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"Dang, lady, I can only imagine what you're like when you're actually on guard."

Cecelia doesn't know how she feels about what this stranger just said to her. At first, she feels a bit insulted considering that she's not normally this rude. However, this guy doesn't seem to be poking fun at her. His lazy smile and brown, doe eyes make him seem laid back and easygoing.

"Well, if you got to know me, you'd realize I'm actually quite a rambunctious, fun person."

Cece smiles, sitting on the wet sand. From this angle, she gets a good glimpse of his mildly toned abs and chiseled chin. In her opinion, he's cute in a natural way. Her parents always push her to date refined, rich boys with snobby attitudes. This guy seems different in a refreshing way.

"Well, then maybe I should get to know you. I'm Max."

"Max? Mmm, I like that name; it suits you. I'm Cece."

Max sits down next to her, their shoulders brushing for a quick second. Cece feels her skin tingle where he touched her. "It's nice to meet you, Cece."

They both look into the distance for a while, watching the ocean crash on the beach. A wave rushes towards them, and Max holds his camera above his head to protect it from getting wet.

"Are you feeling ambitious? Because I'm feeling a bit antsy."

Max smiles, squinting his eyes from the harsh sunrays as he glances at her. "I feel however you want me to feel."

Cece likes the honest, pure way he said that. It made him sound really kind. "Okay, well, in that case, let's do something fun."

"So you want to roller skate? Everyone does that around here, especially on the boardwalk."

"Alright, then, let's go."

"Right now?" he asks, confused. "You're going to at least need a pair of socks and sunscreen."

"Okay, I'll just go get changed really quickly. You can wait in the lobby for me, if you want."

"Sounds like a plan."

Cece and Max get up from the ground and head towards the beachfront hotel after Max collects his backpack and skateboard from his temporary spot on the beach. He follows her into the extremely classy with golden walls and shiny chandeliers. Cece notices that he looks a bit wary, but she smiles at him. "Don't look so nervous, it's not like any of these people know who you are, anyway."

"I should at least put my shirt on, don't you think?" he asks as one of the concierges glares at him.

"Eh, it's your call, but I'll be right back. Just wait here, I'll only take a minute."

Cece jogs over to the elevator area barefoot, loving the way the marble floor feels under her feet. Pressing the silver button with an arrow facing upward on it, she impatiently waits for the elevator doors to open. And, they do, almost instantaneously. She hits the penthouse button and waits for the metal doors to close, hoping to take the long ride alone. Luckily, her wish is granted, and she arrives to her suite in no time at all.

Rushing to her room, she takes off her bathing suit and slips on a pair of shorts and a plain t-shirt. Sticking her phone and a room key in her pocket, she ties her hair in a messy bun and runs out of the room and into the elevator in a pair of sneakers.

The ride back down is pretty quick as well, and once she reaches the lobby, she spots Max sitting in a black arm chair, playing on his phone. "Let's go!" Cece practically yells, snatching his phone and running outside.

"You think you're funny, huh?" he laughs, racing after her and taking his phone back. "Skates are this way."

They head towards a skating shack, and Cece picks out a pair of purple roller skates to wear. "Aren't you going to grab any?" she asks.

"Nah, I'm just going to ride my board." He taps on the wooden skate board, smiling to her.

Cece puts on her skates, and Max lets her stash her sneakers in his backpack. Once they leave the store, Cece rolls on the boardwalk, trying to get the hang of skating again.

"C'mon, lets go!" Max says, grabbing her hand and hoping on his skateboard. Together, they conquer the world on wheels.

The sun hangs overhead as they weave through crowds of tourists. Seagulls fly above them, hawking for french fries, and the smell of cotton candy and sea salt hangs in the warm air. The ocean breeze feels good against Cece's sweaty skin, and everything in the world feels right again.

"So you live here?" Cece suddenly asks him as her focus shifts from her surroundings to the boy who's holding her hand.

"Yup, born and bred. What about you? I take it that you're on vacation."

"Yeah, with my family.We're from New York City."

"Well, you know what they say," Max replies, smiling widely at her when he glances at her. "Those who go west never go back."

"I think your right about that. Who wants to deal with cold winds and heavy snowfall when you can bathe in the sun every single day of the year?"

"Exactly," he laughs, dimples gigging into his cheeks.

Cece finds herself sneaking glances at Max. She didn't allow herself to think about how cute he is, but now that she's holding his warm hand, she can't help but let her mind wander. From this close up, she can see the sun spots sprinkled on his face like stars in the night sky and believes that he is the most beautiful, candid person she has ever met.

Cece's skate catches on a rock, and she tumbles to the concrete ground, losing hold of Max's hand. "Are you okay?" he asks, stopping in his tracks and helping her up. "God, you're knees are bleeding."'

"Yeah, and they burn, too," she lets out as she tries to pick out the little pieces of rock out of her cuts.

Max helps her skate over to an empty bench. "Wait here, I'll get some napkins and water to help you get cleaned up."

Cece waits, hating herself for getting lost in her own head. But, it was bound to happen; she was too chicken to tell Max that she's never skated a day in her life.

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