When she finally gave up on her revenge, we walked to where we’d left our shoes. Falling onto the sand, we sat side by side as she leaned against my shoulder. We listened to the sound of the waves and watched the other beachgoers as they moseyed by.
I was hyperaware of every part of her body that touched mine. I looked down at her as the sun kissed her skin, making her cheeks naturally rosy. She fit against me perfectly. Creating a fire deep in stomach that wanted to burn bigger and brighter in her presence.
“Why was it so important for you to see the ocean? You live by the ocean.” I needed to understand her, learn as much as I could about her.
“Yeah, but notthisocean.” She paused. “It’s hard to imagine that there is an entire other side of the US that I’ve never seen. It makes me feel so small, and I dream of seeing more. I want to travel the country, travel the world. One day, I’d like to say I’ve stepped into dozens of oceans, in dozens of countries. So, I have to start somewhere.”
“I want to travel too. To see other cultures and explore the deep history that lies in other parts of the world.”
“Something we have in common.”
“Besides our desire to rip each other’s clothesoff? How ‘bout that.”
She chuckled. “We have a lot more in common than that, and you know it.”
I grunted in agreement. “Hungry? Why don’t we head down to Santa Monica Pier and grab something to eat?” I suggested, grabbing her hand. It was close to lunchtime and we’d skipped breakfast in favor of feeding ourselves in other ways.
“Okay.” Her words were soft and breathless as she looked up at me.
We picked up our shoes and walked along the beach toward the pier, our fingers laced together.
After walking to the end of the pier, we settled on a Mexican restaurant that overlooked the ocean, choosing to sit outside next to the glittering water. Cadence was all smiles as she looked over her menu.
It was truly amazing. In all the time I’d spent with her before, I’d never seen her this carefree. Was it possible that Elijah had done that to her? Had he made her feel so boxed in that she was never herself?
The more of this Cadence I was seeing, the more I was pulled into her orbit. How could anyone want to snuff out this vibrant star.
“Hi there!” A young girl approached our table wearing all black under her apron. “What can I get you two to drink?”
“I’ll have a strawberry margarita, please.” Cadence smiled at the waitress.
“I’ll just have water.”
“Do you need a minute to review the menu?” she asked.
“Yes, please,” Cadence said.
“I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
Cadence glanced up at me. “It’s a Mexican restaurant. You can’tnotget a margarita.”
“I don’t like to drink before a show. You know, just in case. After is a different story, though.”
“Oh yeah, how did I forget you had a show tonight? Do you mind if I tag along as a groupie?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“You could even put me to work if you needed an extra hand.”
“Thanks, but don’t worry. We have everything we need.”
“It’s here in LA, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe I should ask Liam if he wants to go with me.”
I thought of her sitting alone at the bar, being hit on ruthlessly by other men, and it made me want to release my inner caveman. “Yeah, that’s a great idea. You should invite him.”
