Shay Warner ran away from her adopted family as soon as she found out what they truly were: criminals. They lied, they killed, they betrayed her in a way that scarred her forever. It isn't until the police catch up to her that she's forced to go bac...
Shay could barely contain her excitement on the walk. She had never seen the ocean before, even when her parents were still working and had enough money to take her.
"I can't believe you agreed to sit this mission out for me." Shay commented as she walked with Noah down the side road, their flips flops slapping across the pavement and towels in hand.
"I could use a little more time off before going back out." Noah shrugged. Shay shot him a sideways glance, smirking at his attempt of covering up the truth. She knew he was starting to care about her, that he might even consider her a friend. She had her suspicions before but this made it feel like they finally reached a turning point, one where he had almost thawed out completely.
Almost, anyway. She still knew nothing when it came to his past.
"Have you seen a beach before?" Shay inquired.
"Never."
Then they turned the corner and stopped, both of them taking in the sight of endless blue ocean stretching past the horizon and the white foam waves crashing onto the sand before going back out to sea. Shay stared at it for a while before starting to sprint, a childlike excitement coursing through her veins. She dropped her towel in the sand and ran into the water, stopping suddenly as the temperature of said water registered with her brain.
"Holy shit, that's cold!" Shay exclaimed as she stood ankle-deep, her toes numb.
Noah's approach was far more calm. He had thrown his towel on top of hers and slowly made his way over, standing a couple of feet back and waiting for the ocean to reach him. When it did, he raised his eyebrows. "Damn. That is cold."
It was summer. Middle of July, with eighty degree weather, and she couldn't even go swimming. Not at all what she imagined.
"Maybe we just have to get used to it." Noah offered, his eyes trained on his large feet as the water washed sand over them.
Shay grunted and looked in front of her, back at the horizon. There was once a time she dreamed of living on an island as a surfer girl. Just working at a random hotel, living in a shack just steps from the beach so she could get on her board every day before clocking in. She had seen it in a movie once and added it to her list of possible futures, but now that she knew how cold it was, she was starting to change her mind.
Just when she had considered heading back in defeat, Shay felt little droplets of ice hitting her back. Turning back around in feigned anger, she spotted Noah with a mischievous smile on his face.
"What the hell was that?" Shay demanded.
"Wasn't me." Noah replied.
She didn't believe him for one second. Who else could it be? The seagull that had been following them around with annoying squacks since they came out?
Shay retaliated by crouching down to splash him, the water hitting him square in the chest. Which, she just realized, was bare. Wearing nothing but green swim trunks, she saw him shirtless for the first time, minus brief glances in their shared bathroom after he showered. It didn't mean much to her then but now, she was beginning to realize how good he looked with his sculpted abs and thick arms.
"You really want to start this with me, kid?" Noah challenged as the water droplets slid from his pecks down to his stomach.
Instead of answering, Shay splashed him again. This time, with more than just a couple drops.
Noah smiled and lunged at her. Letting out a yelp, Shay sprinted in the only direction she could, further out to sea. Noah splashed her as he ran, the beads of water hitting her like missiles of ice, each one stinging her skin. She tried to get him while she was running by using her hands to slap the surface as she continued deeper. It wasn't until she stepped on something sharp that she stopped, and since Noah was right behind her, she let out a yelp and jumped into his arms.
"What happened?" His tone turned serious as soon as it happened, his hand instinctively wrapping around her waist as she hobbled on one leg.
"I think I stepped on a rock or something." Shay lifted her right foot out of the water and looked at it, only noticing a small cut on the bridge. "It doesn't hurt that bad." She muttered as she turned to look at him, only then realizing how close they were.
He was warm. Like a burning fire compared to the glacier she was trapped inside of, two extremes contrasting against each other in a way that distracted her for a moment. His hand still pressed on her waist, holding her against his side, she looked at him as he stood at least five inches taller than her. He was staring at her, too, with an expression on his face that she hadn't seen before.
"I think we should get out and take a look at it." Noah said after clearing his throat. He released his hand from her and took a step back, shooting her a nervous smile before he started the journey back to shore.
Without the fire to warm her anymore, the numbness was back along with an inner cold that felt to be somewhere around her heart. Shrugging it off as just another effect of freezing New England water, she trudged in after him.
Her foot didn't really hurt anymore. When they were all dried off and back at the cabin, she didn't even want to clean it since it was so small. Noah insisted, though, and played the role of doctor as he washed out her wound in the red and white bathroom before covering it was an American flag bandaid.
Seriously, these people needed to tone it down.
The two spent the rest of the day walking around, stopping at various shops and eating dinner at a local seafood place. Shay couldn't help but notice the change in the air around them since what happened in the water. They still engaged in light conversation but it seemed slightly different now, like there was a weight on them that neither of them could move.
It wasn't until they said goodnight that Shay could put her finger on it. She laid in the bunk bed thinking back to that moment, to when Noah held her and looked at her in a way that no guy had looked at her before. Then, as she was enveloped in daydreams, Noah came into the room wearing just pajama bottoms. Catching her looking at him, he muttered a goodnight before sliding into the bed underneath her. The whole bed shook as much as her insides, the blood rushing through her veins at immeasurable speeds while a good amount found its way to her cheeks.
Looking at the ceiling with wide eyes, a disturbing thought flashed through her mind: I have a crush on Noah. And I dunno what to do.
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END OF PART 1
Things are gonna get a lot more interesting now, four years later. Ready for it?
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you like it so far!
