It was the quick giggles of a group of middle school girls down the shore that quickly sobered us up, as we pulled away from one another. I leaned into him, closing my eyes, willing the moment to stay, but before it turned into anything, it was gone. The girls were too far to have seen Ryder yet, but the moment was over. He held me for a little longer, a desperate look on his face as his lips parted to say something, but he instead just let me go.

I immediately missed his warmth as I became increasingly aware of the cold breeze that was settling in as the sun set. There was so much I still didn't know about Ryder and who he was now, and despite not wanting the day to end, I heard myself say, "It's getting dark out, I should head back," grabbing the blanket and he my guitar, the only evidence of our first day together again being slight impressions in the sand.

"Yeah," he said looking up at the sky and messing his hair. "Rosie-" he started with that same dazy desperate look with a need to say something, but all that came out was a slight huff until his smile returned "I'll walk you back."

I just nodded and offered back a smile, I led us back to the street, away from the water.

It wasn't that the moment was awkward or tense, it was that there so much unsaid. Laying on the beach with him, I was content. It wasn't the uneasy jitteriness that I had been feeling since his return or this newfound friendship that we were exploring that made that moment strange and surreal. And I don't think even at that moment walking down the backlit streets that I knew what I was feeling but I was filled with relief, because he was okay and that I would be too.

We were less than 24 hours into this new friendship, but I still somehow got to enjoy the moments unspoken. There are special moments in relationships when the pressure to the say the right thing is replaced with the gift of being comfortable in a space, around someone you care about. The moment becomes worth what is unsaid. I really didn't know Ryder's full story, only the memories he chose to share from the past two years, but walking silently, I felt like we were walking parallel and eventually the road would split and we would be pushed, or maybe we would choose, different directions. So a short walk felt transient, like we were both choosing this together.

I didn't trust him yet. And I didn't need to. At least that's what I kept telling myself, carefully guarding myself for the future and living in the now.

So for then, I decided to delay the fork in the road and looked across the street and said to Ryder, "You hungry?"

The storefront had a few dangly Christmas lights hanging across the deep eggplant color canopy. Through the clouded glass, you could make out a few makeshift booths with frayed vinyl and styrofoam peeking through. The place was run-down, but appearances only told half the story, because this place was the only one in town that sold Jim-Jim's water ice.

I don't think I can even begin to describe my relationship with water ice. The first time I ever had it, I was 8 years old. It was field day at school and after spending all-day running around outside in the spring heat, the students were promised a frozen treat to cool off. I think a few years before the school brought an ice cream truck resulting in extra jittery little children waiting in anticipation. But what they got was seemingly less exciting.

That hot afternoon, there was a small cart set-up in the middle of the field. On it hung a small sign, hanging on by one screw that read Jim-Jim's water ice. The small canvas tent had holes peppered across it and the whole stand stood lopsided with a wheel missing. To say the least, it wasn't the ice cream truck we had hoped for.

Nonetheless, I was hungry and I marched over, looking at the frayed menu on the cart. I still vividly remember, the heavy set many with a thick mustache, wearing a white apron drizzled in water or sweat, I couldn't tell, plopping, scoops of orange cream water ice into my styrofoam cup. I mumbled a quick thank you to the man as he shoved the cup into my hands.

He was less than pleased to be there, but when I finally had the first bite, I couldn't fathom why. The creamy creation instantly melted against my tongue as the tart flavors melded together with the sweet cream. The texture of the ice was so fine, it felt like sweet powder rather than an aggressive crunch of ice. It was liquid gold.

I tried to go back for seconds, but the growl on the man's face quickly deterred me. 

But I needed more. I mean need.

After some amateur sleuthing, I found out extra tubs were being held in the teacher's lounge. With everyone enjoying the day outside, I thought to myself, no one would ever notice me sneak a couple of scoops.

After getting Evalyn to try a few bites, she was in.

~**

"Come on!" I whisper-yelled at Evalyn who was lagging behind, precariously looking over her shoulder. She had always been more of goody-two-shoes than I.

She quickly skittered over, her light-up shoes leaving a trail of flashing neon as she whispered back, "Are you sure no one's gonna be in the teacher's lounge? We could get in a lot of trouble if we get caught."

I was already pulling at the door handle as I said, "It'll be fine, everyone's outside." She still looked wary as I pushed open the door and darkness enveloped us. We silently patted the walls searching for the light switch, our tiny postures, barely tall enough to reach anything.

"I got it!" Evalyn exclaimed as the yellow tube lights whirred to life.

I quickly shushed her, pulling her quickly towards the blue coolers on the other side of the room. "We gotta be quick Evie!" I said, nervousness quickly replacing the waning adrenaline.

I snapped open the plastic top and found extra tubs of orange creme and dragon's blood, Evalyns favorite, swimming in the melted ice. I handed Evalyn the tubs, working quickly as I heard some noises in the hallway.

"Did you hear that? Someone's coming!"

"I think you're hearing things," Evie giggled, seated on the emerald green fabric couch in the back, digging into her water ice.

"What are you doing? This was a get in, get out mission! We're gonna get caught!" Her nerves had clearly worn off as she continued eating, making herself comfortable.

She simply stared back at me and patted the seat next to here. "It's like you said, no one's coming in here, might as well enjoy it."

I heard a few faint sounds, my heart quickly speeding up, but as my hand chilled from the melting water ice, my little 8-year-old self prioritized Jim-Jim's, planting myself next to Evie. "When did you become such a rule-breaker," I teased, chowing down.

"Hey, you set the example, I just follow," she retorted sneaking a bite of my orange creme. I rolled my eyes as she squealed and contorted her face, "So sour! Try mine, so much better."

I look a bite her deep red colored dragon's blood as a rush of rich, sickly sweet tropical flavors danced in my mouth. "Tastes good huh," Evie began eyes wide, "Tastes just like pincleolda or is it pinklelada..."

I burst into giggles as she struggled through the word. "Piña Colada, say it with me... Pinnnaaaa Cooooo---laaaaa----da, not pickle lady," I mocked, laughing even harder.

"You're the worst," she pouted as I continued laughing, but then she exacted her revenge. Before I could stop her, she plopped a good scoop of her dragon's blood into my orange creme, the red color, quickly deeping the orange.

"Ahh! Evie, you contaminated my Jim-Jim's!"

"That's what you get for laughing at me!"

"Yours literally tastes like rotten pineapples!" I exclaimed plopping orange cream in her bowl.

"Well, your's tastes like the stale candy at the bottom of Grandma's purse!" She countered.

We spent the rest of field day like that. Our two separate tubs of water ice each in front of us, mixing the other. In the end, we each had half dragon's blood and half orange cream, giggling as we tried to preserve the flavors wee had risked a couple of days of lunch detention for. We both ended up chowing down some mixture of the two flavors and as much as I hate to admit it, it tasted pretty good.

At the end of the day with giddy smiles, and full bellies, we slipped out of the teacher's lounge, leaving everything as it was, minus two tubs... We were walking through the front doors when the final bell rang, when through the PA system we heard, "It seems as though we are missing a few tubs of water ice. If you know who is responsible, please come forward..."

The announcement continued with the principal beginning to detail more of the crime, or should I say our crime, but I wasn't paying attention as I whispered, "Run!" into Evie's ear, us both laughing breathlessly running in a mad dash, our little legs moving desperately all the way back home.

~**

I felt an arm push against my shoulders as I shook my head escaping my thoughts.

Ryder was looking back at me as he said, "Hey you good Rosie, what flavor do you want?"

I smiled back, brushing my hair behind my ear, "Yeah all good. Dragon's blood and orange cream." He quirked his eyebrow questioning my choice, but didn't press on as we waited.

We sat down underneath a large tree, nestled near a patchwork of grass in the center of the shops, from which we could see the lights of a few of the storefronts closing after the midday rush, and the restaurants get ready for the nightlife.

"It's really quiet tonight," Ryder said quietly, but even gently, his voice abrubtly broke the silence.

"You wanna play something," I said pushing my guitar towards him.

He uncased the guitar and gently strummed a few chords. Leaning against the tree, I couldn't really see his face, only our arms touching. So I just listened.

I spent years now looking down

Thinking that my life

Could mean much more

I missed so much looking 'round

My eyes are always focused on the floor

Ryder sang quietly just for us. His words rang clear despite how quickly his fingers moved across the strings. Away we go by Joshua Radin, had always been one of his favorites. The raspiness of the sound with the serene melody was one that I couldn't believe worked, but when he played it, I just felt it.

Say what you want to I'm always safe and sound

No roller coasters for me but I'm tired of ordinary hate

Let's fly away come take my hand

And away we go

Lay your head upon my shoulder

He pressed closer as I leaned back and closed my eyes, humming along...

I don't want to wake

If I'm dreaming

I can't go back now

I need a new face to show me a new place

And as I sang the next line "I need a new face..." Ryder's voice dropped off and a twang replaced the chords he was strumming moments ago. My eyes quickly popped open as I looked to him. He had a sheepish smile on his face, guilt in his eyes as he tightly held the neck of my guitar.

"What happened?" I nervously asked, unraveling his bound fingers when I unearthed the broken string. And sure enough, it was the D string.

I quickly stood up, pulling the guitar away from Ryder before he could do any more damage. "What did I tell you this morning? You were overtightening!" I exclaimed.

"It wasn't me! This never happens!" He retorted. "It's your guitar that's the issue."

"Yeah, I don't think so," I snapped back as he reached for my guitar.

"I'll fix it, just grab the spare and we'll be good."

"Nope. All you need to do is admit you were wrong, and then we'll be good, I got this," I smirked back, as Ryder tried grabbing the guitar again.

He ran towards me as I tightly held the instrument away from him. My screams and his yells filled the otherwise quiet night as he chased me across the small field. "I will never admit defeat!" he dramatically declared.

I swiveled around the tree, trying to escape him when he hugged me from behind. "You should just let me fix it," he whispered a mischievous glint dancing in his eyes.

"Nuh-uh, you broke the string, to begin with," I said smirking back at him, my heart racing as I realized how close he really was.

Our competitive smiles and stubborn stances, relaxed as he let me go and turned me to face him, us both still hold the neck of my guitar. He was looking at me, standing so close I could count the faint freckles speckled across his cheeks. The quietness was beginning to fade,into a buzz as we continued to stare back at one another. "What are you staring at?" I teased, sticking my tongue out.

"You look ridiculous with your red tongue," he insulted, smirking.

"You're bright blue smurf tongue isn't too hot either," I cheesily grinned.

The chuckle that escaped his lips, floated through the small space between us as we stood there for a moment longer, hands interwoven, holding the instrument that he had broken, not once, but twice, in the last 24 hours (to be fair the first time probably wasn't just him...).

The breeze brushed past us, but we held still.

The day was getting long and the intensity of the moment caused me to let go. I pulled a lock of my hair back as I said, "I should go, it's getting late."

He nodded back and smiled before finally letting go. "Yeah, me too." He pulled up his hoodie walking away, nearly disappearing into the night.

"Oh, one more thing Rosie-"

"Yeah Ry," I answered, still getting used to his name escape my lips.

He grinned as he said, "Pro tip- maybe don't over tighten it. See ya soon." And with a wink, he was gone.

A/N: Check out the song Away We Go by Joshua Radin, it's really beautiful and I hope you enjoy it! Wishing you all safety and health! Please take care and stay safe. <3 livindaybyday