Girls Who Play Guitars

♡•light my way ... •♡

Ellie stood shivering on the blue-stone steps at the red salt-dry wooden door of the Port Lagan lighthouse staring out over the moonlit ocean.

Every time the beam rotated, the water became a thick strip of inky-black tar that melted right into the sky where a scarf of bright, twinkling stars had been breezily tossed. The sea air was fresh as a feather brushing across her skin.

Further down the beach, a bonfire had been lit, and it sparked and popped; tiny fizzes of neon orange tangling away from it in the wind. A shadowed crowd of people gathered around it, laughter and faint music echoing its way along the sand towards Ellie on the wind.

Tugging the sleeves of her hoodie over her hands, Ellie rubbed at her arms as Daniel twisted the lighthouse key in its rusty old lock before pushing open the heavy door with a wrenching shriek of hinges. Ellie turned to see a twist of delicate blue fairy lights curled around the well-worn wooden banister.

"I'm guessing you stole my lighthouse key," she laughed as Daniel ducked inside, "but how did you—"

"Shh." Daniel smiled, eyes sparkling in the faded light as he took her hand and led her in, closing the door behind to lock it from the inside. He danced up the spiral stairs, pulling her after him. In his baggy jeans and white jumper, he cut a slouchy, carefree silhouette.

"We're alone, Devine," he said, his voice in a sing-song as they tripped up the stairs. "You and me. Inside a lighthouse! It's rather brilliant, isn't it?"

Ellie followed him around and around and around in a daze until they came to a small, circular, white-washed room at the top. A high window revealed a square of glittery stars and when Ellie lowered her eyes, she had to cover her mouth with her hands in amazement.

"Holy fu—"

"Language, Devine." Daniel grinned, doused in the warm glow of flickering candlelight in the middle of the room, looking pleased with himself. "You're in the presence of a higher being."

Ellie stepped up from the stairway into the cosy chamber, staring at the most beautiful Rickenbacker she'd ever seen leaning against the rough stone wall. Its rounded Mapleglo curves shone teasingly at her in the dim candlelight.

"How did you  ...  how did you know I wanted—"

"I just know these things."

Ellie looked between Daniel and his own curved Rickenbacker cheekbones and the guitar with those same rounded curves on its body before taking a small step forward. "Toaster pick-ups  ..." was all she could murmur as she eyeballed the guitar's crushed pearl shark fin inlays and reached her itching fingers towards the guitar, not daring to touch its glossy finish.

She rubbed her shaking fingers across her forehead at the wonderfulness of it and turned to Daniel, her heart going out to him at the eager expression on his face as he waited for her to speak. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Daniel bent down, and it was only then Ellie noticed the cosy blankets and cushions he'd arranged on the rough floor and the multitudes of candles tucked into the stairway and crevices.

From behind his back, Daniel produced a bottle of champagne.

"And, Devine, this champagne has been waiting"—he peeked, momentarily serious, at Ellie before refocusing on the foil wrapper of the champagne bottle—"for you."

"How did you ... when did you ...?" Ellie turned in a circle amazed at all the effort he had gone to for her.

"I took a chance on ..."

Ellie faced him. "On?"

"On maybe." Daniel smiled as he coiled the foil up into a ball and untwisted the metal clasp.