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Our intertwined fingers fit perfectly as Rhys guided me down a narrow path through the cliffs to the beach after dinner. The only thing blocking us from falling was a limply dangling fence made of worn rope and posts. A warm breeze nudged the gentle current as waves lapped, eager to touch us as we crossed the rocky beach.
I wiggled my fingers once Rhys let go of me, motioning for me to join him where the waves nipped the shore while tugging off his shoes.
“It’s the warmest water,” he told me. “Care to,” Rhys licked his lips while his dark eyes absorbed my expression, “take a dip?”
Kneeling on the rocky beach, Rhys placed one hand around each of my ankles as he unstrapped my sandals. I was too excited to focus on anything, with his fingertips caressing my ankle and calf while waiting for me to answer him. His touch trailed over my knee, grazing my thigh when he stood to meet me and tenderly press his lips against mine. Together, we stepped onto the shore, kissed by the subtle waves as our mouths couldn’t part, moving deeper into the water.
The fading sun was our only light as Rhys reached for the hem of my dress and gracefully pulled it over my head while I fumbled with the zipper on his pants. Our clothes landed in a pile on the rocks, somewhere near our shoes. My skin tingled with the warm water reaching my shoulders and Rhys’s body pressing against mine, his palms spreading around my hips as he lowered me onto him. The perfect pace he set, a rush not to be caught just like at the wedding, a desperation to cling to every sensation we poured into each other, had me screaming his name into his shoulder within minutes.
Clinging to Rhys’s firm shoulders, I closed my eyes. Again, he shattered everything perfectly, breaking away from what happened before that moment to bring me the solace I craved. Bobbing in the subtle current, I felt his arms tighten around my waist. I could’ve fallen asleep against him, secure in Rhys’s arms and affection, warm from the Mediterranean heat.
“Do you feel better?” He whispered into my ear, gently kissing a trail along my neck. I nodded my response, not sure if he could see because I was so blissfully weak. “Good.” His soft laughter against my shoulder roused me. “You’re nodding off, Mia. Let’s get you to bed.”
“Do we have to leave?” I whimpered as he started walking with me still linked around him. “I like it here.”
“We,” Rhys kissed me, “can come back whenever you want.”
Letting the remnants of the day’s warmth dry our skin while we sat on the rocks a few moments longer, we dressed and sluggishly walked back up to the main road, where I noticed the restaurant closed and only a spattering of people wandered the sidewalk. It wasn’t too far of a walk to the hotel, and I reveled in the comfort of being at Rhys’s side.
“What’s so funny?” He inquired, squeezing my shoulder as he held his arm around me. I hadn’t realized I even laughed out loud, but I told him the truth behind my thoughts.
“I just thought of my sister,” I admitted, “and how she’s probably never going to speak to either of us again.”
“Things could be worse.” Rhys grinned once we got to the hotel, holding the door open for me. “This could have never happened, and we’d be right back where we were.”
“I wouldn’t mind being where I was with you when she caught us.” I erupted into laughter as we entered the hotel lobby.
Rhys tousled my hair and pulled me along with him to our room. The warm evening air filtered in through the open balcony doors, filling the space with the sweet fragrance of the city.
We fell asleep almost instantly, just as our heads met the pillows and Rhys wrapped his arms around me. That’s the last I remember before waking up from a nightmare about Caleb. It was like the universe couldn’t let it go without a fight, without haunting me once more.
Rhys slept soundly next to me, his right arm draped over me. I tried to roll away without disturbing him, but his grip would tighten each time, so I squeezed a pillow between us and slinked away. My throat was tightening, and I tried not to let slip the cough or cry that would break the silence. I needed air. Grabbing a robe from the chair near our bed, I wrapped it around me without even tying the belt, too rushed to take a breath on the balcony. I clung to my sides and closed my eyes after latching the door behind me.
I hated how Caleb was in Italy, that my mind even considered him while I slept in Rhys’s arms. Stiffening at the sound of our balcony door opening behind me, I wiped my tears and held my breath.
“Mia,” Rhys whispered hesitantly. “What’s wrong?”
I looked over the buildings below us, counting the ceramic roofs to anchor myself when I felt too guilty to allow his voice to do that for me. “I had a bad dream,” I confessed, hoping he wouldn’t catch the tremble in my voice.
“About Caleb?” He approached, leaning his hips against the balcony and lifting my chin. His sympathetic smile softened my nerves, his tired eyes on mine. “You said his name a few times in your sleep.”
“Is three months and barely seeing each other enough for you to know you love me, Rhys?”
“Life is short, Mia. I don’t need to see you every day for my heart to want what it wants. I want to see you every day, and I know that’s not possible. You don’t need to tell me you love me, and only me, for me to know how I feel. I’ll wait for you because I know you need time, and that’s something I love about you.”
“I don’t want you to wait for me when I’m right here,” I expressed, turning to him. Rhys reached for me, my robe parting as he pulled me against him and kissed my forehead.
“Do you still love him?”
His question stopped my heart. I thought about dinner, how sick I’d felt seeing Caleb in the life we’d planned, and how right everything felt with Rhys.
“I love you,” I replied, closing my eyes against his chest. “Little pieces chip away every day, like I’m distancing myself from the memory and expectation everyone had for me. I didn’t think I’d be able to see him again, that I’d actually…”
I caught myself, needing a moment to gather my words. As he inhaled, Rhys’s grasp around me tightened, and I let the overwhelming feeling of his patience and security balance me. Continuing my thought, I trailed my hands over his warm shoulders, deeply searching his stare.
“I didn’t think I wouldn’t care anymore,” I told him. “There’s a piece of me that will care about me then, taking what I learned and remembering those lessons.”
Rhys was too quiet, listening to me while tickling my back and holding me against him. I hadn’t answered his question, but now I wasn’t sure how genuine it would feel. Regardless, I offered him the truth, the realization that strengthened with every moment alone, and now with Rhys.
