The next morning was a bright and clear day. Sunshine streamed into the quiet bedroom as the sun slowly rose that morning. A warm sea breeze drifted in through an open window, gently blowing against the canopy.Adam had woken up some time ago but he refused to get out of bed. He was quite content to let that moment last forever.
As the sun was pouring in and with Adam"s fingertips brushing a pattern against her back Elle was gently roused from her sleep.
"You"re awake?" Adam asked gently.
"Hmmm." She murmured, nuzzling closer to his chest.
A moment later Adam"s phone started buzzing on the bedside table, betraying their fantasy.
"Ignore it." Adam groaned.
But whoever was trying to contact him was evidently unwilling to go along with him. The buzzing insisted, completely ruining the mood.
"Just get it." Elle said, covering her head with a pillow.
Adam rolled out of bed and went into the hallway to return the call. He came back in a moment later.
"There"s something important that I need to attend to. I"ll work from the room next door. There"s breakfast in the kitchen. Eat something once you get up." He instructed her before disappearing again.
Elle lounged in bed for a while longer. Even when she finally willed herself out of it she didn"t get ready right away. Instead she wrapped herself in a robe and went out onto the deck to look out at the still water and feel the warm breeze against her skin. Her own phone was still turned off and long forgotten. To Elle this place was her own paradise. Nothing from the outside world could touch her within those four walls.
~~
The tide was low and too far back to go wade in the water. Elle didn"t want to go exploring and leave Adam stuck in the house either. So after quickly having a bite to eat she decided to take the opportunity to continue with her writing.
She sat down at a tea table conveniently placed by the window and scribbled away at the page. Elle wrote for pleasure; not because she felt pressured to, or because she needed some medium to pour her sour feelings into as she had been doing more and more frequently before meeting Adam. It was a feeling she had lost long ago, and was very happy to have it back.
Elle lost herself in a world of her own making. She continued to write until the bright and clear sky, with the sun high overhead, suddenly turned darker and darker before an incessant rain started falling. Elle stared at the large, heavy rain drops that fell. A few minutes pa.s.sed and just as quickly as it had come, the rain left once more.
Eventually hunger drew Adam away from his work and down to the kitchen.
"Are you having fun?" He asked when he spotted her staring pensively out the window.
"Of course I am."
"Even if I"m busy?" His face didn"t betray him, but the look in his eyes did. It was such a small detail to notice but Elle could see the look of remorse reflected in them.
"Do you feel guilty that you have to work?" Elle asked.
Adam returned her question with one of his own. "Are you not disappointed? I promised you a vacation and then left you on your own."
""What"s more important; me or your work?" Is that what you expect me to ask?" Adam"s face hardened. The sight of it melted Elle"s heart. "It"s because you think of me even when you"re so deadly busy that I won"t ask such a question. I already know the answer."
Adam gave her a weak smile. "I don"t deserve you." He finally said after a moment.
"But now you"re stuck with me anyway." She teased. "Come let"s eat lunch."
~~
After their meal Adam had to return to his own work. The high tide had returned and Elle had ventured out for a walk along the sh.o.r.e.
Adam barely noticed the pa.s.sing of time but before her new it the sky had turned from blue to pink and from pink to red as the sun slowly inched it"s way closer to the horizon. He finally shut his laptop and went out in search of Elle.
The house was eerily silent as he made his way through the empty rooms, out the back, and down towards the beach. He found her some distance down the sh.o.r.eline standing with her feet ankle deep in the water.
Elle stood with her back to him and her eyes closed, plainly enjoying the sounds of the waves and the feeling of the cold water running over her feet as the waves rushed over the sh.o.r.e before retreating back into the sea; again and again and again.
Elle heard Adam approach slowly from behind her but she didn"t bother moving. Soon enough two large arms wrapped themselves around her waist.
"Are you done with your work for today?" She asked.
"Yes." He said, kissing her shoulder softly.
"It"s still a little early." Elle commented. "If you want we can go up into town for a walk. Maybe get something to eat?"
However, Adam seemed to have something else in mind. One of his hands slowly inched its way up her waist line, while he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. Elle let out a soft sigh and let herself lean back into his embrace.
"I"m tired." He said in his deep voice. "Let"s go back inside."
"Okay." She breathed, a faint blush creeping up her neck.
More than an hour had pa.s.sed and Elle lay in bed, too tired to move a muscle. How much energy did he have? Behind her she could hear Adam coming back out of the bathroom, bringing her a gla.s.s of water as he did.
"I thought you were tired." Elle complained. "What a liar."