Four to three. We were only one behind, and we'd been playing for hours. My knees buckled beneath me as I lunged after the astray object, but a heavy force downwards, made my attempted effort flop.
Because Stone scored once again.
"You can call it quits whenever baby."
"Don't flatter yourself." Laughing as I tossed the ball over the net, Tenga set up to serve once more.
Stone's eyes strongly laid upon me, I was sweating beyond gallons. My face resembled a tomato, and I was fairly tired.
Yet in the beauty of this, his stare of admiration never wavered, he smiled in triumph but in a different reasoning. Almost as if he were proud to be in love with a girl like me, as beat up, and as terrible as I looked.
He didn't care, swatting the hair out of my face shyly, I cheesed a grin, preparing myself for another one of Stone's astonishing blows.
After countless hours of trash talking and grunts, we ended the game. It was tied, eight to eight, exhausted I threw myself onto the sand, and laid out.
Panting like a madwoman, I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves, as well as my rapid heart beat.
"He wore us all out, ugh!" Pummeling next to me was Lilee, her hands running through her big brown curls. Her light, tender hazel eyes smiled as she grinned widely. The setting sun beaming on her browned skin, it illuminating beautifully, as it glistened with her sweat.
Her ribbed, cropped sweater raised above her belly highly. Her shorts just slightly, hitting the tip of her belly button.
She lay flat, but her back arched due to the curvaceous indent of her lower half. Her body resembled that of a goddess, I smiled in gratitude.
My entire body hit the sand, feeling my mind compare and contrast, she distracted it, causing more conversation. Elated, I turned to face her.
"It's always like this, well whenever we get to see each other. Which is rare, this is the most we've been in contact. Though the whole police department is looking for Stone, I'm happy for him.
No one deserves to be locked up for no wrong doing, but just being alive at a time like this. His mother can be a bit much, especially when it comes to Stone, Levi, and Iven.
Last time I've seen my cousins was about a dozen ages ago, and that was when we were all just young ones.
I'm enjoying my time with him. Even though we tied the game, there is next time though!"
"Lilee!" Popping up to the call of her brother, she raised herself and smiled kindly upon me.
"I'll return momentarily, don't you go anywhere!" Laughing at her tone, I propped myself on my elbows, as I watched her jog into the distance. Stone, made his way over to me.
Him, in all of his glorified beauty, it truly captivated me.
"Well look at you." Reaching for my hand, I gladly gave it. Stone strongly pulled me up to stand with him.
And once I was finally at a stance for him to grab, he took hold of me, and wrapped me tight, and close into his arms.
"I had, an immense amount of fun with you and my cousins today. I just wanted to let you know that. Even though I allowed for you and Lilee to tie, it was all out of the sincerest bulk of my heart." Rolling my eyes I shoved a fist into his chest coldly.
"Oh you hush, you just can't accept we play as well as you."
"Half as well, there. Your credit."
"You are terrible. Just bloody awful!"
"I'm awfully terrible. Yes I know, but you're just as awful, therefore I must be this way, it balances out to equal sanity. And without you I'd be absolutely insane, instead of insanely in love with you.
Make sense now aye?"
Glancing up to him in gladness, I just tucked my head closely to his chest. Listening to his heart slowly whisper it's thoughts, he kissed my head softly.
"What a fine day to spend with good people? Feels good, to know that there can be only better days, instead of pondering on the bad ones.
Being here, right now makes me grateful for this year, and all of the days I have gotten to spend with you Grant."
---------------
We thought there would be better days.
I wish a thought was the same as knowing.
I wish that the days would've passed us by slowly like a slow motion picture. Maybe then we could've caught up to the cruel, cold hands of time.
Maybe we could have been prepared to be brutally torn apart, and separated through time. Only forbidden to be in one another's arms again.
I wish I could have known, but even knowing wouldn't have made me prepared, prepared to say farewell.