and I spent a lot of time in our backyard using telescopes to look up at the night sky. He would probably lose his mind if I told him about you."
"They sound amazing."
Cara smiled, squinting her eyes and laughing as she spoke, "They really are. They're my absolute favorite people in the world. They love each other so much and they love me even more." She could feel happy tears coming to her eyes as she spoke about her mom and dad. She blinked a few times, trying to clear away the little water droplets.
"You're so interesting." Egrix murmured, and she could hear a tone of admiration his his voice, drawing her attention to him. "I never would have guessed I'd get along with a human like this."
"Thanks," Cara smiled brightly listening to the ocean splashing onto the sand of the beach, "you too. You may be one of the nicest men I've ever met, and I really appreciate you putting up with me. Being here with you the past few days has been amazing."
"Really, even with me being such a grouch? You must not know very many nice men then."
The smile melted away from Cara's face.
Egrix looked surprise and then he knitted his disguised, dark eyebrows together. "Did I say something wrong?"
Cara took in his worried expression, shaking her head lightly and trying to give him a small smile again. "No. You are right though, I haven't met very many nice men." She laughed humorlessly at her misfortune. "I'm not very lucky in that department. I tend to get into relationships with people who take advantage of me because I'm naive I guess." Her eyes fell to the ground where she twisted a corner of the towel between her fingers. "Maybe gullible is more accurate. My last boyfriend tried to steal jewelry from my parents when I brought him here."
Egrix's hand wrapped around her small chin, gently lifting it until their eyes met.
"I'm sorry, Cara, you don't deserve that. No one should treat someone as sweet as you like that."
His nice, heartfelt words mixed with the closeness of his face caused her to flush, her cheeks had to be bright pink, she figured. Egrix stared into her eyes for a breathless moment and Cara could have sworn that he was going to kiss her, but then he quickly dropped his hand away, putting some space back between them.
Looking out at the water, he continued speaking, "You should find someone who appreciates your kindness and wants to return it to you. I know we don't know each other very well, but I genuinely believe that."
The two sat in silence for a while as the sun continued to lower, enjoying each other's company even as they wrestled with the strong magnetic feelings they were developing for each other.
7
Cara dreamed of her house covered from ceiling to floor with ornaments for Christmas day. When she'd returned home from the beach, her parents had the tree set up in the living room. They'd spent hours hanging ornaments on it and finishing up with the decorations in the rest of the house. The activities of the previous evening now permeated into her subconscious while she slept. In her dream her parents sat in front of the dancing flames in the fireplace discussing the visitor that would be arriving soon. Cara sat on the couch between her parents and fidgeted excitedly, anticipating the arrival of the fabled Santa Claus. A knock on the door caused the trio to jump up and race to the foyer to emphatically greet their visitor. Her dad pulled open the big, oak door, but the man standing there wasn't wearing a jolly red suit. Instead, Cara was delighted to find Egrix standing there.
He greeted her family as if he knew them well, laughing with them in a way that brought a smile to Cara's face. Her parents parted out of the way and allowed him to stroll casually into the house. He walked right up to her wrapping an arm around her small waist so that she could feel each of his six fingers pressing against her skin through the fabric of her shirt. Heat rose in her cheeks at the sudden proximity and she looked for her parents, wide-eyed and worried that they would be upset at the stranger's forwardness. Her parents were no longer there, in fact she was now completely surrounded by darkness, and holding onto her was the only light source. Glowing like the sun, Egrix