On the Yacht
Why do brilliant ideas only come to men's minds when you hint at them? By brilliant idea, I mean sailing on a yacht. What could be better on a hot day? Besides, spending the whole day by the sea should do me good and help me get rid of the thoughts that have lately captivated my mind. I still couldn't figure out what I felt for Leo, and this uncertainty scared me even more. My heart raced with every move he made, but another part always reminded me: don’t fully open up and don’t give too much trust. This rule had formed so long ago, and I wasn’t sure if there had ever been a time when I hadn’t followed it. I had matured thanks to my last relationship and had clearly put a cross on relationships in the future.
So did I really still want to adhere to this rule? I had to find an answer, as the knot inside tightened with each day. Now I couldn't just run away again, like I used to in such cases; I had to stay to sort through everything that troubled me so much. So spending the whole day on the yacht with Leo would really help me with that.
The sun was blazing like never before, reflecting its rays in the blue waters. They were so clear and transparent that I could easily count the pebbles on the bottom. The yacht left behind a white foam trail, creating small waves and scaring away schools of small fish that swam closer to the surface. I sat in a way that a light breeze blew on me, making me squint my eyes and enjoy the sounds around.
— It’s so beautiful here, let’s stop, — Ella almost pleaded. And we stopped. The place was indeed wonderful. A rocky slope, trees above, and some strange corals.
Nicolas was the first to jump into the water, causing a splash, followed by Elizabeth in her pink swimsuit. They were both so tanned that they reminded me of a forgotten sandwich with chocolate spread in the refrigerator.
— Hey, don’t scare all the fish away, — Leo shouted.
— You’d better come to us, — Elizabeth waved him off. — The water’s just perfect.
I turned to the blonde just in time. The guy had pulled off his white t-shirt, and no matter how hard I tried not to, I was glued to him with my gaze. A piece of strawberry I had eaten got lodged in my throat because I wasn't even trying to chew, and I quickly turned back. Enough strawberries for today. I pushed the plate away and dangled my legs in the warm water.
My phone, lying next to me, was exploding with messages from Dama, who was angry that we hadn’t told him where we had gone or with whom. I replied, omitting some details of this trip:
"Sorry for not letting you know. Ella and I decided to relax at sea." The guy sent a smiley with a flame. He probably guessed. Three dots were running on the screen. I quickly turned off my phone and shoved it into my bag to avoid answering millions of his further questions.
— Don’t you want to join us? — Mathieu called to me from the water. I suddenly felt uneasy.
— I’d like to sunbathe for now, but thanks, — Nic looked slightly embarrassed, but I smiled gently and leaned over to tousle his wet hair, showing that everything was fine.
The guy winked at me, and in a second, I understood why, because Nicolas had barely swum away from the yacht when his blonde friend lowered himself down next to me. He also dangled his legs in the water and quickly glanced at me.
— Not swimming? — I finally asked him, unable to hold back.
— I decided to keep you company, Cinderella, — he leaned on his hands and tipped his head back a bit. He looked very attractive, and I was breathless.
I had to remember how to breathe.
— Good thing it's not "mermaid," otherwise I’d think you were making fun of me, — I didn’t know why I said that. My lungs still needed oxygen, and my lips were greedily gasping for air.
— Why's that? — a silly question to keep the conversation going.
— Come on, a mermaid who can barely swim is ridiculous.
— Maybe just a little bit, — De Villes agreed. He closed his eyes, turning to the bright rays and slightly swayed his head, which gave me reason to notice his hair and… I wish I hadn’t done that. His strands were more tousled than usual and glimmered gold in the sun. From this flawless picture, I again had to remind myself that I needed to breathe.
— "Just a little bit"? — I asked again, the guy slightly opened one eye.
— Maybe, — the blonde repeated again, which annoyed me.
— Probably drowning would be better than sitting here in your company and trying to prove something, — I muttered under my breath and finally tore my eyes away from the guy.
— I heard everything, — Leo declared.
— Oh, splendid, — I mocked his tone.
— It’s just funny; you still won’t be able to escape anywhere, — have I mentioned how much it irritates me when he’s right?
— Maybe I’ll jump overboard and drown until someone saves me, — I declared, pretending to lose consciousness and dramatically pressing my hand to my forehead.
— Madness, — De Villes exhaled.
— Do you really think I’m crazy, Malfoy? — I asked without a hint of shame. — If so, then you’re a very cute crazy, Granger — the guy almost smiled, and I tried to ignore how my ears were burning. I didn’t know if it was because of what he said or because I felt disappointed that I hadn’t made him laugh.
— I’ll take it as a compliment, — I feigned as if his words didn’t matter at all.
— I very much hope so, — the blonde finally gifted me his smile, and I had to turn away, pretending to be watching Elizabeth, just to hide the blush that I was sure was spreading over my body, reaching my veins and quickening my heart, which was already pounding with crazy rhythm.
— They look so happy, — I noted, now truly focusing on Nicolas and Ella, who were laughing and egging each other on.
— They are, — De Villes' voice resonated with immense confidence in his words.
— I understand Nic, — I suddenly assured. — Elizabeth… She’s just marvelous.
Bright, beautiful, cheerful...
— She’s like the sun, — I turned to Leo, but he was already looking at me, and I somehow noticed the similarity of the color of his eyes with the color of the water.
— Yes, she is my complete opposite, — this was almost true.
— A person doesn’t have to be like Ella; they don’t have to be the sun, — Merlin, I couldn’t help but notice his hint. — Sometimes it’s just worth finding a person who will shine for you, and they will find the light in you, even if you think it doesn’t exist.
I fell silent. What could I say? But Leo still had questions, and it disarmed me:
— Have you ever met someone who was your sun?
— And you?
— Yes.