AFTER THE RAIN (Bonus edition)

26. You only live once in this life

Stormy had never felt such a warm sea before. It was the temperature of a heated pool, and on closer inspection, was completely see-through. She waded in until the water had crept up to her knees.

"Come in," she called to Marcus, who was still standing on the beach, watching her. He had a queer look on his face; she hoped it had nothing to do with what she'd just told him. She'd encountered a lot of judgment over the years, for not finishing school or not having a home or money, and she wondered what Marcus thought of her right now. She usually didn't care what people thought – she could always brush it off easily, like water off a seal's back – but the idea of dropping in Marcus's estimation was a thought she didn't like at all. Stormy had always wanted to finish school and had even started doing some correspondence courses. But trying to feed yourself, keep a roof over your head and studying at the same time always proved challenging. Then she'd met a woman, Joy, who'd offered to teach her the basics of crystal healing and Reiki, out of the goodness of her heart, really. And Stormy had loved it. She'd always wanted to take it further and get certified, but that had never really happened. Theatre she didn't really need to study, that just came naturally to her, since her father was a director and she'd spent so much of her childhood in theatres. She was good at what she did, she knew that. But some people just couldn't see past the lack of "formal" qualifications.

But Marcus was smiling at her, and she sensed no judgment in his look. He started running towards her and she felt her heart do cartwheels. As he waded in, a small wave broke at his ankles and splashed his shorts. He bent down and tried to wipe the excess water off. Stormy thought it was adorable – they were in the sea, for heaven's sake. Seas contain water. Water splashes.

Stormy waded in further until the water was at her thighs. She desperately wanted to jump in and swim.

"Hey, don't go too far," Marcus called to her, sounding a little panicked.

"What could happen?" Stormy smiled at him.

"I don't know. Sharks. Rip tides. Stinging jelly fish," he replied worriedly.

She raised a brow at him. "As if!" And with that, she jumped into the water with a splash. The water was warm and crystal clear. As she swam, the white sand was whipped up and floated around her like little flecks of silvery white glitter. In the distance, she could see a few colorful fish making a quick escape – no doubt from her. She popped up to find Marcus staring after her in what seemed to be absolute horror.

"Oh, stop being such a baby!" Stormy splashed the water as hard as she could and some of it splattered across his top. "Come on in. You only live once in this life."

***

Marcus was not sure submerging himself in the ocean was the best idea right now. If there were a wet t-shirt contest happening, Stormy would win hands down. He glanced around to see if anyone was looking, suddenly feeling rather possessive and protective over the girls. Not that they were his, per se. But he wanted them to be.

"Come on, is someone a scared-y puppy?" Stormy teased him.

Marcus laughed. "Cat. Scared-y cat, Stormy. You know you mix up every idiom ever invented?"

She shrugged carelessly. "Dog, cat, parrot, tortoise, they're all pets," she said playfully, with a little glint in her eye. He wondered if she realized that her wet top was totally see-through, and whether she knew what effect she was having on him.

Oh hell, why not? He jumped in and swam up to her. The water was warm and still, perfect for swimming. Marcus and Stormy's eyes met and he felt that familiar feeling again – that unique mix of emotions. There was downright lust, obviously, but much, much more than that, too. He smiled at her, this strange little creature bobbing up and down in the water with strands of pink hair sticking to her face and neck.