Hiraeth

2.

I've always admired this place. The view of the city is breath-taking. Yet the place is calm. No traffic fills our ears, and no pollution fills our lunges. I like it this way, I've always been a very outdoor person and I've never really been a city girl. That's the perk of growing up in Sydney, it's surrounded by so much nature that there's always a beach close by.

I take a deep breath and let the smell of seawater fill my nostrils. I close my eyes for a second and just enjoy the sun's rays on my face. "You go to the beach a lot?" I wonder, looking over at Harry who has his toe buried in the sand.

"During summer, yes, but I'm too busy to take the time to go. Or I'll end up spending time at friends' houses instead. What about you?"

"Yeah. The boy I look after, Jamie, his family lives in Coogee pretty close to the beach, so I quite a lot. He loves the water, however, being out alone with a toddler isn't always the most fun. He doesn't understand the danger of the sea, and let's just say he isn't particularly happy when we're leaving," I say, and Harry chuckles.

"I like Coogee," he says.

"Yeah, me too."

"Do you ever go by yourself though?"

"Yes, I like to go there to read a lot. And I enjoy swimming in the rock pools," I say, picking up a small rock, fiddling it between my fingers.

"I swear, I tend to take this for granted."

"How come?" I wonder.

"It's easier to go in the pool," he says, and I want to say I understand, but I don't.

I throw the rock in the water and pull my top over my head. "Well, you're joining me then," I say, noticing how Harry narrows his eyes at me.

"What do you mean?"

"The water," I say, "I'm going in." I unbuckle my shorts and pull them down, leaving me in nothing but my bikini. Harry pulls off his t-shirt, and I stand up and walk over to give him my hand. "Cmon," I say and flash him a smile. He obliges, taking my hand and his lips copies mine in a smile. He has quite a lot of tattoos on his torso and arms, yet he doesn't yet have a full sleeve on either arm. For a moment I stand still, lost in thought, and he rushes to the water.

"You snooze you lose," he calls out with a chuckle, and I follow him running to the water. He's staring at me. But I can't be certain about whether he's staring at my face or my body, yet I can't help but feel self-conscious. Not that I have anything to be embarrassed about, yet suddenly I wonder if Harry noticed my cellulite. As I head towards him I throw myself down, letting my entire body being consumed by water. I stay for a moment, enjoying the complete silence before I make my way back to the surface. Harry sends me another smile, and I can't help but look at his upper body. He's definitely easy on the eyes.

Why does he have to be so hot?

I'm don't understand how mum failed to mention his good looks and I kinda want to scold myself for thinking with the downstairs part of my body instead of focusing on how kind Harry is being.

"Isn't this great?" I say as Harry goes underwater and comes back up.

"Yeah, I guess you can thank me for the brilliant idea of coming here," he says, sending me a cheeky grin, and I splash water on him.

"Well, I was the one who convinced you to bring your swimming trunks," I say, and he splashes water on me too.

"And I'm sure I'll make you regret it," he says, taking me aback as he splashes more water on me, and before I can comprehend what's going on, he's standing right beside me. His right hand goes to my thigh, and he places the other one on my back. For a second, his touch sends tingles through my body, and butterflies erupt from my stomach. And then, without warning, he lifts me and throws me in the water. Once again, the water swallows my entire body, before I make my way up to the surface once more. Knowing I won't be able to carry Harry I climb on his back trying to tackle him down, but instead he stands steady on his feet and lets himself fall backwards letting both our bodies fall into the water.