w 1 t n e s s

twelve

I intended to be with Halle until the nineteenth of June. Then I would be headed to Vegas for the NHL awards ceremony. I hoped I would be able to come back before she had to work. Right now, it was only May twenty fourth. I had a decent amount of time to reconcile with the sweet blonde.

Our flight wasn't terribly long. Kirby and I played games on our phones and listening to music to pass the time. By the time we landed, I was a mess of nerves. Kirby was cool, calm, and collected. It was like our roles have been reversed. Normally I was the relaxed one. Kirby was always worrying and hyper. Though he was nothing compared to some of our other teammates.

We rented a car at the Charleston Airport. The drive would take around an hour from the city to the island. I let Kirby drive, considering he was relaxed and calmer. Like the flight, I passed the time listening to music. When we were ten minutes from the sea, Kirby put the windows down. The smell of ocean air, humid and sticky, was so foreign. I'd been to the beach before, but not like this. When I was younger, I'd gone on day trips to the coast of New England. This was already different in so many ways. I was completely out of my element.

The house was massive. At least, bigger than I'd been expecting based on the online pictures. It was a light shade of brown, and the front was partially hidden by trees. Based on the map and the streets, we were right on the beach. Kirby pulled into the speckled driveway, which curved to an overhang garage area that was open on three sides. A dark grey Toyota was already parked on one side. Kirby pulled our black rental Volvo into the second spot. I quickly shot a text to Halle, hoping she was home. As soon as she'd read the text, my phone started to ring.

"Hey, you shoulda told me when you landed!" She was yelling into my ear. I held the phone away from my head slightly. There was commotion on her end. It sounded like the wind.

"You're not home?"

"No we're on the boat! I'll get them to circle back and drop me off." More muffled, she spoke to someone off the phone. "Do you want to come? Are you sure? Ok." She returned to full volume. "I'll be there in a few. Let yourselves in if you want, spare key is under the grill on the back porch." I put my phone back in my pocket, shaking my head.

Kirby and I lugged our bags out of the trunk, pulling them up the steps around the back of the house. Once we were on the elevated porch, we paused. I had been right. The house was directly on the beach. A wooden walkway lead from the house down to the sand, leaving a trail through tall sea grasses to the water. It was a stunning view.

Like Halle had promised, the key was under the large chrome grill wedged in the corner of the porch. I fished the key out of its metal covering, unlocking the glass sliding door. Kirby went first as I replaced the key. He gently pushed the gauzy white curtains away from the entrance, revealing the living room. It wasn't the most modern interior, but I had to admire the white and tan tones that were contrasted by the dark hardwood floor. I let my bags fall onto the floor by the couch, collapsing onto the cream material. As soon as I sat, Kirby said something that made me stand up again.

"Hey, I think Halle's coming." He was standing in the open sliding door, partially holding the curtain back. I joined him, watching as a figure approached from the beach. I had to shield my eyes from the sun's position in the sky. The harsh glare prevented me from making out who the person was.

The closer they got, the more my nerves grew. Hair so blonde it reflected the sun's glare painfully. Tan skin that was sharp against the pale sand. And as she grew closer, a smile that sent a flush of heat down my body and a grin just as big to cross my face. I tried to ignore how she was only wearing a bikini top. I was thankful for the loose shorts that she wore. As gracefully as a dancer, Halle bounced up the steps into the porch.