A year, two weeks, and one day. Ray Beckett is still the same.
"Wren? You came."
A crooked smile graced his face, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he beamed. Some things never change.
An involuntary smile formed on my face.
"Yup."
Without warning, he hugged me, his arms around my neck, making me almost lose my balance.
"Oomph. Slow down," I exclaimed, chuckling.
"Oh...sorry."
He scratched his wrist. Sheepish, he looked at me from under his lashes.
He didn't even know how beautiful he looked.
"it's just been so long."
"Ray! The rackets! Been a while, Wren," Stacie shouted.
Ray turned to me, wide eyes excited.
"We are playing badminton, let's go!"
With that, he went in search of rackets, me on tow.
---
I watched as Ray hit the shuttlecock. It sailed with the wind and tapped my forehead, dropping to the ground.
We started laughing.
"Guys, why don't we swim?"
All my old friends were bickering again.
"You just don't want to lose, Kaia."
"No!"
"We should eat," piped in Lan.
"Later, first a race. Whoever loses, arranges everything!"
Kaia shouted, running past us.
"Hey! That's cheating!"
Everyone chanted but began running.
---
Of course, I lost.
"I need to exercise."
I jumped at Ray, an impulsive decision really, as he tried to lift me upwards. And then fell with me, laughing.
He was intoxicating.
"Let's go. I'd help you!"
Unlike everyone else, he didn't like swimming.
Tugging my sleeve, he pulled me along. And then it came rushing back. The urge to hold his hand, but I kept it in check. We weren't high school lovers anymore.
Our friends were still swimming when we finished setting everything. Ray, pointing towards the rocks, said,
"Let's go over there."
---
That had always been our spot.
We stood there, watching the sunset. The crescent moon was already visible in the fading sunlight. The sky was tinted pastel-pink. A star twinkled in the distance. The sun still peaked out from the cluster of clouds on the horizon. It was breathtakingly nostalgic.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
He mumbled, softly. I looked at him as he stared across the sea. His dark brown hair swishing with the wind, eyes bright.
When he began turning towards me, I stared ahead.
"Yeah, it is." Beautiful indeed.
"I need more s'mores," Lan shouted as ukulele strums were heard.
Turning to walk back, I felt a hand grabbing mine as I was turned around. He avoided my eyes, a blush coating his freckled cheeks.
"Uhm," sighing, he said, "We should go back."
My traitorous eyes darted to his lips as he licked them.
"Maybe," I murmured.
Even with our friends creating a ruckus somewhere, it felt like no one was there, but him.
He leaned forward and then stopped, thinking otherwise. It took everything in me to stay still.
But that was when he whispered, his voice hoarse, "Kiss me."
And I gave in. To let the feeling of loving him course through me again.
-----
