Against the Odds (Book 2)

♥ Chapter III ♥

I wiggled my toes in the water as it washes up on the shore, caressing my legs up to my knees.

"You travel a lot?" Zahair's voice is low and deep that it's alluring.

We've been sitting here talking for a while and I didn't expect to like it this much. I didn't think it would be unpleasant, but I wanted to lay back and listen to the waves as they crash against the shore and the deep rumble of his voice.

In this moment, it was only us and I wanted it to stay that way for a while.

Jada hadn't texted or called so I had a feeling she saw us from up the beach. I can still hear the music and laughter, but it's mostly background noise now.

I tilted my head side to side, keeping my eyes on the horizon as the colors changed from vivid bright to darker ones.

"Not really. I've been to places with my family but I've never experienced anything like I have these past few weeks with Jada," I told him. "It was different from having a chaperone, y'know? We got to see stuff on our own. It was... liberating."

"I can only imagine," he said, amusement clear in his voice. I smiled, letting my head fall back on my shoulders.

"Have you ever been anywhere?"

He made a weird sound. "Been to a few states..."

I laughed louder than I should have because of his tone. Then I turned to him. He's staring at the water too, a smile on his lips.

"Never been outside the US?" I asked.

His lips pursed before he said, "Okay. I've been to a few islands in The Caribbean, just for vacation."

"Just for vacation," I mocked. "That's great. I've been to islands but never The Caribbean."

"Wait," he drawled, turning directly to me with a funny look on his face, "you've been traveling since you could count-"

"I wouldn't go back that far-"

"-but you've never been to The Caribbean?"

I shook my head. "It's not that I didn't want to..."

He pulled one leg up, resting his arm on top of his knee. "Then why haven't you?"

Breathing in deeply, I shrugged. "Parents," I said vaguely, hoping that was enough of an answer and I won't have to get into specifics.

He nodded. "Ah. They prefer you hiking mountains and sightseeing than risking your life in that pretty blue water." His tone is playful and it eased some of my tension.

I couldn't help my smile as I said, "You can say that."

The prolonged pause that followed was my opportunity to change the subject and I took advantage of it. My parents were the last people I wanted to talk about. Him finding out their bad parts too soon wasn't a part of the agenda.

Twisting toward him, I folded my legs in front of me and placed my hands around my calves. "You have any plans for the next year?"

"School," he said, shrugging.

That made me perk up. "Where to?"

His face contorted into a weird expression. Amused, I'm about to question it when he said, "New York."

"Oh!" My surprise was written all over my face no doubt. The odds were not that slim.

He shook his head with a strained chuckle. "Yeah. It's pretty far."