Secrets Are Hard To Keep

We postponed our snorkelling because the weather was too nice to go swimming in salt water. We were having too much fun singing and sun bathing. I took a sip of my frappachino and held it behind me, Nick took a sip and then I placed it back into the bucket of ice next to us.

Joe and Kevin were playing volleyball in the pool as Nick and I laid in the sun together listening to his iPod which belted out tunes for everyone to hear. “There’s another one.” Nick said looking through the palm trees.

It took me a while to spot the girls but I eventually did, they were hiding behind a palm tree trying to take pictures. I grabbed the walkie talkie that was clipped onto Nick’s trunks. “There’s some girls taking pictures North of our grove, can you get rid of them please?”

“Yes, sorry Miss Beckham.” The voice came back and we giggled as we watched them get taken away and then security guards stood in the place they were.

“This is fun.” I laughed. The song changed to one of their songs; Hollywood. “You have yourself on your iPod.” I giggled and crawled away from him.

I ran through the water and climbed on a rock which was around 5 feet above the water. “You can try to break us and make us fall apart. But the fire’s in our hearts.” I sung and Joe joined me on the rock.

“Reminisce on memories cause we’re gone!” Joe wrapped his arms around me and jumped into the deep water causing me to scream until we hit the water. I surfaced and beckoned Nick to come to me with my finger, he smirked and walked into the water slowly.

I threw my arms around his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist. He bent down in the water so we were under it up to our shoulders. He rested his forehead on mine as we moved slowly around in a circle. I couldn’t help but smile when he pressed his lips to mine, my smile made him smile and soon we were in the middle of an almost teeth kiss. So, jokingly, I licked his tooth.

"You just licked me tooth!" He laughed and kissed my nose, "That's attractive." I giggled as I noticed some of my phrases had rubbed off on Nick.

“Guys! Are you ready?” Kevin shouted, we turned our head to him and both sighed in unison. “Let me rephrase, we’re going now.”

“Spoil sport.” I mumbled and pressed my lips to his once more. We laced both our hands together and Nick walked behind me. He crossed his arms across my stomach and consequently mine to. We swayed on the spot for a moment then Nick romantically let go of one of my hands and spun me around under his arm.

“Smooth Nick.” Joe laughed spinning his sailors hat on his finger.

“Can I wear your hat?” I fluttered my eye lashes and Joe smiled at me. He put the hat on my head and then put on my shades for me, “Good?” I asked and posed with my hands on my hips.

“Wonderful, let’s go!” Kevin shouted and clasped his hands together. Nick made me put his shirt back on and the lads pulled on t-shirts. We walked with a formation of security around us, they’d made sure the paths were clear and no one got near us.

I looked around at the girls who were climbing onto things just to look at us. “Don’t you think this is all a bit extreme?” I asked Nick.

“Not extreme, just necessary.” He shrugged. I tried to walk quickly as the stone floor burned the bottom of my feet, I jumped into bits of shade and stepped in any puddles. Nick threw his arm in front of me as I was just about to jump from one spot of shade to another. “Climb on my back.”

I smiled thankfully at him and I jumped onto his back. He pushed me further up and walked easily with me, “Are you arms hurting?” I asked nervously. I was very self conscious about behind carried, almost paranoid in some senses.

“You’re like a leaf.” Nick laughed. I swung my legs back and forth like a young toddler and I rested my chin on his shoulder. I shoved the sleeves of Nick’s shirt up above my elbows then began putting Nick’s curls back into a natural position.

When we arrived at the coral reefs we were greeted by experts. I jumped off Nick’s back and leaned on Kevin. Nick and I were keeping our distance because there were cameras filming us, such as Popstar magazine and their own film crew too. As they explained some rules to us and I listened closely. “Don’t swim under the water and try not to splash. You can touch the sting rays and manta rays, their barbs have been removed for obvious reasons.”

So they don’t kill us, got it.

“So if we get water in our masks or something what should we do?” Joe asked.

“If you have any problems just raise your hands and someone will swim over to you and guide you to a steady place. Steady places are shallow places dotted around the reefs.”

I nodded and smiled up at Nick. “What’s the biggest manta ray you have in the reef?” I was a geek for all things to do with the oceans. I always watch documentaries about them and I am particularly obsessed with sharks, particularly Great Whites.

“We only have one which was saved from shark nets around 20 miles away from here. She’s has a 6.5 metre span.”

“Whoa, 6.5 metres!” I gasped, “Can we go in now?” I was hyped up. I stripped off Joe’s hat and Nick’s shirt and put on a vest made of the material of a wet suit. I zipped it up and then put on my goggles and snorkel. We all posed together for some photos for the resort and then we headed for the reef.

The salt water was very cold compared to the pool water but we soon got used to it. People peered over the walls and fans discovered they could watch us under water through a glass wall. It was a odd sight to see people pressed up against glass with cameras to watch Kevin, Nick, Joe and I (in that order) swim in a line.

A variety of colourful fish swam beneath us and the corals were filled with life, it was spectacular to see. Sting rays all swam in groups and their skin was so soft and almost slimy in some ways. I looked behind us and saw the giant manta ray swimming up to us. I tapped Joe on the shoulder and motioned behind us, he then alerted his brothers.

She glided underneath us, so gracefully I was jealous. Experiencing such a creature swim less than a metre under you was nerve wracking but amazing. Her skin was a more spongy texture making her beauty more intense but you could see the scar on her fins from the netting.

When we arrived back where we started I was sad it was over. We sat cross legged in the shallow water on the sand, I took off my snorkel mask and snorkel and tossed them to the side.

“That was amazing, that manta was so big!” Kevin exclaimed as we climbed out of the water.

I scurried off as the boys signed things for insane girls who were dangling over the edges waving bits of paper and waved to everyone else who were there. I washed the salt water off my face and put Joe’s hat back on, I sat down cross legged on the floor and drank some water as the boys did some interviews with the camera crews.

“Did you enjoy it?” The instructor asked me, I looked up at her and slipped on my shades to block out the sun.

“I loved it, it was incredible.” I smiled, “Thank you.” I stood up and shook her hand properly and she scurried off with two silver buckets in her hand. “Nicholas!” I shouted with my hands on either side of my mouth.

He jogged over and gave me a hug, “Yes?”

“Is Maya joining us at all? I haven’t seen her in ages.”

He smiled and kissed my nose, “Yes, tomorrow.” I smiled and clapped my hands, “We’ll be ready in a moment.”

“Okay.” I sighed and sat back down on the floor. “Lucky I’m in love with my best friend. Lucky to have been where I have been. Lucky to be coming home again.” I sung quietly to myself as I drew a mushroom on my thigh. “Lucky we’re in love in every way. Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed. Lucky to be coming home someday.”

“And so I’m sailing across the sea, to an island where we’ll meet. You’ll hear the music fill the air,” Nick pulled me up from the ground and continued to sing, “I’ll put a flower in your hair.”

We grabbed a hold of each others hands and danced, “Though the breezes through the trees, move so pretty you’re all I see. As the world keeps spinning round, you hold me right here right now.” I sung back at Nick. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my shoulder.

“Let’s go play some Wii,” Nick announced and lead me away. He followed a security guard through a back passage way and to an elevator. “Your room?”

“My room.” I agreed pushing the ‘Floor 27’ button. We stood quietly in on the way up and then we raced to my room, Nick forgot to stop so I won. I chuckled and pulled my key card out. I shoved it in the opening and watched the light turn green, I pushed the door open and tossed the key onto the table to my left.

Nick followed me into my kitchen and grabbed a can of Coke from my fridge. “Julia, do you mind if we just sit and talk?”

My heart fluttered. Nick was the most romantic guy I knew. I held my hand out for him and he gently slid his hand into mine and let me lead him out to my balcony. He laid down on the long white sofa and I laid down in front of him with my back against his warm chest. He draped his arm over my bare stomach and pulled me as close as I could get to him.

It was cold in the shade of my balcony and I was still in my bikini but Nick made sure I was warm. We didn’t talk like he said we would. He rested his head on top of mine and I could feel his breath on my neck. I stared out at the ocean completely relaxed as Nick’s finger trailed up and down my thigh.

Then, his finger stopped moving and his head felt heavier on mine. His face pressed into my neck and his arms became limp on my leg and stomach. He’d fallen asleep. I smiled and held his hand that was on my leg in mine.

I couldn’t believe my luck. I’d never felt so loved before in my life. It practically radiated from him and since I’d had it pointed out to me by my mother and his mother it was more obvious. I didn’t want to risk anything with Nick so I decided that I was going to have to be more careful about how I go about things with him.

In pure adoration, I pulled his hand slowly up to my chest and I played with his fingers. Lifting them up and placing them back down. I felt my eyes drooping as I watched his fingers twitch as he slept.

I awoke later on when I felt someone’s skin peel off of my back. My eyes fluttered open and the bright light shone into them. As I went to rub my eyes I brought another hand was holding mine. Then I remembered.

I turned around and faced Nick who had a shocked look on his face. “Did I wake you?”

I rubbed my eyes and then wrapped my arms back around Nick’s body. I rested my head on his chest and Nick wrapped his muscular arms around my back. I felt his lips press to my forehead and smiled.

“Thanks.” I croaked. Hearing my voice I cleared my throat and yawned. “Urgh, that’s attractive.” I giggled and rolled off the sofa onto the floor.

“Do you always get out of bed like that?” Nick asked sitting upright on the sofa. He scratched his head as I climbed up from the floor and stretched with my hands above my head. “Look at your ribs!” Nick exclaimed. I scowled and prodded them, I didn't see a problem. “How about we go to dinner tonight? Just you and me.”

“Let’s do it.” I walked back into my suite and to my closet. I threw a pair of denim shorts and a Rolling Stones shirt onto my bed along with some clean underwear and a bra. I quickly changed and finished pulling down my shirt Nick dived onto my bed. I pulled out my laptop from my bedside drawer and sat down next to Nick. I typed in Perez Hilton and waited for it to load.

“The Beckham’s and the Jonas’s are besties!” Nick laughed and propped himself up next to me. “Nick and Julia are so in love they decided to vacation with their families and each other!!! Oo-er. The pair were seen dancing and singing in a private section of the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas where the Jonas Brothers are performing tomorrow night. The happy couple finally showed themselves together as they strutted along holding each others hands, awww!!! FINALLY, we’ve been waiting for these photos since September people. SEPTEMBER. Perez is happy.” Nick read out. “Let’s not click on the photos shall we?”

“There’s videos too.” I told him, I hovered over the link and pointed in the corner. “Youtube.”

“Excellent.” Nick sighed and closed the lid of my laptop for me. “Now, let’s play Wii.”