Only the Beginning by shannon o'connor

Author:shannon o'connor [oconnor, shannon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: shannon oconnor

Chapter Nine

In the days after I officially became Daniel’s girlfriend, we never left each other’s sides. That weekend was filled with cuddling, moaning and lots of meals in bed. It surprised me with how fast I was falling in love with him. Even today, when he dragged me out of bed to take me to the beach, I surprised us both by not hitting him with a pillow.

Part of the agreement was to go early in the morning, so we wouldn’t run into anyone we knew. The last thing I wanted was to have a panic attack while half the town watched on. So when the alarm went off at 6 am, Daniel was awake next to me, holding a cup of my favorite coffee. It was hard not to fall in love with him.

“Are you ready?” Daniel squeezes my hand gently from the driver’s seat.

“No,” I answer truthfully. The closer we got to the ocean, the more I could feel my heart racing. It was like I suddenly forgot how to breathe, and my mouth was dry as the desert.

“We can just dip our toes in,” he reminds me. I squeeze his hand back gently as a response. I wasn’t sure what else to say. Before we got there, I was trying not to think too much and psyche myself out.

The beach was empty, as expected, except for a few early morning joggers who weren’t paying much attention to us. The sun was just above the horizon, a bright pink and orange sky. Even if I never swam again, I don’t think I could stay away from the ocean. It was just so magnificent looking and comforting. If I focused on the sunrise instead of the water, maybe I could get through this.

“Ready?” Daniel asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

“No,” I’m still holding his hand, probably way too tight. I lean in for a kiss, willing it to give me the confidence I needed to do this.

“Okay, now I’m ready.” I say, trying to ignore the shakiness in my voice.

We set our stuff down in the sand and strip down to our bathing suits. Daniel takes my hand again, and I walk a step behind him, as if he could protect me somehow. I knew it was crazy. I had spent my life swimming. I was on the swim team in high school for crying out loud. But it was as if the one place I had always felt safe suddenly wasn’t safe anymore.

“The water’s a little cool,” Daniel warns, dipping his toes in first. I nod and close my eyes, putting one toe in, my body clenching in fear as the water hits it. I jump back a few inches, but Daniel doesn’t let go of my hand.

“It’s okay. You might have a few flashbacks. Try to focus on something that makes you happy, something calming.” Daniel prompts. I nod and try again.

Closing my eyes, I think about the sunrise, my nieces and nephew. Waves crashing over me as I dip one toe.

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