Heaven Nor Hell

Zacky gave me the day off work, so Brian suggested that we go to the beach. It would be my first time swimming since I moved to California. It hadn’t even crossed my mind to buy a new swimsuit, so I had to make do with the one Kyle had bought me all those years ago.

In an effort to rid my head of any thoughts of Kyle, I reached over to grab Brian’s iPod, which sat between us, in the cup holder of his car. I shuffled through a few songs, smiling as the sound of Foo Fighters filled the car, and immediately, I began to sing.

I’ve got another confession to make
I’m your fool.
Everyone’s got their chains to break
Holding you.
Were you born to resist or be abused?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best of you?

I heard Brian chuckle, before he began to quietly sing along. Before I knew it, Brian was pulling into the parking lot of the beach. I kicked off my shoes, and grabbed my back from the back seat of the truck, before hopping out. Brian stood in front of me, adjusting the sunglasses on his face, before taking my hand, and led me onto the beach.

As soon as Brian found a spot he liked, he sank down into the sand, dragging me along with me. He immediately dragged his shirt up over his head, leaving me nearly breathless. I knew he was physically fit, but not to this degree. I blushed when Brian caught me staring, quickly dropping my gaze to my lap. I heard Brian chuckle, as he positioned himself behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“Liked what you saw?” he teased, pressing a kiss to my hair. I pushed my face into his shoulder, and nodded slightly, hiding my blush. Brian continued to laugh as he rose to his feet, and helped me up.

“Are you ready to go swimming?” he asked, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I bit my lip as I looked at my clothes. I was dressed comfortably in my favorite Metallica shirt, and a pair of shorts. This would be the first time I wore a swimsuit in years, and I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

“Hey,” Brian spoke softly, noticing my hesitation. “You have nothing to be nervous about. You’re beautiful, inside and out.” I blushed at his words, but slowly pushed my shirt up over my head, and took off my shorts. I kept my eyes fixed on the sand as I finished, only looking up when Brian put two fingers under my chin, and placed a chaste kiss on my lips.

“Gorgeous, as always,” he whispered, before taking my hand. “Come on, let’s go!” Brian walked us to the edge of the water, and I shrieked as the cold enveloped us.

After a few minutes, we adjusted to the frigid temperature. As Brian stared out in the horizon, I quietly swam behind him, and splashed his back with the freezing water. He quickly turned around, glaring playfully, before splashing water into my face. I sputtered, wiping my eyes, as goose bumps erupted along my arms. I glared at him, crossing my arms over my chest, in a futile attempt to conserve body heat. Brian just laughed at me, enveloping me in his colorful arms.

“Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you warmed up.” I followed Brian back to our towels, and wrapped mine around my shoulders, before seating myself between Brian’s legs. We sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the waves crash onto the sand, before I noticed a group of kids running around, desperately trying to recruit people for a game of beach volleyball. Most people chose to simply ignore them. I turned around to look at Brian, noticing him watching them as well. He raised his eyebrow in question, and I nodded my head. I stood to slip on my shorts, and pack the rest of our belongings, before we made our way towards the kids.

“Do you still need someone to play?” Brian questioned the kids, a small smile on his face. I noticed the youngest of the boys had an Avenged Sevenfold shirt. I laughed as I watched the boy squeak, before he threw his arms around Brian’s legs, and began speaking a mile a minute. The kids quickly split into teams, the little boy, who we learned was named Joey, dragged Brian over to his team. I smiled at him, before walking to the other side of the make-shift court.

Brian and I played with the kids for nearly an hour. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I watched Brian interact with them. I had always loved working with kids, but I didn’t know if Brian felt the same. Seeing him with these kids made me confident he would be an amazing father, when that day came.

Soon, the kid’s parents began telling them it was time to go. We said a quick goodbye to them all, before walking back to Brian’s truck.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. How does a picnic on the beach sound?” Brian asked, leaning against the hood of his truck.

“It sounds wonderful,” I replied, slipping my t-shirt over my head, and placing my shoes back on my feet.

“There’s a place down the street that makes really awesome subs. How about we pick up some of those?”

“That sounds perfect. Do you want to run and grab the subs? I’m going to try and find a bathroom, and then I’ll take the blankets out of the back of your truck, and set them up over by the lighthouse?”

“Of course. Here are the keys, I shouldn’t be more than 15 minutes.” Brian placed a kiss on my lips, before pocketing his wallet and phone, and walking down the street. I locked up his car, before walking towards the bathrooms, a few feet away.

I quickly finished, and made my way back the truck. But after my first few steps, I crashed into another body, knocking me into the sand.

“Oh shit! I’m sorry!” My head quickly snapped up at the sound of his voice.

“Lily! Oh my god, it’s so good to see you!” I cringed, standing up and staring into his eyes.

“You too Kyle…”