Take You Back

EXOTIC SCENT

~Be happy in the
moment, that's enough
Each moment is all we need, not more.
-Mother Teresa

Inching my nose a little nearer to his neck, I breathed in his scent, which was nothing at all like my father's, who always had a hint of cigarette smoke and liquor lingering about his persona. In fact, his scent was so much more exotic; I may recognize the brand of cologne he used, one of my favorites mixed with the shocking smell of charcoal blazes and cinnamon.

"Laura," I smiled when Vincent's breath fanned my neck. I hummed. "Why aren't you sleeping?" I said groggily. His hands tightened around my waist. I was being straddled by him. That caused my eye to open.

I looked out the window and back at him as if he had grown a pair of heads. It'd be nice to take a walk, but it seemed to be late at night and pretty cold. What if he finally decided to kill me? "You're not going to throw my body into the water, are you? Because it'd be very difficult for anyone to find me and, seemingly, this is a private beach." He smirks, extending his hands for me to take it.

We entwine our fingers together as we step out of the beach house and onto the sand.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked while he traced circles on the back of my hands. A gentle breeze rustled through my hair, making me sigh in consent. I watched as the waves rolled onto the shore and washed back out, leaving no sign of water. The sand soaks up its remains.

"Hmm, my grandmother always took me here before she passed away. Ever since she left me, I never came here and it was the hardest thing to do. This is where we would spend our holidays or any chance that we would get to escape from my family. This was the only place I could think of bringing you. I know you are still upset, so that's why you are here." No wonder he's so alone. His parents sent him away so that they could focus more on their work. I was still upset, but I wouldn't let that ruin what we have together now. In this short time, I learned a lot of things about him without uttering anything.

"My grandma reminds me of you. She was energetic and full of surprises. Her name was Maple. It is a weird name, I know, but it tells you who she really was. She wanted me to let go of some things, but I couldn't. I was too scared of what might happen. And what I might lose again. How beautiful she grows even when getting old. She was full of light in her last days." I never knew he could be so sentimental about one person. Behind that cold look was something much more. He was such a mystery. I wanted to explore the deepest parts of him so badly. I smiled at him. He stared out at the water where there seemed to be no end. Her name held so much color like October.

We talked for a bit about his grandmother when my mind wandered to a particular person. "What happened between you and Scarlett?"

"It has been months and I thought you'd never ask." He didn't seem bothered by the situation, but I could see he was troubled. He feared something.

"James, Scarlett, Mason, Gina, my sister who you saw the other day, and I grew up together. We went to the same schools, but things changed once we started college." Why does everything change when you go to college? I don't get it. Yeah, we meet new people, but what changes? I've heard many stories of when the other significant other heads out for college and sometimes, in the long run, one of them cheats or maybe before that they were cheating. I'm now convinced that Scarlett cheated. It couldn't be anything else. She seems to be like that type of girl who goes around and fucks anyone who has a title with rich in it.

"Gina moved because she wanted to start her own clothing line. My step-mom disapproved of her career choice, saying that it was a waste of time. She always chooses a career for us. But our dad was a different man. He supported us regardless of what we chose, but being in a toxic family didn't help out at all. It ruined us in every way possible." I almost forgot that the woman wasn't his real mother and he rarely talks about his mother. There was no picture of her anywhere in the media and just like that, I wish I could say what happened to your real mother.