“Fuck yeah,” Roman says, hand clenching firmer around mine as we tear through the crowd.
I feel sick as a group of men passes around me. Their hot, sticky bodies press against the bare skin of my arms, and the occasional brush of their hands against my ass make the food I just consumed roll back up my throat. Within a second, it’s over, but my body still shivers with the memory of their flesh against mine.
Roman holds the curtain to the side, holding my hand high while helping me step in. I push away the nausea in my stomach, hoping that this nasty feeling washes away before our photo is taken.
Coming in after me, Roman squishes me against the booth wall, laughing as we squeeze against each other as we both try to fit in the tiny space. They clearly didn’t make these with bulky, six-foot men in mind. He has to stick his right leg out to make some room, almost tripping someone in the process.
“Oh shit. Are you ready?” he asks, looking back at me from the controls with a cheery grin on his lips.
Are you ready, baby girl?
Instantly, all I see are a circle of men surrounding me, my father behind the camera, ready to document the pain I’m about to endure.
I fight to shake away the crushing pressure sitting on my chest and shut Gabriel’s voice in my ear, but I fucking can’t! He’s in me, and no matter what I do or how often I lie to myself, I can’t push him away.
I wasn’t paying attention to the countdown, and the flash from the camera blinds me. “Well, that picture is going to look fucking stupid,” I mumble, readying myself for the next photo.
The countdown begins again, and I feel Roman’s hand snake around my waist, drawing me closer, so my warm body can snuggle deeper into his. I’m still fighting for breath, but as Roman’s heat sinks into me, the easier it feels to exhale.
After the third photo, my eyes are tired and strained from staring at the blurry screen. Turning my face, I find myself staring at Roman instead, but to my surprise, his eyes are already on me.
Whenever I look into his gaze, the ache that is constantly in my chest morphs into something different.
Something greater than anything I thought I could feel before.
It’s scary… this intense feeling coursing through my veins. It boils my blood and heats my skin enough that I know it’ll show in these pictures.
I’m not sure how long Roman and I stay this way; how much time has passed since our eyes have wandered anywhere other than each other.
I break the connection first, unable to handle the heated weight of his stare any longer. Then, taking my hand in his, Roman guides me down the single step, waiting for our pictures to be processed.
“Oh my God, these are cute,” I say, taking the photos out of the dispenser and holding them gently in my hands before us.
Roman’s expression deepens while staring at the pictures, fingers softly stroking the top of each photo as he goes through them one by one. My eyes haven’t left the last image since I’ve pulled them out of the slot, the slightly fuzzy side profile of our faces gazing at one another.
Time slows as I watch Roman take one of the copies and tear off the last picture, sliding it behind the clear plastic of his phone case before taking my hand. “Let’s go.”
I don’t say a word as he leads me toward the pier's exit, my feet racing to keep up with his rapid pace. I tell him to slow down, but I don’t think he can hear me over the crowd of laughing and screaming teenagers playing ring toss.
My heart is pounding a mile a minute, an overwhelming sense of panic beginning to stir inside me as my brain screams it’s time to go home.
I begin to jostle in his grip, fighting as I see the parking lot coming up ahead, but in my panicked haze, I fail to notice that he brought us to the beach instead.
I break free of his grip and shoot forward, stopping just shy of the water reaching my toes. Dropping to the sand, I rip my shoes off my feet and cautiously stick my toe out.
My squeak chimes out when the tide rushes at me faster than I can back away, drenching my workout leggings up to the middle of my claves.
“Cold, cold, cold,” I breathe, shivering while rolling my bottoms above my knees, spinning around in the grainy sand to rush back to Roman.
Sitting down beside him, I lean back, hands soaking up the remaining warmth of the sand behind me while gazing up at the darkening sky from beneath the pier.
“I love sunsets. I think I always have.” I hear Roman whisper as he lies back alongside me.
Vivid shades of yellow and orange from the setting sun reflect in his eyes as he stares at the rolling water, the sound of the ocean waves drifting onto the shore lulling us into a blissful solace.
“This is incredible. The sky and the breeze… the way the water roars as it crashes against the sand. I’ve never seen anything as beautiful as the ocean,” I praise while watching the waves roll back into the sea.
“I have,” he whispers beside my ear. Then, ever so slowly, my head turns away from the sea to face him, my mouth falling open the slightest bit before closing again.
