Where the Skies are Blue

Chapter Two:

My stomach grumbles as I lean against the kitchen counter, Katherine draped over Henry, as he continues to tell us how excited he is to have us here. We'll see how long that excitement lasts. How long before it wears off and he wants us gone?

"Why don't we have dinner together tonight? Either go out or make something here?" he asks and looks between the two of us.

Katherine wraps her arms around his waist, acting like they're already in love. "That would be great! Don't you agree, Auden? Why don't we eat out? Take a look at the town a bit."

"Perfect!" Henry smiles down at her, then peers back at me. "Is that alright with you, Auden?"

I nod silently.

"Great! Also, Auden, in the yard, there are stairs that lead right down to the beach. So, if you ever want to go out and take a walk, we've got easy access." He walks closer to me and points with his finger towards the window. I turn and look out at the ocean. "This whole strand of the beach here is private for our houses, but if you go around those rocks, it leads to the main beach where most kids your age hang out."

The ocean is just as pretty as in the movies. The light, blue water. The seagulls flying in the sky. The sand looks so soft, like my feet will sink right in. There's a girl walking along the shore, tossing a tennis ball for her dog.

I keep trying to tell myself to not get excited.

Henry turns away from me, "I'll go make us a reservation for some place I know you guys will love. Go ahead and explore, Auden." He exits the kitchen just as Katherine sweeps over to me, bringing herself close to me, her voice a hush.

"Go down to the beach." She orders me.

I give her a look. "Why? So, you can try to seduce Henry into believing we're someone we're not?"

Her eyes are daggers, her jaw tight. "No, baby, I just want to have wonderful sex with him, and I don't want you here." She brings herself closer to me. "We can be whoever we want to be, Auden. This can be our life too."

"It's not though. This isn't real. He's going to see through the bullshit, Katherine." I tell her.

She grabs the straps of her revealing tank top, and shimmies it further up. "No bullshit, baby. This is the new and improved version of ourselves. Finally, something good is happening to us, so don't fuck it up." She blows me a kiss before scurrying out of the kitchen.

If anyone is going to fuck it up, it's her. It's always her. She destroys everything. Leaving a trail of broken marriages behind her.

I finally decide to leave when I hear her moans coming from upstairs. Trying to not throw up, I make my way out onto the porch. The yard isn't so much a yard, more of a large deck with stairs leading down to the beach. The deck consists of a firepit and some patio furniture. No fences for privacy. I can see all the other decks of the other houses, a long row of them along this private beach.

When I reach the sand, I bask in the feeling of it. The softness. The way it squishes between my toes. It's everything I thought it would be. Leaning down, I roll up the bottom of my jeans.

The sun is still warm as it beats down on me. Walking down to the water, I let it come up and touch my toes. Somewhat cold, but not too bad. The continuous sound of the waves crashing against the shore ignites a stillness in me. A calm feeling. I've never felt this way before. Completely at peace. It's like nothing can hurt me here.

It is nice to know I've left my troubles behind in Arizona. All the people who talked badly about me. All the horrible men my mom brought over. All the shit that I couldn't wait to escape.