“I know a good spot.” He ignored the blinding panic flowing through his veins and boldly took her hand. She tensed, but then relented to his pull. They hustled across the sand toward the rocks and stopped in front of a towering pile of slippery stones.
“Can you do it?” He asked, looking up at the small cliff. El looked down at her ankle nervously but then nodded. He squeezed her hand and gently tugged her up as they climbed. She was slow and awkward on the mossy rocks; her flat slippers were no match for his well-worn leather boots. Her foot caught a spot of slick moss and she stumbled, grabbing his arm, nearly toppling them both. She looked up at him in panic. Part of him wanted to laugh at her expression, and at the fact that she couldn’t climb rocks— who couldn’t climb rocks?— but he refrained, offering an encouraging smile instead.
“You can do it,” he reassured her. He steadied himself on a jagged edge and adjusted his hold on her hand. She took a deep breath and gave the climb all she had, heaving herself upward. They climbed over the tip of the slippery rocks and carefully down into a cove, well hidden by the tall wall of slimy stones. When they reached the sand, El plopped down and let out a relieved sigh, cheeks flushed and fiery hair tousled. Rogan finally let himself laugh.
“I guess rock climbing isn’t in your typical daily routine then.”
She laughed, shaking her head.
“Wasn’t that evident by my previous nosedive off the cliff? A little sad isn’t it?” She worked to catch her breath.
“Only a little,” he grinned. He sat next to her and took a deep breath of salty air.
“You ought to get yourself some boots if you’re going to make a habit of it.”
El stared at her shiny black flats, intricately detailed with dainty pearls, now scuffed and slick with moss. Her cheeks ripened with embarrassment.
“Damn. I liked these shoes too.”
Awkward silence took over for a few minutes as they sat listening to the sounds of the lapping waves and serenading sea birds.
“So we’re here,” he finally said, breaking the uncomfortable quiet. She nodded.
“We are,” El looked around. “This is an amazing spot.”
“I come down here a lot when I just want to be alone.” Rogan wiped his sweaty palms on his cargo pants.
“And you shared it with me?” She tilted her head to the side, letting her long curls drape over one shoulder. Rogan didn’t answer and just looked out at the reach of the ocean. Another moment of silence engulfed them.
“So I guess I have to ask,” Rogan assembled his nerve. “Why did you want to meet up with me?” He hesitated before looking her in the eyes again. He noted the way her cheeks sat high on her face and how her mouth was shaped like a little pink bow.
“Who says it was you? Maybe I wanted to see the ocean.” She raised her brow. Rogan laughed.
“You really love the water, don’t you?”
She nodded.
“There’s something very liberating about it, don’t you think?”
“We have that in common. One of these days I’ll open a tasting room right on the beach so I can see the water all day.”
“I’d definitely stop in,” she smiled, then sighed. “I don’t know why I wanted to come,” she continued in earnest, averting her eyes. “I just…I never meet anyone interesting. I don’t lead a very interesting life.” She mindlessly ran her hands through the grainy white sand. He found that hard to believe. Rich people always led interesting lives.
“So, sneaking out to the beach with some guy you just met is interesting?”
El shot him a sly, lidded glance.
“Scandalous isn’t it? So you live in the Valley?”
“Yeah, with my aunt and uncle. And little sister.”
“You have a sister? I always wanted a sibling.”
“Ha,” he smirked. “You won’t once you try it.”
“So where are your parents?”
He paused, mouth agape, and then shrugged.
“They’re dead,” he said frankly, uneasily running his hands
“Can you do it?” He asked, looking up at the small cliff. El looked down at her ankle nervously but then nodded. He squeezed her hand and gently tugged her up as they climbed. She was slow and awkward on the mossy rocks; her flat slippers were no match for his well-worn leather boots. Her foot caught a spot of slick moss and she stumbled, grabbing his arm, nearly toppling them both. She looked up at him in panic. Part of him wanted to laugh at her expression, and at the fact that she couldn’t climb rocks— who couldn’t climb rocks?— but he refrained, offering an encouraging smile instead.
“You can do it,” he reassured her. He steadied himself on a jagged edge and adjusted his hold on her hand. She took a deep breath and gave the climb all she had, heaving herself upward. They climbed over the tip of the slippery rocks and carefully down into a cove, well hidden by the tall wall of slimy stones. When they reached the sand, El plopped down and let out a relieved sigh, cheeks flushed and fiery hair tousled. Rogan finally let himself laugh.
“I guess rock climbing isn’t in your typical daily routine then.”
She laughed, shaking her head.
“Wasn’t that evident by my previous nosedive off the cliff? A little sad isn’t it?” She worked to catch her breath.
“Only a little,” he grinned. He sat next to her and took a deep breath of salty air.
“You ought to get yourself some boots if you’re going to make a habit of it.”
El stared at her shiny black flats, intricately detailed with dainty pearls, now scuffed and slick with moss. Her cheeks ripened with embarrassment.
“Damn. I liked these shoes too.”
Awkward silence took over for a few minutes as they sat listening to the sounds of the lapping waves and serenading sea birds.
“So we’re here,” he finally said, breaking the uncomfortable quiet. She nodded.
“We are,” El looked around. “This is an amazing spot.”
“I come down here a lot when I just want to be alone.” Rogan wiped his sweaty palms on his cargo pants.
“And you shared it with me?” She tilted her head to the side, letting her long curls drape over one shoulder. Rogan didn’t answer and just looked out at the reach of the ocean. Another moment of silence engulfed them.
“So I guess I have to ask,” Rogan assembled his nerve. “Why did you want to meet up with me?” He hesitated before looking her in the eyes again. He noted the way her cheeks sat high on her face and how her mouth was shaped like a little pink bow.
“Who says it was you? Maybe I wanted to see the ocean.” She raised her brow. Rogan laughed.
“You really love the water, don’t you?”
She nodded.
“There’s something very liberating about it, don’t you think?”
“We have that in common. One of these days I’ll open a tasting room right on the beach so I can see the water all day.”
“I’d definitely stop in,” she smiled, then sighed. “I don’t know why I wanted to come,” she continued in earnest, averting her eyes. “I just…I never meet anyone interesting. I don’t lead a very interesting life.” She mindlessly ran her hands through the grainy white sand. He found that hard to believe. Rich people always led interesting lives.
“So, sneaking out to the beach with some guy you just met is interesting?”
El shot him a sly, lidded glance.
“Scandalous isn’t it? So you live in the Valley?”
“Yeah, with my aunt and uncle. And little sister.”
“You have a sister? I always wanted a sibling.”
“Ha,” he smirked. “You won’t once you try it.”
“So where are your parents?”
He paused, mouth agape, and then shrugged.
“They’re dead,” he said frankly, uneasily running his hands