[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Kylie and Nick made their way down the beach, Kylie was a few feet ahead of Nick and reached the water first. Nick watched as she took off a tank top revealing a pink and black sports bra and kept on her jean shorts. They had left their shoes back at the car.

"Let's go Carter!" She yelled and Nick finally reached her.

"You're swimming in your bra?"

"Yeah? It's like a bikini. Now take your shirt off and let's go." Nick hesitated at first but slowly took off his white tee shirt and Kylie caught herself staring at Nick's body. He had three tattoos showing and he was more toned than she had imagined. "Come on!" She tore her eyes away and headed in for the water.

Nick slowly walked up to the shore and stopped when his feet hit the water. He stared down at the rolling waves and tried to get enough courage to go further. Stacie plagued his mind however and the thoughts of her body rolling up from this same ocean made him shiver. He looked out and saw Kylie had dove under water and reappeared, waving her arms for him to come out. He took another step in and a seagull swooped over his head, making a loud cawing noise. Startling him, he turned around and headed back up to the beach. Kylie saw this and as quickly as she could move in the water she made her way back.

"Nick what's going on? The water is great." She beamed putting her hands on her hips.

"I just don't feel like going in," Nick lied and sat down in the sand, his shirt in his hands.

"It's almost a hundred degrees today and you don't feel like going in? Nick don't lie to me," she sat down next to him. "I can see it in your eyes, something is bothering you, almost hurting you." Kylie's voice was softer now and she had put a hand on Nick's arm that rested on his knee. She heard Nick take in a shaky breath and let out. He shut his eyes tight for a moment and when he re-opened them, he kept his gaze on the water. Kylie then sat back a little and matched Nick's gaze, watching the waves of the water to roll in and out. She knew Nick's mind was on something and she didn't want to force him into talking about anything he obviously wasn't ready for. So they sat there in silence.

A good ten minutes of silence passed and slowly Kylie tilted her head to look at Nick. To her surprise, she saw tears roll down his cheeks. She wondered how long he had been crying because she hadn't heard a sound come from him. Getting up on her knees, she wrapped her arms around his neck. At first he resisted but as soon as her soft lips kissed his tear stained cheek, he buried his head into her neck. His arms wrapped around her small frame and she could feel his body shake. Kylie kissed the top of Nick's head and rubbed his back trying to sooth him. She had no idea what could be wrong but knew Nick well enough that he wasn't a person to cry and this was probably what he needed.

"God I'm sorry, I'm such a mess," Nick pulled away slowly after time had passed. He wiped his eyes, sniffled and let out a cough.

"Nonsense, seriously who isn't a mess or hasn't been at some point of their life?" Kylie watched Nick's movements intently as brushed the sand off his shorts and stood up. Kylie stood up with her shirt in her hands as well next to Nick. Taking Nick's hand into hers she began walking. "Come on," she guided him. "Let's just walk down a little ways." Nick looked down at their hands then up into Kylie's sincere eyes. He nodded and took in another deep breath.

"I hope I didn't push you too hard rock climbing today," she told him. Nick wasn't sure if she was joking to lighten things up or being serious.

"You didn't," he answered.

"I'm afraid of the dark," she said out of no where. Nick looked down at her and saw she had a smile on her face. "Sounds crazy I know, because I'll climb up cliffs and jump out of planes and sing in front of a bunch of people. But I can't be in a dark room."

"Is there a reason or you just don't like the dark?" Nick asked.

"There's a reason to every fear. Sometimes you just refuse to see it." She paused briefly. "When I was sixteen, yes sixteen, practically an adult I fell down a well." This caught Nick's attention and he stopped walking. "Yeah it was a bunch of us out in the woods, drinking and some others were smoking but it was the only place where we could go without getting caught." She took a moment thinking back to the day.

"Anyway, there was this old well, a bunch of us were leaning on it and it just crumbled. I was the only one who fell in and it was like nine at night. That's how I messed my knee up. Anyway, my so-called-friends, thought it was pretty hysterical because they were all wasted and high. No one went to get help for a few hours until after because they didn't want to be caught. They wanted to be sober first and they couldn't just put a rope down because I couldn't stand. I didn't get out of the damn thing until six the next morning. That was nine hours stuck, freezing, wet and hurt. And I was left alone for five of those hours."

"That sucks, I'm sorry."

"Yeah but it's a silly story but I'm still afraid. I have night lights through out my apartment, I park my car under street lights and yeah I don't go into the woods anymore. It kinda sucks because I've always wanted to go into caves and scuba dive into caves but blah, no way." They continued to walk in silence for a while when Nick stopped.

"My girlfriend died in this ocean last year," he said numbly. Kylie found herself squeeze Nick's hand on impulse. "She was actually murdered in this ocean. It was such a part of her, she was a surfer and loved being in the ocean. And...she was killed in it." Nick stared out into the open water. "There was barely a day we didn't go swimming in the water or surf or go on the boat. It brought us together actually," he smiled briefly. "I sprained my ankle running and she had been surfing and saw me."

"Nick I am so sorry," Kylie told him in almost a whisper. She felt like an idiot at that point trying to compare their fears.

"I haven't been near the ocean since they found her body washed up on shore. Until today I never tried and this is what happens." His head dropped.

"It's going to take time Nick. And just coming as far as you did is such progress."

"I know, I just I really had no idea it would be this difficult. The guys don't even know I'm afraid to go into the water." Kylie nodded in understanding. Not many knew about her fear but hers was a little bit more obvious. The dark was something she had to face every day when the sunset, Nick chose whether or not to come to the ocean.

"Did you want to go in earlier, when we first came in?"

"I didn't when we first got here but as I came down to the beach I thought I could do it because I was with you..." His voice trailed off in disappointment.

Kylie bit her lower lip thinking for a moment then reached for Nick's shirt in his hand. She put it down in the sand with hers then took both of Nick's hands into her own. She walked backwards, her eyes locked onto his pool of blue. Slowly the two walked down into the water, Kylie slowed her steps when her feet hit the cool water. Nick squeezed her hands tighter, never tearing his eyes away from hers. She then moved his hands to her waist and she put her hands on Nick's bare waist. The two walked in deeper, their foreheads gently resting against each other.
Nick's eyes closed as he felt the water hit his knees and Kylie told Nick to open them. "Keep looking at me," she whispered. They were almost at the end of the sand bar because Kylie could barely touch now at her 5'4" height. The water felt good on both their bodies because the sun had been beating down on them, neither wearing sun block. Kylie put her arms around Nick and his arms encased her body. She smiled at him and he gave her a shy smile back. He then pulled her closer and brought them both under the water and came back a moment later.

"Not bad for the first day Carter," she told him but was worried it may have already been too much too soon. "Come on, I'm getting hungry." Nick nodded and the two swam back together. Hand in hand they gathered their shirts and walked back to the car.