a/n: Next up.... Corbyn x Jonah! I got this idea while listening to "In Too Deep". I'm so proud of all the boys for bringing us this beautiful song! Now... let's dive in! ;)
Jonah's POV
"Hey Jo! Jump in!"
"Yeah! Come on!" The boys continue to shout at me to jump into the water.
At the beach, the one thing you most expect to see is hot guys and girls swimming in the ocean. But if you look for me, I won't be there. When I come to the beach, I try to have fun, but how much fun is it watching your friends frolic in the water? Usually I'd be at the snack shack, or at the gift shop.
I know. It sounds boring, but I have a perfectly good reason for not wanting to take a dip in the lovely sea water.
I'm afraid of the ocean. More like, how big it is, how dangerous, and how capricious it can be.
So, you'll believe me when I say that I appreciate the boy's encouraging/pressuring me to wade into the crashing waves, but I really don't think I can. I always used to be afraid of the ocean, but now it's all catching up with me. How she fell in, and we never got her back. Our fear that day and the tormenting nightmares in the days to follow. Maybe they'll be luckier than her...
"Hey!" Corbyn's voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and I turn to face him. Apparently my fear is etched into my face pretty well, because with one glance, he runs over to me.
"Jo? What's wrong?" He asks, concerned for me.
"Um, nothing. I just don't feel like swimming right now." Another thing, none of the boys know about my fear of the ocean. I don't know why I never tell them, it's not that I don't trust them... I guess I just would like to keep that part of me to myself.
"Oh, okay. Do you want me to sit with you?"
"Yeah. We can go get some snacks?" I suggest. I'm relieved that he asked, because I was about to have a very boring day.
He agrees and we find ourselves walking along the shoreline towards the snack shack.
"Why didn't you want to swim back there? You looked pretty shook up." Corbyn's genuine concern breaks my shell, and I hear myself start to tell my story.
Choking up, I start with, "well one day my friends and I went to the beach. We were all swimming, and my friend Sophia went underwater to look for a seashell." I take a deep breath then continue. I don't realize that Corbyn and I have stopped and sat on a bench.
"She went under and never came back up. No one could find her. Not me, my friends, her parents, the police, no one. It scared most of us so bad that we couldn't sleep well for months afterward. Nowadays, I like to think she's a siren. Calling people in, but warning them to not go in too deep." As I finish my tale, tears start streaming down my face.
"Aw, Jo. It's alright now. She's in a better place."
"Thanks Corbyn." I lay my head on his shoulder and continue to silently cry. His soft thumb caresses my cheek as he wipes away my tears. I appreciate his gentle understanding.
We continue to sit for a few minutes, the Corbyn says, "C'mon Jo. Let's get that snack. Then maybe we can play some volleyball?"
"Yeah. That sounds good." I smile at Corbyn.
"Thank you, Bean." I mean it when I say it. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, all because of him.
"I'm here whenever you need me," he grins. The sun is shining again as we walk to get our snack.
a/n: Aww what a sweet pair. Hope you enjoyed! And I love you all!
