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His words come to a stop and he watches me intently, waiting for my reaction. I’m surprised but I’m not shocked. He doesn’t look like the clean-cut kind of guy so I would’ve been flabbergasted if he was.
“What are you thinking?” he says, his eyes cautious. “Are you thinking that’s another thing that sets us apart?”
“Yes, but I don’t hold it against you. It would be so boring if we were all the same.” Reaching out, I put my hand on his arm. “And I’ll help you out. Help you settle.”
“You don’t have to...,” Troy starts saying but his mouth is twitching as if he’s trying to hide a pleased grin.
“I want to,” I interrupt, giving his arm a playful squeeze. “My services in exchange for yours.”
“What services would that be?” Troy asks in a raspy, carnal voice. He tilts his head to the side and I turn flustered, running ahead of him and do a pirouette.
“You said you’d fix that window those kids broke, remember?” I laugh nervously and he gives me a long look, his eyes sliding down my legs and it feels as if he’s touching me. He’s a couple of feet away and yet it feels as if he’s up close. His eyes aren’t blinking, his muscles splay underneath his white t-shirt and my skin tingles with sudden arousal.
“Shame,” Troy murmurs, his tone full of sexual innuendo, “I thought that maybe you were referring to something else.”
I gawk, because I can’t believe he said that. Is he always this forward with girls or am I...special? I don’t get the chance to ask before something playful flares in his eyes and he lunges at me, tossing me over the shoulder and I squeal.
He spins me around and I laugh so hard, that a dog starts barking from a balcony at our shenanigans.
“Put me down,” I peep but Troy seems intent on keeping me propped up on his shoulders and I feel a flash of panic when he rushes into the sea. “No seriously, put me down Troy.”
My panic rises when the waves crash against his ankles and I start screaming. “Stop, stop! I can’t touch the water...Troy please...,” my voice chokes in my throat.
He tenses, grabbing a firmer hold around me then walks up to the shore and puts me down.
Falling to my knees into the sand, I put my head in my hands while Troy stands beside me but he doesn’t say anything. I don’t blame him. That wasn’t a normal reaction. Horror flashes through me when tears start streaming down my face. They wet my cheeks, turn everything blurry and the sun doesn’t feel warm anymore but cold.
I shift when Troy goes down on his haunches and his voice is endearingly mild when he speaks.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know, had I known you were scared...”
Shaking my head, I murmur, “I didn’t tell you. You probably thought I love the ocean considering I live close by.”
“I did but apparently not.”
Reaching forward, he brushes a tear off my face then rubs it between his thumb and forefinger. I feel his touch on my face long after and wrap my arms around my knees.
“When I was seven, I was on a small boat in the sea with my family,” I begin, dragging a deep breath, “I was stupidly not wearing a lifejacket and the boat tilted. I rolled around and around, unable to gasp for oxygen and by the time they caught me, I was unconscious.”
Troy winces, looking off in the distance. If I didn’t know better I’d say he wishes he could go back in time, and beat everyone up for not saving me immediately.
“Anyhow,” I say in a low tone, “I’ve been terrified of the sea ever since but I hope that one day, I’ll be able to get over it.” Letting out a nervous laugh, I gulp, “Haven’t really told that story to anyone.”
“Not even Robbie?” Troy asks, his voice a mixture of dread and hopefulness.
“No,” I mutter, “absolutely not. He wouldn’t understand.”
“I do,” Troy says quickly. “I understand.”
A smile tugs at my lips and I watch him happily, self-consciously...almost as if I’m developing a crush. “I knew you would.”
He rises, helping me up and keeps his arm around me the whole way back. I never pull away or ask him to take it down. I feel sheltered when I’m close to him and it’s an addictive feeling, makes my limbs feel warm and heavy as if I’m lying around in a steamy hot bath.
Other people pass us by and the couples smile knowingly at us, as if they think we’re a couple too. It rattles me and I wonder if Troy wants to put some distance between us but he just holds me tighter.
No distance needed between us, apparently.
We still hold on to each other as we walk up the staircase up to the house and our hips brush. I throw Troy a glance and he glances back, but the look in his eyes is different this time. It’s not playful anymore. His gaze is boring into mine, pinning me up against an invisible wall and holding me there.
