Have a Little Faith

Dakota's POV

Two updates in one day? Just because i love you all so much :)

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Dakota’s POV


I watched fascinated as the swirls of dark blue ripped through the calmer water behind the surf. I’d seen the patches of dark colours a couple of times when i walked along the country road that looked out across the ocean but i never knew what they were.

“Look, you see that slightly choppy, foamy stretch of water right behind that last wave?” he asked.

I squinted my eyes agains the sunlight and spotted the place he was talking about.

“yeah i see it”

“That’s a rip current. Typically you can identify them if theres a line of sea foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward or a break in the incoming wave pattern. Theres the rip current head, which the round part at the top, see it?” he asked again. I nodded my head.

“And there is the rip current neck. That’s the thin part connected to the large round top part. these currents are dangerous because most people don’t know what they are, and they can be very narrow or as wide as fifty meters. On a normal day if they occur they usually move relatively slowly so they aren’t extremely dangerous but they’re unpredictable and if they gain velocity they can pull a swimmer out faster than you can blink.”

“It’s incredible that you know that” i said after absorbing the new piece of information.

He shrugged his shoulders indifferently and kept peering out across the water and occasionally down the beach.

“It’s something i learn from Rob, the life guard you saved my life. It’s also something you have to know when you become a lifeguard, i just decided to do some more research so I know exactly what’s happening…” he trailed off, suddenly focused on something else.

i followed his gaze and saw a small group of girls was milling in the shallow water. From my peripheral i watched fascinated as Levi focused on them, his golden eyes sharp like those of a hawk. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, his fingers twitching against the small red whistle around his neck. When one of them wadded further into the ocean not paying attention to the waves he stood up and balanced on the narrow steel step of the highchair, blocking the sun from his eyes to see clearer. After a couple of seconds the girl returned onto the beach and they left for their towels again. Levi sighed and seemed to remember where he was, facing me. I smiled faintly at him.

“What?” he asked smiling back slightly.

“You take your job seriously. i admire that.” i coughed slightly before adding “compared to your friend jay”. I looked up at his handsome face to find him chuckling at my words.

“He’s a special one. Deep down he’s a good kid… Deep deep down.” i smiled a little wider at his words. “He was bought up in a lifestyle that allowed his to do anything he wants to, with little to no input from his parents.” he shrugged his shoulders leisurely placing his arm around my chair. Even though he wasn’t physically touching me, my breathing momentarily faltered, before i willed myself to calm down and act cool. He wasn’t allowed to impact me this much, especially if he wasn’t even touching me yet.

“You okay? You suddenly look distressed” Levi asked genuinely concerned as he looked down at me. Even when we were both sitting he towered over me. My mental conversation and pep talk must have let the mask of indifference that usually graced my face falter.
“I’m fine, i just… i just remembered that i still had to take the trash out at home” Really, really Dakota, that’s the best you can come up with- i’ve got to take the trash out? I felt the colour rush to my cheeks and i quickly averted my gaze back towards the beach.

“Trash huh?” Levi asked. I purposefully kept looking away but the amusement was evident in his voice.

I cleared my throat and finally faced him when i felt the colour subside.

“Can you teach me something else?”

“Nope, not today. One fact for each visit” he said smiling mischievously. I felt a weird satisfaction and even excitement spread through me at the thought of him wanting me to visit again.

“Alright, i can live with that” i replied closing my eyes again.

I felt m hair tie being pulled out of my curls and opened my eyes to see Levi holding my blue band in fingers. My curls took the chance for freedom and spread out again, whirling in the wind.

“Why’d you do that. I can never control my hair” i said raising my eyebrows.

“I like your hair when it’s open. Sorry” he said tilting his head to the side giving me a heartwarming smile. “it looks like streaks of fire” he said scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Thank you, i appreciate the compliment” i said managing a proper smile.

*

I ended up staying with Levi again. We talked about random topics ranging between sketching to surfing as Levi kept a watchful eye on the visitors on the beach. Twice he had to call a group of people back to the shore when they treaded out too far and once he helped an elderly lady back up the beach when she struggled to get up from the shallow water where she had been bathing. I enjoyed Levi’s company more than i thought was healthy, and wished the day would go by slower. The sun was dipping closer and closer towards the horizon, drenching the low handing clouds in a crimson red that spread along the subtle line where the ocean met the sky. People had begun leaving a long time ago and at this point a couple of teenagers were left on the beach, but they too were packing up their belongings. I sighed when the sun reached the horizon and began sinking. When it’s last sun rays warmed my skin it fell below water line and disappeared. The clouds remained a blood red for another twenty minutes, their intensity gradually fading before the black night sky took over and painted it’s countless stars in the clear sky. The twilight around us let us see the last car reverse out of the parking lot, it’s red backlights disappeared up the road.

I took my phone out when i felt it vibrate against my butt. A text message from my mom lit up on the screen and i sighed.

‘Where are you?’ were her loving words.

‘I’m at the beach, I’ll be home in half an hour’ i texted back, tapping my thumbs on the locked screen waiting for her response.

‘Why are you at the beach. If you’re trying something again you’re in big trouble young lady’.

‘Like i’ve told so many time already, i wasn’t trying anything. And like last time, i’m not trying anything this time. besides the lifeguard form last time is here’ i wrote, fresh anger bubbling inside me at her ignorance and unwillingness to hear me out. Only hearing, what she wants to hear.

“What’s wrong?” Levi asked rubbing my back.

“My mom asked where i was and said that i shouldn’t try anything like last time when i told her i was at the beach” i said looking over at him. The darkness cast long shadows across his face, his high cheekbones prominent.

“Have you tried talking to her. Telling her why you were at the beach that evening?”

I rubbed my face.

“I’ve tried many many times. It’s futile, she won’t sit down and listen to me because she can’t handle what happened back then, and listening to me and my intentions brings up painful memories for her.”

I stopped myself from saying anything else, not wanting to fill Levi up with my sick sob story, and instead slipped into a comfortable silence with him.

At one point Levi groaned slightly and jumped down from the seat.

“What was that!” i asked shocked at his sudden action.

“My butt fell asleep” he said laughing up at me.

I chuckled softly and jumped down after him. I landed dangerously close to his feet and accidentally stepped on his toe. My head snapped up to his, my eyes wide. He looked down at me an amused grin on his face.

“Oh-oh, you better run run, before the big bad wolf comes.” he said, his voice slightly lower and huskier than normally, sending a pleasurable chill down my spine. When i comprehended what he told me i spun around on my heel and began racing down the beach. I avoided the damp sand where the waves rolled up onto the beach, and made my life harder by running through the dry sand, feeling like a hippo on the loose. I heard him counting down from ten.

“Ten, seven and a half, five and a quarter, three point two, one” i called out after me.

I was about to turn around and scoff at him, when i hear him behind me and thrill of excitement shot through me and i ran faster.

“oh noooo” he taunted from behind me, catching up. I let out a small squeak when i heard him close in. I began running wave motions looking over my shoulder, to see him literally on my heels. I took a sharp left and ran further up the beach, successfully avoiding his arms. My victory only lasted for a couple of seconds though, before he turned around and began chasing me again. I started running back towards the high chair but soon felt my breath coming out shorter. With a final  push of energy i ran a couple more meters before I felt Levi wrap his arms around me in an attempt to stop me, but instead tripping and pulled me down with him. Before i could hit the sand, he turned his body so he took the blow and i landed on top of him, our noses bumping into each other. I had to laugh again. Harder than earlier today when the water surprised him. I felt my glasses slip off my nose and fall into the sand beside us, but it didn’t matter because it was so dark that i could barely make out anything anyway. My laughter shook my shoulders and came from deep inside my belly. My hair fell into my face and i had to clutch my stomach because it hurt from laughing. Levi who was still under me, began laughing as well, and together our laughter rang echoed melodically across the empty beach. When i regained some composure, my lips were still spread into a ridiculously wide grin as i stared down at Levi’s blurry silhouette.

I felt this fingers trace my cheek and my palms flattened against his smooth chest. His thumb traced across my bottom lip and i felt my heartbeat pound in my ears. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

“I can’t see anything” i whispered softly, leaning my forehead against his.

“You don’t need them right now. You wouldn’t be able to see anything anyway. Besides, you look beautiful with glasses, but without them you look absolutely breathtaking” he said sweetly, his teeth grazing my earlobe just enough to make me shudder in his arms.

I felt him wrap his arms around me and gently turn us around so that my back was pressed into the sand, my head cradled safely in his large hand.

He placed a tiny kiss on my cheek, running his nose along my ear. My arms laced around his neck and gently dragged my fingers through his curly hair.

“Levi” I whispered appreciatively. I had never experienced anything like this before, the feeling of his warm, soft lips pressing against my cool skin left tingles in their path. His free hand was drawing lazy circles on the skin exposed by my shirt, which had ridden up to my ribs.

When his nose gently bumped against mine he placed another tiny butterfly kiss close to my lips.

“Dakota can I-“

Suddenly my loud ringtone playing summer by calvin harris cut through the atmosphere like a knife, ruining the mood. Both of us simultaneously groaned. Levi sat back on his knees, one on either side of my hips as i reached for my phone in my back pocket. When the caller ID flashed my mom’s name i had the strong urge to toss the metal thing into the surf, hoping it would restore the moment before the interruption. I unwillingly swiped the unlock button and pressed the phone to my ear.

“He-“

“I expect you be home in ten minutes. You told me you would be home in half an hour- an hour ago. With the recent events that could mean many things. You should be ashamed of your reckless behaviour.” mom yelled at me before I could even get out my greeting.  

“Fine, ill be home in ten minutes”

“You better be” she said curtly before hanging up on me.

I tossed my phone to the floor beside me and felt around my glasses. Levi pressed them into my hand and i slipped them back onto my nose.

I looked up at him, wanting nothing more than to finish what we had started. At seventeen, i still hadn’t had my first kiss, but what had happened before the phone call would be how i had hoped my first kiss to be like.

Levi got up and held out his hands for me to take. When i was standing i stumbled forward and into his awaiting arms.

“My mom isn’t gaining any browny points tonight” i mumbled into his shoulder.

He chuckled softly and ran his fingers though my tangled hair.

“There will be another chance” he said quietly.

I stepped back and picked up my phone stuffing it back into my pocket. I walked over to the highchair, picking up my shoes before looking over at Levi. He stood with his hand in his pockets, his large frame, a black shadow in the moon light.

I quickly contemplated the risk of my decision before deciding to take the chance and walking back over to him and pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, grateful that the darkness hid the blush on my cheeks.

Being the coward that i am, i made a run for it afterwards, heading for the dust road that lead home. When i stopped to slip my shoes back onto my feet i heard him call.

“Goodnight beautiful” from the beach. i turned around to see him standing in the same position as before waving at me.

“Goodnight Romeo” i called back, using the name Jay had used earlier and waving at him.

I thought i heard his deep chuckle before i turned back towards the road.

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liked it?  *grins cheekily*

Nike