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Paige said nothing. Tiny electric shocks were still running up and down her wrist that had nothing to do with the cold, and everything to do with the girl holding her hand.
Being careful not to stray too far from the shore, their bodies finally started to warm up as they kicked out their legs, churning up the sandbed below.
“Um, do you want me to let go of your hand now?” Paige asked, staring down at their fingers, laced together.
Olivia cocked her head, her expression neutral. “No, I’m good like this,” she said nonchalantly, making Paige’s pulse race even more.
“Okay,” Paige whispered as the waves lapped at her waist and carried her on its tide. As long as Olivia kept holding her hand, she didn’t think it would matter even if the sea swept them away.
“This is nice,” Olivia said, her voice almost lost beneath the crash of waves against the rocks.
“Yeah. It is.”
Paige lifted her gaze to the moon, feeling an overwhelming sense of calmness wash over her. Everything about this felt right. Being here with Olivia and nobody else. When they were together, Paige didn’t have to worry about her mother, or college, or anything else. It was just them, and it was familiar, and it was enough.
She felt Olivia’s gaze on her, and turned to meet it, her eyes bright in the darkness.
With the moonlight basking her skin, and the waves casting glistening reflections on her cheeks, she looked almost otherworldly in her beauty. Paige’s gaze flicked involuntarily down to Olivia’s lips, full and pink, before she wrenched her eyes away.
“I don’t want this to end,” Olivia said, her voice so soft Paige almost didn’t hear it.
She seemed closer than before, her body brushing against Paige’s, making all the hairs on her arm and neck stand on end.
Paige could hardly breathe. In her head, all she could think was what it would be like to kiss her. To kiss her best friend, right here beneath the moonlight.
And for a moment—for just a brief flutter of time—she thought that they might. Olivia seemed to lean forward slightly, drawing Paige closer, Olivia’s breath almost brushing her cheek, her lashes silver with moonglow.
“Oh my god,” Olivia gasped, shattering the moment.
“W-what?” Paige blinked rapidly, trying to shake herself out of her daze.
“I think I just felt something brush past my leg.” Olivia’s eyes were wide.
“Like what? Like, something alive?”
“I don’t know,” Olivia said, her tone tight with panic as she glanced down into the water. Paige did the same, but it was too dark and murky to see anything.
“Are you sure it wasn’t just some seaweed?” Paige asked, nibbling on her lip.
“I don’t know,” she repeated.
This time, it was Paige who grabbed onto Olivia and started pulling her back towards the shore, trying to ignore the horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Maybe we’ve overstayed our welcome,” she muttered.
By the time they hit the sand, they were shivering in the cool night air, droplets of saltwater glistening on their bodies.
Olivia handed Paige a towel before wrapping her own around her body, her legs trembling.
“It was probably just some seaweed,” Paige said, rubbing her arms with the towel.
“Yeah,” Olivia said, clenching the towel close with a shudder. “Let’s get dry and head back to the cottage. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for that cup of tea now.”
CHAPTER NINE
The two of them awoke later than usual the morning after their midnight swim.
Olivia was up first, and already dressed by the time Paige blinked open an eye, groaning as the bright sunlight filtered through her sleepy haze.
“Morning, sunshine,” Olivia said cheerfully, opening the curtains wider and making Paige want to bury her head back beneath the pillow. “I would let you sleep longer, but I made a reservation today that we can’t miss.”
