Title: Alternate Realities: Chapter Twenty-three, Low Tide
Rating: PG-13 [language]

Summary: Can Adam get Kylia out of the hotel room in Maui?





They had been in Hawaii for just over thirty-six hours and though Kylia had relaxed noticeably, she was still tense, still keeping to herself. Knowing better than to just push her like he wanted to, Adam lingered in the hotel suite with her, silently supporting whatever it was she was going through. He wished for some way to show her what she really was like, to show her what he saw, but the method in doing so completely escaped him. If only she would speak to him.

Slowly Kylia rose from the balcony chair she had stationed herself in hour after hour. Her eyes looked into the suite, finding Adam on the couch, flipping through the TV channels with boredom coloring his face. Approaching him so slowly so as to not surprise him, she came to a halt near the coffee table his bare feet rested upon. His eyes left the television screen but he said nothing, waiting for her to speak.

“Do you think... do you think we can... maybe go... to the beach? Walk around a little bit?”

A soft smile came to his lips, “Of course we can.”

Clicking off the TV, Adam got to his feet. He closed the space between them, his hand slipping behind her head gently, pulling her into a soft kiss. She smiled slightly as he pulled away and headed over to their shoes. Pleased that he had not pushed for bathing suits, ever aware that she would not be comfortable in such, Kylia trailed behind him, holding onto his arm as she balanced on one foot to fasten her sandal.

Silently the pair left the hotel suite, cell phones left behind. Fingers intertwined, Adam lead her to the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor without a word. While he yearned for her to speak, there wasn’t a pressing need for speech. He would daresay it was almost a comfortable silence. Just the chime of the lift interrupted his focus on the sound of her breath.

Before long, Kylia paused in the sand to remove her sandals. Smiling Adam aped her motions and motioned to carry her sandals as well as his own. She accepted, her hand folding back in his. For a few long minutes they trailed along the beach, slowly getting closer and closer to the breaking waves.

When the cool water finally washed over their feet, Kylia finally spoke, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”

While his first reaction was ‘no shit,’ Adam did not vocalize it, merely nodded for her to continue.

“And I’m trying to believe all the good things you’ve said to me. It’s a lot easier to do because... because of all of the things you’ve done for me lately. It’s a very foreign concept to me. Usually I’m the one standing against the wall, blending in with the wallpaper. I certainly never thought that someone like you would like someone like me,” she claimed.

“Why wouldn’t I like you?”

“I’m fat and unglamorous and plain and now oh so publicly tainted.”

Adam stopped, turning to face her fully, “You are none of those at all, Kylia. You are a natural woman and I love that. I love knowing that you didn’t purchase your body like so many of the other women in LA have, that its fully and completely you. And you’re so damn sexy without even knowing it that it blows my mind. Glamor is overrated and I’m absolutely positive that if you were challenged to appear glamorous for some reason or another, you would blow every fucking woman out of the water with your mere presence. And you’re a very intelligent woman, ten times smarter than me, so I know that you know this media shit is going to blow over and we’re going to come out on top.”

“How can you have such faith in that? Hollywood loves dirt.”

“Because despite all of that, Jayden is the bad guy here and he will see his day for such. I do not think that a single person really believes you are what he says for a moment. You know why?”

She shook her head.

“Because he doesn’t have a credible story to stand on. I wish you could see all theparents of your students have come out to publicly support us, to negate his stories. I wish you could see all of the good work our lawyers have done and continue to do. The media is beginning to see the gaping holes in his claims, just as I knew they would. We most certainly will come out on top of this debacle,” he proclaimed.

“Things are never that simple, Adam. You know that.”

“Sweetie, I’ve been playing this media game for a long time. They’re all convinced I’m a massive playboy, but that’s a load of shit I’ve fed them. Do you really think that’s what I’m like?”

“I don’t know. We haven’t been together long at all.”

“Fair enough. Close your eyes, Kylia,” he requested.

Eying him suspiciously for a moment, she acquiesced. The sound of the waves tickling their toes overtook her sense for a moment, long enough that she didn’t realize Adam had let go of her hand and stepped away for a moment to toss their shoes out of waves’ harm. Both of his hands grasped hers, lifting them to his lips. But he did not kiss her palms just yet.

Instead he spoke, his voice a soft whisper on her skin, “Tell me what you feel. About yourself, about us, about anything.”

“I feel.... hesitant to give anything of myself to anyone at all. I hadn’t done so in so very long and then Jayden took interest in me and... we know how well that’s turned out. I feel.... scared that I’m always, always going to be alone, because who would love me? My parents never did, so why would anyone else? I feel.... that I could give myself completely to you, but... but that I would bring you down and I don’t want to do that to you. I feel... confused that you would even want me, that you would do all of these things for me. I feel.... betrayed by the school and the school district for how they have played a role in all of this. I feel.... alone, so alone,” tears ran out of her closed eyes.

He kissed her palms and then kissed her tear splattered cheek, whispering, “You are not alone, Kylia. You will never be alone. I am never going to leave you.”

“But why? Why would you stay with me?”

“Open your eyes.”

Her eyes fluttered open, more tears rolling down her cheeks. Again Adam kissed the salty splashes before meeting her gaze.

“I will stay with you because I love you, Kylia. I love you.”

She closed her eyes again to keep herself from asking him why. Instead she let his words seep into her psyche, into her innermost thoughts. She found absolutely no resistance deep down inside. In fact if anything, Kylia could claim that her feelings matches his words. That alone was perhaps scarier than the fear of being alone, especially since it had happened so quickly. But she had always claimed she believed in love at first sight; clearly Adam was to test that theory.

“I love you too,” she breathed, opening her eyes. “I love you too.”



That smile. That smile was surely the one that caused thousands of Greeks to go to war over Troy. He was certain of it. It was precious and beautiful and all his. And now he was showing it off to everyone he could, even though it was a small, intimate restaurant. Since their beach confessions, Kylia had not stopped smiling. There was definitely a bright light in her eyes, a skip in her steps. Had he known telling her that he loved her would do such a thing, he would have done so days, weeks ago. It wasn’t like he had re-found her by his confession, but instead opened up the path for a brand new Kylia. She was not only smiling but meeting the gaze of others, bubbling to the others. She was a completely different person and yet not. He knew without a doubt she was still the woman he confessed his love to, would always be, but this was another side of her. And that smile she kept flashing was brilliant to have been stolen from Helen of Troy herself.

Leaning across the table, his hand covered hers, “You are simply radiant tonight.”

Her eyes met his and she smiled again, “Because of you.”

“Nah, it was always inside of you,” Adam responded.

“Perhaps, but you brought it out,” Kylia declared. “I don’t remember ever feeling like this before.”

He smiled, “And this is just the beginning.”

“Oh?”

“We have just begun a brand new life, a brand new journey. This is just the beginning.”

Her foot slipped out of her sandal, trailing up his leg, “Oh really now?”

Grinning, his hand released her hand and dipped under the table to grasp her toes, “Yes. And that will be part of the journey, but not now.”

She pouted, “Why not?”

“Just because we’ve said ‘I love you’ doesn’t mean we’re ready for that.”

Her bottom lip stuck out more, “Not even if I said pretty please.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because as god as my witness, our first time will be absolutely perfect,” Adam declared. “I want to revel in the love for now.”

She blinked, “Really?”

“Yes.”

“You sure you’re not gay?”

He burst out laughing, “Really, Kylia?”

“You’re passing up sex to ‘revel in the love’. Sounds gay to me,” she proclaimed, wiggling her toes in his hand.

“And how many gay men do you know?”

Reaching for her wine glass, Kylia considered that question for a moment, “Well besides you, none.”

“Then what are you basing your decision upon.”

“The fact you’re giving up sex with me.”

“You’re right. I am giving up sex with you. Because I’m going to make love to you when the right time comes and then you’ll understand,” Adam claimed.

She eyed him over the edge of her wine glass, “Is that a promise?”

“Yes.”

Her foot pulled from his fingers, “Then I suppose I’ll withhold judgment. For now.”



A sharp stab in his ribs woke him with a start. A peal of giggles followed his abrupt sitting up, indicating that Kylia had been the source of his waking. Reaching for the lamp to light the room, Adam felt her hand upon him, halting his actions.

“Don’t turn it on. I don’t want to be blinded,” she claimed.

“Oooookay,” he replied, laying back down. “What’s up?”

“I wanna go to the beach.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

“Um, Kylia, darling, you do realize it like three in the morning.”

“Four and yes. It’s almost low tide,” she stated. “Come on, Adam. Let’s go walk on the beach.”

“Baby, it’s four in the morning. Can’t we wait until the sun comes up?” he groaned.

“No! Some of the best things to see happen at low tide. Now either get up and come with me or I’m going alone.”

“Okay, okay. I’m coming. Give me a minute,” Adam requested.

“Only a minute,” she bounced out of the bed.

Precisely a minute later they were in the elevator, headed out of the hotel when most everyone else were still sleeping. Rubbing his eyes, Adam wished he was one of those people, but he wasn’t all that comfortable letting Kylia go out exploring alone, especially in the darkness. Luckily for them the moon was mostly full and provided plenty of lighting upon the white sandy path to the beach. Neither spoke a word, almost as if doing so would ruin the magic of the moment. With each step Adam was more and more glad he had been awakened from a boring band dream by his woman. The entire beach had a different glitter about it and he would have never known if Kylia hadn’t insisted on trekking down to it.

“Babe, how did you know....?”

“When you went to the restroom at the restaurant, I asked our waiter,” she responded. “Now come on. I think I see a tide pool.”