Chapter 50 - Forty-Four
LEO
"Now then don’t spill another tear." Erwin kisses my nose. "I have got something for us, wait."
I nod. I sit down at the shore, gathering my knees to my chest. It’s cold here. But the view is magnificent. The street lights and the moon are illuminating enough for us to see each other but surely you can’t read books under this kind of brightness unless you want to damage your sight.
The waves of the sea are calm as they come and touch my feet as gently as feathers, wreaking shivers beneath my skin. I love how it is tonight. Calm and gentle. Far away from our urban lives. No traffic or other noise in the background, just the nerve calming sound of the salty waves of the sea.
I have been to the beach before with Ruth two times. But I have never taken any interest in this kind of vacation. They always seemed too empty to me like there is something missing in the vast sea. Like it is lonely. Something that I can’t put my finger to. But tonight the waves, they don’t seem lonely to me. They seem sad yet happy. They seem okay to be sad. They seem to have found happiness amidst the sadness and loneliness. Or perhaps this is only just one of my wildest fantasies.
"Here." Erwin sits beside me and snaps me out of my delirium.
I wince as I was too lost but school myself soon enough, "What is this?" I ask even though I already know the answer.
Erwin is holding a bottle of Scotch. My eyes ping pong between his grinning face and the Scotch bottle and two glasses in his hands, "I don’t drink."
"Why not?" Erwin’s interest is piqued, "Do you really not like the smell? I thought Scotch would be more of your style."
"Well," My bottom lip behind my teeth, "my alcohol tolerance is as bad as it can be. And I sprout nonsensical shits when I am drunk."
"It doesn’t matter." Erwin snorts, "I am here right."