AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, but it’s not as well-known as some of the other ones. I’ve found it to be a great spot, especially during the day when many locals are at work.”
He sounded like he knew this place well. “Do you come here often?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been here a few times.”
Why did that make her a bit jealous? He didn’t say he’d brought another girl here. But that’s the image that crept into her mind, and she couldn’t shake it. He was a famous movie star. Why wouldn’t he have come with a girl? It soured her stomach.
“Let’s put our stuff here,” he said, stopping. They spread out their towels and plopped their beach bags on them, then he slipped off his sandals, took off his hat and sunglasses, and took her hand again. He grinned like a little kid. “Ready?”
She laughed. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Of course.” He pulled her closer to the water.
She followed him to the wet sand. The water slid over her feet and she steeled herself for the cold, but it wasn’t super cold. It was only the second time she’d ever been in ocean water, and she hadn’t expected that. “It’s not freezing.”
“The waves aren’t too high today, which gives the sun a chance to warm the water.” He walked farther in, and she followed. A large rock formation sat a few feet from the beach and they made their way to it.
“This is where the cave is?” She eyed the steel-gray rock. It didn’t look like anything special.
“Yep.”
The water grew deeper, coming up to her thighs, and a school of fish skittered away as they approached. It was amazing how clear the water was. The mouth of the cave came into view as they continued around the massive boulder.
“Watch your step here. You might find some sharp rocks.”
Remi picked her way around the stony entrance to the cave. As they got closer the water thinned, and by the time they were inside the cave the floor was dry. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust.
The walls of the cave were smooth, probably worn down by the sea water. Rocks jutted out of the floor of the cave, the largest one in the back. It looked like a bench, big enough for two people to sit on, almost like it was formed for that very purpose. While the cave was not massive, there was a hole in the left side that looked big enough for them to walk through. “Nice. Have you explored back in there?” she asked, pointing.
“Yes. Come with me.” He climbed to the back and ducked his head, disappearing into the dark hole.
Remi scrambled up the rocks to join him.
She found herself in another room of the cave, a triangle-shaped hole in the cave wall letting in light. The solid-rock floor had been worn by the water, cool and smooth under her toes. There were several places where it looked like walls had once existed, but the water had all but washed them out, leaving giant holes. A tide pool sat in the middle of the floor and Remi crept closer to look into it, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. She squatted next to it.
“This is my favorite part of the cave,” Colton said as he sat next to her. “There’s all kinds of cool things that live in this tide pool.”
A large purple anemone grew in one corner, the tentacle-like tendrils slowly moving in the water. An orange starfish clung to the side of the rock. She even spotted a jellyfish floating along. “Awesome.”
Colton leaned in to get a closer look, his shoulder brushing against hers. Her breath caught. “Last time I was here, there was a baby octopus in here.”
“How high does the water get when the tide comes in?”
Colton pointed to the cave wall. “You can see about where the water gets.” Sure enough, there was a clear line on the wall where the rock turned darker.
“That’s cool.”
They watched the sea life swimming in the tide pool for a while before a group of tween girls climbed into the main opening of the cave, laughing and making all kinds of noise. Colton put a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet, and rose to his feet. She stood when she saw he was climbing into the back of the cave. She followed. Once she was there, she could see another hole in the wall that had been hidden before. It led to a small room in the back.
A crack let in a sliver of light, but otherwise they were encased in darkness. There was just enough room for two people to stand upright.
“What are we doing?” she asked after a moment when he didn’t do anything else.
“Hiding,” he whispered.
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to get found.” The expression on his face almost made her burst out laughing.
