Dark Ocean

Part 2

The words are out of her mouth before she can stop them, "Wait. I'm sorry."

The girl stops in her tracks and for the first time Valentina really looks at her. For a stunned second she takes in the girl's features. Her strong jaw line, a perfectly constructed nose, a dimple in her chin, but most of all her dark, expressive eyes. Black hair frames her face in natural waves as it reaches to her shoulders. She is breathtakingly beautiful, it's almost unreal.

"I think.. I think I'm fine. Thank you." she stammers, unable to avert her eyes. "Thank you for asking."

The girl nods, almost imperceptibly, and a small smile lifts the corner of her mouth. Valentina has no idea why, but her heart stutters for several beats.

She clears her throat and she knows she should look away, but she doesn't. Can't. Those dark eyes mesmerize her. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and lets her gaze wander over the girl's features again.

"So, what is it then?" Her soft voice breaks the silence without disrupting Valentina's trance.

The girl seems to hesitate before she slowly sits down next to her, keeping an appropriate distance between them. She tucks a lock of dark hair behind her ear, her eyes never leaving Valentina's.

They hold each other's gaze for a few more seconds, before Valentina has to look away, feeling overwhelmed by this unfamiliar staring contest. She covers her face with her hands and begins to laugh. Her whole body shakes. For once she's not crying, she's laughing, although she doesn't quite know why she's laughing in the first place.

"I don't know where to start.."

She hears a quiet, beautiful laugh beside her, and Valentina can't help but stare in complete admiration, heart hammering anew in a way she can't make sense of.

Her eyes are wide, and she blinks several times, placing her hand to her mouth. Their gazes lock once again as the wind blows about them and the waves crash onto the sand.

"That bad, huh?" the girl says quietly, and her lips part in an even more stunning smile.

Valentina nods slowly, her eyes lingering on every feature. She scrunches her eyebrows together like she's trying to solve a puzzle in her mind.

"You have no idea.." she nearly whispers.

The girl presses her lips together and watches her intently, her gaze darting back and forth between Valentina's blue eyes.

"Well.. Enlighten me."

Valentina lowers her hand from her mouth and drops it into her lap, exposing herself to the girl's dark eyes. She's feeling a little disoriented, dizzy almost, which is strange, though not the strangest thing that's happened to her tonight.

She watches brown eyes glance down at her lap, and it's only when she follows the girl's gaze, that Valentina realizes her hands are shaking. Her breath hitches when the dark haired girl reaches out and gently takes the jacket from her lap. Valentina follows the movement with her eyes, her lips parting a little.

"You look cold.." Her voice is soft, almost too soft to hear, but Valentina hears the words loud and clear.

Adrenaline is coursing through her body, all her senses are heightened. It's a strangely addictive feeling.