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Lexie
Nav’sscentwaswafting through her senses, sending her back in time. The smell of fresh rain and mossy wood mixed with the crisp sea breeze around them sent a pleasant elixir through her mind. His scent had always been mysterious and captivating for her. It reminded her of the home where she grew up, and the way the forest smelled after a fresh downpour in the summer–earthy wet dirt from the cool rain mixed with the afternoon heat. It was always a welcoming smell and she wanted to dive right into his neck and inhale more of it.
Butterflies flitted around her stomach, the scent of him sending her back in time. College was in full swing and they had fallen into a steady rhythm of attending classes. They knew each other’s schedules and walked together across campus, meeting up for lunch each day. This particular day was the last day of classes before a long weekend break. Nav left a note on her dorm door, asking her to meet him at the marina.
She exited her car and walked up to the long dock. Nav was sitting in his usual spot at the end, his body angled forward against the metal railing with both arms resting on top. He was staring off into the water, his fishing pole leaning in a similar pose beside him.
She tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket, the breeze from the open water blowing a chill through her. As he turned his head glancing at her, a smile crested on his beautifully tanned face. His long curls were bouncing in a frame along his face, the sun leaving an angelic glow behind him. Her stomach tilted on an axis thinking about how the handsome man standing five feet away was all hers.
She quickened her pace and wrapped her arms around him as she approached. Nav’s hand tangled in the auburn curls bouncing along her back. He draped his strong arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “Hello, my beautiful Lou.”
“Hello, my handsome Nav.”
He laughed and pulled her tighter to him. “Thanks for meeting me out here,” he said, tilting his head toward hers.
“Oh of course. Is everything alright?” she asked, her voice cracking. She felt a sense of nervous anxiety wash over her, wondering why Nav wanted to meet her out here at the marina. It made some sense--they had spent a lot of time here in high school, but they hadn’t been to the marina together in months. Not since Nav cut back on his hours when school started.
“Yeah, I just...we haven’t had a lot of time alone together since college started and I missed us. Missed this.”
She stared up at Nav for a moment, with a wrinkled brow. “We’re together every day.”
“I know, but we always seem to be around other people. I miss our time, just us″ he said as he looked down at her.
Lexie thought for a moment. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Is there something you had in mind for tonight?”
“I thought maybe we could just fish off the dock like we used to? I brought you a pole, too,” he said as he released his arm from around her back and motioned to a second pole sitting in the water next to his.
“Sounds fantastic,” she said, leaning back in for another hug.
Nav turned her face toward his and moved his head down letting his lips brush against hers. They spent that night together, out far too late laughing, tossing fish back into the water, and sneaking kissing in between.
As she pulled back to reality she thought about how she always felt Nav was the best version of himself when they were in solitude with one another. Surrounded by groups of people, Nav always seemed to get lost in the moments around them, wandering off into groups or buying rounds of shots for people they didn’t even know. He was always the life of the party, always well-liked, and always spontaneous. She found herself falling into a similar lifestyle in college, letting her outgoing personality shine for everyone to see. She made friends easily and was always up for a good time, but when she found herself wanting to wind down with Nav, he was still going paying little attention to her and her needs. At the time, that was all she wanted. She wanted to be able to go off in different directions and have a good time when they were out, but at the end of the night be the one he reached for.
Walking into the saloon now, the lights inside were dimmed, but the glow from outside was shining in through the window. The dark waters stretched out around them and Lexie felt an ominous worry wash over her.
She glanced out the window to see Eagle and Sedona snuggled together on the bench seat and Payson and Avanna sitting across from them. They appeared to be deep in conversation. Adam and Kennedy were nowhere to be found, likely in bed or on the upper deck. Lexie took a step toward Eagle and Sedona, but thought better of it and went in the opposite direction out toward the trampoline. Now that they were parked, the thought of laying above the water and staring at the stars was exactly what she needed. She cautiously stepped onto the mesh material and lowered herself into a seated position.
She had left Nav behind, not telling her where she was going, so she wasn’t entirely surprised when his voice interrupted the calmness surrounding her.
“What are you doing out here? Thought maybe you’d join everyone else.”
“I have plenty of time on this trip to spend with everyone else,” she said as she glanced in his general direction, not really able to see his face in the dark of night. She lowered her back against the mesh allowing herself to melt into the weightlessness she felt as the cool air from below matched the cool air above. It felt as if she was floating through the evening sky and at that moment she felt so close to Oliver. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly in and out. She had never been much into religion, but Oliver was. Imagining Oliver in heaven watching over her helped with her grief. But tonight...tonight she felt him right beside her. The trepidation she felt toward rekindling a friendship with Nav was waning, making way for the calmness of past comforts to wash across her.
