Who did it, and why does it always sound like my name?
The cold breeze from my open car window runs along my jawline, sending shivers down my spine. The darkness of the night swallows my eyes. Car headlights blind my eyes for moments at a time as they pass beside me. The salty scent of the nearby ocean fills my nose, putting my mind at ease. Everything is peaceful. A light suddenly fills the front row of the car. A notification has appeared on my phone next to me.
Eli’s message appears: “You almost here yet?”
Short. Familiar. Almost as if he knows I’m not. I take one hand off the steering wheel, reaching for my phone that is resting on the console. As I carefully respond to his message, I make sure to take glances at the road occasionally.
“I left the house late. I’m only 5 minutes away.”
“Lena, how many times are you going to do this?”
Even through the screen of the phone, I can still hear his sarcastic tone. I chuckle. Carefully, I put my phone down and return my hand to the steering wheel. This man has no idea how much I love him.
After a good while of driving, I finally pulled into the parking lot. This lot is like a ghost town. The only other car is Eli’s. His light gray BMW M4 sits in the empty lot under one of the few working light poles. The light illuminates the vehicle, giving it a glossy look. I stuff my phone into the pocket of my black leggings, unlocking my door at the same time. The car door swings open, and I throw my legs out onto the pavement. The cold air surrounds my body. My arms and legs tremble. Unfortunately, my oversized hoodie doesn’t help. I hug my stomach and walk down a dark path through the forest in front of me. The waves of the ocean at the end of the path echo through, relaxing my body. Trees line the route, as if someone had purposely planted them. Finally, I reach the end of the path. The beach extends for miles.
A man’s shout can be heard from the left: “Lena!”
My head shoots towards the man’s shout. A black figure can be seen only 100 feet away from me. It’s Eli. A smile creeps onto my face as I walk towards him, my hands stuffed into my pockets for warmth.
“Hey, how’s it going with that whole ‘Loutish Lena’ shit?” He asks softly, the shadow of his tall figure towering over me.
“Not any better, but I’m sure it’ll blow over soon enough,” I answer, giving him a shrug to brush it off.
He stares at me for a good while, taking a long, deep breath. Out of nowhere, he turns to the ocean water and starts walking. No words were said as he approached the water. Each step he takes, my heart beats a second faster. Once he reaches the edge of the ocean, he stands there, staring endlessly into the emptiness of the ocean. The waves crash onto his feet, sending cold chills through his body. After a moment or two of straight staring, I finally make my way over.
Comments
Log in or register to post comments.