Page 98 of Blossoms of the Heart
Chapter 20
Tai
* * *
Present day…
Akito told me she was down by the beach. Gone out for a night swim.
I knew where to find her.
No way was Phoebe going to be swimming in the actual sea at this time.
There was still a hint of light in the sky from the longer days but it was dark enough so that you wouldn’t want to venture into the sea.
There was a little cave we used to play in as kids. There were two ways to get there. down the path that branched off from one of the gardens. Or by walking down along the beach. She would have walked along the beach.
The water ran into the cave in a little pool and the cave itself curved into an arch. Perfect for the seclusion.
Akito had placed solar lights inside so we could come down here at night. he’d also grown lilies on the side.
As I walked in I smiled when I saw a set of clothes resting on of the large boulders. A little skirt and a t-shirt.
By the edge where I could have walked in there was a little collection of shells.
I waited for a few seconds and up Phoebe came piercing through the surface. Hair slicked back skin glimmering in the amber lights.
Surprise tickled her face when she saw me, but I also saw a little smile which disappeared just as quickly as it appeared.
“What are you doing swimming out here by yourself at this time.” I scolded rolling the sleeves up on my T-shirt. Her eyes went to my forearms as I crouched and she scanned over the Japanese characters for love.
“Pretending to be a mermaid.” She smiled sweetly and opened her palms to show me some little stones she found.
“Pretty.”
“What are you doing here at this hour?” her smile widened.
“Looking for you.”
“If its’ to talk about complication, asses or fucking I’m not interested. I’m going to be a mermaid for the next hour. You can come back then or I’ll just see you tomorrow at the cave. But I still don’t want to talk about asses or fucking.”
“Jesus Christ Phoebe.”
“What?” she grimaced resting her arms on the rock while she fluttered her legs behind her.
“Ass fucking. That’s what I heard.”
Her cheeks colored and we both burst out laughing.
“I meant two separate things.” She chided.
“I heard it as one thing. Literally.”
“But it was separated by the word, or. Ass’sorfucking.”
“Phoebe just stop please.”
“It’s your fault I talk like this. No one talks like this except you, I’m just speaking your language. It’s my thing right? Languages.”
