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The walls are a light grey/blue color with white crown molding and light ash wood furniture. It’s very light and beachy, and I can envision the final touches it needs in order for it to feel homey and complete.
Tyler rocks back on his heels. He goes to leave, but stops in the doorway. “Seriously, though, if you need me, El, just wake me up.”
“I will.” I nod.
The look in his eyes tells me he doesn’t want to leave me alone and would much rather have me in his bed and not this one, but I can’t do that.
If I spend the night with him – next to him, in his arms, touching – I’ll feel connected to him in an even more intimate way than having sex. It’ll feel like this is more than friendship.
He doesn’t want that, and I don’t want that. I have to keep my boundaries.
“’Night, Tyler,” I whisper, needing him to leave before I beg him to stay.
“Goodnight,” he croaks, rubbing his jaw.
I let out a lungful of air when I hear his footsteps heading back downstairs, and I methodically get ready for bed. Climbing under the covers, I stare at the ceiling, sleep now the last thing on my mind.
Is Tyler back in his room yet? Is he changing into sweats? Does he sleep naked?
Oh, Lord have mercy.
I won’t get a wink of sleep tonight if all I can picture is him naked across the hall.
This was the worst idea – coming here.
I toss and turn for over an hour, and I’m not tired in the least.
Sighing, I throw the covers off and walk over to the window.
“Wow,” I breathe. Even though the room isn’t directly facing the ocean like Tyler’s, I can still see it from here. The bright moon reflects off the surface, and a few lights dot the water out in the distance from boats.
It would be a dream to live in a house like this. In a place like this. It’s all absolutely stunning.
I know I won’t get any sleep anytime soon, so I throw on a sweatshirt and my shoes, and tiptoe downstairs, trying to be as quiet as I can. I hear nothing but silence as I walk through the darkened house, and I hope I don’t wake him as I sneak out the back door and into the cool night air.
The breeze blowing off the water sends a chill through me, and I shove my hands in the front pocket of my sweatshirt.
With only the light of the moon to guide me, I carefully make my way over to a bench that sits close to the rocks, and look down the slope of boulders. The Atlantic breaks up towards me, but luckily not in the vicinity to ever reach me.
Taking a seat, I cross my legs and hug my arms around my middle. All I hear is the ocean and the breeze rustling the nearby trees. Closing my eyes, I take in a deep breath of fresh, salty sea air.
With the moon almost full, its light swallows up the vast sky of stars I know are there, but can’t see right now.
Scanning the horizon, I look over to the left and smile. I can see the rotating beam of a lighthouse out in the distance that I hadn’t noticed before.
Getting lost in thought, I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here, but when I feel the breeze blowing through my sweatshirt, chilling me bone deep, I decide it’s probably time to head in.
“Don’t leave on my account,” Tyler says right behind me when I stand to leave.
Gasping, my legs give out, and I plop back down on the bench. “Oh my god, Tyler!” I whisper scream. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!” My heart is pounding in my chest double-time, and my forehead breaks out in a light sweat.
“Sorry,” he says sheepishly, genuinely regretful. “I thought you heard me walking.”
“No, I wasn’t paying attention.”
Sitting next to me, he hands me a blanket, and I smile warmly at him, draping it over the both of us. “Thank you.”
“I saw you only had on a sweatshirt, and you’ve been out here a while.”
