The Switch

Chapter Sixteen | Nice to Meet You, Charlie

The sun beat down on us as we traipsed through the warm sand which squished through our toes. It was a gorgeous day, with very few clouds and a sense of contentment in the air. The sandy expanse of the beach stretched before me, a vast land where anything could happen.

Nick was holding my hand, rubbing his thumb across the back of my hand softly, giving me that secure feeling I always had with him. As I looked over and studied his features, the sunlight fell right on his hair, a golden halo surrounding him. I smiled to myself. He was my perfect little angel.

There were a lot of people at the beach running into the waves, sending up a spray of water into the sunlight. A rainbow flashed in the air, and I found myself appreciating the beauty above the water. The small children chasing after each other, buckets of water held in their hand. The shells littering the coast, glinting in the sunlight. For a moment, I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of the ocean air, imagining for a second that I could enjoy this forever. If I could feel like this for the rest of my slowly aging life, I would be content.

I glanced over at Nick and found him gazing at the water with a wistful look, something I was used to. "What are you thinking?" I asked him, nudging him slightly with my elbow. "You're looking out at the ocean like you just want to dive in."

He blinked, taking his eyes off the water to focus on mine. "I guess that's just another habit of growing up on the coast. The ocean has always felt like home to me."

I nodded, understanding him completely. Nick wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him. He placed a gentle kiss on my head, and I sighed, content. We walked the entire length of the beach, scanning intently for anything suspicious, but didn't see anything except a couple making out behind a sand dune. They glared at us, and we muttered a "sorry" and ran away giggling.

At one point, I broke away from his secure grip and splashed into the water, kicking off my shoes first. I beckoned him after me, crooking a finger and using my most flirtatious smile. Following me like a lost puppy, he obediently came closer, and I cupped my hand and flung a handful of water into his face. He sputtered and coughed while I laughed uproariously. He charged at me and swung me around in a circle, holding me by my waist. Nick set me down, grabbed me by the face, and kissed me, stopping my laughter.

Toward the end of the beach area, boats started to line the coast, one after another, like a row of giant white dominoes. I wanted to reach out and touch one, sending the others toppling over into the waves.

Turning to me, Nick asked, "Should we turn back?"

I peered into the boatyard, darker and eerier than the wide open beach area. A sense of foreboding radiated from within, and I was curious to see what was farther into this place.

"No," I replied. "Let's investigate a little here."

Nick shrugged, taking my hand again, and we started to venture into the boatyard.

It seemed darker than the rest of the beach, colder and more damp. The humidity became even worse, clinging to our already soaking bodies. I shivered from the sudden chill of nerves, and Nick hooked his arm around my waist, drawing me closer. The docks groaned under our feet as we padded along the massive network of boats and wooden panels. Sand from the dunes started to become less prominent and the musk and mildew scent of rotting wood became more familiar.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Nick whispered to me, his breath tickling my ear.

"I'm not exactly sure. Something that might lead us to the killer."

"And why would we find anything in a boatyard?" He sounded confused.

I hesitated, trying to control my voice so as not to give anything away. "I don't know. I just have an eerie feeling about this place."