Day soon wore into dusk, which wore into evening, the sun dipping for good behind the horizon, plunging the beach into silver moonlight. The peaceful lapping of the waves, kissing the shoreline, however, proved too hypnotizing for the group to leave; now that the majority of the tourists and other visitors had left, the place was tranquil and quiet, broken only by the distant laughter of a group further down the beach, and faint sounds from the town.
April lay on her back in the sand, her head pillowed on her rolled up towel, staring at the sky above. It was dark black, and looked like velvet, each star its own jewel against it. It all seemed so impossibly beautiful that it sort of took her breath away. Morgie, Oscar and Will were chatting lightly beside her, but she was too relaxed to listen properly, letting her body melt into the sand below her.
Everything was so calm, so perfect, that she felt her eyes drift shut, her lashes brushing her cheeks, her toes curling into the sand beneath them. She was aware only of her breathing, in and out, in and out…
However, when a crackle, followed by the smell of smoke suddenly burst into her consciousness, she sat up abruptly, looking around. Next to her, Ezra and Oscar were setting about building a camp fire, using old bricks and a load of driftwood they’d found. April rubbed her eyes. She must have dropped off.
Morgie suddenly plopped down next to them with a bag from the nearest convenience store, from which was protruding a large packet of marshmallows.
‘What’s going on?’ April asked.
‘Hello sleepy head,’ Morgie said cheerfully, eyeing the growing fire before her with a smile. ‘You dropped off.’
April laughed. ‘I can’t believe I did,’ she said. ‘I must have just been too tired. Are we having a bonfire?’
Morgie nodded. ‘It was Laurel’s idea,’ she explained, with a smile at the girl in question.
‘I thought of the marshmallows!’ put in Oscar, proudly.
‘As if you needed to be told that,’ Morgie said dryly, cheekily giving her boyfriend a swift pinch on the bum, making him turn around and raise his eyebrows at her.
‘God, you’re outrageous,’ he said affectionately, quickly leaning in and pecking her on the lips.
April watched as Morgie drew back quickly, guiltily shooting a glance at Laurel, who was deliberately looking at her feet.
Soon, flames were shooting up, flaring into the sky in bright orange and yellow tongues of fire, the crackle of burning driftwood one of those beautifully perfect sounds which cannot be described. Morgie sighed as the smell of the smoke drifted her way.
‘This is perfect,’ she said dreamily, as everyone shifted closer to the fire, sitting in a vague circle.
Oscar smiled at her, as she leant ever so slightly against him. ‘Mm?’
She nodded. ‘Fresh night air; fire; friends… what more could you want?’
‘Marshmallows?’ suggested Oscar, looking at the bag which contained them at Morgie’s feet.
Morgie looked at him with a wry smile. ‘Food, food, food,’ she said despairingly, but she was already ripping the packet open, and passing them around.
Unfortunately, none of them had really considered how they were going to melt them, so soon Will and Ezra vanished off to attempt to find some sticks suitable for toasting marshmallows on. Meanwhile, Morgie was tasked with the near impossible challenge of keeping Oscar from devouring the entire packet uncooked.
‘They just taste so good,’ he groaned, licking his lips.
Morgie rolled her eyes. ‘Have some self control, man!’ she commanded him. ‘Don’t be so pathetic!’
Oscar stuck out his bottom lip. ‘Okay,’ he said sadly.
Ezra and Will eventually reappeared with some long sticks which didn’t look like they’d burn too quickly, and soon the six of them were getting covered in marshmallow as they attempted to eat them in a dignified manner. The only one to stay reasonably clean was Laurel, who seemed to have mastered the culinary skills necessary to cook hers for the perfect amount of time; slightly charred on the outside, and gooey inside, but not so gooey that it exploded all over her, like Will’s had done several times. He watched her smugly eat her perfectly cooked one, lit by firelight, and smiled. She was adorable.
Ezra’s eyes were trained in on the fire, watching the mesmerizing dance of the flames, the different colours and shapes all flickering in constant movement. Fire was pretty amazing, he had to admit, and always slightly hypnotizing; he always found that he couldn’t look away, not quite. Perhaps that was why he’d always found smoking so attractive: the fire and the smoke were just something he enjoyed.
He felt like he could sit there for hours. It was kind of weird for him. He had been planning to go out clubbing again tonight, perhaps find another girl willing to share her bed with him, but somehow, he felt perfectly content just sitting here on the beach, watching the flames lap at the driftwood.
He glanced up, noticing April too staring into the red hot centre of the fire. She, too, was looking meditative, and he wondered whether he was occupying her mind. The whole kiss thing last night had been something of a blur for him, but he knew he’d made an absolute arse of himself. He’d bloody dragged her out, for goodness sake. For some reason, he just couldn’t seem to let go when it came to April, and seeing her kissing that guy had just been the last straw.
Perhaps he should have a word with her about it?
The firelight threw shadows across her face. It was a beautiful face, that was for sure, perfectly sized and shaped features, full lips, long lashes; a natural beauty which she made the most of, emphasizing with her make up. No wonder that guy had been all over her. He had once found her bewitching too, so seductive and enticing, he’d just had to be with her. She’d been magical, at first, alighting him with passion, and also making him laugh whenever he was with her. She’d had a wry sense of humour, and a fun nature, making her the perfect companion. He’d always looked forward to seeing her; he’d get anxious and miss her embarrassingly when she was away.
So when had things gone so wrong? He wasn’t sure, really. He hadn’t really understood what was happening, just that they were drifting apart, and arguing more than they were enjoying time with each other.
She’d changed. He’d changed. They had no longer complemented each other. So it had all gone wrong.
April looked up from the flames and met his gaze. She flinched.
Ezra frowned down at the fire, averting his eyes from her. This wasn’t going to get them anywhere. Maybe if they talked it over, they could work things out, or something. Anything would be better than this awkwardness.
He got up, and went over to her side. ‘Come for a walk with me?’ he asked, before he could change his mind.
April looked up at him in surprise, her expression of shock soon turning to one of wariness. ‘What for?’
He shrugged. ‘Please?’
She looked at Morgie, who smiled supportively, and then got up, with the air of one who is yielding with great reluctance, joining him. She hadn’t got any shoes on, and her toes curled into the sand.
He smiled in the most friendly way that he could, then set off. She walked along next to him, keeping a little way apart from him, as if she was scared of getting too close. He supposed that he couldn’t really blame her. Their last meeting hadn’t gone too well, all things considered. What he remembered of it hadn’t been great, anyway.
They walked along in silence for a little way, the music of the waves rushing perpetually against the sand their soundtrack. After a while, Ezra glanced at her sideways, noting her eyes were trained firmly onto the ground, her arms hugged to her chest.
‘Um, I guess I just wanted to kind of apologise for yesterday night,’ he said, with great difficultly. Apologising had never been his strong point.
She glanced up at him. ‘It was a bloody weird thing to do,’ she said, finally.
He shrugged. ‘I was drunk.’
‘So that makes it okay?’ she inquired dryly.
Ezra bit his lip to attempt to stop himself making a cutting remark. This wasn’t going well so far.
‘I guess it was just hard for me to see you with someone else,’ he admitted.
April frowned. ‘Why? We split up. You’ve clearly moved on with all those other girls.’
He saw the hurt in her eyes as she said this, and wondered if she’d moved on. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t really read girls, he didn’t want to piss her off, again.
‘I just do it because I’m a dick when I’m drunk,’ he said, and as he spoke, his own words struck him with how honest he was being. Yeah, he was a dick when he was drunk. It wasn’t fair on the girls he was sleeping with, that he was just using them for a quick rush. Not that they seemed to mind, that being said.
‘Yeah, well you’re a dick when you’re sober too, Ezra,’ she retorted, and he was stunned by the venom, the acidity of the tone with which she said his name.
He stared at the ground. ‘You’re not exactly making this easy for me,’ he said roughly.
‘Yeah?’ April retorted. ‘Neither are you. Why did you drag me out here?’
‘I just thought we needed to talk,’ he said.
‘Talk, then.’ She looked pissed off. He was starting to get pissed off too; he’d taken the initiative here, she should be kinder.
‘I’m trying, but you’re like a brick wall at the moment.’
‘Wow, thanks.’ April kicked at a stone in front of her angrily, and it skittered across the beach before her. ‘Look, this isn’t easy for me. I can’t help thinking about the old times, with you being here, and it’s a bloody nuisance, alright?’
Ezra stopped, reaching out and lightly touching her arm. ‘April-‘
She stopped too, looking up at him, arms still hugged to her chest. Ezra closed his eyes, briefly. ‘We didn’t work out together.’
‘Obviously.’
‘And it was a while ago.’
‘Months ago.’
‘So why are we still like this?’ he asked.
April moved her lips, but no sound came out. She shook her head instead.
He hadn’t intentionally moved closer, but somehow, their lips were brushing, and soon, he found himself melting into her, arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, her hands soon creeping up around his neck, toying with the hair on the back of his head. His lips grazed against hers again and again, tongues mingling, little sighs escaping her mouth. It was the most PG kiss he’d had in a while, but soon the passion overwhelmed them, and he was full on moaning as her teeth nipped his tongue, his hands roving all over her body.
One of her legs was half wrapped around one of his, her arms clinging onto him as he explored her neck with his mouth, teasing the skin with his tongue and teeth. She groaned slightly, arching into him…
Then it seemed to hit her. Freezing, she suddenly went as stiff as a board in his arms, and, though he was making his way back up to her mouth, she abruptly pushed away from him, with such a force that she almost stumbled over.
She was panting heavily, and, eyes slightly clouded by lust, Ezra could only watch as her expression crumbled. ‘What the hell, Ezra?’ she breathed, her tone of voice bordering on hysterical. ‘Ezra, what… I thought you just wanted to talk.’
‘I did!’ he protested, also out of breath. ‘I did, but I-‘
‘You clearly didn’t, you pervert!’ she shrieked. ‘You were just off looking for another quick shag, weren’t you?!’ She stumbled away from him. ‘Why did I ever even…?’ She stopped, shaking her head. ‘You disgust me, Ezra,’ she choked, and, as she ran, all Ezra could do was watching, recognizing the familiar beginning stages of April breaking into tears. She was on her way to the hotel, by the looks of things, and there was no way in hell that he was going to follow. He’d tried his hardest. But nothing was bloody good enough for her.
Angrily kicking the nearby wall that marked the end of the beach, which did his foot more harm than anything, he reached into his pocket for a cigarette, and moodily stormed off to find a place where he could be alone.
*
Back at the camp fire, Morgie was feeling a little anxious about April and Ezra. They’d been gone a while, and, judging by April’s story of the night before, it didn’t sound like a good plan. The two of them clearly had unresolved issues, but Morgie just wasn’t sure that they’d be able to sort them out without it all ending in tears. Probably April’s. She’d never seen Ezra cry, and she doubted she ever would.
Will and Oscar were discussing something, chuckling together, and so she looked over at Laurel, using the cover of their loud conversation to have a private one with her.
‘Laurel? Are you… are you sure you’re okay about Oscar and I?’ she asked, in a low voice.
Laurel started, looking up from the flames. ‘I… er, yeah, sure,’ she replied.
‘Really, though?’ Morgie had been feeling terrible about the whole issue; it had been playing on her mind for the entire day, ever since she had found out, and wanted to set her mind at rest. ‘I… I know it can’t be easy.’
Laurel smiled weakly. ‘No. But I know you two are good together, and I know that… well, yeah. I think I’d be better off with a guy who likes me for me, not just looks based.’
‘Great,’ said Morgie, smiling supportively, and, as Oscar reclaimed her attention by suggesting that they all had another marshmallow, it was only then that Laurel’s words fully sunk in. A guy who likes me for me. Not just looks based.
Was she saying Oscar only liked her for her looks? That their happiness as a couple would fade as quickly as their names had done in the sand, washed away by the sea?
As she pushed four marshmallows onto sticks, her mind raced in a little whirlwind. What if Oscar did only want her for some sexy time? What if he had been feeling inferior towards Ezra, who had been sleeping with as many girls as he wanted? Oscar wouldn’t have endless one night stands, so perhaps he saw her, Morgie, as the next option; a girl who he saw as easy, willing to have sex with him.
But he seemed so genuine. She really thought he liked her. But what if Laurel was right?
She’d had bad experiences before in this department. Guys had left her after satisfying themselves, leaving her empty and alone, fully convinced that boys thought solely with their nether regions. What if Oscar was like all the rest? What if he was thinking solely with his nether regions? How could she possibly tell? Even the nicest guys could sometimes turn out to be the worst when it came to sex.
She passed him a marshmallow, and he beamed at her, for a moment dispelling all doubts from her mind.
She was over thinking it. Of course she was. She was a girl, and that was what girls seemed to do; she’d never met a boy who over analyzed quite as much as the average girl. Boy tended to be clueless, hopeless.
But not Oscar?
Oh god, she was tying herself up in knots here; confusing her poor, tired brain. She blinked, suddenly realizing her own marshmallow had caught fire, and whisked it out of the flame, blowing it desperately.
Oscar was in peals of laughter. ‘I thought you were a good cook!’ he cried, elbowing her.
She shot him an unimpressed look. ‘I blame your shoddy fire,’ she said cheekily, attempting to eat the mainly charred marshmallow. ‘Mm,’ she said, after a while. ‘It’s nice, actually.’
Oscar’s eyes were focused on her lips. ‘You have it all around your mouth,’ he said, in a low voice.
Morgie knew he’d happily lick it off, but with Laurel there, she couldn’t bring herself to let him. Instead, she poked out her tongue, and licked away the pink marshmallow mess. His eyes followed her tongue’s pathway, and, unable to resist teasing him a little, Morgie slowed her pace, seeing his gaze sharpen.
Well, he definitely lusted after her, that much was clear. But was it an all consuming lust, one that didn’t take into account her personality?
God, her head hurt. Had it taken only a few words from Laurel to destroy all her trust in him? Had a few potentially insignificant words made her this insecure? Perhaps she had been more insecure than she had perceived already, unable to look past the issue of sex. She rubbed her forehead, wishing Laurel hadn’t spoken. Now she was scared, and confused, and…
‘Morgie, you are dreadful,’ Oscar said, one arm draping around her shoulders. ‘You were doing that on purpose.’
Morgie couldn’t help giggling. ‘Nooo,’ she insisted. ‘You’re just dirty minded.’
He raised his eyebrows at her, and, as he leant in to kiss her forehead, she couldn’t help but hope that he wasn’t just dirty minded. She wasn’t sure how to tell.
Next to Oscar, Will was finding it increasingly difficult to resist talking to Laurel. Sure, he’d had a few quick conversations with her, but not deliberately seeking her out for a chat was really getting to him.
And she seemed happier. He couldn’t get over that. He’d seen her alone, walking along the beach with a secretive smile flickering across her lips, seen how content she seemed at last. He realized it was unlikely that she liked him, but really, he hadn’t expected this sort of reaction, particularly not as Oscar and Morgie were now together.
He was glad they were together, and not just selfishly because it meant that his competition had decreased. Oscar had never been so happy, he was pretty sure, and seeing him joyously half skipping round their room as he prepared for the date the two had gone on had been rather endearing to say the least, even if he had teased him mercilessly about it.
Will’s eyes slid to Laurel, again. She was looking peaceful, the most peaceful he’d seen her look all holiday, roasting her marshmallow with meticulous accuracy. He wondered if she’d noticed that he’d been holding back. He doubted it.
With an inaudible sigh, he popped the marshmallow he’d been toasting into his mouth, letting it melt onto his tongue. Mmm. As unhealthy as they were, marshmallows were just too delicious.
The night wore on, the fire crackling, the waves continuously crashing against the shore line. They grew sleepier and sleepier, conversation soon dying down to a quiet lull, and, when Laurel suggested they went to bed, they were all happy to go along with it, putting the fire out and wearily dawdling back to the hotel, Oscar giving a half asleep Morgie a piggy back.
As they dropped the girls off at their room, Morgie gave Oscar a chaste kiss. Laurel looked at Will, smiling, and held her arms out for a hug.
Hardly able to believe his luck, Will enfolded her in his arms, breathing in her familiar scent, and let go before he completely lost himself.
‘Night,’ she said, sweetly.
‘Night,’ he replied, slightly stunned. ‘Sweet dreams.’
And, as she disappeared behind the door, he couldn’t help but feel his downtrodden, cracked heart leap with the approach of dawning hope. Were things, finally, looking up? He could only pray they were.