The afternoon passes in a blur of light. Eden feels more elated than she has in a long time, still riding the after waves of her plummet off the cliff. Anytime she closes her eyes, her skin reignites with the sensation of air rushing around her and her belly returns to a state of permanent back-flipping.

She passes the afternoon by playing sand volleyball with Will, Safiya, and Cal; Natalia teaches Harry how to skip rocks, and Taylor and Holly remain holed up at a deep end of the lake, catching and tossing back fish until the sun winds down. Around dinnertime, Will and Taylor stoke a bonfire for cooking and Eden joins Harry by the lake as he continues skipping rocks.

"Can you show me?" she asks politely, admiring the way the sunset covers his features with a golden film. His dimple appears as he grins and hands her a stack of flat, rounded rocks.

"These should be good for you, Natalia helped me choose them."

"Okay, how do I hold it?"

Harry picks one of her rocks and places the rest to the side before moving her hands. "Your index finger goes here, on the edge of the rock. Your thumb goes on one side and your pointer finger holds it on the opposite side, like this."

"This rock feels really small," she says, barely feeling the weight of it in her palm.

"The smaller your hands are, the smaller your rock should be," he muses. "And you have tiny, adorable hands."

"Hey," she pouts. "Don't patronize my hands!"

He grins, lips pulled together in a smile as he turns her by the shoulders to face the calm water. "Feet go shoulder-width apart. Make sure you turn a little sideways so your non-dominant side is facing the water."

She shifts her hips so her left side is angled toward the water and holds up her rock. "Now what?"

"Now you throw," he says. "Bend your arm all the way back and snap your wrist forward as you throw, and do it as fast as you can, kind of like pitching an underhand softball. The faster the better."

She follows his instructions, snapping her arm forward and slinging the rock out onto the water with all the force she can muster.

It hits the surface of the water and sinks immediately with a deep sploosh.

"Ugh," she cries. "Give me another one."

She tosses four more rocks out into the water, only managing to skip one of them once before it also sinks to the bottom of the lake.

"I suck at this," she groans.

"You just learned," Harry chuckles. He throws another rock, sending it sailing out and skipping twice before sinking.

"Look at you, you're a natural," she says, punching him in the arm good-naturedly.

He side-eyes her and shakes his head. "Is skipping rocks on your list? What's the significance?"

She pauses, struck by a memory of her late grandfather attempting to teach her how to skip rocks when she was ten or eleven. They'd gone to the lake and spent the day together, fishing and swimming and relaxing outside. He'd skipped rocks while she piddled about on the shore, picking up colored stones, and offered to teach her after noticing her interest.

"Um, no, it isn't," she answers after a moment, unaware of Harry watching her curiously.

"Where'd you go just now?" he asks, turning over the last rock in his hands. She stares at it, mesmerized by the rhythmic action.

"My granddad used to take me to the lake when I was a kid," she replies, sounding far off and dazed. "The last time he took me, he tried to show me how to skip rocks but I could never get the hang of it. The next year he caught pneumonia at the beginning of spring and was gone by summer."

"Oh, Eden," Harry murmurs, reaching out and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

She shrugs, feeling rather numb. "I was just a kid, I don't remember a whole lot. I guess I'm grateful for that. But sometimes I wish I could . . . you know, remember more about him. He was different to the rest of my family, he actually took a genuine interest in me."

Harry remains quiet as he patiently listens to her. She wraps her arms over her chest and shivers as a slight breeze rushes over the water, ushered in by the setting sun. "He's the reason I picked Niagara. He told me that's where he and my Nana fell in love, and I thought that if there was any place for me to fall in love with life it would be there."

She laughs breathily. "I know it sounds silly. But it makes sense to me."

I crave for things to make sense. It's all I've wanted for a long time - to know who I am. To feel assured and brave in life.

"It's not silly," he murmurs, squeezing her shoulders comfortingly. "I think it's wonderful."

She doesn't have time to appreciate his words as another breeze comes charging through the air and sends her teeth chattering. "I have a sweater in the tent, I'll be right back," she groans, stomping over to the tent as goosebumps sweep up her skin.

Inside, it takes her a moment to locate her turquoise sweater. She tugs it on eagerly, taking a moment to adjust her hair and relish in the warmth inside the tent. She sees the jeans she wore the previous day tossed carelessly on her side of the tent and picks them up, wondering if it would be worth changing into them.

Then her list falls out of the front pocket and lands on the blankets in front of her. She picks it up and unfolds it as a second reaction, her eyes widening when she skims down and sees Item Nine.

She groans internally, having totally forgotten she put that on there to begin with. Her heart-rate picks up and her veins begin pulsing heavily as she folds the list up and puts it into the pocket of her current pants, wondering how to go about bringing this item up to Harry.

Just go out there and ask, she commands herself. It's not weird.

She pauses and then sighs internally.

Okay, it's a little weird. But you have an obligation to at least try and do this, so go.

She wipes her clammy palms on her pants and shakily emerges from the tent. His back is to her as he continues tossing rocks into the lake; she approaches him quietly, shoes crunching over the pebbles on the shore and punctuating the air with each crisp step she takes. She pauses once she reaches him, waiting to see if he'll talk to her first, but he doesn't say anything.

"Harry," Eden says softly, her cheeks burning furiously as she struggles to initiate the conversation.

"Yes?" he asks, glancing at her before skipping the last rock in his hand. It soars through the air before bouncing across the water three times and sinking below the surface with a final sploosh.

"I have to ask you something," she stammers, her lips trembling slightly from embarrassment and sheer nerves. There's an anxious churning in her stomach that is mucking up her thoughts and making it ridiculously difficult to speak without stuttering.

"Go on," he urges her while watching the water as the ripples from the stone billow out and fade. Eden searches for the right way to ask as he leans down and picks up another rock from the small pile waiting at his feet.

"There's . . . something on my list, that I'd like your help with," she begins slowly, awkwardly looking down at her hands.

"What is it?" he asks. "Reaching something on the top shelf?"

She glances up to find him smirking down at her. Cheeky bastard.

"Little more complicated than that," she laughs breathily.

"Can you stop being cryptic and just ask me?" he chuckles.

Eden rolls her lips together and wills herself to meet his eyes as she talks. "Item Nine on my list is . . . oh my God, never mind."

She whirls on her heels and makes a break for it, too overcome with embarrassment to say the words aloud. However, she doesn't get far before she feels Harry's calloused fingers gently pulling at her elbow to bring her back.

"Wait," he chuckles, turning her around to face him again. She can barely look him in the eye and she knows the burning on her cheeks must be obvious. "Now you definitely have to ask."

Eden sucks in a deep breath and tries to steel herself, but the fluttering in her chest gets the best of her and her words barely come out, hardly even audible to her own ears.

"Item Nine is sex on the beach," she whispers bashfully.

"Come now, love, not even the bugs can hear when you talk that quietly."

"Are you honestly going to make me repeat this?" she groans, eyeing him closely. The crooked grin on his face is answer enough, and she knows that he knows but he's enjoying mildly torturing her anyhow.

"Sex on the beach," she blurts, the words falling from her lips before she can psych herself into whispering again. Her eyes go wide and she hopes none of their new friends are close enough to listen in, otherwise they might be slightly caught off guard by their current conversation.

His expression flickers and she can tell he's resisting the urge to completely laugh in her face. Her hands clasp together in front of her and her gaze drops to her feet.

I must look so desperate and stupid, straight up asking for this.

Yet for some reason, she keeps talking.

"And, feel free to say no, but obviously I can't do that alone."

"I mean . . . speaking technically, you could," he laughs, nudging her playfully with his elbow.

Eden's skin is hot enough to fry an egg. "Harry, you're making this even more mortifying for me," she admits in a small voice, even though she's fighting back a timid smile.

"What's so bad about it?" he shrugs. "It's a human desire, it's something normal to want. And honestly speaking, I'm not saying no."

"Oh really?" Eden presses, still trying to keep from giggling. She dares to lift her eyes and finds him facing the lake again, turning over the smooth rock in his hand as he stares out at the placid water.

"Really," he says. "Although I will say I've never had someone come right out and ask me like that."

"Sorry," Eden groans, hiding her face in her hands. "I know it's so weird of me to do. But I wrote it on there so long ago and I'd rather it happen with you than some sleazy stranger."

"Is that the only reason you'd rather it be me?" Harry asks teasingly.

Eden peeks at him through her fingers; his eyes are blazing into hers, a gleam of mischief dancing in them. The fact that you are insanely attractive and funny and probably the kindest person I've met in a long time is definitely a plus, she admits internally. Even if I am a bit wary.

"Are you going to help me or not?" she asks with a tiny laugh, skirting around his question.

Harry reaches out to place his hand on the small of her back; her skin burns with his heat as he gently pulls her closer. "I'd be happy to," he chuckles while smirking down at her. He's clearly enjoying messing with her way more than she'd like.

"Stop," she whines, now fully smiling. "I'm not going to be able to keep a straight face with you looking at me like that."

"Then don't," he laughs. "Sex isn't meant to be serious, that'd make it such a chore. It's supposed to be enjoyable."

"Fair enough," Eden sighs, looking down at her hands again. "So, how do we do this?"

Harry glances over his shoulder; behind them, the group of their new friends is still scattered across the sand and brush, some playing sand volleyball while others are gathered around the bonfire. None of them are playing explicit attention to Eden and Harry but clearly, they can't just cavort on the shore right in front of everyone.

He shrugs and looks back at her. "Wait until they're all asleep?" he suggests.

Eden nods. She likes this suggestion, as it would make the act more natural and less awkward. "I'm okay with that."

Harry flashes her a crooked smile and nods his head toward the volleyball court. "Come on," he says, lightly taking her hand and tugging her with him as he starts walking back up the sand dunes. Eden can't deny the shooting warmth that ignites when his skin touches hers. "I bet I can beat you."

Eden scoffs and rolls her eyes. "My ass. I was team captain for two years in high school."

"Prove it then, Captain."

***

Several hours pass by rather fleetingly. The sun has long since plummeted below the horizon as the cool night emerges, bringing a littering of stars with it. Eden and Harry "retire" to their tent after a couple of rounds of volleyball, each entertaining themselves on their own while they wait for the others to go to sleep.

"Is anyone out there?" Harry asks, breaking the comfortable silence in their tent. Eden looks up from her book and glances over at him, lying on his back with his hands folded on his stomach while he peers back at her with those magnificent eyes. She feels her stomach break into nervous flips but she keeps her answer even.

"I'll check," she whispers. She crawls over to the entrance of the tent and peeks outside. The cool air is quiet, the fire long extinguished, and there's no one walking around. "Doesn't look like it."

She hears a loud rustling as Harry moves to a sitting position. "You want to go now?" he asks.

His face is incredibly somber and it takes everything in her not to laugh at how seriously he's taking this. She can at least appreciate that he's not mocking her anymore.

Eden turns and tosses her book onto her makeshift bed. "Now's as good a time as any," she laughs, scurrying out of the tent. Harry follows suit and they carefully make their way down to the beach, Eden struggling to contain her nervous giggles. Her boots crunch over the dry brush barely growing out of the sandy ground as she wanders around, looking for a clear patch of sand near the water.

She finds one, reaching the middle of her designated spot before turning to face Harry.

"Here looks good. So how do we-"

She's cut off by Harry's lips abruptly meeting her own. One hand latches onto her hip while the other snakes around the nape of her neck, turning her face up to meet his as his tongue sweeps her mouth. Eden's heart explodes into a sprint but she's grateful that he's taken the lead on this. Her fingers gently curl onto his shirt, absently playing with the fabric covering his taut stomach.

The heat from his hand on the back of her neck is making her melt. She inches closer to him, pressing her body against his and pushing up on her tiptoes to kiss him deeper. Her lips part and his tongue enters her mouth again, sending a wave of tingles rushing through her veins and igniting her skin in goosebumps. Her hands slide up his stomach to his chest and then his shoulders, until finally she ropes her arms around his neck.

Harry moves his other hand to her hip so both hands are gripping her waist, fingertips digging into her skin and dancing under the hem of her shirt. A gasp leaves Eden's lips as he suddenly hoists her up, lifting her and wrapping his arms under her bum while her legs automatically lock around his waist. All the while his lips never leave hers.

A new sense of urgency emerges, a naturally intimate one. Their kiss grows more frenzied and their hands begin to roam around one another. Somehow Eden soon finds herself being laid gently onto the ground, Harry briefly pulling away to gaze down at her as she reclines into the warm sand.

"You are so lovely," he murmurs, one hand squeezing her hip while the other reaches up to brush a stray curl away from her face. He leans down, his lips softly brushing up and down her neck in light kisses while his fingers play with the hem of her pajama shorts. She'd enjoy it much more if she wasn't acutely aware of an uncomfortable sensation creeping up her leg.

"Harry," Eden breathes out, her hands gently patting his biceps. He keeps kissing her neck, his body moving fluidly against hers, lost in the moment and unable to hear her.

"Harry," she says louder, holding back a slight laugh.

"Wha-what?" he finally says, leaning up for a moment to gaze down at her.

"There's sand in my panties," she says pointedly. Frolicking about on the ground has caused her shorts to ride up and sand to make an unwelcome appearance in her dainty places.

The look of confusion and utter bewilderment that passes his face is unlike any Eden has ever seen. Dazed by lust, his eyebrows knit together and his face plummets into deep concentration as he struggles to clear his head. It takes everything in her not to burst out laughing.

"We're on a beach, love," he answers after a moment. "That's something that's going to happen."

"I know but, it's uncomfortable," Eden half-giggles, half-whines.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" Harry asks for clarification, and she nods shyly.

He leans down and brushes his lips against her ear, sending an explosion of goosebumps over her skin as his hot breath fans across her neck.

"Then take them off."

~~

CALM THYSELF.

listen y'all lol sorry to leave it at a cliffhanger but 1) writing smexy parts makes me lowkey uncomfortable and 2) i have no idea how not to make them sound awkward so i try to avoid writing them if i can help it lol use your imagination if you really must

i wish i had more to say here but i honestly can't think of anything good atm. however, i can say with absolute certainty that i would never do that - i'm not brazen enough to get anywhere close to being naked in public. but kudos to the adventurers, i guess!

how's everyone's weekend been? how's your sunday evening shaping up?

stay tuned for the next part and i'll see you soon xx