by Marien Dore
He nodded and his eyebrows creased. “It’s like what you said with my eyes. I can see it in your voice. When you speak to me, I hear wonder, magic, and life in it. And when you say stuff like that, those words matched with that voice… Janice, you have no idea how overwhelmingly light you make me feel with that voice.” He paused in speaking for a moment, smiling lovingly. “When you’re sad, and you try to hide it, I can hear it in your voice. When you moan, I know a sensitive spark runs over you. When you are angry and yelling at me for being such an idiot,” he smiled and chuckled. “Even then, I hear it. Hear that I drive you mad with worry and that you care so much for me. I hear your laugh, and I want to swim in it. It squeezes my insides whenever I hear it.”
I shook my head, not knowing how to respond to him. Every word he spoke hit me like a bullet I never knew was coming. A bullet that killed any worry of him fading from me.
“And when I speak as I am now, speak out of love and disbelief?”
He smiled, his teeth flashing white and perfect. “I hear it, loud and clear. I hear you trying to grasp that feeling, becoming lighter. I know I am so lucky to have caused that feeling. I hear you don’t know how to respond. Right now, I hear how much you love what I just said.”
This was what really shocked me. That wasn’t only spot on. It was my exact thoughts, my exact feelings. It was as if he could read my mind.
“How long have you been able to read my voice like this?”
“I don’t know. I think after I saw the change in you, I was looking for anything to tell me what was going on in your life. I looked so deep that I listened to your voice because that was the only clue I had.”
I rested my head back on his arm, my eyes still on his as I looked up to him. “It’s crazy, isn’t it?” I said, grinning like an idiot.
“What is?”
“That we both understand each other so much. That we both can see what each other is feeling; through your eyes and my voice. That we both love each other so much, feel so deeply and so alike… And only after so little time! It’s been, what, a month? It sounds so dramatic as if we are overacting with the things we say. You know what I mean? It sounds like we are overreacting since we have been together for only a month, but we aren’t.”
“Yeah, I think about that a lot. I don’t know how we feel so strongly in so little time, but we do. It’s not exaggerated or just words. That’s real, that’s how I really feel,” he said.
“Do you think it’s the island? That it forced us to know more about each other since we have all this time now? No work, no distractions.”
He thought for a minute before he then laid down fully with his head resting on his shoulder. Faces inches away, our breath was hot and keeping us very warm. “Maybe. But even then, even after months of a normal couple dating, it’s nothing this passionate, this strong. I guess… I guess we just knew each other faster because of how understanding we are. I honestly don’t know, nor care. I have you, and you have me. That’s all that matters to me.”
We stayed silent for a moment more, our even breathing causing my eyes to get heavier. I started to drift off when I felt Casey shift me in his arms, turning me so I was more comfortable and pressed into chest again, spooning me. I felt myself groan at the movement and felt his hand in my hair.
“Mmm… I’m falling asleep.”
“Then fall asleep.” He kissed my cheek lightly as I went under, falling asleep and never feeling so warm, so at home.
Chapter 57
I began to stir once I heard the fading calls of birds and the breeze. Except there was something different. There was something missing from the music in the air. There was no crash of the waterfall that I always heard when I woke. Though the creek was evident and I could hear it flowing, it was coming from a different direction and further away. Also, the air smelled of the ocean and it was windier. The ground under me was uneven, and that was the last clue it took for me to recall that I wasn’t in our shelter. I fell asleep on the beach in Casey’s arms last night.
When I opened my eyes, I instantly raised a hand over me since I was laying on my back. Shading my eyes from the high and hurtful sun, my hand curved over my squinting eyes to help. I blinked a few times, getting used to the light and the morning. Looking down, I noticed that I was lying on top of the clothes that we used last night to cover us up. Casey must have moved me to lay on the fabric instead of the sand since, by how high the sun was, the rough grains of sand had to be burning. I was already sweating from the warm clothes I was wearing.
I sat up, propping myself up with my arms. I saw Casey wasn’t lying here with me. I looked out over the beach, looking for him and when I scanned over the blue waters, my eyes paused. A smile automatically spread across my lips.
He was walking back up the beach from the ocean. His legs were wet, hair as well as he stroked it back with the salty water he must have thrown over him. I knew he must have been up for a while now and have gone back to camp from what he was carrying in his hands.
I got to my feet, stretching and yawning. Quickly stripping off the men’s pants, relief met my legs before I slid on the baggy blue shorts we used for cover last night. I also changed my shirt, becoming more comfortable by the time Casey made it up the beach and offered me a smile.
“Good morning.” He kissed my cheek, leaning forward while his body was keeping its distance with the fish away from me. He set the fish down in the sand with the spear he used before turning back to me.
“Good morning.” After one last yawn, I straightened up and looked at him. “You let me fall asleep. Damn you.”
“Well, you were tired.”
“Yeah, but we were supposed to spend last night in our new bed. I’m shocked you didn’t haul me back since you were so anxious to have the bed in the first place.”
He shrugged. “We always have tonight to sleep in it. I know how eager you are to see if we can break it,” he smirked. “But I was too tired to bother walking back. I fell asleep like five minutes after you.”
I smiled and with the sun beating down, I walked towards where he just came from. Casey, his hand catching mine, walked with me the short distance until the crashes of the waves became louder. I stopped when the sand beneath my toes met the thin waves. With a deep breath, welcoming the free atmosphere, I sat down on the shore, stretching my legs out before me and propping myself up with my arms. The waves grew smaller as they surrounded my legs and feet.
Looking up at Casey, I saw he came to do the same, stretching his legs before him. He tilted his head towards me, looking at me with a small grin.
I smiled, “Why did you get up so early?”
“Because you wouldn’t have been the one to fetch breakfast,” he said.
I rolled my eyes with a smile. “How would I force myself to stay asleep? And you didn’t need to do that,” I said, gesturing with my thumb back over my shoulder where the fish were up the beach.
He shrugged. “I just figured it would be nice to get that out of the way. One less thing to take up our time.”
I looked at him, confused. “All we have now is time. It’s not like we are busy.”
“Yeah… but it takes away time to spend with you. And, I want every second I can have with you.”
I blushed, turning back to look out over the charging waves in the distance. It was endless, asking for me to see if my eyes could reach a point that wasn’t water. I turned back to Casey, resting my hand over his in the sand through the waves. “What are we going to do then today?”
He smirked, his eyes finding mine and full of playful fire. Without another second passing, Casey gripped my hand that was resting in his and pulled. He rolled forward to his side, dragging me with him from our sitting positions.
He was rolling, and with my hand in his, he dragged me over on top of his body. He didn’t stop, though. I was holding onto his body as he rolled in the coast. With a surprised yelp from me, I went with him more into the shallow water, my clothes soaking with the water m
ore as he rolled me under him swiftly!
In the same movement playfully, he continued rolling until I was back up and he under me. He swung me up and around his body, rolling in the wet sand together, his deep voice releasing gasps of laughter as his arms gripped my back. Rolling together, we continued that several times down the shore.
The sand whipping in my hair, I became wetter and moved at a fast rate. I began to laugh just as hard as my vision remained blurred with the fast rolling action we were doing on the shore. His legs twined with mine in the process (he replaced his jeans with shorts earlier).
“Casey!” I squealed.
It was nice, the feel of the cool liquid over us in the hot sun. The wet sand covered our bodies at the same time. When he finally stopped rolling, it was when he was over me, his hands propped up on each side of my head. His body was lightly over me, face a few inches above mine. Breathe hard with mine, his lips were parted and smiling as he looked into my eyes.
He finally answered the question I forgot I even asked. “Today, we are doing anything and everything. Right now, though, I think I’m going to kiss you. Would that be acceptable for today?”
I chuckled. “Well, I guess it couldn’t hurt.”
The waves slipping past us only to fall back to us, he lightly kissed my lips as his hands slipped back around to my back, grasping me to him. A moan turned into a chuckle from me as he leaned to his side, dragging me with him until he rolled all the way over. As he did, he wrapped his leg over mine again and began to roll with me again, still pushing his lips on mine. I felt more sand splatter us with my whipping hair. I laughed under his mouth, making his lips break on mine and chuckle as well.
When he stopped rolling with me, I ended up on his chest, my fingers wrapped in the fabric of his shirt. Letting go, I sat up as I straddled him, watching as the water rushed around us and in Casey’s hair. Sitting up on him, I was able to see that we were more than wet with a little sand on us. It splattered our faces, our clothes, our arms, and our legs.
I laughed and felt him pull me back down to him. A few inches from his face, I chuckled and couldn’t help it as I looked at his face. I raised my hand, wiping away the sand on his cheeks and chin.
He shook his head smiling. His hands resting on my back moved up towards my shoulders until he pressed me the rest of the way down to him. He kissed me again, sweetly and lovingly. I cupped his sandy neck with one hand, my other resting on his chest as we moved our lips together.
When we broke away, I rolled off him and stood. He stood with me and as we looked at each other. It was obvious what we needed to do next. We walked out into the ocean a few more feet until it was nearly up to our kneecaps. We splashed water over ourselves, cleaning off the sand as best as we could manage. In the end, as we stood back on shore, it clearly wasn’t enough.
I brushed back Casey’s hair as I got a closer look. “Yeah, you have sand in your hair. Plus, I’m sure there is a lot under our clothes. When we get back to camp, we will clean off in the lake.” I sighed as he nodded, taking my hand and we walked back up to where our fire was last night.
“Was it worth it? We just added another chore to be done,” I said, knowing what his reaction would be. I loved to tease him.
“Oh, so my attempt at a little fun and a few kisses aren’t worth the price of a bath?”
“Well, it probably took several minutes out of our day. Like you said, I want every second possible with you too and don’t want to waste it doing a chore.” I bit my lips, smiling.
He stopped walking with me as we reached the circle of ashes and clothes, the spear and fish a few feet away. He hid his smile, showing me a sympathetic expression. “Alright, Miss Greedy, listen well. You can’t have me all the time. I know how gorgeous I am and how hard it is to look at me without attacking me. Don’t you worry, though; I’ll be with you. I’m going swimming with you when we take our bath so you won’t drown at the sight of me on shore. You’ll drown at the sight of me as we are swimming together. Got it?”
“You are unbelievable.” I wrapped my arms around him and grasped his back, holding myself to him.
I saw him break with a light smile for me. “Hey, you were the one starting trouble with me.”
I laughed. “I like starting trouble with you. It’s fun to tease.”
“You tease me all the time just being yourself. I want to hold you all the time and whisper in your ear how much I love you.”
“Well... you are,” I said, glancing down at his arms around me.
“I want more. I can’t get enough of you.”
I smiled as I pressed him closer. “Well, you are holding me right now.”
With a delicate finger, he brushed my wet, sandy, and knotty hair back from the side of my face. “Yes, I suppose I am holding you.”
“Yes, you are. Now… say it,” I said.
His lips kissed mine before he traveled up along my cheek to my ear. “I love you, Janice.” My breath jumped at the words he whispered. “I love you more than I should and more than I thought possible.”
He slowly moved until he rested his forehead against mine, meeting his eyes with mine. A smile spread across his gentle lips.
“You will always have me. You aren’t missing anything. Nothing I would hold from you. I’m all yours, even if you say you can’t get enough,” I said softly.
He moved his head to the side, tucking it into my shoulder as he hugged me. I raised a hand, resting it on his head as I stroked his hair, hugging him back. It felt so good, to hold each other. It wasn’t just him who felt that. I did too, maybe just as much as him.
“So what do you want to do?” I said after breaking the kiss. Casey already got our food and all that was left with us was time.
“I thought about going for a walk.”
“A walk?”
He nodded and smiled. “This is our home. We should explore it. Maybe we can find more berries or something. After that, we can come back and cook the fish for dinner. How does that sound?”
I nodded, smiling brightly. “Sounds good to me.”
Breaking off the silence as we plan to walk up to the top of the waterfall. We both decided to continue on with the questions we started last night as we walked.
“Okay, when is your birthday?” I asked him as we walked along the lake.
“I’ll be twenty-six on January 31st,” he answered. “When’s yours? I need to know when I need to get you a present.”
I smiled. “May 22nd. What are you going to get me?”
“Do you think I’m going to tell you?”
I sighed, our steps along the green blades moving away from the lake. We headed into the brush, which led us up at an incline. “A girl can hope.”
He shook his head. “Well, you keep hoping. Tell me what your favorite animal is.”
I looked up to his smiling face and stared, wanting to see his reaction. “I like sloths.”
He raised his eyebrows, his lips parting into a brighter smile. “Sloths? Why?”
“They are cool. Lazy. They don’t worry about life. They just sleep around in trees. Or that’s what I see in pictures anyway. I never actually saw them before.”
“Well, Miss Reeves, do you know what that means? That means we are going to have to make another trip on your airplane to wherever they live. A zoo is out of the question.”
I smiled and pressed into his side as we continued to walk through the trees and over the roots that crawled up over the dirt as we turned and went uphill. “Good, I can’t wait. What’s your favorite animal?”
“Hmm... it changes every day,” he said.
I chuckled and looked up at him. “It changes every day? So every day, you go into deep thought of what special animal will win the title of Casey’s favorite for the day?” I teased.
He shook his head, smiling. “Okay, I didn’t mean every single day, and you know it.” Squeezing my hand in his, he chuckled and went on. “Like I said, you are a trouble maker.”
I rolled my
eyes. “Did you decide what your favorite animal is yet?”
“Pandas,” he said instantly with a smile.
“Why?” I asked.
“It was the first thing that came to my mind, and they are cute.”
I rolled my eyes with a smile, looking ahead. We reached the top, the larger creek coming into view before it turned into the waterfall. We strode forward, moving closer through the dirt and scattered patches of grass. We walked to the rocky edge of the river, turning and heading up along the bank. The trees were packed tightly together so there wasn’t much light from how crowded it was. So, we kept close to the creek as we began to travel up the river.
His hand was in mine as we moved between the edge of the trees and the bank of the river. The ground was uneven and required my hand to stay in Casey’s since there were rocks we stepped along occasionally. Like I observed before, it was different from what the creek was like back at camp. This was a stronger river with a stronger current. Also, the banks by our shelter were just smooth walking and long grass. The land was rough up here.
“Tell me something bizarre that only you can do and nobody else?” he asked.
“You mean like wiggling your ears for example?” I asked.
“Yeah, something like that,” he said as he helped me over a rock and the intruding roots.
“Well... I can bend my middle finger back until it touches the top of my hand.”
He stopped walking and turned to face me, stopping me as well. A smile crept across his face. “You are lying. Show me.”
I chuckled and grabbed my middle finger with my other hand, bending it back. I pushed it back until it hit the top of my hand and I glanced up to Casey. With his eyes growing, brows raising, and his smile stretching, he looked from my hand up to my eyes. He shook his head and looked back at my hand. “Oh my god! That’s really amazing! Could you always do that?”
Chuckling, I let my hands fall to my sides. “Yeah, I don’t know why. People usually find it creepy. I guess because it isn’t natural.”