Strings of Destiny

6

The waves rolled in, steady and rhythmic, their hushed whispers spread across the shore like a secret carried by the wind. Golden Gardens stretched before him, a quiet expanse of sand and driftwood, the sky above smeared with the last traces of daylight. The sun was beginning its descent, bleeding gold and crimson across the water. It reflected in the rippling surface like liquid fire, casting flickering highlights along the crests of the waves. Seagulls hovered lazily over the tide, their cries distant, lost in the open air. Eddie gripped the steering wheel, fingers stiff, his knuckles paling under the pressure. He had no idea what he was doing here. But he did know that when Alara had responded, he hadn't hesitated to read it. Hadn't hesitated to check the time. Hadn't hesitated to get in the damn car and drive. Now, parked at the edge of the lot, staring out at the water, he hesitated. His thumb drummed against the wheel. He should get out. He should step onto the sand, feel the cold bite of winter air against his skin, prepare himself for whatever the hell this was going to be. But instead, his mind betrayed him. Because the moment he looked out at the beach - at that exact spot where the land sloped toward the dunes, where the shoreline curved - they kissed for the first time.

The air had been warmer that night, thick with late-summer salt, carrying the scent of burning driftwood from a bonfire farther down the beach. They had walked for a while, side by side, their hands brushing but never fully touching. Eddie had stolen glances at her every few steps. Alara, barefoot in the sand, denim rolled up to her knees, her arms wrapped around herself against the sea breeze. God, she was so beautiful.... There was an ease in the way she moved, an effortless kind of beauty, but it wasn't just that. It was the way she saw things. The way she made him see things. How she had talked about her marine bio project with so much passion that it had made him want to save the Sound as well. The way she'd stop every now and then just to feel something, sand between her toes, the water rushing over her ankles, the breeze in her hair, like she was memorizing the world. And him? He was memorizing her. Somewhere along the walk, she had stopped, turned to face the water. She hadn't looked at him right away. She had just stared at the waves, her arms tightening around herself.

Then, after a long moment...

"You know, I really like talking to you."

Eddie had laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah?"

She had nodded, finally turning to face him, her lips curling slightly. "Yeah."

And fuck... he had wanted to kiss her.

The thought had slammed into him so hard, that it nearly stole his breath. But he had fought it. Like he had been fighting all the time. She was eighteen. She was so damn young, and he was, what, twenty-six? He had no business feeling like this. But it was there, in every nerve ending, in every pulse beneath his skin. And then... Alara had shifted closer. So close that he could smell the faint salt on her skin, see the way her pulse fluttered against her throat.

"You're staring," she whispered.

Eddie swallowed hard, looking away, but not far enough.

"Yeah," he admitted, his voice rough. "I know."

And then... she kissed him.

Not shy. Not uncertain. Just Alara, fearless, intuitive, sure.

Her hands grasped the collar of his flannel, the fabric bunching between her fingers, and then her lips were on his. A soft, fleeting press, hesitant for only a breath before deepening, before turning into something undeniable. Eddie froze at first, his brain short-circuiting, his body torn between pulling her in and pushing her away. But then... then he felt her. The way her fingers tightened slightly, as if bracing for the possibility that he might pull back. The way her lips were warm and soft against his, just a little bit unsure, but not afraid. And something inside him snapped.