One For The Road ✔ | A short novella |

13. San Diego

Chapter Thirteen

San Diego

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"I want you to want me." Cheap Trick- Jessie

San Diego, Hotel del Coronado, 2.35pm - August 23rd

Jessie

Have you ever felt so happy that it hurts?

Ellis sits opposite me in a wicker chair on the beachfront terrace of the famous Hotel del Coronado, with the sun in his eyes and the Californian breeze whipping through his dark hair.

My pulse races and the corners of my mouth ache.

Before I'd only ever be able to sit and admire, close but far. Now I can reach across and feel his fingertips brush mine. I can lean in and kiss him. I can wrap my arms around his waist and hold on for longer than friendship ever allowed.

"What?" He says slowly, twisting the straw from his drink between his lips.

"What?" I reply, matching his light tone, with an extra dash of cheeky mischief. I wonder if he can read my mind.

"You were staring."

"I'm wearing sunglasses, how can you even tell?"

"I dunno, just feels like you are."

"Wishful thinking?" I mimic the way he quickly licks his bottom lip and grin, "And even if I were, is that such a bad thing?

Ellis shrugs and pulls up the sleeves of his flannel shirt, giving me a wry smile. "No..."

I race to sit beside him and I prop my feet up on the low wicker table. There's still sand between my toes from our little rough and tumble play fight on the beach when we'd first arrived.

When Ellis brushes a strand of hair away from my face and his hand rests on my knee, I feel it again.

Happiness.

I still can't quite believe it though. Us.

The past few days have gone by in a blissful blur. We've been keen to take in San Diego's most loved sights now that we can sigh relief to know we've passed our exams.

If you'd told me a week ago that I'd the owner of 4 A-Levels or able to spend many sun-soaked mornings curled up against Ellis's chest, with my lips locked to his I'd have called you crazy.

But not anymore.

"You want another drink?" Ellis soon asks, pointing at the crushed ice left at the bottom of my cocktail glass.

"You read my damn mind."

Basking back in the sun drenched light, he makes eyes with a passing waiter who nods without saying a word.

When the waiter returns with our drinks and I slurp down another Tequila Sunrise my stomach somersaults as his arm lifts and gently falls down round my neck and shoulders. Sure, Ellis has done this a few times before in a friendly way but this time it's evidently different.

It feels special.

Playfully, I bury my face into the crook of his neck, breathing in the scent of sun and sea and salt and the promise of so much more.

More. The more part has been stuck in my head for days now, not that it never was there, it's just that now it can happen. It's not taboo or out of bounds.