Kelsey felt bad sitting on an upturned bucket on the dock while Alex did all the prep to get the Echo Delta ready to sail. He insisted it was faster if he did it himself, having years of experience doing it solo but she had a sneaking suspicion it was really because he was worried someone would see them. Alex had been talking about taking her sailing for a while now and with Thanksgiving Break in full swing Lambency, the Cove especially, was a ghost town. It was probably their best shot at getting out onto the water unseen. He’d been right, the Marina as deserted as the rest of town, nothing but the sound of gulls and the lapping water as it seesawed the boats back and forth in their stalls.

It was a beautiful boat, Kelsey had to admit, a brilliant mahogany red with teak accents, lean and sleek. She’d been nervous as they’d approached her, fingering the fringe on the bright red scarf that had been Grams’ and couldn’t believe she was finally meeting the Echo Delta. She snorted a laugh at herself. Alex spoke of the boat as if she were a real woman, so lovingly sometimes it actually made Kelsey a little jealous. Now he had her doing it too.

She adjusted her scarf again, feeling silly that she had put it on for luck. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous. She felt almost as if she was meeting someone important in Alex’s life, like this was a test to see how well she fit in with his family. The Echo Delta was easily the most important thing in his life and she wanted to fit in with her seamlessly, like she belonged there.

Alex was puttering around on deck, a series of tasks he looked right at home doing and she loved the easy grace with which he moved.

“Okay, come on,” he said. Kelsey stood, looking around before stepping up to the edge of the dock. She glanced at the gap between it and the deck with suspicion.

Alex held out his hand and she grasped it tight, sticking out her foot over the deck and closed her eyes, letting him pull her on. Her body bumped into his, the swaying of the deck underneath her feet throwing her off balance but his arms encircled her, steadying her. He moved to grip her biceps looking into her eyes.

“Key to staying upright on a boat,” Alex said and she watched him adjust his feet. “Leave your knees a little bent and get used to leaning away from the direction you’re tipping.”

He patted her arm and moved away from her, his motion jostling the boat and she fell into a half crouch, her arms flying out to the sides to keep her balance. She thought she heard him chuckle as he untied the ropes from the winches and gave the dock a forceful shove, setting them adrift to glide out of the stall and into the open water. He moved quickly then, skittering past her to hop down into the cockpit and Kelsey felt her thighs beginning to shake from the strain of trying not to fall.

“Here,” he said, taking pity on her and hoisted himself up to take her hand. She gripped it like a lifeline and let him guide her down into the cock pit with him, her feet landing on a bench. “Sit,” he said simply and she lowered herself to the deck, not letting go until he forced her to. “Hold on to the deck if it makes you feel better but you’re not going anywhere,” he teased as he turned away from her and towards the complicated rigging system.

“How do we get out of here?” Kelsey asked, looking around at the many boats around them, the small channel out to open water seeming very narrow.

“Using the sails,” he said simply as he unwound a few different ropes from their winches and gathered them all in his hands before he began tugging, his body pulling up and then down again, using all his weight to raise the sails.

Kelsey watched as they rose above them like great white clouds, the wind catching them and Alex quickly wrapped one line back around its winch and held on to the other two. There was some interesting physics at work here as he tugged one then the other, guiding them into a smooth turn that pointed them towards the marina exit. Then it was just a matter of holding steady as he maneuvered them onward but Kelsey didn’t release her breath until they were on the open water.

“See,” Alex said, looking over his shoulder with a grin, “Piece of cake.”

“How long did it take you to learn how to do that?” she asked as he continued to fiddle with the rigging.

“A summer,” he said, squinting at her over his shoulder and grinning before turning back to the bow again. Kelsey couldn’t help but smile too. “Hang on I’m gonna get in more wind.”

“Huh?” Kelsey asked and he pulled one of the ropes tight causing the boat to jerk forward and she nearly tumbled face first into the cockpit.

They were gaining speed, heading further and further away from land. Kelsey’s ponytail was whipping wildly behind her and she wanted to pull up her scarf to cover her head but she didn’t dare let go of the deck. Alex was leaning almost horizontal to hold the main as taught as possible. Kelsey closed her eyes when they started to bump over the waves, feeling the light jostle as they skipped over the water. Suddenly she felt them jerk to the side and her eyes flew open as a scream ripped from her mouth.

Alex was grinning and laughing as he cut through the water, turning them and heading the other direction at a break neck speed when he registered her scream. He looked back over his shoulder and found her skidding along the edge of the cockpit, feet slipping and hands grappling for purchase. He quickly secured the jib sheet with a practiced loop and held on to the main sheet as he reached out and grabbed her arm, letting the sail pull them forward. Kelsey’s arms flew around his chest, circling him in a death grip. He could feel her shaking against him, her heartbeat slamming into his chest.

“Whoa whoa,” he said, easing up on the main, the sail billowing as it caught wind and slowed to swift glide. “Hey are you okay?”

“Y-y-yeah,” she said shakily, swallowing hard as her tongue snuck out to wet her chapped lips.

Her face felt raw, her eyes and nose were running and she felt wobbly and unstable. Alex reached a hand up to cup her cheek and she savored the warmth of his palm.

“Sorry I should have started with something a little smoother,” he said and pressed a warm kiss to her forehead. “Here,” he said as he turned in her arms so that she was pressed against his back, “put your hands on my arms.”

Kelsey reluctantly loosened her grip around his chest and slid a hand down to his forearm feeling the muscles taut under his sweater as he held one of the ropes tightly in his hand. Her other hand moved so that it rested lightly at the dip of his waist, ready to latch on at any moment should he get any funny ideas.

They spent the next two hours letting the wind guide them around the bay. Kelsey felt a lot more comfortable now, feeling almost as if she had some semblance of control over their movement. She could tell when he was going to switch direction, the muscles in his forearms tensing a millisecond before he pulled on the sheet. She liked holding on to him, the wind blowing his hair back so that it tickled against her forehead. If she rested her cheek on his shoulder blade she could hear his heart beating even over the wind, the sound as familiar to her now as her own. She closed her eyes and held on, feeling the Echo Delta under her feet shuttling them swiftly over the water and Alex’s body against hers, keeping them upright and safe, master of the wind.

It took her a moment to realize that they had slowed down to almost a stop, the bright early afternoon sun, glaring off the water. Alex covered one of her hands with his, patting it before extricating himself from her hold and leaning to tie off the sheets, fiddling with them until he was satisfied. It was about ten degrees cooler out on the water than it was in town. The weather had said it would get as high as 74 today and Kelsey felt that the air around her was every bit of a crisp 63. The wind gusted every once in a while, the Echo Delta teetering but only slightly.

“Come on,” Alex said reaching for her hand as he lifted a foot up onto the deck and pulled himself up.

Kelsey gripped his hand tight as he walked her slowly towards the bow and hooked his wrists under her arms to help her lower herself to the deck. She squinted up at him as he pulled off his sweater revealing a black Henley thermal underneath and flopped down beside her with ease. He balled up his sweater and pushed it against the mast before he wiggled his way down, crossing his feet at the ankles and resting his head on the fabric.

“Come on.” He opened his arms to her and she immediately scooted down, laying beside him, her head on his chest, his arm beneath her neck. “This is my second favorite part of sailing,” he whispered into her hair and she smiled against him, wrapping her arm around his waist to pull herself closer.

“Bring a lot of girls out here do you?” Kelsey teased and Alex looked down at her, seeing himself reflected in the mirrored lenses of her aviators.

He blinked at his reflection, seeing himself looking at her for the first time. He had never seen that particular expression on his face before, a mix of joy and adoration and…

Love.

The word echoed through his head like a shot and he cleared his throat.

“No… actually.” His voice sounded troubled. Kelsey rubbed her hand up and down his side in a soothing gesture.

“Where do you think Drew went?”

“Hopefully far away from here,” Alex replied and Kelsey let out a silent laugh.

“Sully said he was buying everyone rounds at the Tavern a couple nights ago.”

“What?” Alex asked, sitting up a little to look down at her and she tilted her head up to meet his eyes.

“I mean… you can’t trust anything Sully says,” Kelsey amended then snorted. “He thought it was you.” Alex rolled his eyes. “Oh!” Kelsey exclaimed, sitting up suddenly. Alex looked at her wide eyed as she turned onto her stomach, rested an arm on his chest and propped her chin on it. “Speaking of Sully. Guess who asked if I wanted to help him pick out a tux for Cotillion?”

“Mr. Papert?” Alex said and Kelsey swatted him which made him laugh. “That’s great Kels.”

“Yeah I can’t believe he even knew about it much less made the effort to bring it up.” Her face went from astonished to guarded. “I wonder what he’s done.”

Alex’s brow creased. “What do you mean?”

Kelsey chewed her bottom lip in thought. “Every time Sully does something nice for someone it usually means he’s screwed them over in some other way they may not have figured out yet.”

Alex blinked at her. “Is it possible he did it because he wanted you to be able to have your Debut?”

Kelsey blinked back at him. “Possible, yes. Unlikely, but I guess anything is possible, really. Whatever, I’ll believe it when I see him in the tux.”

She rolled onto her back, her head resting on his rib cage, one foot hanging over the side of the bow and closed her eyes. The wind whipped against them, stirring their clothes but the sun was warm and bright behind their closed lids. Kelsey felt Alex’s arm shift under her shoulder and he snaked it under her arm to place his hand on her ribcage just under her breasts, his other hand reached to run over her wind whipped hair, smoothing the strands that had pulled loose from her pony tail before he began to comb his fingers back from her forehead to where the band held her hair back. She was falling under, the gentle sway of the Echo Delta and the feel of Alex’s heartbeat against the back of her neck loosening her muscles and she felt safe enough to give in to slumber. Eventually Alex’s hand stopped its gentle massage, falling to her shoulder as he slipped in to sleep as well, happier than he’d been in a very long time feeling the deck of the Echo Delta under his back and Kelsey tucked warmly against his side.

* * *

The sun was setting by the time they made it back to Lumen Cove which was still as silent and deserted as it had been that morning. They took the back stairs though, Kelsey more so out of habit and Alex from uneasy precaution. His stomach growled; the sandwiches he’d packed for their sailing excursion were a distant memory.

Kelsey was moving sluggishly despite their long nap on the deck earlier in the afternoon. She felt sundrunk and sleepy, her cheeks stinging just a little. She laid her rain jacket over the back of a barstool as she always did and moved into the room, raising her arms over her head to stretch.

“You want to call for dinner?” Alex asked and she let her arms flop back to her side with a sleepy sigh. “We could get Indian food from that new place down the highway.”

Kelsey walked lazily over to his bed, perfectly made, and fell onto it, her face rubbing against the pillow for a moment before she reached behind her for his pillow and pulled it to her chest. “Whatever you want,” she said with a yawn and he smirked shaking his head as he pulled out his phone.

She was drowsing when the food came and Alex blocked the view into the condo with his body as he accepted the bags from the delivery guy who called him Mr. Danvers when he greeted him and bade him farewell. His heart was pounding when he shut the door, letting out a slow breath and closing his eyes to calm himself. When he opened his eyes he saw Kelsey still curled up on the bed hugging his pillow and felt the corners of his mouth turn up. He stepped over to the kitchen, setting the bags down before padding over to her.

“Hey,” he said softly, touching her shoulder and she twitched, her brown eyes opening to meet his. “Food’s here.”

She stretched long and gave a sigh when her muscles relaxed as he walked back into the kitchen. She pushed herself up, rubbing her face. “Alex?”

“Yes,” he said as he pawed through the delivery bag pulling out various containers and setting them on the counter.

“Can I eat mine here?”

Alex’s head whipped to her - he hated anyone eating in his bed - but when he saw her sitting Indian style, his pillow clutched to her chest as her hopeful eyes peeked over the end, he thought, well how can I say no to that?

They sat cross-legged across from each other on the bed, chatting easily as they ate, stealing from each other’s boxes and offering each other bites from their own forks. Alex felt light and heavy all at once, a strange feeling settling under his sternum. He stared at her as she told him a story from when she and Reva were kids and her Gram had taken them to a carnival. He was only half listening, more concentrating on the perfect cupid’s bow of her lips, the way the dull light from the kitchen played off the golden strands in her dark hair, and how animated her eyes were, a deep brown flecked with amber.

Kelsey was surprised when he leaned in suddenly and kissed her silent, her hand abandoning her fork in her take out box and moving to cup his cheek. She felt her stomach bottom out and shivered, feeling something settle inside her and she felt her muscles relax having not even realized she had been tense. He pulled back slowly, but just enough to part their lips, his forehead resting easily against hers and when she opened her eyes she had to fight her gasp at the blueness of his eyes, fathoms deep and reflecting an emotion back at her she couldn’t name.

“Kelsey?” he said, his lips brushing hers and she blinked at him, letting him know she was listening, “I…”

His voice died as his throat closed on itself. He swallowed and opened his mouth to try again but still nothing came out and the silence stretched between them. She blinked at him again, her lids heavy as she pressed her mouth to his and pulled back.

“I’m super tired,” she said after a moment, blinking around blearily and he chuckled, taking her food carton from her hands and getting up. “What time is it?”

She watched him shuffle into the kitchen, their food stacked atop one another and opened the refrigerator, depositing it inside. He leaned to look at the clock on the stove before he sauntered back over, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it aside.

“It’s bedtime,” he said, undoing the buttons on his cords and pushing them to the floor before he crawled onto the bed.

She was grinning at him as he kissed her hard, crouched in front of her on all fours. She pulled back to unthread the scarf from around her neck, rolling it into a small neat bundle as she leaned back to set it on the bedside table. She righted herself and pulled her sweater over her head and dropping it over the side of the bed. He watched her slip off the side of the bed and unbutton her pants, pushing them down over her hips with some effort and kicked them off her feet, leaving her in her thin white tank and pale pink underwear. She crawled back onto the bed and kissed him again, his mind going blank for a sweet second where she was all he could feel, taste and smell. She pulled back quicker than he would have liked but he opened his eyes to see her stifling a yawn with the back of her hand.

“Come on,” he said, reaching for the comforter and pulling it and the top sheet back so she could get under.

He followed, letting her snuggle down, curling into herself as she got comfortable. He lifted his arm and she immediately pulled herself closer to him, one arm curling under the pillow they were sharing while the other draped over his stomach. She let out a sigh of perfect contentment and that full feeling was back in Alex’s chest, suffocating but comforting at the same time. He watched for what seemed like an eternity, she having fallen under almost instantly, running his fingertips over her cheek, down the bridge of her nose, over the delicate skin under her eyes. He knew that he was going to have to address this at some point but he forced himself not to think about it right then. They only had a few more days of break and he didn’t want to spoil the little bit of carefree time they had left. He could worry about it after. Eventually he succumbed to his own fatigue, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep the likes of which he hadn’t experienced in years.