"You owe me!" I said, leaning back in Luke's warm leather seats in his Mustang.
"I owe you for having you try on clothes that I paid for?" Luke asked incredulously, though he sounded on the verge of laughter.
I bit my lip.
"Well now that you say it that way... nope! You still owe me."
He heaved a sigh and turned the key in the ignition.
"I was thinking of hitting the beach. You up for that?"
I looked down to my tank top and shorts.
"Yeah. I'm up for it."
As Luke eased his way into traffic, a thought came to me.
"So what do you know about me?" I asked, glancing at him.
A small smile flitted across his lips.
"You are stubborn for one thing. Your mom is pretty awesome. Your dad wants to kill me. Pink is definitely your color. Your best friend is named Ashley. And your name is Melissa. That's about it."
I made a face.
"That's not a very good list. And you're right, favorite color is really pink," I said returning my attention to the road.
"And rightfully so," Luke said, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel.
Within five minutes we were pulling into the parking lot to the beach, parking under a shady tree.
I set my phone in the cup holder, then hopped out of the car, walking towards the trunk. Luke grabbed out two beach chairs, and towels. I offered to carry something but he just shooed my hands away.
"I've got this," He said.
And he did, up until a little boy wearing blue dinosaur swim trunks came running past him, knocking him off balance. Everything tumbled into the sand. Well... everything except Luke himself. He mumbled something that sounded like a curse under his breath, then went to pick up the chairs.
This time I didn't offer, I just grabbed the towels and headed onto the pristine sand. I slipped my sandals off, letting the gritty sand in between my toes.
We set our stuff near a volleyball net, but not close enough that a game of beach volleyball could be a threat.
I looked out to the ocean and smelled the salty and fishy air. When I was younger my dad told me that the locals called this place Bear Paw beach, but no one really called it by its real name. I didn't even know what its real name was. In my mind it would forever be Bear Paw.
"Want to swim?" Luke asked.
I smiled.
"I would but I'm not exactly dressed for it, and neither are you. You wouldn't want to ruin that one-hundred-fifty dollar polo anyway."
He chuckled, reaching up to his collar.
Within seconds he had whipped his shirt off, leaving only his bare chest.
"I don't have to ruin it."
Luke grabbed something from his pocket and tossed it to me.
"Sunscreen?" I asked, staring at the tube.
He nodded.
"You look like you burn easy."
I rubbed some on, hating the greasy feel against my bare skin.
"What's that look about?" Luke asked, deep dimples appearing in his sun kissed cheeks.
"I hate the feeling on my skin."
"You're probably not rubbing it in enough," He said coming to stand next to me. He put a hand carefully on my arm, then started to rub the sunscreen in with circular motions. His chest was pressed against my back, and his breath tickled the top of my head.
I heard a click and jumped away.
"What was that?" I asked, my eyes roaming the sandy beach.
Luke smiled.
"I was helping you with your sunscreen," he said, reaching for a spot on my arm where the white was still clearly visible. I pulled away.
"No. The noise. Did you hear the noise?"
Luke shrugged.
"You're the only one who heard it."
I sighed.
I looked out at the shimmering water. I felt a need to plunge into the deep salty waves. I looked back to Luke, then made a beeline for the water. My sprint was short lived because the moment the water reached my ankles, moving became much harder.
Luke had caught up to me.
He grabbed a handful of water, then threw it at me, drenching my hair.
"Not... Cool!" I said between mouthfuls of salt water.
The water was warm, and the sand shifted beneath my feet.
I kept slipping, nearly falling in. My shirt clung to my skin, rubbing the gritty sand against it. I was still having a blast.
Old men and women walked by, sending Luke and I funny looks. We probably looked very immature to them. That didn't stop us though.
I walked back to the sand, sitting on one of our towels.
Luke followed shortly thereafter.
"May I join you?" He asked, sitting on his own towel.
I laughed at the irony of the question.
"Nope. I'm saving this seat for Ashley."
For a second Luke got wide eyed.
"I'm just kidding," I said, leaning back.
Luke seemed to relax a bit.
"So how are you two friends?" Luke asked, brushing sand off of his towel.
"Why do you ask?"
Luke laughed like it was obvious.
"She's terribly rude. And loud. You two prove opposites attract."
I huffed out a breath.
"We weren't always friends. In fact, at one point we hated each other. How about you? Friends?"
Luke laughed.
"I don't have any."
My stomach dropped and I felt instantly horrible for bringing it up.
Then he shoved my shoulder.
"I was kidding. I was just kidding."
I sighed.
"You really had me for a minute there."
Luke smiled, laying down on the towel, his arms crossed over his chest in thought.
"So I hope you don't mind my asking, but are your parents together?"
I smiled. People always worried I'd get offended when they asked me about my parents, but the truth was I didn't really care. In some ways it felt like they were a unit, working to protect me, even though they weren't together anymore.
"No. They're divorced."
Luke tilted his head like he was going to ask more about the subject, but he didn't.
"What's your hobby?" Luke asked after a long pause.
I shrugged.
"I don't know really. Does working at a coffee shop count?"
Luke propped himself on his elbows.
"I didn't ask about your job. I asked about your hobby."
I smiled, looking out to the foamy waves.
"I guess I enjoy cooking, and baking. I used to bake a ton, but usually I only have time during the summer now."
Luke nodded, tapping his fingers against his stomach.
"How about you?" I asked, shifting my position on my towel.
Luke smiled a huge smile.
"I love drawing."
He smiled again, this time looking almost suspicious.
"In fact I drew you last night. I figured a drawing by Luke Green would be worth something on eBay."
He grabbed our cooler, which I hadn't noticed till then, and opened the side compartment. He pulled out a small piece of sketchbook paper and handed it to me.
For a minute I felt like I was holding a mirror in front of me, and I gasped.
"You drew this?"
He nodded.
I looked back at the paper, looking at the careful pencil marks scratched across the paper. It was truly beautiful.
"It's amazing," I said. Luke had scooted closer, his arm was touching mine as he looked over my shoulder at his work.
"It sure is."
I jumped at the voice behind us.
An elderly woman had stopped behind us, her round face beaming at us.
"Did you draw that?" She asked Luke.
He nodded, putting a hand lightly on my shoulder.
I was pretty darn sure that he had just put a sand handprint on my shoulder, but I stayed put.
"Who is this pretty girl, Luke?" The woman asked. I jumped. She knew Luke?
Luke smiled, tightening his grip, slipping his arm around me.
"How are you today?" He asked, avoiding her question entirely, which I didn't mind.
The woman smiled, her arms crossed in front of her.
"Pretty good."
I cleared my throat, and Luke looked down at me, his chin brushing my hair.
"Oh sorry Sweets! This is my great aunt Peggy."
The older woman shuddered.
"Enough with the great stuff Dear, it makes me sound old."
I had to chuckle at that.
The woman, Luke's aunt, stepped towards us.
"So Luke, you never answered me. Who is this young lady?"
Luke was sitting so close, his lips were almost touching my cheek.
"She's my girlfriend."
I sat back.
"Actually, I won a contest. A contest where the prize was a date with this weirdo."
Luke scooted towards me again, trapping me in a hug.
"Oh come on. I bet I'm the best guy you've ever dated."
I felt like a knife had been lodged through my chest.
I had never really dated anyone before. I never had time for dating. I don't know how Luke knew, but he sat back, giving me the distance I desired.
"Well you are a lucky girl." Peggy said, her eyes twinkling with adoration for her nephew.
I smiled, but no words came out of my mouth.
The sun had started to set on the horizon. Luke was up and about, searching for sea shells, and every time he found a worthy one, he would hold it up, waving it for me to see.
I spread out on the towel, letting the warmth of the sand sink into my skin. I listened to the sounds of the waves crashing against the sand, and I let my eyelids close.
I listened to the fading sounds of voices, the children being taken home for the night. The beach suddenly felt empty.
I breathed in the smell of salt. For a moment I almost thought I might fall asleep.
But then, something cold and wet gently brushed my cheek. My eyes shot open, and I was staring into Luke's eyes.
"I'm sorry," He whispered. "I thought you were asleep."
My heartbeat started to slow down after the start.
"You were so peaceful," Luke said, sitting back, looking tired.
I sat up, looking at the crimson sky. My breath caught.
"Isn't it beautiful?" I breathed.
Luke nodded.
"It sure is."
I looked up and down the beach, and for the most part we were alone.
"Can we go for a walk?" I asked, looking at the orange sand.
Luke shrugged.
"Sure. But we have to be back to your house before ten. Or else."
I laughed.
"You've got that right."
I let Luke help me up, and we walked on the shore, our feet sinking into the soggy sand.
I looked back out to the illuminated waters and sighed.
"Thank you," I said quietly, my voice muffled by the sea breeze.
"For what?" Luke asked, a crooked smile forming on his lips.
"For bringing me to the beach. I had a great time."
*Sorry it has been so long! My new story has been keeping me busy!*