Page 77 of Tell Me Everything
Alex sighed. He always felt more at peace when she slept next to him. The little blonde left the room to fetch some sheets. Elena put Neighomi on the bed above Alex.
“Seriously, why did you bring that thing with you?”
“Be nice. Her life isn't easy. She's mute now.”
“Did you take the batteries out?”
“You can't imagine how annoying it is to hear her singing andgiggling through the night.”
She took her toiletry bag out of her suitcase, along with a beach towel, before turning back to him with a smile.
“I like having her with me. It’s reassuring because she reminds me of you.”
Alex frowned. Sure, it was sweet that she was keeping Neighomi close to her, but at the same time, he wondered.
“But I'm here, so you don't need it.”
“A girl always needs her unicorn. You wouldn't understand.”
***
At the beach, Nina and Sophie removed their clothes and shoes before rushing to the water. Elena and Alex laid out the towels and parasol. Once settled, Elena positioned herself under the parasol with a dog-eared version of The Silmarillion. Unlike the others, she kept her clothes on. The most surprising of all: she was wearing long pants in the sweltering heat. Alex left her alone at first, but noticed how often she glanced at the water.
“You don’t want to swim?”
“I think I'll skip this year.”
She did her best to look carefree—it didn’t fool Alex. What was bothering her? Elena had the body of a goddess, sculpted by countless hours of dancing. What could possibly make her so self-conscious?
“What are you trying to hide?”
She looked up from her book, her lips pursed. “Of course, you figured that out.” Elena put her book away. She knew Alex wouldn't let her go until she'd come clean. “I guess I don't want people to see certain parts of my body.”
“Do you really care what strangers might think of you?”
“Fine! There are certain parts of my body thatIdon't want to see.”
Alex knocked his knee against hers. “Regretting old tattoos?”
A laugh left her lips. “I wish. I still have a big scar on my knee from the accident.”
“Are you ashamed of your scar?”
“I'm not ashamed of it, but it reminds me every day of what I've lost. When it’s covered, I can almost forget it's there. And it's ugly. I don't want you to see it.”
That explained why she never wore anything but long pants or dark stockings.
“Are you really going to waste your vacation because of a scar? I wouldn't judge you for something like that.”
Elena hesitated, then finally gave in. She took off her clothes. Once she was wearing only her white bikini, all her self-confidence evaporated. Alex found himself unable to react. Elena was even more beautiful than he'd imagined, and hehadimagined what she'd look like. Her body was muscular yet curvy in all the right places. Her pale skin looked incredibly soft, and he had to restrain himself from reaching out. He looked down at the scar. The damaged skin ran the length of her knee. Elena sought Alex's gaze, hoping to find comfort there.
“Don't worry about it. It’s not as bad as you think.”
“You’re saying that to make me feel better.”
“Yes, but I mean it.”
Alex wanted to devour her. That mark only made her more beautiful. How could she not know? He bit his tongue. She wasn't ready to hear that. Not yet, anyway.
