Cigarette Burns

"You can go swimming you know," I mumbled while I looked at Matt. We had now been down at the beach for just over three hours. Matt hasn't left my side for a moment. Rhi ran down to the water with the boys for a few minutes to cool down, but she had been on the beach with us the entire time too, just talking.

Matt smiled, "I know." He turned and looked at me, "do you want to go in and cool off?"

I looked around. "I'm scared," I mumbled.

"What're you scared of?" he questioned.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess this all seems too good to be true."

Matt wrapped his right arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side.

I laid my head on his shoulder. "I think that because of all of these great things that are happening to me today, something really bad is going to happen to me when Tony gets back."

Matt tightened his grip, "stay with me this weekend."

I sat up straight and looked at him, "what?"

Matt grabbed my hands, "please stay with me this weekend. You can leave Monday morning if you want... or I can stay with you and leave early Monday morning, but I want to take advantage of this freedom that you have."

"Okay," I breathed out, nodding my head. "Okay, I can do that. We can do that."

Matt smiled, "really?"

I turned to him and smiled, really smiled. "Really."

"HEY GUYS!" We looked up and saw Johnny and Jimmy standing there completely drenched. "Are you guys coming in yet?" Jimmy nearly yelled.

"Actually, I'm hungry." Matt said, rubbing his stomach. The boys nodded, doing the same thing. Eventually everyone, including me, decided we were in fact, starving.

"I'll help you," I said to Matt. Everyone went back down to the beach to have one last dip while Matt took on the job to BBQ dinner.

"So will you go swimming with me after dinner?" Matt asked as he flipped a few hamburgers on the grill.

"Yes, I promise I will." I said before I took a drink from my bottle of beer. "Do you need a new one?"

Matt held his up, downed the last gulp and then nodded his head. I stood up and took it from his hand on my way to the house. I took the downstairs door that was level to the beach, underneath the main level of the house. Above the barbeque area was a large balcony attached to the living room that looked out over the beach and ocean. It was a stunning view.

I walked inside and took the set of stairs to the main level. I walked towards the kitchen area that was completely open with the living room. I grabbed two beers from the fridge, checked the time and then made my way back downstairs and outside to Matt.

I took the caps off the beers and tossed them in a bucket at the side of the house with a million others and handed him one, "here you go."

Matt took the beer from my hand, smiled and walked with me to the picnic table a few feet from the barbeque and sat down on the top to my left. "Thanks Riley."

Not long after everyone made it back up to the beach house and sat down at the picnic table. I helped Matt transfer the food from the barbeque to the table and set everything up. We sat around and devoured our food as we talked and talked. When everyone was done their food we sat around and drank, letting our stomachs settle before we decided to head down to the water.

“Come with me,” Rhi smiled as she grabbed my hand and began to run towards our spot from earlier. We threw down our towels and removed our wife-beaters that we had on during dinner. We pulled our hair up and put an elastic in it, to keep our hair up and out of our face. When we were done we met the boys down at the water.

I laughed as I saw Jimmy chase Johnny down the beach and right into the water. Johnny ducked under as Jimmy stood there looking confused. He walked deeper and deeper into the water until it was up halfway of his torso. He turned around and looked at all of us still on the beach and raised his arms in a questioning matter.

Right as he raised his arms, Johnny sprung out of the water and latched himself around Jimmy’s neck and back, pulling him down into the water. We all busted out in laughter while clutching our stomachs. I finally stood up straight and walked towards Matt. I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the water. It was darker out now, the sun was beginning to set along the horizon, but the water was still beautiful.

We walked out into the water until it was past my shoulders. Matt chuckled and picked me up under water. He swung me around to his back. I wrapped my legs around his waist and put my hands on his shoulders. I laughed as I remembered how fun the beach always was and how wonderful, free and light I felt when I used to swim.

I was enjoying myself so much that in the midst of everything, I almost forgot about Tony and the hell that he’s put me through.