"When is your audition birdie?"

"In a week."

We had been sitting in his car staring out into the ocean for a while now. Nothing spontaneous, but it was nice to just sit here and enjoy life.

"Are you nervous?" Nervous was an understatement. I was shittery my pants off. This was a very big, no a humongous opportunity that could make or break my acting career. Of course, I had to put on my bad bitchery pants on and act like I wasn't.

"A little. I mean it is my first big audition you know? This could break or make my entire career."

"You're going to do great. Just don't forget about me when you're famous." As if I could ever forget you Archer. Thats what I wanted to say, but my bad bitchery pants suddenly fell.

"I would never stranger." Was my lame ass response. I was used to the silence that came when I was with Archer. It wasn't like the annoying or awkward silence. It was more than that. If this silence could speak, it would never stop saying words. Our silence could fill out journals in a matter of seconds.

"What's your favorite story in your grandpa's journals?"

"What if I showed you?" A playful smile formed in both our faces. I was equally excited and intrigued as to what he meant.

"Okay."

"Let me just make a call." He got out of the car. I assumed he didn't want me to hear and I respected that. Probably wanted it to be a surprise. I kind of love surprises.

~~~

"A boat?" I'm not kidding. I was standing in front of a thirty foot boat.

"Yes. Now get on it."

"We aren't stealing it right?" Oh my God, we could recreate the Rory and Tristan scene in Gilmore Girls. Wait scratch that- they end up going to jail.

"What happened to saying Fuckery it."

"My my. Seems like I've corrupted you." I crossed my arms around my body and tried to look as sassy as I could.

He wrapped his fingers around the hopes of my jeans and pulled me to him. "Elizabeth, I only said it for dramatic purposes. Yeah?" He said nodding his head a little at the end.

Oh it's getting hot in here. Someone call the firefighters and make them spray at least thirty gallons of water.

"Now are you going to stand there or are we getting on the boat." I said.

"Very well Elizabeth. In you go."

I feel like a princess going into battle. The wind was hitting my face. This was the definition of a bird. Freedom and happiness. It took us a while to get to where Archer wanted to take me. But every minute was worth it. I either spent the time looking at him driving the boat or looking out into the ocean. Let me tell you Archer Luca looks amazing in a boat.

"What happened?" The boat had slowed down in the middle of nowhere. "You're going to kill me. I would kill me too you know. Fuck. That came out wrong. I meant I would kill you too. Nope. That's even worse. Proceed with what you were going to say."

"Jesus Elizabeth. I'm just going to ignore everything you said. This is what my grandfather used to do. He brought my grandma here once. He says here is where he fell in love. Growing up both of them told the story from their point of view. How both of them realized they were meant for each other. I thought it was beautiful."

"It is."

"Now we get to see the Sun hide so the moon can be seen." The greatest love story. The Sun and the moon.

We moved to the front of the boat. Sitting next to each other, so close that if I were to move my head just a bit, I could put it on his shoulder.

So I did.

"What's something you find beautiful that others don't?" I asked him. He took a while to respond, but he did.

"Black and pink characters falling in love."

"What do you mean?" I didn't understand what he meant with black and pink characters.

"It's beautiful the way the villain finds comfort with the person opposite of them. Most people don't like them. They think they're toxic and bad for each other. You just have to look at it from another point of view. They spend their life thinking they're not good enough until one day the pink character takes a look at them and thinks they're worth everything." He takes my hand and kisses it. I feel his smile against my hand.

How I wish I could have stopped time. How I wish I could relive this entire summer over and over and over again.

"That's a really pretty way of thinking about it.

"How about you?"

"Scars. They just show that no matter how hard things get, you're strong enough to conquer everything."

"Battle scars."

"Exactly brownie."

"What's the most beautiful yet heartbreaking sentence someone told you?"

"I never saw myself loving anyone but then you came. I didn't know I could feel so much love in a matter of seconds. I was around ten and I'd had a really bad day at school. I was getting bullied for making my mom a drawing during lunch. What can I say? I've always been a mommas boy. The kid took the paper and broke it in front of me. I felt like I didn't matter. When I came home, mom saw right through me, she always does. She told me the story of how it felt when she was able to hold me for the first time. I have never felt so loved."

"Your mom sounds like superwoman."

"Every mom is." His head shifted slightly and a few seconds later his lips were on my forehead.

I was afraid of Archer. I was afraid of his big brown eyes and dirty brown hair. I was scared to feel the things I felt for him. But I knew I couldn't control what I felt. If the situation is meant to happen a certain way, trust life and it will happen.

That's why I never questioned what happened that summer.

A/N
Let's ignore the fact that this was a very short chapter:) 😜