"All these are really beautiful Achilles." Celia announced after listening to all the recordings. She caught him smiling to her compliment. "You should definitely do something about them."
"I definitely will," he promised as he took a turn that led them towards the beach.
"And make sure you send them to me. At least that way, I'll stay connected to you, with you so many miles away."
He smiled and gave a nod in agreement, pleased with her wish of wanting to stay connected to him.
"You know, we've been talking about me the whole night." He paused and turned to her for a second. "Let's talk about you."
"What's there to talk about?" She laughed. "We talked about you because you have such an interesting life, mine is as boring as it can get."
"That's what I wanna hear about, tell me about that boring life." He insisted.
"Where to start?" She cried. "I guess I better start by telling you I was never really like this."
"How do you mean?"
"I was an outgoing kid, but when I got older and more conscious of things around me, everything changed." There was a trace of regret in her voice.
"Did something happen?"
"No, not really. It's just that my sister has always been so perfect, the golden child and our parent's favorite. I have always lived in her shadow, because I feel I could never live up to her. She was always praised for everything she did." She paused to collect herself and he was patient, not interrupting once.
"I'm sure our parents never meant to make me feel lesser of a child but it happened. I chose to withdraw from most things, afraid that if I did attempt and fail, it would only assert that I wasn't as good as her."
He felt horrible for her, genuinely. How horrible living like that must be. He spoke, "You felt like if you didn't try, you could never fail."
"Yeah, precisely." She agreed. "Much easier to stay quiet, try not do anything that would seem like I'm competing with her and never reach the bar that she set so high. I opt to do things that are in my control like reading and writing, which translate to me staying indoors more often than not." She paused again. "At first it was just a coping mechanism but it slowly grew in me, I started finding joy in those activities and it became who I am."
"Damn Celia! That's a lot to carry," he admitted.
"It is what it is, I'm kinda used to it now." She sounded sad, and she was, and he knew.
He brought the car to a stop. "Well, tonight none of that matters, you're out here to live your best life. You don't have to worry about being in her shadow. It's just you and me out here."
A warm smile formed on her lips. She turned and looked at the ocean in front of them, with the water moving back and forth in perfect harmony. "Why are we at the beach?" She finally asked.
"Two things," he announced holding up two fingers. "Skinny dipping," he paused and watched her face, trying to read her emotions towards the suggestion.
Her eyes grew wide, surprised but also very much intrigued. That was so daring of him to suggest that, she liked it. The idea of stepping into the waters fully nude sent a rush of nervousness through her, but she didn't hate the idea. If she was ever going to do something like that, it might as well be with him. Just the thought of it was beyond exhilarating. She couldn't help but smile.
"What's the second thing?" She wanted to know.
"We'll sit by those rocks," he pointed out into the distance. "And watch the sunrise. You up for it?"
"Why the hell not?"
They alighted from the car and took steady steps to the beach where they removed their shoes and sighed at the sensation of the beach sand on their feet. He offered to carry her shoes as they walked towards the rocks, with the sound of the waves and the feel of the early morning breeze adding to the thrill.
He was first to undress, slipping off his shirt and handing it to her and she turned, giving him his privacy. Anticipation grew in her as she heard him undo hid belt and the rustling of his clothes. She turned to meet his warm and welcoming eyes after hearing the splash of water as he went in. She started to slowly undress and he turned away, facing the endless ocean. Celia got in and moved towards him, smiling as she opened her arms and tying them around him. She got instant goosebumps as the front of her naked body touched the back of his and she could almost feel him smile as their warm bodies got into contact.
They stood there for a while, allowing the ocean water to lap around them. Suddenly, he splashed water at her and she gasped letting go of him. She splashed water back at him and the fun water games began. They chased each other around the water, diving in, splashing all over the place. At one point, he unexpectedly scooped her up, his hands on her bare back and the other under her thighs. He spun her around in the water as her laughter rang across the beach. He got her to stand and stood in front of her, gently pushing back her wet hair that was plastered to her face.
"You're so beautiful Celia," he spoke softly and her face tuned pink.
Under the water, she felt his hand grab her by the waist and pull her in. Their bodies touched, pressed against each other as they leaned into each other, tasting the salt when their lips touched. It didn't bother either of them in the slightest. All that mattered was the moment they shared, telling each other things words never could.
It was a magical feeling, their bodies against each other, lips dancing in perfect harmony. They smiled at each other when they pulled away and held each other for a while. Thinking about the beautiful sensation the kiss gave them.