Page 12 of Along Came Summer

I may have had a bit of a reputation as the golden boy of our school. That's where the nicknameLady-killer Kingcomes from. I’m not proud of it, but I fucked around a lot back in secondary school and college and broke my share of hearts.

Wyatt passes out the drinks before we bump fists and give each other a one-armed bro hug, “What are you doing here?”

“I live here.”

Mira veers her gaze from Wyatt to mine, her brows fusing. “Live here? Since when? I thought you moved to Perth three years ago.”

“I did.” I answer, “And Perth is still my home, but I moved here temporarily when an opportunity arose for me to join the Galleria exhibition.”

Mira's eyes light up, and she curls her fingers around my bicep, instantly sending my nerves into a frenzy. “Levi, that’s incredible! Galleria is one of the world's most illustrious art exhibitions.”

My attention is immediately drawn to her delicate fingers resting gently on my arm, and I will myself to ignore the magnetic pull in my stomach. Shit, right now, I cannot afford to allow those repressed emotions to resurface. “I know, they plan to show five fresh pieces, giving me a tight window of six months to create a new and innovative concept.”

“That’s so exciting. How many have you done so far?” Lexi questions and takes a sip of her drink, her blue eyes watching me with intrigue.

Wincing I make a zero using my index finger and thumb and they all look at my hand, each with a different expression. “Nah, I’ve been blocked since I moved here. I honestly can't scrape together an ounce of inspiration to get any work done.”

“Because you're all in your head, brother.” Niran pipes up and squeezes my shoulder supportively. “Which is why we I dragged you out here tonight. Look around, you're surrounded by inspiration. Just relax, soak it up and let your creative juices flow, dude.”

Smiling I shake my head and catch Mira's gaze. She smiles prettily and holds up her drink to toast. “To seeking inspiration.”

“To reuniting with friends.” Mira's smile broadens into a grin, and we tap our plastic cups together and take a sip of our drinks, though our eyes… our eyes remain locked on one another.

Huh. Is it just me or is there avibebetween us?

* * *

“Okay, three things you miss from back home. Go.” I laugh and shift on my spot on the sand while I twirl my beef Pad Thai noodles around the chopstick.

“Three things? Shit, that is a hard question.” Mira giggles and looks up from her box of noodles, watching me closely. “Uhm, I miss playing football on Sundays with my friends. Eating a greasy kebab while drunk at four in the morning—as opposed to a box of noodles.” I tell her, holding up said box of noodles and Mira snorts an adorable laugh.

It's four in the morning, we're both sitting at Pa Tong beach, covered in paint, eating Thai food and drinking Thai beer. I’ve lost count how many cocktails we consumed at the paint rave.

“Oh God, yes.” She giggles, swallowing a mouthful of her food and points her chopsticks at me. “The kebab rolls from the kebab shop around the corner from our street.”

My eyes expand and I’m nodding like a bobblehead puppy on a dashboard. “Mm, yes, with the garlic yoghurt and chilli sauce, fuck I would walk to London for one of those right now.” I moan.

“Oh, me too, I can't remember the last time I had one of those kebab rolls,” Mira affirms with a pout and turns her gaze to look at the ocean. “Actually, I can't really remember the last time I had… any fun.” There's something about her tone and the sadness that contorts her face that immediately makes my stomach sink. Putting my food down, I shift so I can face her properly.

“What?”

Mira shakes her head and heaves a slow, distrait breath before she turns her gaze to mine. “Nothing,” she answers, forcing a smile on her face. “It’s nothing.”

Bull-fucking-shit, it’s nothing. I know this girl; I grew up with her, and I can see that that captivating light, that twinkle she held in her eyes, is gone. It's replaced with something else, something obscure. I felt it the moment I first locked eyes with her at the party. “It's not nothing. I can see the unrest behind your gaze. I can hear the slight tremor in your voice when you speak.” Reaching over, I take her hand into mine and keep my gaze locked on hers. “I’m not going to coerce you into telling me what it is that happened that's got you so shaken, but I want you to know that I’m here if you want to talk about it, okay?”

Mira doesn't say anything for a long moment, but her fingers tighten around mine, and her eyes glisten with unshed tears. “I'm… I'm… I’m not okay, Levi.”

The fear she unveils in her eyes forms a giant lump in my throat. “Hey, baby girl, it’s okay come here.” I pull her into my arms, and the moment I do, she breaks down. As soon as her face nestles into my neck, her body shakes with hoarse sobs, and it breaks something deep inside. Mira's hands tremble as they fist my shirt tightly, but I don't ask her any questions. I just hold her and let her cry while we rock together until her anguished sobs ebb away and what's left behind is the occasional hiccup and sniffles.

When a person feels confident enough to share their feelings and empowered enough to express their emotions, communication tends to flow in a more balanced manner.

“Feel better, princess?” I murmur against her forehead and Mira mutely nods her head while I continue to comb my fingers comfortingly through her hair. Mira's lips part like she wants to say something but is struggling to form the words. “Hey, it's okay. You don't have to say anything. We can sit here in silence and just listen to the soothing sound of the ocean and watch the sunrise, okay?”

Mira nods and rests her head on my shoulder while she looks ahead, her finger idly playing with the gemstones of the black onyx and hematite energy bracelet I have on my left wrist.

I smile when she exhales slowly, and I feel her body start to relax. “Whenever I feel anxious or overwhelmed which tends to be quite often lately, I count the stones on my bracelet, and it helps keep me grounded.” I say watching her fingers lightly skim over the stones. I need to take her mind away from whatever it is that's got her so anxious. “This is called the Black Onyx stone and it absorbs and transforms negative energy and helps to prevent the drain of personal energy.It aids the development of emotional and physical strength and stamina, especially during times of stress, confusion or even grief.” I explain and she listens quietly. “The blue stone is called Hematite and it helps to absorb negative energy and calms in times of extreme stress or worry. It’s known to be a very protective stone which helps you stay grounded.Hematite also helps with the root chakra; it transforms the negative energy in your body intomore positive ones.”

Mira looks up at me and wets her lips, “Do you really believe that? That a couple of stones can magically take away your stress and your fears?”

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