Chapter 15
Fifteen
Cadden
The Past
Two souls entwine on a stoney beach.
A love with a valent roar, they would unleash.
Amidst the rocks and crashing waves, the hate was no more;
for they would find a love so rare, it’s worth fighting for.
—Cadden James Connelly
Once again, I find myself standing on the periphery, eyes lingering on Beibhinn without her permission. Lying on a grass bed, her white-blonde hair is splayed wildly, blanketing the sea of green. Light bleeds through the trees as the fading sun paints her skin with a kaleidoscope of oranges, pinks, deep purples, and blues. Pulling my gaze away feels impossible, so I don’t. Instead, I gravitate towards her, cutting across the overly manicured lawn with my hands buried in my pockets.
As I draw closer, I recognise the book I left on her bed near the beginning of the summer. It’s cracked open somewhere past the midway point, covering her face as she spreads her limbs wide, resembling a starfish. I’m standing over her within seconds, and she doesn’t move an inch. Then, right as I think she may have passed out mid-chapter, she muffles into the pages, “Are you going to stand there staring like a creeper, or did you need something, Beast?”
A smile creeps across my face as I bite my bottom lip between my teeth. “Well, if you must know, I was curious as to why Sleeping Beauty was napping on my lawn?” The lie dances off my tongue with a hint of amusement.
Her hands lift to the book as she slides it from her face before settling it on her chest. Her light-blue eyes sparkle as they meet mine. “Wrong fairy tale, Cadden. Besides, I wasn’t sleeping. If you must know, I was savouring the scent of the pages.”
After our first kiss, something shifted between us, and thankfully she’s a hell of a lot less likely to bite my head off before setting it on fire—which is why I am unable to resist the pull that draws me towards her. I drop down next to her, my body pointing in the opposite direction while our heads lie side by side. Keeping my eyes trained on the sky, I clear my throat before saying, “I knew I’d turn you into a reader.”
Next to me, I feel her turn her face towards mine. “Don’t get your hopes up, I still prefer the Disney movies.” The lightness in her tone highlights her sarcasm, making my neck snap in her direction.
“I’ve never seen any.” My gaze traces over her features as her bright eyes widen to saucers, forcing a chuckle to rip past my lips. “Don’t look so surprised, snowflake. Why would I waste time watching a movie when books are always superior?”
“I can’t believe you’ve never seen any Disney films. Not even Beauty and the Beast ? Have you been living under a rock?” Her forehead crinkles as she furrows her brows. “How do you know what the characters are supposed to look like if you haven’t seen the film?”
“That’s the beauty of books. Unlike a movie, no two people share the same experience. It doesn’t matter how well the author describes the details, the emotions, or even the characters. Every single person who reads the story will form an image in their head that’s different from anyone else. Movies, on the other hand, are designed to be as is . Millions of people have watched Beauty and the Beast , and although whether they liked it or not is subjective, there’s no denying that the content they consumed was identical to everyone else. The setting, the actors, the costumes, even the soundtrack you hear playing in the background—they are all pulled from someone else’s vision.”
“Hmmm… I never saw it that way before.”
Reaching for the book splayed across her chest, I grasp the edge and pull it towards me, careful not to lose the page she was on. Her eyes stay locked on mine, and I can tell by the tightness narrowing her gaze that she’s curious.
“Close your eyes and forget everything you saw in the movie. Let me read it to you and then you can tell me what picture my words paint.”
For once, she does as I ask without putting up a fight. Her lashes kiss her cheeks as she slowly allows her eyelids to block out the world around her.
“Ready?” I ask.
“Paint me a picture, Cadden.”
Gently, I clear my throat before bringing my gaze to the open page. A smile tugs the corner of my mouth when I see a passage I’d previously highlighted. Doing as Beibhinn asked, I recite the marked section where Beauty states how she can feel the Beast everywhere and how when he’s far away from her, she can easily ignore him, but when the Beast is nearby, she’s acutely aware of his presence. He’s in the air around her like a breeze rustling the leaves of the tree. Sure, she could choose to ignore him, but it doesn’t matter, she’ll always be able to feel him. Much like the wind, he’s impossible to ignore. Further down the passage, Beauty approaches the Beast, asking him why he’s always lurking. When he responds, he says “I like to watch you,” before asking in his own words if it bothers her. She’s caught off guard when she realises she’s not at all fazed by his watchful gaze, but rather enjoys it.
Choosing to stop there, I tilt my head towards hers and find her attention trained on me. “What did you see?”
“Honestly?”
I tip my chin, silently asking her to continue. She shuffles slightly, bringing our faces closer together until our noses are touching. My breath lodges in my throat when I feel her warm breath dance across my forehead. “I saw us.”
We lie next to each other, sharing a moment of quiet as the tension wraps around us with every breath. Finally, Beibhinn breaks the silence by whispering my name in question. “Cadden?”
Tilting my gaze slightly, our eyes lock, but I wait for her to continue.
“I’m sorry for burning your poetry book. I was mad at my dad for dragging me here against my will. He hadn’t said anything yet, but I knew the real reason for our visit as soon as we pulled through the gates and he hinted that all this would be mine one day.”
Reaching for her, my fingers tease the wild tresses of her hair, tucking them behind her ear. Unbidden, my hand cups her cheek as she continues to explain why she did what she did.
“Then I found the lighthouse, and instantly, I thought I’d found a place I could hide. When I saw the poem about Annabel trapped in a kingdom by the sea, something in me snapped. I hate that I don’t get a say in how my future plays out, and that poem reminded me of my impending reality.”
“Poems are designed to make you experience emotions, that’s the lure of them.”
“I took my rage out on something important to you, and I’m sorry. I’ll replace it, I swear.”
A small chuckle escapes me. “Some things can’t be replaced, Pretty Poison. But it means a lot that you want to.” Maybe I should give more of a fuck about what she did. Maybe I should still hold resentment over the charred pages. Maybe I should hate her. But I don’t.
Shadows darken her eyes, but before I can dissect them, she pulls herself into a seated position, breaking our connection.
Not ready to let her disappear into her room like she has most of the summer, I search for a way to keep her for another few hours. I rise to my feet, then hold out my hand, willing her to take it. “Come somewhere with me?” Her gaze flicks between my face and my extended offering. Finally, she places her hand in mine, and I pull her to her feet before guiding her to the opposite side of the property.
“Where are we going?”
“The best things in life are a surprise, snowflake.”
“I can’t feel my toes. It’s so cold.” Beibhinn squeals as she dances through the ankle-deep water that kisses the edge of the rocks. “How did I not know this was here?” Her arms spread wide as she spins around, and the skirt of her summer dress kicks up. I’ve always loved the breathtaking scenery of the Kerry coastline, but somehow, it pales in comparison to watching Beibhinn.
As I sit on a boulder, I lift my gaze to the moonlight reflecting against the ocean, casting a glow on the small private beach hidden between the cliffs next to my lighthouse. I don’t normally come down here much, choosing to stay in the solitude of the great indoors, but tonight is different. For some reason, I wanted to share this with her. And I’m glad I did because watching her run along the water’s edge, her shoes clutched in her hand as she tiptoes through the waves is a sight to behold.
“Don’t be such a bore, Beast. Roll up your trousers.”
I couldn’t stop the smile on my face if I wanted to. Something about her makes me feel lighter, less bogged down by the weight resting on my shoulders.
With her, I can be young, dumb, and fucking stupid. My need to be near her takes over. Once I remove my shoes, I roll my trousers midway up my calves, then cross seaweed covered terrain, following the pull of Beibhinn’s magnetic gaze. Mischief lights her eyes as she waits for me to draw closer, then as soon as I’m in splashing distance, she kicks out, covering me in ocean droplets.
“You’ll pay for that, Pretty Poison.”
“I’m counting on it.”
She anticipates my next move before I make it, taking off with a squeal towards a small sea cave that’s cut into the jagged coastline. Hidden between the rocks, only accompanied by the waves crashing against the shoreline, I catch up to her and wrap my arms around her centre before lifting her off her feet.
“Put me down, you beast.” Her laughter dances through the night as she wriggles in my grasp, stealing my balance. Trying to find her footing, Beibhinn spins in my arms, and we tumble backwards, going down like a sack of bricks. Before I know it, I’m bracing her fall. My arm circles her waist as she straddles me. Behind her, the moonlight glows like a halo around her head. A breath lodges in my throat just looking at her. Once again, a silence settles between us as we get lost in each other’s gaze. My heart stills, and I know it wouldn’t matter if it stopped beating altogether because I’d be happy to live in this moment forever, as long as I got to live it with her.
“Cadden?”
“Yes, Beauty.”
“Now would be a really good time to kiss me again.”
My mouth curls into a wicked smile as I close the distance between our lips. A hair’s breadth away, I whisper, “Couldn’t agree more, snowflake.”
The air crackles with tension as I move closer. Drawn together by an irresistible magnetism, our lips meet in a tender yet fiery kiss, and a fresh wave of emotion washes over me. Time seems to slow down, and the outside world fades into obscurity. All that matters in this moment is the intoxicating sensation of Beibhinn’s lips against mine.
The touch of her soft lips ignites a fire within me, sending shivers down my spine. An unfamiliar sensation flutters in my stomach, and my dick hardens behind the zipper of my pants. I try to ignore how turned-on she’s making me, but when she grinds her pussy against my shaft, a deep groan ripples from my chest. “Jesus, B. I really want to fuck you right now. But there’s no way our first time will be on a bed of rocks.”
She doesn’t respond with words. Instead, she doubles down, applying more pressure to each slide of her pelvis before once again capturing my mouth with hers. Every brush of her lips creates a symphony of longing and passion. Each swipe of our tongues deepens the connection between us. It feels like a stolen moment. A profound sense of intimacy and closeness that transcends words. It’s a dance of emotions, a silent conversation that speaks volumes without uttering a single word.
My fingers tease up her bare thighs, slipping beneath the hem of her skirt before settling on the globes of her barely covered arse. With each rock of her hips, her pussy grinds against my throbbing dick.
“Cadden. I’m so close,” she whispers. “Whatever you do, don’t stop.”
My grip on her tightens, and I thrust upward, giving her the friction we both need. “Let go, Bev,” I grit out, barely holding myself together as the familiar sensation tugs at the base of my spine.
Then, as if on command, Beibhinn’s body quakes beneath my grasp. “Oh my hell. What in th?—”
Capturing her mouth with mine, I swallow her breathy moan as she rides out the wave of her release. Her tongue slides over mine, and before I know it, I’m following her over the edge. My orgasm rips from my body, shooting hot beads of cum into my boxers. I should probably be embarrassed for coming in my trousers like a horny kid, but I’m not. I loved every second.
Eventually, we pull apart, breathless and flushed. When my gaze locks on her cloudy blues, I know this is the moment that will change everything between us. This is the beginning of our story… Let’s hope it has a happily ever after.