Page 46 of Ms Perfectly Fine
She pulled out a soft pastel blue towel from the bag and tried to suppress a smile when she noticed a matching swimsuit. Did this guy actually go out and buy me a swimsuit? How creepy can you get?She was surprised he hadn’t got her a bikini just to piss her off, though she was grateful he hadn’t. Even if the costume had a V in the front, the back would hide her scars.
The thought of him in a store shopping for her made her chuckle in spite of herself. She suspected a shop assistant had done the picking.He could have asked me if I had one of my own and saved himself the trouble.But she probably would have told him she didn’t.
Resting a protective hand on her back, she swallowed her fears, unsure of whether she could actually put on the suit, let alone get in the water.One step at a time,she thought, slipping off her clothes.
The swimsuit fit better than she had expected. It rose high on her hips, which made her legs look much longer than they were and showed off her figure.I’ll give him points for style and colour.
“Why would he go to so much trouble?” she wondered aloud. She stuffed her towel through the handles of the bag and headed out.
Elijah was sitting in the sand in trunks that matched hers.He had to pick the same colour? We look like a couple!His arms were wrapped around his knees, exposing every muscle in his back, and Autumn wondered if he was a swimmer. She stilled when he turned around and did a double take, feeling a little self-conscious.
“What? Don’t like the suit you picked for me?” she challenged him.
“You’d look great in anything, but so long as you like it, I’m happy,” he said, standing and dusting the sand off himself. “I was worried it wouldn’t fit, but Nina said it should be fine.”
Her head snapped up. “You spoke to Nina about this?”
Elijah scratched the back of his neck, realising he had been caught out. “She called when you fell asleep last night. I thought I’d ask. She didn’t even ask why I wanted to know.”
“I’m sure she’ll have plenty to ask me,” Autumn said under her breath. The sun warmed her skin, and she no longer minded being at the beach. “How did you know my favourite colour?” she asked, then realised when he tipped his head. “Nina.”
“She’s awfully talkative. She said anything pastel would be a winner.”
“What else did she say?” she asked warily.
“That was it; we weren’t talking long. Afraid she’d spill your secrets?” A mischievous grin lit up his eyes.
“Never.” She dropped her bag in the sand. “Okay, so you’ve got me here. Now what?”
He pointed towards the rocks the teens had been jumping off of.
“No way. I’m not jumping.” She backed up into him, and he held her steady. His touch was gentle, and she knew she could easily move away. However, her nerves caused her to remain in his hold. She shivered as his hands travelled up her arms to her shoulders. The gesture both comforted and distracted her.
“I don’t think you’ll walk in without chickening out,” he explained.
“I’m not a chicken,” she scoffed, resting her hands on her hips, but he was already heading for the rocks. Thankfully, the teens were already out of the water and getting ready to leave, so she wouldn’t have to worry about them watching.
“Thought you weren’t a chicken,” Elijah taunted.
Autumn stomped past him and towards the rocks. She climbed a large one and lingered on the edge, waves lapping up the sides and kissing her feet. It looked deep enough to jump in, and the drop wasn’t high, but she couldn’t bring herself to step off. Taking risks was foreign to her, and they were never worth the consequences, in her experience. She worried about jarring her back, but a quiet, rebellious part of herself wanted to do it—wanted to stop worrying about what might happen and just enjoy the moment.
Elijah stood beside her, surprisingly patient.
“I’m going to do it,” she barked, even though he didn’t deserve it.
“I know.”
She had to give him points for being so calm. “I’m not a chicken.”
“I know.”
“Stop saying I know!” Her chuckle wobbled with nerves.
“How about I go first?” he offered.
She shook her head. She wanted him beside her. “No, I can go.”
“How about together?”
