The Way You Said Hello ~ Chapter Thirteen

We went outside, and I locked the front door of my house behind us. The four of us piled into AJ's car. He drove, and I sat next to him in the passenger seat, adjusting the radio as we sped along with the windows down and the wind blowing in our hair. Ryan and Nick were sitting next to each other in the back seat, chatting easily and laughing every once in a while at some private joke. I was just content to sit and take everything in.

For a few minutes I listened to Brian McKnight sing to me sweetly on the radio. After a while, I turned to AJ and asked, "Where exactly are we going, anyway?"

He simply smiled at me and said, "You'll see soon enough." I sighed and turned my head to look out the window. Of course I recognized where we were headed, but I didn't want to ruin AJ's surprise for me.

Within twenty minutes we had reached our destination. AJ pulled the car to a stop under the large "Welcome to Clearwater Beach" sign, and we all scrambled out of the car and made our way down the path to the strip of white sand.

"Race ya to the water!" I yelled gleefully and sprinted ahead of everyone. I glanced over my shoulder and saw AJ just behind me, while Nick and Ryan were laughing as they stumbled along. I suddenly stopped dead just before the water, and AJ slammed into me from behind. I burst out laughing as we fell, barely missing the surf. Ryan and Nick jogged up behind us, still giggling. All four of us then pulled our shoes off and took off down the beach again.

The sun hovered just over the horizon, a massive red orb floating above the waves. It spread its warmth over us as we flew, together, the sand squishing between our toes. The salty sea spray whipped my hair madly around my face. I could barely see, and as a result, I got sand and water all over my clothes; yet I didn't care. AJ didn't seem to care, either: he let out a huge shout of happiness and splashed through the waves at my side.

After a while, the four of us slowed to a walk so we could appreciate the beauty taking place around us. The water was no longer blue - it was a mosaic of blinding colour, as if some mysterious god had taken a kaleidoscope, smashed it, and let the splinters of glass scatter across the swells. It was truly majestic, and the sight of it struck me to the core. I clutched AJ's hand and gave it a slight squeeze.

"Look!" Nick pointed to a small seafood hut perched on a sand dune. "Let's get some dinner, okay guys?"

"Sounds like a plan," said Ryan, who led the way.

We hiked up the dune, plowing our way through the tall reeds, and approached the small, grass-roof hut. We decided to order fresh lobster. We sat on the dune and ate with our fingers, juices running down our chins.

I yelped as I felt something pinch my arm. I looked down to see AJ attacking me with the claws of his lobster. He gave me a devilish grin and pinched my nose, which I wrinkled up at him as I tried to escape.

Soon Nick and Ryan had followed our example. Within minutes, all four of us were having the largest lobster-claw battle the world had ever seen. While we were sparring with our makeshift weapons, the sun had set, leaving us with the soft glow of the moon reflecting off the water.

AJ took his sunglasses off and put them in his pocket. "Come on," he said, taking my hand and leading me back toward the water. We found a quiet, deserted spot and made ourselves comfortable in the soft sand. I leaned against his bare shoulder as he thought to himself.

"That one," he finally said, pointing toward the sky.

"That one what?" I asked, breathing softly.

"That star," he said, his voice gravelly - raspier than usual. "That star is ours forever. It's the brightest one in the sky, so you'll always be able to find it. If anything ever happens to us, that star will keep on shining, just like I'll keep caring for you."

Just as I was about to reply, we heard a shrill shriek from the direction of the water. AJ and I burst out laughing once again as we saw Ryan push Nick headfirst into the ocean.

"I didn't know Nick's voice could reach that high," I said dryly.

"Yeah, neither did I," chuckled AJ.

We kept watching as Nick emerged from the water, shaking drops of water from his hair. Ryan was clutching her stomach, laughing hysterically, as Nick approached her. I realized she was in for it as he picked her up, kicking and screaming, and dragged her in with him.

AJ slowly put his arm around my shoulders as we watched the other couple's strange mating ritual. I let my eyes drift shut as I listened to Ryan and Nick yelling playfully and the waves crashing heavily on the shore. The image of the moonlight reflecting off the rough water danced across the inside of my eyelids. 'Wow,' I thought to myself. 'They seem like children. I suppose that's what love can do to people.' I opened my eyes and glanced sideways at AJ. 'I guess love has many different forms,' I thought lazily, my eyelids drooping.

Suddenly, a small band started playing a short way down the beach from us. AJ quickly stood up and took my hand. He pulled me to my feet, sweeping me into his arms. The song was a slow one, and we began to move.

No words can describe how I felt as we danced.

The feel of his arms around me has been permanently burned into my skin. The way we swayed together, two halves of a whole - our souls and bodies entwined to perfection - was more a part of heaven than anything on this earth. As my head rested gently in the crook of his neck, I felt like a small part of me that had been taken away from me long ago had been returned. I felt faint - I felt strong. I was scared - I was afraid of nothing and no one. I wanted to run and hide, but I was overwhelmed by the more overpowering desire to hold him in my arms for the rest of my life.

A voice only I could hear whispered to me - 'The walls are crumbling…' and I knew it was true. AJ was getting under my skin in a way I hadn't thought possible.

We danced for a few more songs, the stars and velvet black sky our only cover. The sand was cool and firm under our bare feet - we were oblivious to the world around us. The night was deep, and it held mysteries I wasn't ready to uncover.

I glanced back toward the water and was surprised to see Ryan and Nick lying in the sand, kissing fervently. "Let's give them some privacy," I whispered, and AJ and I strolled off down the beach.

We walked in silence for some minutes, until I impulsively blurted out, "Thank you."

AJ looked at me curiously, his eyes fathomless and dark. "Thank you for what?"

I gestured widely with my hands. "For this. For all of this. Thank you for the moon, and the water, and the stars, and the sand, and the beautiful music. Thank you for this night, AJ, and thank you for *you*." I thought to myself how crazy that must have sounded, and imagined that I must be drunk on lobster tails and moonlight and desire.

"You're welcome," he murmured gently. "You're welcome…It's yours. All of it is yours. Every last bit - including me. And my heart." He took my hand and placed it on his chest, holding it there with his own. Somewhere below I could hear the steady thump, thump that gave him life. We walked in silence as I held his very essence under my palm.

Eventually we turned around and walked back toward where Ryan and Nick were lying. They were still sprawled out in the sand, but no longer kissing. Instead Nick was lying on his back, and Ryan had her head on his stomach. He ran his fingers through her hair lazily, and I saw her eyelids were closed. They looked so unbelievably perfect together. I congratulated myself on a match well made.

"Come on, you two," I said quietly. "We need to get going home." I glanced at my watch and saw that it was already one o'clock in the morning.

The four of us gathered our things together and wandered back to the car. Nick offered to drive, and Ryan climbed in the passenger seat so that she could stay as close to him as possible. They held hands for the entire time - making me very nervous, as that left Nick with only one hand to drive with.

AJ and I were squeezed together in the back seat. I rested my head on his shoulder and quickly drifted into a light sleep. I barely registered his hand resting on my knee. The car swayed back and forth soothingly, and AJ made for such a comfortable pillow, that I was sorry to have our car ride end.

Nick pulled the car into my driveway, and we all clambered out. Ryan and Nick said goodbye happily and exchanged phone numbers.

As AJ and I stood in front of the door, he gave me a present: our second kiss. It wasn't quite as long or as unexpected as our first, but it was every bit as passionate and satisfying. It seemed almost chaste, but it was so richly layered that our emotions seeped through. His hands left trails of fire as they ran up and down my back. My own hands couldn't be enough places at once: his chest, the back of his neck and his arms all fell prey to my hungry touch. But the most amazing part was where our lips met, for there was a power there that surpassed anything lighting or dynamite could provide.

It was a true assault upon my senses. As we retreated from it reluctantly, I felt him tremble. We said our goodbyes, and I walked inside on legs that never should have supported my weight, in the condition they were in.

I walked into the bedroom where Ryan was sitting on my bed. I gave her a huge smile, and she engulfed me in a hug of gratitude. Tears of joy sprang to her eyes as she mouthed, "Thank you, Becky."

With that, I turned out the light. We collapsed into bed, exhausted, and slept.

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Continue to chapter fourteen

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