setting sun painting the ocean in shades of orange to see Atlas looking directly at me. I blushed as he gave me that heart stopping smile.
“Eat.” I pointed at his loaded plate with my fork.
“Yes ma’am.”
We made small talk, the get to know you kind of talk while we ate. Atlas turned out to be a lot funnier than I originally gave him credit for. The more he relaxed the more his personality shined through. He told me all about his younger brother who he obviously adored. How his Dad ran off when Ares was little and Atlas decided then to start hating everyone. He told me about the years he ran wild and was constantly in trouble. His run ins with the police, being kicked out of bars, and being suspended from school for fighting more than once.
In turn I told him about moving around when my Dad would be stationed somewhere new. The edited version of my mother and brothers. I told him about my obsession with old movie stars and how I wanted more tattoos. The story of how Darcy and I met and that I am deathly allergic to pineapple and how we figured that out the hard way when I was seven and spent three days in the hospital for it.
“That was so good,” Atlas pushed his plate away, “Thank you.”
“Good, take the rest of it with you. There’s also pie but Dad will fight you for leftover pie. Actually I’m betting he’s already got into it.”
“You made me a pie?” He asked with a little boy grin.
“And cookies to bring home with you but only if you share with Montes.”
“You are amazing and I can’t agree to that.”
“Oh I try,” I picked up our plates and carried them to the sink. “Dad I’m cutting into the pie!” I laughed as he shot up off the couch.
“It was good Ellie Belle.”
“Thanks,” I handed him a plate and took two more outside for us, sliding one across the table top to Atlas.
“Mmm...” Atlas groaned appreciatively.
“Like it?”
“It might be worth the fight to have the rest.”
“I’ll make you another one, one day.”
“That sounds promising.”
“Oh?” I asked taking a bite of my own slice.
“It means you still want to see me.” Atlas smiled.
“Was there any reason to doubt that?”
“I never know.”
“I want to see you Atlas; over and over again.” I caught my bottom lip between my teeth, thankful for the darkness concealing my reddened cheeks.
“I was hoping you would say that.” He reached across the table taking my hand in his. “Let’s go for a walk.” He nodded toward the beach.
Hand in hand we walked down to the water. I tossed my flip flops back up on the beach, allowing the waves to run over my feet. Waiting patiently as Atlas stripped off his boots and socks, lining them up carefully next to each other.
“Can I ask you something?” Atlas broke our comfortable silence a few minutes after we began to walk together through the water..
“Of course,” I nodded, bumping his shoulder as I looked up at him with pursed lips.
Atlas pulled me to a stop, staring out at the moon reflecting off the ocean. He looked out as if he was thinking about what to say next. His chin was working side to side as if he was chewing up the words and getting ready to spit them out. I started to worry if maybe he didn’t want to go out with me again after all. If he was trying to figure out how to say it nicely.
“Do you want to be with me? I mean be mine? Be my girlfriend ? Exclusive or whatever the word is for it?” He ran his hand over his face, laughing nervously. “What I’m trying to say is I don’t want you bringing another man over here to ask your father’s permission to take you on a date. I want to be that man. I want to be the one you’re thinking about, that makes you smile, that takes care of you when you’re hurt. I want to be the one that you call when you’re upset, mad, happy, or just need someone to talk to. I don’t know why I feel so connected to you, but I do. I just know I need you to be with me. I need to know that
“Eat.” I pointed at his loaded plate with my fork.
“Yes ma’am.”
We made small talk, the get to know you kind of talk while we ate. Atlas turned out to be a lot funnier than I originally gave him credit for. The more he relaxed the more his personality shined through. He told me all about his younger brother who he obviously adored. How his Dad ran off when Ares was little and Atlas decided then to start hating everyone. He told me about the years he ran wild and was constantly in trouble. His run ins with the police, being kicked out of bars, and being suspended from school for fighting more than once.
In turn I told him about moving around when my Dad would be stationed somewhere new. The edited version of my mother and brothers. I told him about my obsession with old movie stars and how I wanted more tattoos. The story of how Darcy and I met and that I am deathly allergic to pineapple and how we figured that out the hard way when I was seven and spent three days in the hospital for it.
“That was so good,” Atlas pushed his plate away, “Thank you.”
“Good, take the rest of it with you. There’s also pie but Dad will fight you for leftover pie. Actually I’m betting he’s already got into it.”
“You made me a pie?” He asked with a little boy grin.
“And cookies to bring home with you but only if you share with Montes.”
“You are amazing and I can’t agree to that.”
“Oh I try,” I picked up our plates and carried them to the sink. “Dad I’m cutting into the pie!” I laughed as he shot up off the couch.
“It was good Ellie Belle.”
“Thanks,” I handed him a plate and took two more outside for us, sliding one across the table top to Atlas.
“Mmm...” Atlas groaned appreciatively.
“Like it?”
“It might be worth the fight to have the rest.”
“I’ll make you another one, one day.”
“That sounds promising.”
“Oh?” I asked taking a bite of my own slice.
“It means you still want to see me.” Atlas smiled.
“Was there any reason to doubt that?”
“I never know.”
“I want to see you Atlas; over and over again.” I caught my bottom lip between my teeth, thankful for the darkness concealing my reddened cheeks.
“I was hoping you would say that.” He reached across the table taking my hand in his. “Let’s go for a walk.” He nodded toward the beach.
Hand in hand we walked down to the water. I tossed my flip flops back up on the beach, allowing the waves to run over my feet. Waiting patiently as Atlas stripped off his boots and socks, lining them up carefully next to each other.
“Can I ask you something?” Atlas broke our comfortable silence a few minutes after we began to walk together through the water..
“Of course,” I nodded, bumping his shoulder as I looked up at him with pursed lips.
Atlas pulled me to a stop, staring out at the moon reflecting off the ocean. He looked out as if he was thinking about what to say next. His chin was working side to side as if he was chewing up the words and getting ready to spit them out. I started to worry if maybe he didn’t want to go out with me again after all. If he was trying to figure out how to say it nicely.
“Do you want to be with me? I mean be mine? Be my girlfriend ? Exclusive or whatever the word is for it?” He ran his hand over his face, laughing nervously. “What I’m trying to say is I don’t want you bringing another man over here to ask your father’s permission to take you on a date. I want to be that man. I want to be the one you’re thinking about, that makes you smile, that takes care of you when you’re hurt. I want to be the one that you call when you’re upset, mad, happy, or just need someone to talk to. I don’t know why I feel so connected to you, but I do. I just know I need you to be with me. I need to know that
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