She looked into Adrian’s eyes, saw the crease of worry between his brows, and lifted her hand up to smooth it away with her finger. “I’m fine, really.” She hoped the smile on her face was reassuring.
“You would tell me if you weren’t, right?”
“Absolutely.” After a long moment he exhaled and nodded, and led her back to the table so they could finish their breakfast.
After their breakfast he threw away their trash and stood. “Come on. I want to show you something.” His hand was stretched out and she didn’t hesitate on taking it. They walked hand-in-hand down the boardwalk, the smell of salt in the air growing more intense as the sun continued its ascent. He led them onto the beach where people were already setting up umbrellas and beach towels. It was still fairly early, but she had no doubt the beach would fill up quickly, especially with the temperature forecasted to reach in the seventies.
They must have walked for ten minutes, the twists and turns he took causing her curiosity to grow. The silence between them was comfortable and it gave her time to think about last night. He had been very comforting and understanding when she had told him about her past. There was a small part of her that regretted opening up her mouth and showing the ugly side of her, because it would make what she had to do in the end that much harder.
Towering rocks stood to their left, like a mountain growing before them. The ocean was to their right, the waves picking up as the time passed. The sound was calming, a gentle whooshing noise that could have lulled her to sleep.
“It’s right over here.” He veered off to the left, toward a small cave that was nearly invisible as two large, protruding outcroppings concealed it.
Is he going in there? She dug her feet in the sand, her pulse racing at the thought of being in such a tight, confined space. When he felt her resistance he stopped and looked at her. Nothing was said and she knew her fear was showing. There were a lot of frightening memories associated with dark places. His face took on a hard mask and he cursed under his breath.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you, Brea. We don’t have to do this.” Wrapping his arm around her shoulder he led them the other way. It didn’t take a genius to know that Adrian put two and two together.
“No.” The strength in that one word surprised her, but she saw that same emotion in Adrian’s face when he stopped and looked at her. “I trust you.” After a heartbeat he smiled down at her, brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. He led them back toward the cave, but his steps were slow, almost uncertain. Licking her too-dry lips, she followed him into the coffin-like space. Her breathing was extreme as it left her. The sound of dripping water echoed around them, but the deeper he led them into the cave the closer and clearer the noise of the water became. The scent of wet earth filled her senses and she scrunched up her nose at the pungent smell.
Adrian’s big body blocked her view, but his large frame was silhouetted by the light that was becoming brighter the closer they got to the dripping water. The walls around them were close enough that she could place her hands out beside her and lay her palms flat on the rough surface. Before she could totally freak out, the walls opened up and the smell of fresh seawater filled her. When he stepped to the side, a beautiful pool of water and trickling waterfall were revealed. Her breath caught and she found her hand going to her mouth, blocking the gasp that would have spilled.
* * * *
The look on her face had made bringing her here better than he could have imagined. That gasp of pleasant surprise she made as she saw the pool-sized pond and intimate waterfall had his chest swelling with pride. He had found this treasure trove when he first got to the city over a year ago. His thoughts had been dark and turbulent, and all he wanted to do was escape. He had driven until he saw the coast, then started walking down the beach without a destination in mind. The alcove had been small, but he just wanted to disappear into the darkness. It seemed fitting for where his thoughts had been during that day.
“The sea water comes in through right there,” he said as he pointed to the opening above them. An opening at the top allowed the sun to filter through, casting the pond in a morning glow. “I came here to clear my head, think about where my life was heading. I find myself coming here a lot, just sitting on that rock.” He pointed to the rock. “I try to imagine what my life will be like as the years pass. If I’ll be happy, if I’ll ever be able to make someone else happy.” Her full attention was on him and he took a deep breath. “I thought maybe if I brought you here, it would help you clear your mind, think about what you want out of life.”