Page 79 of Tell Me Everything
“In that case, you'd better get ready.”
“I think I'll survive.”
Elena kissed him again, and this time Alex kissed her back, all tension gone. Their kisses were soft, light, and full of love, and that was all he needed right now. When they drew apart to catch their breath, Elena placed a final kiss on his cheek. An idea occurred to Alex.
“Oh, no! No, no, no! Alex, don't.”
She tried to free herself from his embrace, but before she could break away, Alex pulled her under. Once back above water, she glared at him, and Alex laughed. She had the charisma of a wet puppy. Elena tackled him, and they splashed around like children. Alex couldn't remember the last time he'd been so carefree, but he was now. If only they could stay like this forever.
Elena's face suddenly fell. Panic invaded her features.
“Oh no...”
“What did you do?”
For several long seconds, Elena seemed to be caught in a dilemma she couldn't resolve. She looked up at Alex with agrimace.
“You've got to help me.”
“What?”
“My top came undone. Help me close it.”
Alex laughed even harder. Could it be that karma had caught up with her? He had to tease her a little. “I've been asked to undo a bikini before but never been to lace one up.”
Elena frowned, which only made his fun increase. He quickly tied the bikini strings, and she ran to the beach without looking back.
“Hey, wait!”
Still grumbling, she grabbed her bag and stormed off towards the seawall. Sophie and Nina watched her leave.
“What's going on?”
“She's jealous,” Alex replied, crossing his arms with an amused look on his face.
***
Ever since the bikini incident, Elena had mastered the art of eluding Alex. She'd give him discreet glances, but as soon as he turned to her, she'd act like nothing had happened. At first, Alex had thought she needed time to grumble, but evening had come, and Elena was still pretending he wasn't there. He hadn't expected her to be so jealous and territorial, but he loved it.
“Your sweetheart is still mad, I see.”
Sophie sat down beside him on the sofa. Alex was going to have to find a way to make it up to her if he wanted her to talk to him again before the weekend was over. Making up with this mermaid would be the best part of his day. He was already hers. She just had to understand that.
“I know. I have a plan.”
They prepared to go to a tapas bar. The girls had all decidedto get ready, so Alex had little choice but to follow suit. He pulled on a black shirt and rolled up the sleeves. This would have to do. While they were getting ready, he checked one last time that his plan was well thought out.
When Elena walked into the room, Alex was unable to react. The only word that came to his mind wasbreathtaking. Elena was wearing a mid-length brown satin dress that hugged every part of her body perfectly, and white heeled sandals. Her long hair was wavy, and she'd done her eyes up. Elena had walked straight out of a dream. When she saw him staring at her, she lowered her eyes, uncomfortable. He wanted to compliment her, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Nina and Sophie left the bathroom. Although they were both beautiful, he couldn't take his eyes off the ballerina.
On the way to the bar, Nina and Sophie chatted as if nothing had happened while Elena continued to carefully avoid Alex. Whenever he came near her, she started walking beside Sophie. Alex smiled. Even though she'd been grumbling for hours, she held her head high like a real princess.
The atmosphere in the bar was cheerful. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex noticed that Elena regularly gave him furtive looks. He enjoyed the quiet while the girls chatted. When she got up to go to the bathroom, he knew he had to act now. Alex followed her and waited. As she came out, she was surprised to see him. Elena tried to walk past him, but Alex held her back. She put as much distance between them as possible and leaned against the wall. She seemed to realise that he wasn't going to let her slip away, so instead she glared.
“Are you done sulking?”
She looked everywhere, except in his direction. Her hair looked so soft and silky. Alex wanted to grab a curl and play with it.
“I'm not sulking.”
