The wind whipped through Andrew's hair as he pedaled along the road toward the trail head to meet Molly. He was late and he was hoping the bike would make up the difference in time. He took a curve a little too sharply and narrowly avoided running over an elderly woman in a wheelchair.

"Sorry!" he shouted over his shoulder as he sped past.

When he saw the trail head in the distance he slowed down. Molly was leaning against a low stone wall, her bike parked next to her in the grass. He gave her a wave when he got closer and smiled when she waved back at him. He came to a stop in front of her, dragging his Converse through the gravel on the path to slow down.

"Hey," he greeted her, leaning over to give her a kiss. "Been waiting long?"

"Only ten minutes," she teased. "What happened?"

"I had to adjust the seat on my bike," he sighed sheepishly. "The last time I rode it I think I was six inches shorter."

Molly burst into laughter. "Tall people problems, huh?"

"You have no idea," he replied, running his fingers through his hair. "I had to find a wrench and then the chain came off. It was a fucking mess," he chuckled. "Ready to go?"

She nodded, swinging her leg over her bike. "Lead on, Magellan," she teased.

He smiled and kicked off the ground, pedaling slowly along the walking path. Molly's hair was up in a loose bun on her head and she had on a white flowy off-the-shoulder shirt and a pair of skinny jeans that were quite distracting for him. Sunglasses hid her eyes, but her smile radiated happiness toward him.

"Go left!" he called after her, steering his own bike onto a dirt path closer to the cliff's edge.

"You're not trying to kill me are you?" she called over her shoulder nervously as she pedaled.

"It's fine. It widens out in a second," he assured her as the path started to inclune sharply.

Sure enough, the path widened and they were able to ride side by side. The incline plateaued and the ride eased up considerably. The Irish Sea exploded underneath them, crashing against the rocky beach below. The path felt as familiar to Andrew as picking up a guitar; he could ride it with his eyes closed (and he almost did after a night drinking).

"Have you been out to Greystones yet?" he asked.

"Not yet. Is it nice?" Molly asked.

"I guess so. I like it. Its smaller than Bray, but it has its own unique qualities," he smiled.

"You're not a city dweller are you?" she chuckled. "You like the country."

"Ehm, more city-adjacent," he replied. "I like being close enough to go in for things like concerts or festivals that we don't get out here in the country, but far enough that I can make as much noise as I want without neighbors complaining."

"Now that you have time off, are you going to buy your own place?" she asked.

"I'm looking at it. Its just about finding the right one, you know?" Andrew answered.

They rode in silence for several minutes as the ocean breeze whipped around them high up on the cliffs. Molly came to a stop at an observation point and sat on a worn wooden bench facing the sea. He sat next to her, shuffling his hair from his face.

"So Chester is hosting a party at his place this weekend and he invited you," Molly said. "I told him I'd ask, but I wasn't sure if you'd be available. If you don't want to go, I get it."

"That actually sounds like a great idea," he smiled at her. "I'm kind of getting a bit of cabin fever being cooped up here. I need a hit of city life."

She rested her head against his shoulder. "You're so lucky that you got to grow up in a place like this. Its so beautiful here."

He chuckled. "You know what's funny? When I was a kid, I hated the country. My parents moved us out toward Greystones right after I started school. I hated the isolation and how far I was from my friends. I used to wish I lived in a busy city like Dublin."

"I thought you guys always lived outside Bray?" she asked, lifting her head.

He shook his head. "We lived closer to Greystones until I went to high school. Then my mum had her studio space in Bray and it was just easier for us to move closer. It made sense, especially because we were closer to my dad's doctors."

"I hated growing up in L.A.," she lamented. "Too many people crowded into a city that wasn't designed for it then."

"Can I ask you something?" Andrew said, shifting on the bench. "I'm not even sure how to word it," he hesitated, his heart beating fast. "Why are the Roma so secretive? I mean, even when I looked online I couldn't find much."

Molly sighed. He felt her stiffen next to him. "Because we were discriminated against for centuries. So, long story short, we learned to keep ourselves to ourselves. Self preservation."

"For protection," he remarked, nodding. "But why are you so secretive about it yourself?"

"Because when you're different, people notice and make fun of you," Molly said. "Children can be exceptionally cruel when you're different."

"Were they cruel to you?" he asked.

Molly nodded. "Not necessarily for being Roma, though. My family had a small house and we were completely settled, unlike how many people see Roma. They think we all live out of caravans and steal and shit. But my family celebrated things differently, which meant missing school frequently. And when I went into high school, my parents switched me to homeschooling, so I basically lost touch with all possible friends I could have made."

"Why did they switch you?" Andrew asked.

"They wanted me to be at home instead of spending the whole day out of the house," she said as she looked away from him.

His curiosity wanted him to ask more, but common sense told him she was uncomfortable. "Why did you try to hide from those Roma guys? That night we were out walking and that group came through?"

Molly sighed. "Its a small community, even though it stretches across the world. I didn't want any of them to recognize me and have it get back to my parents."

"How would they recognize you, though? The guys from that night at your place didn't recognize you," he asked. His mind was reeling with questions he was afraid to ask.

"Don't worry about it," she muttered.

"What do your parents think of you becoming a lawyer?"

"They don't know," she said.

He blinked. "How can they not know you're in law school?"

"My parents didn't think having a career was appropriate for their daughter. So I left home at 16. My parents have spoken to me four times since then," she answered.

Andrew sat next to her in a stunned silence. He couldn't imagine not talking to his parents regularly. Even after his conversation with his dad, he held out hope that Molly's family was one of the progressive ones. His heart sank to find out they weren't.

"I'm sorry, Molly," he said softly. "That's really unfair."

"Life's not fair, Andrew," she said softly. "Talent and opportunity isn't distributed evenly. Why do some people get ridiculous talent and others get nothing?" she asked. "You have this otherworldly gift and a family that would follow you to the end of the earth to support you and it. Don't waste it."

He felt the weight of her words hang in the air between them as sea birds cawed overheard and waves crashed beneath the. He leaned over and pulled her face toward his for a soft kiss and he smiled when she sighed against his lips.

"C'mon," she said, taking his hand and standing. "Let's get going."

They mounted their bikes again and continued the ride toward Greystones. The gravel path turned into a grass one with two dirt ruts carved into it from all the foot traffic. Trees began to line the path and fields opened up on one side, while the cliffs continued to drop off on the other. Dark grey clouds had gathered on the horizon and they were racing across the sky toward them. Andrew knew that they were threatening rain. And sure enough, not two minutes later, he felt several heavy drops on his forearms just as the heavens opened up.

Molly squealed and looked at him in surprise, unsure of what she should do next. He looked between the road in front of them and the trees to their right.

"Through here," he said, hopping off his bike and walking it up a small embankment and leaning it against a tree. "Come on." He helped her get her bike up the embankment before leading her across a small field toward a stand of willow trees. "Get under that tree," he told her.

They stopped underneath an ancient willow tree that had to be at least thirty feet tall. Its branches hung low and swung gently as he brushed against them. The rain barely penetrated the leaves above them, even as it picked up pace around them.

"Where did this come from?" Molly asked, wringing her shirt out.

Andrew smiled. "No idea. But its Ireland - rain crops up all the time here."

He peeled off his over shirt and draped it over a branch in an effort to dry it a bit. Water droplets dripped down his face from his hair and he reached up to wring it out. Molly's shirt had become mostly transparent as it clung to her skin and he could see every single curve of her body through it.

"Ugh I must look like a drowned rat," she lamented, taking her hair down and running her fingers through it.

"Hardly," he smiled, reaching up to move a piece of hair from her cheek. "You look fantastic as always."

Molly rolled her eyes. "Don't you kind of have to say that stuff? You know, since you're sleeping with me?"

He laughed as a flash of lightning lit up the sky. "Have I ever lied to you?" he asked.

Molly turned to look through the willow branches as a clap of thunder filled the air. "We should have looked at the forecast."

"It'll pass soon enough," he replied with a shrug.

He walked over and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his chest against her back. She turned in his arms and faced him and interlocked her hands behind his neck.

"What if it doesn't?" she asked coyly.

Heat began to fill his body, rising from the tips of his toes through his long legs. He leaned down and kissed her, bringing his hands down to her hips. Lightning crashed above them, but he was blind to it. His mind was awash with the feel of her body against his and the scent of her shampoo mingling with the damp smell of rain and wet grass.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as he pushed her back against the wide tree trunk. He smiled against her mouth as her fingers slid underneath his wet t-shirt. He automatically lifted his arms for her to take it off. It landed on the ground nearby with a wet slap. He hissed as her finger nails grazed his skin and she bit his bottom lip. A low growl emanated from his throat  and he dug his fingers into her hips.

Andrew pulled her top off, letting it fall to the ground. His mouth moved across her skin hungrily and, teeth scraping occasionally. He sighed as her fingers wound into his hair while his mouth assaulted her breasts. His heart was racing as Molly's hands scraped down his abdomen to his belt.

"Ah fuck," he groaned when her fingers slipped into his jeans.

He brought his mouth back to hers, kissing her roughly as he forced her jeans down over her hips. She kicked them away before dropping to her knees in front of him, taking his cock into her mouth. He braced himself against the tree as she went to work, rolling her tongue across his skin in the most divine manner.

Rain continued to pour around them, but he didn't give it much notice; he was in complete rapture at the way her mouth felt around him. After several minutes, he couldn't take it anymore. He kicked his jeans away and pulled Molly against his chest.

"Lay down," she ordered, pushing him toward the ground.

He obeyed happily, allowing her to pull his boxers off before settling on top of him. Her body was hot to the touch and the cold droplets raining down from above ignited a new sensation for him. As Molly slid onto his cock, he let out a moan and curse.

"Let's finish what we started last night," she growled against his neck, nipping roughly and sinking her teeth into his skin.

He smiled and dug his fingers into her hips as she set a slow and agonizing pace. Thunder rolled through the air and he felt the ground vibrate underneath him. Their moans mixed with the rain and thunder to create an earthy symphony of electricity.

Molly leaned over, her wet hair forming a heavy curtain on one side of Andrew's face. She kissed him deeply as she sped up and he felt his eyes roll into the back of his head. He wanted everything; he wanted her fingers on every inch of his skin and he wanted her lips on his forever. Her eyes melted his soul and he never wanted to look away from them.

"Oh my God, Andrew," she sighed against his mouth.

He felt her body tense on top of his and she clemched around him, shaking. Another flash of lightning and a clap of thunder saw him plummetting after her into ecstasy, sighing her name against her forehead. His chest heaved as he struggled to slow his ragged breathing and his fingers stroked Molly's hair when she rested her head against his chest. After several seconds, she rolled off of him. He watched the rain fall on the ground nearby, miniscule droplets hitting his skin.

In the post-coital haze, he felt his tongue loosening. Words he knew better than to say began to bubble up his throat. He looked into her eyes, wanting to get lost in them. His fingers came up to stroke her cheek and he opened his mouth.

"Molly, I -." he started.

"Don't," she whispered. "Please don't say it."

And just like that, the haze was gone and he plummetted back to reality. His heart started to race and he began to panic, wondering what Molly must think of him now.

You are such a fucking knob, he thought. Why the fuck would you try to tell her you loved her? Jesus Horatio Christ you, giant bellend. You barely fucking know this girl. Get a motherfucking grip, asshole!

Molly was sitting up, pulling her drenched shirt over her head. Her jeans took much more doing, but eventually she was fully dressed in front of him, leaning against the broad tree trunk. The only sound between them was the noise of Andrew getting dressed and the pattering of rain on the ground. The lightning had moved on, taking the thunder along with it.

"Its lightening up," she remarked, looking through the leaves.

Well done. You've scared her so shitless she's resorted to talking about the weather, he berated himself, feeling his cheeks blaze in embarrassment.

"Do you want to keep going?" he asked, straightening his shirt over his torso.

"I kind of want to get into some dry clothes, to be honest," she said. "Your place?" she suggested.

He was taken aback by her offer. He figured after the awkwardness of nearly pouring his heart out to her - unsuccessfully - that she'd want nothing to do with him. "I - ehm - yeah. Sure. Its closest, right?"

The rain had slowed to a sprinkle when they got on their bikes and pedaled toward Bray again. By the time they reached Andrew's cottage, another round of rain had settled in. They left their bikes under the large tree in the front garden and hurried inside.

"I'll put your clothes in to dry," Andrew offered as he pulled his own clothes off for the second time that afternoon. "You can wear some of my stuff if you want."

Molly nodded, stripping down to nothing. She handed him the pile of clothing and went upstairs to examine his closet. Andrew went into the kitchen and threw everything into the machine, switching it to "dry", and starting it up. It hummed to life as he went up the spiral staircase in search of something to wear.

He found Molly sitting on his bed with his Takamine, examining the strings. She had pulled on a pair of his boxers and an old t-shirt. He smiled to himself, dressing in a soft pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a long-sleeved shirt.

"Play me something," she demanded in her sweet way.

He nodded and walked over to sit next to her on the bed, taking the guitar and laying it across his lap. "What do you want me to play?"

"Anything you like. You don't have to sing. Just play something."

Andrew thought for a second, running through his internal rolodex of songs and skipping past anything he'd ever written. The melody Molly had been humming a couple weeks before had stuck with him and he found himself plucking it out on the guitar strings. She watched his fingers closely, as if she was memorizing their placements on the frets.

He smiled as he watched her. "What?"

"How did you learn to play?" she asked.

"Taught myself, really. I was a singer before I was a guitarist, right?" he answered. "I only picked up the guitar and piano because it made writing songs easier."

"Which song has been the easiest for you to write?" Molly asked, leaning back on his bed, her legs dangling off the edge next to him.

"A song about an ex-girlfriend," he said. He put the guitar on the floor out of the way and leaned back next to her. "It was absolute shite," he added with a laugh. Her smile warmed him from the tips of his toes to the ends of his hair. "To this day, I'm a peddler of nonsensical tripe."

Molly rolled her eyes. "That's a lie, and you know it." His self deprecation wasn't clever as he thought. "You are insanely talented," she added, turning on her side to face him.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he apologized. The last thing he wanted was for things to get awkward between them. "I - I was, ehm -,"

"Caught in the moment?" she offered.

"Exactly," he said with a nervous chuckle.

"Don't get too attached. I leave in 6 weeks," she reminded him.

He sighed, but put on a smile. "I know."

As if he needed reminding. Their time was limited and there was nothing he could do about it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldnt ignore it. But after his fuck up earlier that afternoon, it seemed to be the only thing on his mind.

"I was actually wondering if you wanted to go away with me next weekend?" he asked. "I was thinking we could head to the Aran Islands."

"You can stay there overnight?" she asked.

He laughed. "There is such a thing as an Air BnB, you know."

"I know that, smart ass. I just figured it would be hard to book something so late, given the fact that there are probably only 10 listed on all the islands," she teased.

"So is that a yes or a no?" he asked, his heart pounding in anticipation.

"Definite yes," she smiled. "I haven't actually been to that side of the country yet. It'll be fun."

"Good. I kind of feel like I need to make up for the camping trip," Andrew chuckled.

"Don't. I enjoyed it. It was fun to hang out with some of your friends," Molly assured him. "But I think spending a weekend away will be much more fun," she added, giving him a peck on the cheek.