33. CHAPTER 33
ARIA
I t had been about an hour since we arrived.
I was putting things away in the bedroom, the sun warming through the sash window.
It was nice to be away from the busy city, but I couldn’t help keeping checking my phone, waiting for …
something. I wasn’t sure what. I sighed.
I still couldn’t believe they’d just dropped the case like that.
I caught my reflection in the mirror.
I wasn’t the same girl I was before. Just like the butterfly had to go through metamorphosis, I’d changed, transformed into someone else. This was me now. I needed to start looking forward and be strong.
I pushed the side button on my phone, switching it off and placing it into the drawer.
There was a knock at the door, and Sebastian opened it, standing there in the doorway.
“You ready to go?”
“Yeah, I am.” I smiled.
We made our way downstairs, and Serfina soon hugged me.
“Aria, girl.” She pulled away. “Sebastian’s normally no fun; what did you do to him?” she teased.
“I am fun,” he protested.
“No, you’re intense.” She patted him on the chest.
“Serfina, why have you got so many bags for one night?” Hayden held up three travel bags.
“A girl's got to look good. Besides, I never hear you complaining.” She smirked, then kissed him on the lips.
He rolled his eyes, then proceeded to take the bags upstairs.
I loved these two together. There was never a dull moment with them. She was the sharp salt to his smooth caramel.
“Hayden, hurry up. I’m starving,” Serfina shouted.
“Well, if you hadn’t brought so much stuff, you could have eaten by now,” he shouted back from upstairs.
“Hayden, Serfina is getting hangry.” Sebastian laughed.
“Shut up.” She hit him in the stomach, and he doubled over, pretending it hurt.
“You’re such a child.” She rolled her eyes at him.
“I’m done,” Hayden said, appearing in the room.
“There’s a really nice fish and chip shop down the road,” I suggested.
There’s no way you could come to the seaside and not have fish and chips. Me and my mum used to get it every time we came. It was one of my favourite memories as a child.
We were there within ten minutes and didn’t have to wait long for the food to arrive. It smelled amazing, and the batter on the fish was golden, crispy, ready to be crunched.
I watched as Serfina picked up some huss on her fork, putting it near Hayden’s mouth, telling him to try it, much to his protestation, so she moved it further to his mouth and told him he had to.
He soon gave in and took it off the fork.
I quietly chuckled to myself. These two would be comical to watch when they were an old married couple.
Sebastian’s hand rested on my thigh, bringing that instant heat to it. He then ran it down between my legs. My body jolted from his touch, knees banging the table.
“Aria, you ok?” Serfina asked, arching her brow.
I cleared my throat. “Yeah. Pins and needles.”
The heat rushed to my cheeks, and my eyes flickered to Sebastian, who was scrubbing his stubble with his other hand.
“You should eat up. It’ll get cold,” he said.
I pushed my lips together, frowning at him, as he started to trail his fingers up again. I took a deep breath, putting a chip in my mouth.
He then leaned into my ear and whispered, “You’re soaking.”
The chip went down hard as I swallowed to clear my throat.
The warm, salty summer breeze hit me, carrying the smell of freshly baked doughnuts as we walked down the road towards Dreamland, the neon lights flickering in the distance and the sound of the arcades growing louder. I hadn’t been here since I was a teenager.
Sebastian’s hand brushed against my own as we walked through the entrance, his fingers naturally intertwining with mine, holding on tight enough for me to know he was there.
“Would you look at you two, holding hands and all,” Serfina teased, linking her arm through Hayden’s.
“Took you long enough,” Hayden said, nudging Sebastian.
Sebastian rolled his eyes. I could feel my cheeks starting to burn, but I didn’t care; I was happy.
“Don’t make me get rid of you two,” Sebastian joked.
Serfina patted him on the back. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
I looked up at Sebastian, who smiled back at me. Today, I was going to enjoy myself like I used to when I was younger. I was going to be the girl from before I’d ever met Jason Brown.
Sebastian leaned into me as we reached the Waltzers. “You smell delicious.”
A flush hit my cheeks. I was completely obsessed with him, and I couldn’t stop it.
I thought I always had been. Then he leaned in, gently kissing my forehead and we got onto the ride.
Serfina and Hayden were in the cart next to us.
I hadn’t been on these in years, and I’d forgotten how much they spun around.
Laughter fell out of my mouth. Sebastian took hold of my waist, sliding me to him so I stopped moving about with the speed.
Serfina screamed with excitement in between the spins as they got faster.
We’d spent a few hours in the amusement park.
Serfina and Hayden had gone off to find the roller skate room.
Sebastian wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in as we sat on the beach together, watching the waves.
Everything about today had been wonderful, and being with him made it perfect.
He always knew how to brighten my day and stop me from falling into the darkness.
It was he who did it. Those bright blue eyes that smiled when he looked at me.
Everything about him made me feel safe and warm. He felt like home and always had.
I looked up at him. “Thank you.”
“What for?”
“Today. For knowing this was what I needed.”
He kissed my forehead. “You never need to thank me, Nyx. Everything I do for you is because I care about you. I always have.”
Being like this with him was what I always wanted, but never imagined it would happen. It felt right that everything we’d been through had led us to be back together and like this.
“I know what you need,” he said, smiling at me.
“Oh yeah?” I arched my brow at him. “What’s that?”
“Fresh doughnuts.”
He stood, holding his hand out. I took it, and he pulled me up. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and mine naturally slid around his back as we made our way to go and get some.
The sun started setting across the beach as I glanced over to Serfina and Hayden sitting on the sand, cuddling.
The warm sea splashed over my feet as the tide came in and out.
Sebastian stood next to me, his hands in his pockets, looking out at the ocean.
I took the last freshly baked doughnut out of the bag and was about to take a bite when Sebastian snatched it from my hand.
“Give it back.” I giggled, reaching for it.
It was no use; he started to jog backwards, his eyes locked onto mine, giving me a cheeky smile as if he were daring me to chase him. I rolled my eyes and picked up my pace, the water splashing with my footsteps. As I reached out to grab his T-shirt, he jumped back, laughing, and took a huge bite.
That was it.
I bent down, cupping the seawater in my hand before splashing it all over him.
He stood there with his mouth slightly open and burst out laughing as I splashed him some more, grabbing my waist to stop me and pulling me into him.
I gazed up into his eyes as our laughter died down.
He tucked the loose bits of my hair behind my ear, resting his fingers on my chin, then slowly leaned in and kissed me as the sun came down around us.
I hadn’t had this much fun in a long time.