Apex [h.s]

chapter twenty

Frankie Doyle

June

The air was crisp, proving the winter was in our midst with every breath that was taken. I found myself sitting at the little hidden beach that Harry took me to on our first date. The waves were rolling gently, pulling my mind with them.

I had Ziggy with me on a lead. I know some people think it's weird to take cats out, but since I lived in an apartment, he never really got the chance to go outside. So, every now and then I took him out with me.

We were actually on our way to Harry's. We thought it might be a  good idea fro Chevy and Ziggy to meet each other. That way, if we had to go away for racing, we could keep Ziggy and Harry's and Niall could look after them both. Since the new racing season was under four months away, we thought he should get used to it now.

It was only 7:30 in the morning, I knew Harry wouldn't be awake yet. I purposefully got up early, just so I could watch the winter morning sunrise. Although, I'll admit, it was fucking cold. The jeans that clad my legs did little to stop the icy breeze from biting at them. My top half was a little warmer being wrapped in a jumper and puffer jacket. I could still feel my hands stiffening from the temperature.

I miss summer.

Ziggy was walking around in circles, getting tangled in his lead as he explored. The different smells he was exposed to got him excited, running to each new scent, following it like a kitten. I envied his fur coat as he ran, trying to chase a moth.

As the sun peeked over the horizon, I could feel its warm rays reaching out, comforting my cold, exposed skin. It cast its heat over the sand, walking up further as it rose higher in the sky. 

Ziggy found a warm patch of sand by my feet, curling up and settling down as he finished exploring. It didn't take much to tire the poor thing out.

"What do you think Zig, will Harry be awake yet?" I smile, pulling my hands through his sandy fur. "Well, if he's not, we can just take a nap with him until he wakes up."

Ziggy followed me tiredly up the hill. He had a displeased look on his face, as if her were trying to say 'come on, I just fell asleep.'

"You can go back to sleep at Harry's, come on," I laughed as he meowed to be picked up.

I brushed him off in the back of my car. He acted like a dog when he was on sand, he always loved to roll around in it. I guess it must feel nice against his fur.

I clipped him in to his own little seatbelt, before getting in the drivers seat. Luckily he had gotten used to the rattle of my car. The first time I took him in it, he tired to hide under the seat, but the seatbelt wasn't long enough to let him do that, so he ended up stuck, half on half off the seat. It was a nightmare, but also kinda funny at the same time.

The drive to Harry's was only five minutes. Luckily, I knew Niall would be awake, getting ready for work, so I knocked lightly on the door with Zig in my arm, resting his head tiredly on my shoulder.

"Morning Frank," Niall smiled as he opened the door, letting me inside. "Bloody cold out there this morning."

"You're telling me, we were just at the beach and fuck I think my hands are frozen," I laughed, putting Zig down, but kept hold of his leash.

"I'll never understand you and your fascination with the beach. Meeting day is it?" Niall asked.

"Yeah, we thought the longer they have to get to know each other and the more used Zig gets to spending time here, the better it will be when racing starts up again," I explained, sitting myself at the kitchen bench.