Rhythm in Blue by tfc Parks Page A

tried to hide the feelings she might see there.
    “Rick, I can’t let you leave without –”
    “Don’t,” Rick cut her off. Her eyes pleaded to let her continue, but Rick shook his head, repeating softly, begging her, “Don’t.” As tears began to well up in her eyes, Rick reached out and gently brushed the hair away from her face, his hand grazed her cheek before it fell to his side. Without warning, Shelby lunged for him and pulled him close. She pressed her lips to his, hungry for his response. The urge to resist her was fleeting, and Rick yielded immediately, returning her passionate kiss. All the impulses he struggled to suppress came boiling to the surface – he was powerless against them.
    He allowed his fingers to run through her hair and his hands to touch and feel her body, caressing her as the waves had. Shelby murmured his name between her short breaths, but somewhere, deep in the back of Rick’s mind, was another, almost inaudible voice, shouting, “Stop!” The voice was not Shelby’s, and he didn’t listen. The voice grew louder and more adamant the longer he kissed and touched her, and Rick realized the voice was his own, imploring him to stop. As he willed the voice to be silent, he unzipped her dress and kissed a path down her neck. With his fingertips brushing over her shoulders, he eased her dress down her arms, so that when he stepped back, it fell to the floor. She stood before him, nearly naked, and again, the voice commanded him to stop, and again he ignored it as his trembling fingers reached for her flesh.
     
    ~
     
    Rick trudged through the village streets, not knowing where to go. His thoughts spun out of control and his head swam as he wandered toward the sea. The people he passed as he made his escape greeted him, but all he could hear was his own echoing, heartbeat. He left her there, lying naked on the bed, her legs still spread, and his betrayal reflected in her eyes, but still, he dressed and left without a word.
    When he reached the Paralia, he turned north, away from Shelby’s chapel under the rocks. He could not look at those he passed, certain they could see the disgrace on his face. He silently cursed the shame. Where had that shame been when he watched as her lips and tongue traveled over his body? The ecstasy of it still gave him chills and quickened his pulse.
    He stopped at one of the ice cream shops lining the waterfront and bought a liter of water. The shopkeeper called after him to give him his change, but Rick wouldn’t risk holding out his trembling hand or meeting the man’s eye. They shook the same way when he explored her delicate curves, when his hands sought to possess her.
    His thoughts tortured him as he walked along the waterfront, no destination in mind, just a need to escape. The magnitude, however, of what he allowed to happen, was too great to escape. How could he have let this go so far? He could have stopped, but chose not to. Anger overtook the shame as he thought about having to look himself in the mirror, face his friends, and live with the knowledge of what he’d done – it seemed overwhelming. 
    He passed the fishing docks, the scent of marine decay thick in the air. Fishermen, trying to escape the heat of the day, hoarded the scarce shade to mend their nets. They squatted under dry-docked boats and behind tall piles of nets. Lost in their work, they didn’t notice his passing or the cloud following him.
    The docks gave way to sandy beaches crowded with tourist. He could smell the Hawaiian Tropic on the breeze as it cooled the sweat on his brow. Children played at the water’s edge, building sand castles, throwing Frisbees, playing paddleball. Young women strutted along the beach in bikinis, hoping to catch the eye of handsome suitors.
    After a time, Rick looked up and saw he had walked nearly halfway around the bay, and he could see the village across the water. He was beyond the fishermen, the tourists, and the beaches. He was finally