I was teetering on the edge of sleep, his fingers still moving gently across my back, when his voice licked the edges of my consciousness. “Don’t be weird about this when we wake,” he pressed a kiss to my cheek.
“I’m always weird,” I breathed, falling asleep to the feel of him wrapped around me and a serenity I hadn’t felt in as long as I could remember settling deep inside my bones.
Shelby
Chapter Seven
Crimson Coast, Australia
I don’t think I will ever recover from the simplicity of the rolling waves in this remarkable beachside town. The mornings spent with my toes in the golden grains and the melodic backing track of the whispers of the ocean spreading for miles.
Ashy would lay beside me snoozing on the sand and I would spend my time lost to the sanctity of dawn while sporadically encouraging her to wake and share in the beginning of a new day.
Both of our parents were bugging us to come home. Our gap year had taken us away for five months already, but with views like this, I wasn’t ready. Would I ever be?
The endless stretch of untouched sand stilled my racing heart and it was somewhere I would always feel alive. Having my soul-sister with me only made it all the better and just this morning, I’d reefed her grumpy butt up off the sand and ran with her until we crashed into the frigid waves, our pyjamas sticking to our skin. I’d screamed my gratitude to the heavens that there was such beauty in this country of ours - and that I got to experience it with my bestest friend.
“How have I never heard of this store?” I said over my shoulder, looking around in awe. “They need this in Canada. But then I’d never leave, and I’d be broke.”
When Corbin said there was a shop up ahead, given the expanse of road we’d travelled this morning, I was expecting a side of the road gas station with bare necessities, but this was something else.
“I’ve never seen anyone so impressed with Alworths,” he mocked, in-step just behind me holding a reusable shopping bag. Such a mundane moment on our thus far, everchanging trip.
“Look!” My astonishment was obvious in the shrill pitch of my voice as I pointed at outdoor items right next to beauty supplies. “Do I need a tent? No. Do I need a massage chair? No. Do I need a cocktail making kit or a light-up dog collar?” I asked, holding both in the air. “Also no. But the versatility of these aisles is next level.” Every item begged for my attention, and I was getting whiplash from the sudden movements as I snagged glances at the countless completely unrelated items.
“What about-”
“No,” he laughed. “We do not need a pair of secateurs,” he carefully took the impressively large scissors from my hand and placed them back on the shelf. I tapped his chest lightly, ignoring the firm warmth of his pecs under my palm.
“What about these candles? I mean this one is lychee and the other is blackberries,” I held both aloft with a surreptitious wink.
He exaggeratedly rolled his eyes. “You make candles for a living. Why do you need to buy any?”
“Excuse you – I’m currently on leave which means I don’t have access to my stash.” I whined, taking a deep whiff. “They smell so gooood.”
Corbin continued to stare with raised brows until I admitted defeat. I probably didn’t need one right now anyway, but these aisles were an impulse buyer’s dream.
“Fineeeeee,” I huffed. “But this place is wild. I’m grabbing some chocolate and this blanket, and I don’t care that it’s summer.” I held the double fleece winter blanket aloft before I wandered the rest of the store throwing another eight things into the basket. It was the perfect opportunity to stretch my legs and take a break from the sneaky glances I spent half my day throwing at my road trip buddy. While neither of us had mentioned what happened the other night, there’d been a definite shift. We’d woken a tangle of limbs, my dressing gown offensively undone and one of my breasts on display, but Corb had only grinned and delicately closed the garment like an annoying gentleman.
I wasn’t expecting him to ravish me or anything, but a little flick or full-palmed squeeze wouldn’t have gone astray.
His request not to be weird had been easy though. Because waking in his embrace didn’t feel weird. The weird part was exactly howrightit all felt.
He’d called his parents before we left and Aunty Ash’s larger than life smile told me she knew we’d discovered the sneaky treats in the same way her and Mum had on their travels. The following two days were spent relaxing, wandering the ostentatious gardens and learning more about each other, but there were no more sneaky kisses, and all food was approved by him first. Despite my best efforts to sneak some of Kenn’s desserts for lunch, he’d vetoed that with that wicked grin which made my stomach twist.
Kenn bid us a fond farewell this morning and invited us back whenever we liked, stating his cakes were better than anywhere else along the east coast of Australia – something I didn’t doubt. The plan was to head further down the tide-kissed land, and with both of us deciding a break from driving for a few days was necessary, Corb left it to me to find a place to stay.
Littoralnock had grabbed my attention in the same way those aisles at Alworths did and I’d booked us a twin room in a quaint small-town pub. I’d programmed the map and off we set, the backof the truck packed and a little more of my parents left behind in the sea of thick, dewy grass. The charming little bridge, where Corbin had kissed me, had been the perfect resting place and now it would always hold two memories for me. I’d gone alone – at my own request – and snapped a polaroid of the graceful spot of land, more so I would never forget the exact way that secret little garden looked the day I had the best, most unexpected kiss.
Everything felt easy with Corbin by my side and travelling along the edge of the world was a little more beautiful. As we headed back onto the coastal highway, I opened us both a packet of crisps and a soda.
“If you had to choose what’s your favourite thing to drink from? Can, plastic or glass bottle?” He asked.
I made a noise to indicate my contemplation. “That’s a good question. I’m going to say can. And then glass, then plastic. What about you?”
“Glass, can and then plastic. How could you choose a can over glass?” He answered easily.
“Honestly, I just like the sound they make when they open,” I admitted, and he laughed.
