Magic

Chapter 9 - Magical Love

With a little Magical help, Marcus is pulling off the highway thirty minutes after we leave the hotel. I smell the salty sea air before I see the water. I ignore the cold air and roll down the window. The ocean sounds make me miss Emily. Marcus knows that. He's giving me back something I miss while we create new memories. I love him even more for that.

We travel through a small ocean town, eventually turning down a residential road that hugs the coast. I look, but I don't see a hotel anywhere. In fact, all I see is a white fence with a dead end sign blocking the cliffs edge. It's unclear where we're headed, but Marcus know exactly where he's going.

A dense fog surrounds the fence as the car speeds up. Marcus mumbles under his breath then we drive straight through the fence. Instead of the end of the cliff like I thought, there's a road leading down the cliff toward the sandy beach. Lights along the road come to life, lighting our way to a beautiful house sitting right on the beach.

The two story cottage is 150 feet from the water, at most. A stunning wood deck wraps around the entire first floor. The front of the house is landscaped with a gray and white pebble driveway with purple and yellow flowers hanging from the deck railing. I can't see in the house because there are no windows, just a giant white door I'm eager to walk through.

"What is this place, Marcus?" I ask as we walk up the porch steps.

Marcus stands behind me with his arms around my waist and his head on my shoulder. "This is our place," he whispers. "I created this place just for us. No one knows about it and no one can get to it. Think of this as our own private sanctuary."

"It beautiful, Marcus," I smile as I spin in his arms. "And I love you for putting it right on the beach."

"I thought you'd like that," he smiles so brightly, it lights up the nights sky. "Want a tour?"

"Of course," I shout with delight. "Let's go."

Marcus laughs as he scoops me up in his arms and carries me over the threshold. Lights turn on as we walk deeper into the house. He sets me down and I look around the room. Downstairs there's a small, but stunning kitchen, a warm inviting living room with an oversized couch and TV, and a small bathroom near the stairs. It's simple except for the back wall. Floor to ceiling glass makes me forget the rest of the house.

I make my way to the back, to get a better look, but Marcus grabs my hand. "The view from upstairs in much better."

He doesn't let me answer before he pulls me up the steal spiral staircase. At the top of the stairs are two doors. Once is to the bathroom and the other has the Cummings family seal. The rest of the second floor is just one giant bedroom with only the basis. There's a dresser, two nightstands and a grand, four poster bed. No TV, no radio, not even an alarm clock.

The room is peaceful. There's nothing to distract us from one another. There are no cars passing by, no siblings banging on doors. The room is silent, except for the crashing waves and the whistle of ocean breeze. The simplicity is romantic. I envision spending a lot of time here.

The back wall matches the one downstairs; floor to ceiling glass. A sheer curtain flaps in the breeze of the open door, beckoning me outside. I step away from Marcus and walk toward the opening. The smell of salt water makes me smile. As I step through the sheer curtain and onto the deck, a faint glow lights up the balcony. It's perfect.

In the corner of the balcony, I notice a table for two, decorated with white roses and a plate of chocolate covered strawberries. It's nice, but my focus is on the view in front of me. White capped waves crash against the beach, one after the other. There's only water for miles and miles. Here we're separated from the small town above us. Here we are truly alone.