Page 28 of If Everything Was Easy

“Only once because I begged my dad.” I smiled up at him.

“Do you want me to help you?” He grinned back at me.

“Sure.” I rose up on my tiptoes and pecked his cheek.

“Let’s go.” He held out his hand and guided me to the other side to get fitted into a harness.

The rest of our time there was spent on the rope climbs. Carter was almost as skilled as my dad, and I couldn’t help but laugh about how this evening was probably a lot like my parents’ first date. My dad was the expert, and he brought my mom here knowing that being athletic would help her. He’s told me stories over the years about the places and things they did when they first met. I know that Carter is different and so am I, but I feel close to them when I do some of the same things.

“So, where to now?” Carter opened the car door for me.

“The beach.” I happily clapped. It was a nice evening. The sun was setting and there was a breeze blowing off the water. It was still too cold to swim, but it wasn’t too cold to be outside and enjoy it.

“Is food on the agenda? That workout has me hungry.” Carter slipped into the driver’s seat.

“That’s what the cooler’s for, duh.” I rolled my eyes and laughed.

“Right.” He chuckled as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the public access to the beach.

It didn’t take long, and we were climbing over the dunes with my cooler. I’d packed a blanket to sit on, food, and a soccer ball. I’d always had a ball at the beach since I was little.

“Are you going to teach me something else?” Carter nodded at my pink ball.

“Only if you want me to. I always bring it. I learned most of my useless skills on the beach.” I laughed lightly remembering all the times my dad would bring me down here, and I’d eat sand because I was trying to do something that I probably shouldn’t be doing.

“Like what?” I sensed interest. I kicked my shoes off and tossed the ball onto the sand.

“Like this.” I placed my bare foot on top of the ball, making sure I had a good grip with my toes. I stepped up, balancing one foot on the ball, and sticking my other leg out behind me in a sort of arabesque-style movement. When I hopped down, I looked over at him. “I learned that when I was six. It took a while and I fell… a lot, but Dad kept encouraging me to keep trying.”

“That’s pretty impressive.” He nodded before spreading out the blanket.

“You should have seen how proud I was when I finally did it. Useless skill, but impressive.” I giggled.

“So, what do we have to eat?” Carter plopped down on the blanket. I set my ball off to the side, and took the spot next to him. I pulled out sandwiches, fruit, and two bottles of water. I knew we’d be thirsty after climbing, and I wasn’t really wantingsoda or alcohol now that I was going to be in training. “This is great.” He unwrapped a sandwich and took a bite.

We sat there in silence, munching on our dinner and staring out at the ocean. It was peaceful, and I wondered what he was thinking. Carter was always kinda quiet. His face was blank when I glanced over, the breeze ruffling his hair. The sun’s rays glimmered on the water, and highlighted his features. “Whatcha thinking?” I finished off the last part of my sandwich.

“I’m not sure you wanna know that,” he murmured. He reached for a grape and popped it in his mouth. My stomach dropped. I’d done something wrong, and he was trying to figure out how to tell me it was over, I just knew it.

“I do. Whatever it is.” I swallowed. I was not weak.

“I was trying to decide which was more beautiful, you on the beach or you at the climbing gym.” He rolled onto his side, keeping himself propped up on his elbow. His legs had been stretched out in front of him. “I’m completely obsessed with you.”

I froze, letting his words sink in. Why had I doubted him? This was still new for us, but he was laying it all out. I mimicked his pose and smiled at him. “I’m kinda obsessed too.” I picked at the blanket. Residual feelings from earlier in the day were creeping back in, and I wasn’t sure if I should move things forward, or let him.

“I wasn’t really looking for you when all of this started. I guess that’s how life works, but now I’m wondering how things would have gone if we hadn’t met.”

“All things happen for a reason,” I whispered. “My dad’s taught me that.”

“Your dad’s a smart man.” He leaned closer. “I think you’re most beautiful when you’re happy” — He cupped my cheek with one hand and pulled me closer to him — “and I think I might be falling for you.” His lips closed over mine, and as the kiss deepened, he slowly rolled me to my back.

Chapter 19

Ava

I slowly relaxed under the weight of him. I felt safe… secure. My hand looped around his neck, bringing him closer, as one leg bent at the knee. He rolled more, propping himself up on his elbows. He lifted his head, breaking the kiss as we stared into each other’s eyes. The sky was a beautiful mix of pink and orange. It glowed against his brown hair, creating a halo effect. His lips parted as if he were getting ready to say something, but he paused. One hand reached up to brush my hair back from my face. He tilted his head as he stared at me. His eyes flared, and then he broke the silence. “You’re so beautiful. I wish you could see yourself the way I do.”

“You’re pretty beautiful yourself.” I smiled back. My hands glided onto his shoulders before slowly moving down his arms. I lifted one bare foot and rubbed it down his calf. “What would you do if I told you that I thought I was falling for you, too?” I whispered.

---