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I hang my legs over the side, letting them dangle in the soft summer breeze, as Charlie takes photos of the sea with completely focused concentration. I roll my eyes, watching as the waves crash over each other in a race to reach the shoreline.
I close my eyes, as the breeze brushes my face – the smell of salt, hot chips, and just summer, filling my nose. It settles happily in my chest, and my mouth twitches up into a smile. I love the beach, the summer, it’s always so bright and happy.
“Okay, so I told Ember we’d meet her on Friday, at ten am.” Charlie says, and when I don’t respond, she nudges my arm. I open my eyes and look at her, squinting through the sun.
“What’s this for?” I ask, and she sighs heavily, giving me that look. The one where she looks like she’s about to hit me over the head.
“The festival? The one we’ve been talking about for weeks?” She questions, eyebrows raised.
“Oh right, yeah I remember,” I answer, and she sighs in relief, looking out at the bright blue ocean. “Ember though? I broke up with her, only two weeks ago… is she okay with me coming?”
Charlie runs a hand through her hair, and the white strands glow in the sun as they fall back, slowly, onto her back. She turns to me and shrugs, blue irises, the same shade as the sea. Charlie, I swear is just the reincarnation of the beach; white skin met with the blue of her eyes in a sea of beauty.
“She said she’s fine with it, I think she wants to be friends again…” She suggests, and I look back out at the shimmering water, thinking about it. I mean, Ember did tell me after I broke up with her that she just wanted to be friends. Maybe we can be.
It’s not like I have a problem. It wasn’t a vicious break up, just a conflict of interests – conflict being me in love with someone else, and her in love her Asexual, Aromantic best friend. Not that she’s aware Ellie is Asexual or Aromantic.
“Okay.” I say, shrugging and then leaning back on my hands, letting the sun wash over my dark skin.
“Are you okay with it?” She asks, tone tilted with concern. I look at her, at her platinum blonde hair, her crystal blue eyes, and the fair skin, and I nod my head.
“Yes, I have moved on, and so has she, I don’t see why we can’t be friends.” I state, and she nods her head and looks at her lap, and fiddles with her phone case. There’s something she’s not saying; I can tell after ten years of being friends with her.
“What’s up?” I ask, ignoring the skip in my heart when her eyes flick to mine.
“Quinn, I just…” she trails off, sighing heavily before turning her head back to me. I’m utterly confused as to what’s going on.
Charlie is often confident, in all areas of life. She’s strong, and always able to speak her mind, it’s what I love about her. She’s never afraid to say what she wants to, and so this is new - her being nervous.
“Charlie, whatever it is, I won’t judge, you know that.” I tell her, and she nods, and takes a deep breath.
She stares into my eyes again, determination, confidence written in the irises, “I like you, like I… I’m in love with you, and I know probably don’t feel the same but –”
I cut her off, pressing my lips to hers and kissing her with everything I have. It’s not a rough kiss, more gentle but still, it’s everything I’ve wanted since I met her. My heart pounds.
When I pull away, her hands grip my shirt, pulling me back in for another one, and our lips press to each other’s, both of us falling more in love by the second.
We part again, and she smiles, eyes bright, making me smile too. “I love you too, Charlie Dalton.”