53

KATHERINE THRONE

I stepped out of the bathroom, wiping the salty water droplets from my face. I was already dressed in my evening wear.

His face contorted with effort as he tried to crack open the stubborn shell from the beach with a hammer. Bursting with curiosity, I wandered closer to investigate the commotion. I saw that he had laid out a selection of tools beside him; a pack of hooks, some scissors, and a hammer with which he was furiously banging away.

"Are you still dreaming about buying a yacht from the pearl in that shell?" I questioned in a tease as he looked up at me, a wide smile on his lips. I was rendered speechless; in all honesty, I was in awe of him. A simple smile had whisked me away and taken my heart to lengths it had never crossed.

With one last bang of his hammer on the shell, it cracked open and a Pearl emerged, shining brightly in the enclave.

"There, finally got the last one," Alexander said, holding up the Pearl in his hand and I arched my brows at him. I wondered what he meant by that. Had he been breaking the shells and harvesting the pearls all through my eternity in the shower?

It was then I noticed a string of delicate pearls laid beside him on the bed. It was made into a necklace. He picked it up and added the newly found pearl at the end of the string.

My heart swelled with emotion as I watched him, as I saw the care and attention he was dedicating to the necklace. I never knew he could make jewelry — Alexander is full of surprises anyway. I wondered what he was making it for; well, selling a necklace made with valuable pearls wouldn't be a bad business venture.

"Yeah, I think I'll be abandoning the yacht dream for now. I've found something more valuable and priceless to invest this in." He finally replied to my previous tease.

My heart skipped a beat as I realized that he was actually making the necklace for me. The thoughtfulness of the gesture overwhelmed me, and I found myself unable to speak.

As I watched him deftly weave the pearl onto a string, all the regrets I had harbored about this trip and Alex seemed to fade into oblivion. I felt myself melting inside, a warm happiness spreading through me.

It was a feeling I shouldn't be having, not after the scolding I had just given myself in the bathroom moments ago.

To think that he had gone out of his way to make me something so beautiful and meaningful...I couldn't help but feel moved.

"You're so sweet, Alex," I finally said, meaning every word, but I still presented it in a teasing manner. "Is this your way of apologizing for drenching me with water?"

He grinned back at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," he said, then he picked a hook from the pack before him and started to attach it to the end of the string.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Oh, I guess I won't be accepting this gift of yours then." I huffed, feigning annoyance as I averted my gaze from him and folded my hands crossly.

He was done attaching the hook and the necklace was ready. He got up from the bed now and stood in front of me with it in his hands.

He was fresh from the shower as well, his rugged hair hanging in tussled strands around his shoulders. I felt my cheeks flush with a rosy hue as my eyes locked with his.

As he handed me the finished necklace, my fingers trembled slightly as they slid it around my neck. The sensation was beyond words - I felt as though I was wearing a piece of Alexander, a part of him that I could carry with me, always.

At that moment, I felt as though the world had stopped, our surroundings blurred into nothingness as I looked at Alexander.

I relished in the way his eyes crinkled in the corners when he smiled, the way his shoulders hunched up when he laughed. Another confirmation to prove my feelings for him - I was in love with him, more in love than I had ever been before.

And as I looked down at the necklace he had made for me, I knew that it was a tangible reminder of the love we shared.

However, I couldn't resist teasing him about his newfound skills in jewelry making. "Oh, Mr. Alexander, are you sure you're not secretly a jeweler on the side? This necklace looks stunning. Thank you."

In response, he flashed me a playful grin. "Well, I'm certainly not giving up on school just yet, but I will consider going full–time into jewelry making." He quipped. "But I do seem to have a knack for unearthing hidden treasures." He winked and it took a moment for his words to absorb in and for me to comprehend what they meant.

When I finally did, my cheeks flushed red again and I gently clutched at the necklace he had given me as I smiled in affection.

I was a hidden treasure he was unearthing.

-:-

I lay on the bed, scrolling through TikTok videos, laughing at the funny ones, and feeling a pang of guilt with every scroll. Alexander was on the couch, tossing and turning, uncomfortable for sure. I knew he wanted to be on the bed with me, but the fear in my heart held me back.

We've been dating for about two months now, and I am certain that I love him more than anything — I think. But I know sleeping on the same bed with a guy like Alexander will prompt up certain feelings in both him and me, and I doubt if I'm ready to welcome any of those feelings just yet.

In fact, just thinking about it made an uncomfortable lump settle in my chest.

As he twisted and turned on the couch, his discomfort crept towards me like a gnawing ache in my chest. It wasn't fair to keep him out here all night, even if he insisted he was fine. And so, I sat up, feeling foolish for having done so in the first place.

"Alex," I called softly, my voice tentative.

He didn't respond at first, but I could sense his attention shift towards me.

"Come and join me," I said, patting the spot beside me on the bed.

I watched as he sat up slowly, his muscles stiff and groaning with the effort. When he finally turned to face me, I could see a pained expression etched on his handsome face.

"You don't have to do that, Katherine," he murmured, his voice hoarse with pain.

"I know I don't have to," I replied, my tone gentle. "But I want to. It's not fair to make you sleep out here when you're clearly in pain."

He hesitated for just a moment longer before finally sliding off the couch and making his way to the bed. He pounced onto the bed with such enthusiasm that I could not help but smile. I tried to ignore the way my heart fluttered in my chest at the sight of him, but it was no use. Alexander was the one person in the world that could do that to me without even trying.

"Thank you," he whispered, settling into the bed beside me. I nodded in response, my lips twitching into a small smile.

It was a small thing, but it meant the world to me that he was there with me. For a moment, we simply lay there in silence, the only sound in the room was the soft rustling of the sheets as we shifted to get comfortable.

I could feel the heat and warmth of his body next to mine, and I couldn't help but feel the fluttering of butterflies in my stomach.

He attempted to snuggle up next to me but a remembrance flashed on his face as he recalled that I wasn't yet comfortable with touching, and all that. Especially on the bed.

I noticed the shift in his expression, and I could tell that he was disappointed. It was something we had talked about before, and I was trying my best to work on it.

"It's okay," I said softly. "You can snuggle up if you want."

He hesitated for a moment before slowly moving closer to me. His arm draped over my waist, and I could feel his breath on my neck.

"You're so warm," he murmured, his lips brushing against my skin.

I felt a shiver run down my spine, and I tried to fight the urge to turn and face him. We were still taking things slow, and I didn't want to rush into anything.

Instead, I turned my attention back to my phone, scrolling through more TikTok videos. Alexander joined in, and we spent the next few minutes laughing and chatting away.

"You should try this one," he said, handing back my phone. "It’ll make you feel good."

I hesitated for a moment, feeling overwhelmed by the moment. I finally handed him my phone, and he started scrolling through the videos as well.

We laughed our hearts out, watching videos of people doing silly things, dancing, and whatnot. It felt good to have him near me as we shared laughs and giggles.

“You should make a TikTok,” he said, nudging me playfully.

I rolled my eyes, “I don’t think I want the whole world seeing me embarrass myself.”

He chuckled, “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

I shook my head, “No way.”

We continued scrolling through the videos, occasionally commenting on this or that. I could feel myself relaxing more and more with him by my side.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence.

I turned to look at him, feeling my cheeks heat up. “Thank you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

We fell into a comfortable silence once more, and I found myself staring at him, lost in thought. He was so handsome, with his chiseled jawline and piercing blue eyes. He had a smile that could light up an entire room, and I found myself getting lost in it every time he flashed it my way.

“You’re quiet,” he said, interrupting my thoughts.

I shook myself out of my reverie, feeling embarrassed. “Sorry, just lost in thought.”

He smiled, “Anything interesting?”

I bit my lip, contemplating whether or not to confess my feelings for him. But before I could say anything, he spoke up again.

“I had fun with you today, Katherine,” he said softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this before with anyone.”

His words made my heart leap in my chest, and I knew that I felt the same way. I turned to face him, our eyes meeting.

“I had fun with you too, Alexander, and I think I like spending time with you as well. More than you’ll ever know.”