"What's wrong AmicaMea?" He asked with a concerned look.

"I've never been to the beach before... and I sorta don't know how to swim." I chewed the inside of my cheek hoping he wouldn't laugh, even though I wouldn't blame him if he did. I'm sure it was unheard of that a 22 year old couldn't swim.

"Awesome, I'll be with you when you swim for the first time. First time at the beach, first swimming instructor... it's gonna be a fun night of firsts Quinn." He said the last few words softly and close to my ear which made my skin prickle with goosebumps.

I stood on the wet sand in my high-waisted denim shorts, long sleeved cami and gloves watching the foamy sea water lick my feet and retract back again. I looked up and Mason was in front of me holding his hands out for me to take them.

"You can leave your clothes on. I wont let you drown, I promise... but if you happen to need CPR, I have no problem giving you mouth to mouth." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. I laughed because it sounds like something he'd use to pick up girls. The thought made my stomach drop.

"I bet that's what you say to all the girls." I wave my hand at him, smiling to hide the disappointment in my voice.

"No, only to you." He said, seriously. I cleared my throat trying to break the tension.

I wish he would give me mouth to mouth. I dream about how his lips taste sometimes. But I have to remind myself how many other girls have tasted them. Not worth it, plus we're friends, so that's an odd predicament to get caught in. And he probably doesn't want me like that. It's all about the chase with guys...

He came forward and took my hands, walking backwards while he watched me slowly easing into the gentle waves. I'm glad he didn't make a big deal about my clothes, especially my gloves. I appreciate he didn't push me to take them off. I'm just not ready yet. A whole lifetime of hiding and habits are hard to break overnight.

I smiled and scrunched up my nose at the feeling of the water and sand pushing and pulling my feet tickling them in the process.

When the water was up to my belly button I gasped, partly scared and partly excited.

"I think this is deep enough. We need to make sure you can still touch the bottom and, well, you're short." He leaned his elbow on my head. 5'2" was pretty short, I had to agree. But it also made me the butt of all vertically challenged people jokes. It got old pretty quickly. I rolled my eyes at him.

"So what do I do now?" I asked, feeling the velvety water pass through my fingers as I swished my arms forwards and backwards.

Mason started teaching me the basics, doggy paddle, treading water, breath-stroke, which I was still trying to master. Swimming like a frog was surprisingly harder than he made it look. We spent so much time in the water I didn't even realise when the sun had dipped below the horizon.

I turned to see where the bonfire was and began to shiver thinking about how cold I now felt in the water once I had stopped flailing my limbs about. I wrung the excess water out of my hair and put it in a messy bun with the spare hair tie I had around my wrist.

"You did really well for a first timer." Mason said running his hands through his dripping wet hair. My breath hitched in my throat as I looked at him. He looked like an Adonis god here in the sea, dripping wet and shirtless. I suddenly became aware of my breath when his eyes turned to me. I forgot how to smile, how to move, how to act around him.

He grasped my hands underneath the water and pulled me towards him so his stomach was flush against mine. He smiled with sea water falling from his nose to his lusciously soft lips, well, what I imagine his lips to feel like. No other guy had ever made me feel like my whole body was full of butterflies. But then again, I'd never grown up with friends, let alone male friends. Maybe this was how male and female friends make each other feel.

"Quinn..." He began, wiping water droplets from my cheek with his hand. His electric eyes grazing their watch from my lips back to my eyes several times.

"Yes?" I said in a whisper that could barely be heard over the soft waves. In that moment I wasn't sure if he tried to kiss me whether I would stop him. I was getting to know him better each day and he was nothing like I'd originally thought which made me feel like a judgemental bitch.

"I... I'm glad we're friends." He said dropping my hands back down and ruffling his dark cropped hair with his. Mason's face was pained with unspoken words. I wanted to know what was going on inside his head but was also reluctant to know because I didn't want to ruin the friendship that we had only recently begun getting comfortable with. I knew exactly how to break the tension.

"Race you back to shore!" I yelled pushing his shoulders under the water before trying to run as fast as I could in the water. The feeling reminded me of when you have those weird dreams where you're trying to run away from something but your legs wont move fast enough.

I could hear water splashing and a deep laughter coming from behind me. All of a sudden his muscular arms wrap around my waist and pull me up from out of the water. Mason runs with me in his arms all the way to our towel and places me gently on it, panting heavily.

"You play dirty." He said, nudging my arm.

"It's the only way short girls like me win in a race. I haven't got the speed, so I use wicked tactics." I said tapping my temple. His eyes stay trained on me as he laughs.

"You can use your wicked tactics on me anytime."

Once he'd dried himself off and I'd managed to wring as much water out of my clothes as I could without taking them off we started walking over to the bonfire. I stood as close as I could without burning myself so I could dry off. Mason was off getting us some drinks when I took a seat on the toasty sand and crossed my legs.

I looked up to the starry sky and said a silent prayer of thanks. I felt so grateful to be here in this moment that I would go through every hard part of my life again just to be here. It wasn't just being here with Mason, but experiencing life, swimming for the first time, being next to a bonfire for the first time. It made me feel grateful that I was sheltered all the younger years of my life because it makes moments like this special to me even though they may not be to other people.

My life hadn't been the easiest and there were some things I was still dealing with by myself, but this beautiful moment made all the dreadful moments well worth it. Without the dark moments I wouldn't have anything to compare these light moments with, and the darker the bad times in life were only makes the great moments even greater.

"Water on the rocks ma'am." Mason handed me a red cup along with his charming smile which made me smile in return. I thanked him as he sat down across from me with his legs crossed over one another mirroring mine. The fire made his olive skin glow and his eyes sparkle. I tried not to gawk but he was positively the most beautiful man I had ever laid my eyes upon.

"What do people do at these things anyway?" I asked taking a sip from my water. I know I should be more cautious taking drinks from people, especially after what happened with Chris, but for some reason I know I can trust Mason.

"Stand around, talk, dance when there's a good song on." He said tracing his finger along the ridges of his cup.

"Sounds boring. Wanna play a game?" I asked, with an evil grin on my face rubbing my hands together.

"I'm down." He answered, scooting closer so our knees were touching.

"Truth or dare. You go first." I waited while I watched his eyes thinking.

"Truth." He smirked.

"Okay, what's your biggest fear?"

"Losing someone I love." He said without hesitation. There was pain in his eyes but he never looked away from me like he was trying to communicate with me telepathically. I immediately wanted to take back the question and apologise but he continued without taking a beat.

"Truth or Dare Ms Eden?" He asked taking another sip from his cup.

"Truth." I figured it was safer than dare. He'd probably have me streak down the beach or something.

"What was your first thought when you saw me for the first time? Be honest!" He pointed his finger at me with laughter in his tone.

"Well clearly I thought you were hot... but a man-whore." I said blatantly as I took a sip. He started coughing, thumping his chest with his fist.

"Man-whore? Jimmy told me about that." He smiled shaking his head.

"Well, you're in a band and really attractive. I put two and two together."

"So you think I'm attractive huh?" He cocked his eyebrow and his dimples started showing. I swallowed my embarrassment.

"Truth or dare." I squinted my eyes at him.

"Dare." He squinted his eyes back at me. Smart ass.

"I believe you said you were going to parade around in a bra if I'm correct." I was hoping he would choose dare so I could make him come good on the bet we had settled on earlier. He stood up and motioned for me to come to him. I gave him a confused look.

"Well I need a bra to put on." He whispered and looked down at my boobs then back up at my face.

"My bra? What? I don't fly free, ever... and I'm especially not letting you see my bra. That's like second base without the kissing!" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Well I'm not going to ask a random girl if I can have her bra." He smiled cheekily looking around at the other girls standing around the bonfire. When he put it like that I started to feel a pang of jealousy. I didn't want him asking another girl.

"Fine, cry baby." I said, manoeuvring my hands underneath my top trying to slip the straps down and pull them through my long sleeves. I finally managed to coax it from my sleeve and dangled it in front of his face.

"Hmm, playboy? Are you secretly a nympho?" He took the bra from my hands and examined it.

It was black, lacey push up bra with some playboy pendants that dangled down in between the cleavage area. Lexi had taken me to a lingerie shop when she broke up with her last boyfriend for some retail therapy. She wouldn't let me leave without buying something so I grabbed the first thing that was in the bargain bin for $10.

"Nympho? What's that? A fairy?" I asked trying to cover my chest feeling naked. Mason stared at me with his mouth agape.

"Are you being serious or are you screwing with me?" He started to put on the bra, struggling with the clasp at the back. I walked behind him to help with the clasp.

"I'm being serious. What's a nympho?" I asked, trying to stretch the bra across his broad back. Mason turned around and bent his head down to mine.

"The fact that you don't know what it is makes you even cuter." He said in a hushed voice. His voice sent chills down my spine and I was hoping he couldn't see me blush.

"Um, I don't think it's going to fit." I tried to change the conversation.

"You're back is way bigger than mine." I giggled looking at him standing there with his arms barely able to fit through the straps of my bra.

He started to strut like he as a model on a runway, his arm on his hip giving the 'blue steel' look before he turned around and sauntered back to me. A few of the guys near us were cat calling him and yelling.

"Take it off baby!"

"Lookin' good Mase."

Mason ended in a strip tease and slowly took off my bra in front of me. Before giving it back to me he swung it around his head then dangled it on his index finger before me. I quickly snatched it off him feeling my cheeks grow hot.

"Uh, thanks. You did good." He could see I was uncomfortable so he turned his back to everyone and his body blocked my view from everyone.

"It's okay, no one can see." He winked at me. I quickly slipped my bra up underneath my shirt and wrangled my arms through the straps until it was on again.

"Thanks." I said, looking down at our feet covered in fine sand.