He’s probably refering to when I whispered in his ear, touched his hair, his necklace.
I nod. That shit was inappropriate.
But… isn’t he doing the exact same thing right now?
Before I can decide if it’s worth saying, the words are already out of my mouth.
“Just the way you are right now?”
His eyes flick over me, registering the space, or the lack of it.
He blinks as he quickly steps back.
The silence that follows is awkward as hell, neither of us knowing how to break it. A sudden violin solo cuts through the air.
Bollocks, that’s my phone.
I fish it out of my pocket.
“You set an alarm?” Yosh asks, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah.” I stuff my phone away. “I wanted to catch today’s sunset.”
And then, for the first time since we met, I see a real, unguarded smile on his face.
“Don’t just stand there,” he says, nodding toward the infinity terrace. “It happens fast. Come with me.”
We take a short walk past the guest studios, the sky shifting colors with every passing second. The infinity terrace is in front of us, offering an 180-degree view. We reach the railing just in time for the show to begin.
The sun sinks fast, melting into the horizon like warm caramel over chocolate. The water catches the last of the light, turning the waves into liquid gold. And the sky, holy fuck, the sky. It’s like someone went nuts with a paintbrush, throwing every shade of pink, purple, and orange together without a plan. But somehow, it works, and it results in a perfect aquarelle.
I fold my arms, leaning on the railing, watching all of it.
Yosh is doing the same. He must’ve seen this a thousand times, but I guess you never get used to it.
I turn my gaze back to the water because I don’t want to miss a second of it.
It takes, what, a minute? Maybe less? One blink and the sun’s gone.
But the show isn’t done yet. The colors intensify and turn into a darker blue. The world is cooling around us, but the sky burns alive in the afterglow.
“The Caribbean lights.” Yosh sighs beside me. “I try to catch every sunset and every sunrise. In those few minutes, I go over everything in my life I’m grateful for.”
There’s something about the way he says it that catches my interest. It’s not the expected Arcadia performance. Being this mindful is part of him.
“That sounds like… a grounding thing to do.” I’m not quite sure what the right response is.
Yosh turns to me. “Tell me, Tom. What are you grateful for?”
My fingers tighten around the railing, an orchestra of crickets appearing in my upstairs chambers.
“Uhh… I’m grateful for music.”
He hums softly, waiting for more.
“And… I guess I’m grateful Jay sent me here? I mean, I do want to turn my life around. I just don’t know how.”
“That’s okay. You’ll figure it out as you go. What matters is being willing to work on yourself, the rest will follow.”
