An Eye for an Eye **LT**

Chapter 14

Louis' POV-

My feet hit the warm, golden sand as the salty air filled up my lungs. The infinite blue sky above held no clouds, promising a sunny few hours. As hot as its rays shone down on me, a refreshingly cool breeze sent my hair swirling in all different directions, creating a temporary relief from the heat of the summer day.

I couldn't help but stare at the seemingly endless ocean ahead of me and how the waves crashed into a white foam on the shoreline. It sounded like a roar, but yet was somehow pure calming at the same damn time.

Cecilia walked behind me, closely following as I carefully stepped through the gritty sand, avoiding the sharp shells that had been washed up during high tide. While I looked at my feet to avoid getting my feet cut on any sharp edged shells, I couldn't help, but notice how the sun seemed to illuminate the sand, creating a sparkly affect. This scene could have been on a postcard, but I wasn't convinced even a photograph could capture all the intricate details that the day held. Honestly, you just had to be there. 

"Where are we setting up?" Cecilia called over the sounds of seagulls crying above.

"Just over here" I gestured to an area where not as many people were.

I wanted to be able to relax and talk without worrying about hairy backs and girls popping out of bikinis. My initial goal was me, her, and the beach. I didn't care about the girls that were playing a game of beach volleyball, nor the little kids on their boogie boards.

As I arrived at the spot I had seen from the hotel room, I dropped my pile of stuff in the sand-the towels, the sunscreen, my pack of cigarettes and lighter, and a couple beers. Cecilia copied me, dumping her own towel and phone onto the ground.

I pulled off my sweatshirt, then dropped down to the ground, spreading my towel out neatly.

"Can I use your sunscreen?" she asked sheepishly.

"Of course, Love" I picked it up and handed it to her before moving my stuff onto the towel to avoid everything being covered in sand.

"Thanks" she pulled her own sweatshirt off before popping open the cap, squeezing some onto her hands and rubbing it on her arms.

"Let me know if you need help" I let my sunglasses fall down from on top of my head and pulled out a cigarette from the pack.

My nicotine addiction was something I didn't really have an interest in quitting anytime soon. It had gotten to the point where I needed one every couple hours to be able to function properly, or at least it felt that way. I tended to become irritable if I went through withdrawals.

After lighting it up, I took in a long drag, feeling the smoke weave down into my system. The nicotine rush seemed to soothe my whole body. It was a temporary fix for the anxiety I often got, but nonetheless worked miracles. I took another hit before looking over at Cecilia. Her arms were in all different directions, trying to reach her back. For whatever reason, it was cute to see her struggling so much.

"Want me to do your back?" I chuckled.

"Yes please" she blushed shyly, scooting over a little closer to me.

I took the sunscreen bottle from her hand and squeezed some out onto my own hand, then paused. It felt like somewhat of a violation to touch her back. Her skin was naturally tan, glowing even more in the sunlight as it had last night. Only now she was wearing much less than even the tiny crop top. 

"Are you sure this is ok?" I asked, setting my cigarette down on top of the whole pack.

"Yeah?" it was more of a question than a statement, but I shrugged it off and put my hand on her back.