if we take a picture together." He motioned towards me and held the camera in front of us. We took a couple of pictures, some of it with our ridiculous faces playing with the camera. It was unbelievable how the once Mr. McAvoy became just James to me. He has the uncanny ability to make everyone feel at ease and appreciated. And that I think is  what makes him more of a person than a star. In just a span of days that I've been with him, I have never felt happier and freer.

We reached our first destination, our boat driver told us that the island is great for snorkeling. James readied our snorkeling gear. He gave mine and looked at me, "Come on." He said. I removed my bikini cover up and adjusted the strap of my mask. I was busy trying to do it when I noticed him staring at me. It was only then that I realized that he was actually looking at my exposed body. When our eyes met, we both blushed and I swear I saw him smile sheepishly. We both immediately looked away and acted nonchalantly. "Let's go." I said, then jumped from the boat. He followed and we swam in the blue waters. 

After spending some time looking underwater, I couldn't get a hold of the beauty underneath. It was mesmerizing to look at. We got back to our boat and proceeded to the next island. While traveling, James and I talked about our childhood vacations; from the most memorable ones to the most disastrous ones. We laughed at each others anecdotes. The way his blue eyes glimmer when he tell stories as well as how his face animates is more than enough for you to be transfixed on him. 

When we arrived, I saw groups of maybe, twenty people on top of a cliff. We were informed that it was Point Maria, a famous cliff diving spot. I felt a knot in my stomach. It was on Eris' list that I didn't consider quite a bit. I know myself pretty well and I am sure I can't jump off a cliff. 

"I can't do that." I blurted out. James looked at me and smiled. "How did you know? You haven't even tried." 

"You cannot argue with me on this, James. I am capable of knowing what I can and cannot do. And this is one of those on the list of the things I CAN'T. So if you want to do it, just go on. I'll stay here." I said it as firmly as possible. 

I wasn't sure what exactly happened next but I found myself on the edge of a twenty-foot cliff beside James. "If I die, it's your fault." I nervously said. "You won't die. I don't think anyone has died from jumping off a cliff. Maybe except when you really wanted to kill yourself or fell over the rocks or hit your head." I knew he was joking but I was over the edge, literally. "You're not helping!" I shouted at him. I was getting really anxious and I was starting to cry. He looked at me and said, "Hey, are you crying? Oh, please don't." He cupped my face and then gripped my shoulders. "Carly, if you really don't want to do this then let's just get off the cliff. I mean, not getting off by jumping. Let's just get back to the boat." I shook my head. This is one of those moments when you want to save your ego. I don't want him to think that I'm weak. I dried my eyes and took a deep breath. "No, I want to do this. With you." I said. He looked surprised. I didn't expect it but he held my hand. His fingers intertwined with mine and I've never felt more secured. "Do you trust that I won't let go?" he asked. I thought for a moment and gazed at his eyes. "Yes...I.. I do trust you." and we both plunged into the water. 

It was almost dusk when we came back from our tour. It was definitely one of the best, if not, the best day of my vacation so far. James and I were tired and starving. I recommended The Lobster House to him and that's where we ate dinner. It was packed that night compared to the other night when I came in. According to our waiter, it was the Summer Peak weekend, the annual summer festival in town. As we finished our dinner, a girl approached our table. She asked James for a picture and James looked at me before agreeing. It was as if someone had shaken me from a dream, I have nearly forgotten that I was with a celebrity. I was startled when he spoke my name, "Carly?" I didn't realize he was standing beside me, he took my hand and we dashed out of the restaurant. We ran to the beach until we were a good few meters away from The Lobster House. " We were both panting so we collapsed on the sand side by side. "Why did we run?" I asked, confused. "Apparently, the girl who came for a picture has a mob with her. I can't risk getting more attention. " he explained. "Did we even pay?" We both started giggling when we realized we haven't even asked for the bill. "This is Eleanor Rigby all over again." I said. "Yeah! You're right!" And we continued laughing while lying on the sand. 

He walked me to my hotel room. I was about to open my door but I turned around to face him. "You know what, this might be the best day since I arrived here. And that's because of you. I could've not done anything if you weren't there." He shook his head and said, "No. It was all you. You're finally learning to let yourself experience things." I smiled. "Still, thank you." And before I could stop myself I planted a kiss on his cheek. "Good night." I turned to the door and shut it behind me.