Carmen POV

I was sitting in the back of a taxi, on my way to the hotel I was staying in, when my phone rang in the pocket of my red jacket. The driver glanced back at me with his tired eyes through the rearview mirror before focusing back on the road.

Gray's number and picture filled the screen, making a smile tug at my lips. It was one of him hard at work, managing the lights of the Opera House. His face was tight in concentration, tongue peeking out of the corner of his mouth.

It was unbearably cute.

Still smiling, I let it ring for a few seconds before answering. "Hey."

"Hey, mate." His Australian accent was quiet. "I-I was wondering if you and I could just... hang out?" He sounded lonely. "I don't want to go home by myself."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised at his strange request. It was almost 11:00, but yet again, I wasn't going to turn him away. "Sure, where?"

"Bondi Beach."

I looked to the driver and asked, "Sir, how far away are we from Bondi Beach?"

The driver, who's name was Lincoln, blinked in surprise. I guessed that he isn't used to being addressed formally, or at all. "About six miles west of it, miss." His voice was kind. "Do you wish to change routes?"

I nodded. "If you wouldn't mind."

"Of course not, miss." Lincoln's eyes sparkled happily at not being ignored. "Less than 20 minutes."

"Make it less than 15 and I'll double your tip."

He sped up, accepting the challenge.

Gray loosed an audible breath. "Thanks, Carm."

I smiled. "See you soon, Gray."

Gray POV

I sat on a bench-like-rock, cool waves lapping close to my feet, and stared at the sky. The moon was almost full, it's imprint bright on the choppy water. I gave a happy sigh and leaned down to draw in the sand with my hand. My life was... basically everything I could have every wanted. Almost.

My boss had given me a hefty raise recently, I had become an uncle last week when my eldest sister had her first baby -a boy- and, well...

There was Carmen, of course.

Carmen. The one woman who had managed to change my life for the better.

The only one.

I had been with three other girls before, twice in high school and once before my electricity induced coma.

And then about three weeks after getting my job back, I had met Carmen. That had been a good night.

My thoughts of her were cut off when a taxi rumbled up a few yards away on the pavement, the headlights just a few feet shy of where I sat. Carmen herself stepped out, talking quietly to the driver inside before the vehicle drove away.

Her outline was briefly lit by the lights, an angel in the dark. She glanced around before finally seeing me and releasing a relieved breath.

Like she couldn't believe I was actually here.

Carmen POV

I took a moment to breathe in the salty ocean air before making my way to Gray. The moon was the only source of light, and without it's full glow, I would've been blind. Saying nothing as I approached, Gray scooted over on the rock he was sitting on, allowing me to sit next to him.

The sound of gentle waves brushing against the sand was instantly mesmerizing. I looked to Gray, whose eyes were already on me. "It's so peaceful here," I said quietly.

He nodded, the happy glow in his eyes being the proof that he was glad I, too, thought that.

"So," I crossed my legs onto the rock and nestled my hands in my lap. "What's your connection to this place?"

He seemed to think for a moment. "My mum grew up coming to this beach every weekend in the summer, and so did I. My siblings didn't always show interest, so it was often just me and Mom. She..." He swallowed. "She passed away when I was a senior in High School."

Something in me twisted at the words.

He noticed my shocked and dismayed expression, rushing to say, "But it's ok! I made peace with it, Carmen."

I shook my head, resisting the urge to give him a hug. "Don't say that it's ok just to make me feel better, Gray. Saying that makes it sound like... like maybe you don't care. I understand what it must have felt like to lose her. To lose someone huge in your life. I know that feeling."

His look shot from the sea to my face. "What happened?"