The sun was hot on Eliza's skin while she jogged around Katie's property. She didn't realize how warm it would be in Australia especially after stopping in chilly Nebraska, but she usually packed plenty of tank tops to wear underneath her clothes. She didn't own any shorts, so running in her cargo jeggings was as good as she could do to keep cool. Her shoulders took the brunt of the heat and she was going to regret it later, but she needed to do some cardio after spending most of the previous day sitting. Despite the heat, it felt good to be running without any fear of the Scorpions finding them or being interrupted by an alert from Donovan. It was refreshing.

But there was still that nagging reminder that the freedom would end. She'd be back on Mars. Back to hunting. Back to watching her back. The freedom was nice, but it had to end. Eliza slowed her running as she neared the house. Did they follow her and Ares to Earth? It wasn't hard to get a permit to travel between Earth and Mars. If they were as clever as Ares said, she didn't doubt they knew they were leaving for Earth before she even did. So much for a relaxing vacation.

Eliza went inside, immediately greeted by a half-asleep Ares. He was standing by the coffee pot, sipping on his coffee. His brown locks were a tousled mess and his eyes stared at her through a daze. She was pretty sure she looked just as bad with sweat pooling in various places, her face red, and her hair frizzed out around her face.

Ares took her in and smirked. "Good run?"

"How can you be you as soon as you wake up?"

"As you said, I'm me. It comes naturally."

"Lovely. I'm going to shower. You should clean yourself up, too."

"Is that a suggestion?" His left eyebrow rose suggestively.

"That's disgusting. If your mother was here, she'd pummel you for that comment."

"Probably."

Eliza looked at him for a moment longer, baffled, and then she went upstairs silently. She grabbed clean clothes, her shower things, and her towel before locking herself in the bathroom. Cool water hit her sweaty skin, relieving it of the rash-like heat. She stayed under the water until she shivered and turned it over to heat to continue the shower. Fifteen minutes later, she hopped out, dried off, and got dressed in a clean teal tank top and a pair of black skinny jeans with the knees ripped up. Opening the door, she bumped into Ares. Literally. Thankfully, he was still dressed. He actually looked sorry to be in her way. They silently moved around each other. Eliza went into her room and Ares went into the bathroom. It felt like any growth between the two of them was nonexistent again for no good reason.

Eliza swallowed her pride when she finally walked downstairs for lunch. Ares was sitting in the living room, watching a random television show. He had a sandwich and some chips on the coffee table in front of him. A warm smile lit up his face when he noticed Eliza.

"There's a sandwich in the fridge for you. Mom made it before she went to work this morning. Chips are on top of the fridge. Help yourself."

She nodded and did just that. She came back with a ham and turkey sandwich and a small handful of potato chips. Sitting down on the loveseat, Eliza sat back and started munching. Two bites in, she sat her food on her plate and bit the inside of her lip.

"Has your mom always lived here?" she asked. Her voice was quiet over the television volume.

Ares smiled toward her, "We used to live in Canada, but Mom got sick of the cold and moved us here after I graduated high school."

"Oh. Cool."

"You don't have to try to talk to me, Lizzy," he laughed. "I know I'm not the easiest to talk to."

"It's not that. I just don't like you."

"You say that a lot and I'm starting to think you're lying."

"If it makes you feel better, I guess," she shrugged, taking a bite of her sandwich.

The television chatter filled the room with the occasional crunch of chips. The more Eliza ate, the less appealing the smell of the lunchmeat became. Her stomach quit growling and her fingers were coated in chip grease. Summer memories crossed her mind. Days where her mom would pack a picnic and take her to the beach. Her dad would bring a kite and show her how to take full advantage of the wind to get maximum flight. Those were good days.

"Is there a beach nearby?"

"Of course. There's a reef off the coast, too."

"No need to be smart. I just wanted to know."

"Do you want to go to the beach?" he asked, feeling bad he couldn't speak to her without making some sort of a joke to irritate her.

She shrugged, "It'd be nice to see one again."

"Did you bring anything for the beach like a towel or a swimsuit?"

"I'm sure your mom has towels and I did bring one just in case."

The same smile came upon Ares' face again, "Sounds like a plan."

The sun was still hot. Walking on bare feet on the sand wasn't ideal, but Eliza and Ares did it anyway. Salty humid air filled Eliza's lungs as she took a deep breath, letting the smell of the beach take her back to the past again. It rejuvenated her mood with every inhale and exhale. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore helped improve her attitude as well. She didn't realize how therapeutic the beach was for her. Future trips to Earth were already building in her mind.

Once she was satisfied with their location, she laid out her beach towel with sea turtles all over it. Apparently, Ares' mom had a thing for sea turtles. She set her things down next to it while Ares laid out his towel. It was less exciting than hers with multi-colored stripes on it. When she was sure he was distracted, she stripped down to her bathing suit. It was a black one-piece suit that had a mesh covering over her collar and tops of her shoulders. There was a hole on each side of her suit, giving just the slightest sneak peek of her flesh. She preferred modest suits, but one-pieces were always a little too modest. She found the perfect middle ground.

A couple of tan blonde women walked by them just as Ares removed his shirt. Eliza rolled her eyes when they blatantly stared. She crossed her arms over her chest just as one of the girls glanced her way. To them, it probably looked like they were dating when Eliza raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by their behavior. They were free to think whatever they wanted. Eliza just wanted the girls to think about the way they stared at a good-looking man when they probably got on men who stared at them the same way. Oh, the wonders of double standards.

Ares looked at Eliza to see her staring behind him, so he turned to find a couple of pretty girls walking away. They kept peeking back at him, so he waved cheekily. One winked back at him. It wasn't quite what he was going for, but he didn't really care much.

"Don't encourage them," Eliza said.

"Is there a problem, Lizzy? Do I sense jealousy?"

"Definitely not. I'm sure they don't like to be stared at, so they shouldn't stare out of principle."

"I didn't know you were so against appreciating human bodies," he teased, rubbing some sunscreen on his shoulders.

She rolled her eyes, "There's a difference between appreciating and sexualizing. The look in their eyes was not appreciation."

"I'm flattered you're so protective of my honor." Ares handed the sunscreen to Eliza, "Need this?"

"I put it on before we left." She wanted to reply to his comment, but nothing came to mind. Her mood flattened minimally. Before her mood could worsen, she walked toward the water.

The waves barely covered the tops of her feet when she stopped. The water was warmer than she expected but it cooled the sand beneath her feet tenfold. Eliza wasn't sure she wanted to immerse herself in the water yet, so she settled in the sand and let the waves come to her. As if the water heard her desires, the tide rose a little. Waves came in to cover her stretched out legs. It was nice.

"Going in?"

Ares towered over her when she tilted her head back to look at him. He blocked the sun perfectly.

"Not yet."

He shrugged and sat beside her.

"You don't have to wait for me, Ares," she said, looking back at the ocean. "I plan on sitting here for a long time."

"Where's the fun going in the water alone?"

"I'm sure you can entertain yourself just fine."

"I'd rather hang around you," he said.

Eliza refused to look at him despite his eyes cutting through her. He probably wanted her to talk. That was why he brought her to Earth in the first place. She didn't tell anything he wanted to know about Mae Valen, and she knew Donovan only told him what was on the surface. Ares wouldn't let it die.

She was on the verge of telling him to go away and let her enjoy some peace when he jumped to his feet. With a speed she wasn't prepared for, Ares picked her up in his arms and carried her toward the ocean. Eliza struggled against his hold and shouted out protests, but a wicked grin was her only response. She had just enough time to take it in before he dropped her in the ocean. With hair sticking to her face, she stood in the warm water that seemed to cooler as her body temperature rose in agitation. Ares was chuckling at her when she splashed water in his face and tackled him. He went under for a second, but he was quick to fight back, a smile on his face the whole time. Ares sent a wave of water her way when she stepped back to get a running start. The water prevented her from getting any momentum, so she just crashed into his body. He hardly moved. Eventually, a smile made its way onto Eliza's face as the water fight progressed. Another success in his book.