The beach wasnât a place that held good memories for Alex or for anyone else in town, which is why it surprised him so to stumble upon the other sitting in the sand. Alex was walking along the shoreline, boots in hand with his pant legs rolled up just enough to keep from getting soaked in the water. He often came out to the beach, almost as a way to face the darkness that came from his past, but this was the first time heâd run into someone else while doing so. âEverything okay?â Alex couldnât help but ask, knowing it usually wasnât a good thing to be found on this beach.Â
She's beginning to think the universe is playing some obscure joke. It has to be. Why else would Alexander always stumble upon her in moments of sentimentality, when they're so few and far between for her? A joke. It has to be some kind of joke.
CĂ©lia tips her head back, teeth clamped down on the inside of a cheek. Breaths come and go, his words growing stale between them. One long exhale later, she dips her chin and looks him in the eye.
"I was just thinking about leaving, y'know, if I ever could. I'd love to see a real beach someday." It's a small admission, but for CĂ©lia, who picks and chooses and omits by nature, it's noteworthy. The lump in her throat is proof enough. She glances at the boots in his hand, and the rolled jeans, a bit desperate to push attention from herself. "Do you ever go past the shore?" For his sake, she hopes his answer is no.
