The Reason Why

Chapter 2 - Beach Time Confession

Hello! Well, short little note before you move on, I am sincerely sorry for not uploading. I guess life got in the way. Even for a simple story like this, I've also had major writer's block. To make up for it, I'll upload everyday from then on. (If I can!) Afterall, this is a short story(: Enjoy!

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             “Thanks Noah,” I smiled tippy-toeing to give him a kiss on the cheek; “you’re the absolute best.”

            “Anything for you,” he replied back softly, smirking as he held my bag up, “especially if that means seeing you in a bikini.”

            I rolled my eyes, “You’ve seen me in less clothing,” I said boldly, giving his a cocky smile while I skipped down the cobblestone sidewalk.

Noah and I stopped by the shops that were just a short distance from the beach, to purchase me a swimsuit in order to go swimming. I don’t know what it was – maybe the atmosphere of the beach -, but I felt so, so, so free. I felt like I could do anything. I could say anything in front of Noah and he won’t judge me, granted, he never has before. Yet I always have to watch my words when I’m around him, I’ve always ended up embarrassing myself. It’s humiliating and I hate it.

“Hey! Come back here!” he laughed jogging towards me.

I gave him a devilish grin and sped up my pace. I heard footsteps and soon enough he was grabbing me around the waist easily.

 I squealed and laughed as I tried to slap him away from kissing me, “Someone’s a little confident today,” he murmured huskily into my ear, moving up to kiss my temple and pulled away. He still kept me at bay with his arm around my waist; I smiled up at him and leaned onto his shoulder. I discreetly took a whiff of his scent and sighed contently, this may sound weird but he smelled amazing. It seemed like I can never get enough of the woody, apple-scented smell of him.

We continued to walk in silence, as the cobblestone sidewalk soon turned into sand. I lifted my head up and smiled as I saw two little kids – boy and girl, which whom were probably siblings – running away while giggling from their parents. Their parents were a nice-looking couple with laugh lines etched on both of their faces I watched as they laughed, slowing down to a walk as the husband wrapped an arm around his wife – kissing her on the cheek. She laughed and kissed him back on the cheek as they walked past by us.

I smiled at the cute scene; I wonder if Noah and I will ever be like that? I looked up at him. Older, with kids, and still holding the same affection for each other we have now. When he looked down and smiled at me I knew he was thinking the same thing, but then his eyes suddenly clouded over. Eyes voided of the affection I saw just mere seconds ago, I frowned and was about to ask him what was wrong when I heard-

“Jake, aren’t they such a cute couple?” I heard the woman ask her husband when they thought they were far enough, “I remember when we were like that.”

Her husband replied back, “Maybe they’ll end up like us.”

I heard a sigh, “I sure hope they have a happier ending though.”

“Ours may not have been perfect, but it’s our ending, and it’s amazing.”

My smile reappeared and I smiled up at Noah as we still continued our walk, nearing our spot we had laid out earlier.

“Did you hear that?” I asked, as we sat down on our towels laid out. The summer breeze wove through my hair, lightly flapping it around my face.

Noah turned to me, with an emotion in his eye that scared me, it looked so fierce. Like it was burning, right then I knew something was up.

“Noah?”

“Yes,” he replied back softly, I frowned. Why was he acting like this?

“What’s up with you? You suddenly got all weird when that couple passed by,” I spoke, feeling a bit hurt. Did he not want what they had? Had I gone too far?

He shook his head, “It’s nothing.”

“Ok then,” I said bluntly and turned away, I felt hurt. He never hid anything from me; I thought we trusted each other. 

I was staring off into the ocean, but not really looking at it. I was still mad at Noah, what couldn’t he tell me? Nothing could change my opinion about him, I knew Noah. And it wouldn’t even matter if he was the son of my father’s rival conglomerate, I loved him for him. Nothing less, nothing more.

I heard a sigh behind me and arms weaving around my waist, a chin rested on my shoulder. I tried to shrug him off and get away, but his grip on me was tight. I refused to turn around and resorted to glaring off into the ocean.

“Please, don’t,” he whispered, I stopped struggling and tears welled up in my eyes, which I quickly wiped away, I wasn’t some weak fool.

“You’re hiding something from me Noah, I thought we trusted each other,” I tried to hide the hurt from my voice, but it was inevitable. He has been acting weird since the car ride, granted, the last time I’ve seen him before today was four days ago. Something could have happened between then, but what?

I felt him shift, letting go of me before twisting me around and pulling me to his chest. I immediately laid my head against his chest, cursing myself for falling into the trap so easily. What was it about him that made me so weak?

“Please,” he whispered again, pressing his cheek against my head, “let’s just enjoy today.”

“No, not when you’re hiding something from me. I don’t work that way Noah, you know me better than that.”

I heard him sigh, and judging by the silence that followed, he was contemplating about something.

 “Ok, I’ll tell you, but not now. Please. I just want to enjoy today with you,” he kissed the top of my head, “Just you.”

I turned around to face him, “Promise?”

He gave me a weak smile, kissed me head, and focused his eyes out towards the ocean, “I promise.”

I smiled and released myself from his grip, grabbed the bag with my new swimsuit in it and ran off towards the nearest restroom, “Last one is a single loser!”

I heard Noah let out a laugh, and the soft muffled thud of footsteps as his feet hit the sand.

I’ll find out Noah…