. . .

"You didn't tell me I'd be expected to climb it." I breathlessly shouted up as Noah tightly held my forearm, pulling me up onto the slippery rocks.

"Not too far left now," he called down, helping to lift me when I couldn't find my footing, the soles of my feet sliding under algae that coated each large rock - ones that Noah had proudly revealed to me after our long walk on the beach.

For a supposedly secret place, one that he'd been so excited to show me all day, it didn't seem that special. I felt guilty for thinking how I wished we just stayed on the shore, where it was safe and a lot less work. I'd already managed to stub my toes against one of the lower down rocks with the sharp sides carved by the waves.

Trying to think of anything other than Noah's soft hands around my waist, as he helped me move further up the rock, I smiled and asked him. "Are we there yet?"

"Almost."

As Noah climbed and I held on, grabbing at any available flat surface, worrying that I didn't have the strength to haul myself anymore damn rocks, I noticed that we were now quite high up. The sound of the waves crashing below grew muted and the circling gulls above became our new soundtrack.

With the sun in his eyes, Noah told me not to look down, which of course I had no intention of doing, as we scaled rock after jagged rock until I felt stable surface beneath my heels and the breeze again in my hair.

Once I'd put both feet firmly down, he told me to angle my back against one of the lighter coloured rocks, and join him where he had already sat.

Doing as I was told I shuffled over, wanting to move away from the steep drop below me and to catch the breath I'd held in since we begun the climb.

A triumphant smile on his face, cheeks rosier than usual Noah said. "So what do you think?"

"There are some nice rocks here, yeah." I mumbled, balancing my backpack precariously close to the edge beside me. Just a glimpse of the dark, foamy waves below where enough to make my stomach back flip, as the realization of just how high up we were begun to sink in.

He laughed. "No, ahead Scarlett."

Following his gaze, I saw something special appear before my eyes.

I imagined it was a similar to how it felt looking through a viewfinder in a camera.

Capturing between the streaks of light, something beautiful, something special.

"Pretty cool right?" Noah sighed, likely with a smile but I wasn't looking. My own viewfinder was solely focused on what I saw in front of us.

One enormous piece of rock, that reached far down into the sand below had been hollowed out perfectly in the centre. It's insides eroded away by the wind and waves, and through it the ocean and the sky stared back, lit up by rays of sunlight.

Such was the way the rock arched over, anything behind it was exposed like a framed picture, as if the heart of the rock had been removed and the crystal blue ocean had filled it.

The gap appeared almost heart shaped too.

"The first time I came here I thought it looked like the rocks were arching over into each other but it's actually missing a solid piece from the middle, like something just came and pushed it out." Noah mused, as I marvelled at the crazy, beautifully strange and unexpected view.

Who knew rocks could be beautiful, I thought as I watched yellow beaked gulls fly right into our own private view and then swiftly disappear out of shot.

Tracing the shape of the missing rock with my finger I told him it looked like a heart, if maybe you squinted.

"I suppose it does." Noah said, eyes wide and locked on the view.

"How did you find it, this place and that?" I wondered, pointing at the heartless rock.

"I came to Hillside the first week I moved, just out of curiosity to see if there really was anything outside of Pesmo. I wandered along this beach, thought it would be fun to climb across these rocks and as I was near the top I saw it. This was before I had anyone to adventure with, of course." he smiled, nudging my arm that had been resting against his, our thighs already stuck together on the small rock.

"I wonder who else has been here, before us."

"Many, probably but it's not a climb for the fainthearted so I'm hoping only us." Again our arms collided and I wanted to tell him that he could just leave his there, if he felt the need to.

"Makes me wish I was good at photography or painting, so I could remember it exactly as it is."

"That's the appeal of it though, it's a one time only reward for risking your life to climb all these damn sharp rocks." Noah laughed, running his hand along the jagged edge beneath the backs of our knees.

"How long do you think it's been here?"

Pushing away the hair from his eyes and leaning back he shrugged. "Not sure, although it would have taken a long time for it to disappear completely. It's kind of sad in a way, that something has to be destroyed or washed away to reveal the beauty behind it."

Feeling my chest rise as he spoke I wished for time to stop, if only for that moment, as I felt myself not just liking, but also loving.

Every rippling wave and every smile, every word and each soaring sea bird and every touch, I liked and loved.

Letting my filter slip I whispered. "I love it. All of it."

Noah's arm wound round mine and he told me he was glad.

"No really, I do." I protested, not thinking he realized just how much of a big deal it was. "I rarely love anything, so this really is something special."

He still didn't seem convinced; a wry smile on his lips, head slightly turned away and eyes cast off in the distance.

It was my turn to do the nudging. "Trust me."

As faint as the waves below but just as strong as the breeze above, he whispered.

"I do."

. . .

With my feet rough from the climb and walking down into the sloped town, my head still dizzy from sitting atop the rocks, admiring the secret spot Noah had bought me too, I asked him if we could stop to rest for a while or get something to eat.

He'd suggested as we continued our descent back into the heart of Hillside that we could swing through the farmers market to get a drink and maybe sit by the boardwalk.

Soaking in the vibrant sounds and smells as we passed colourful food trucks and ornate stalls selling flowers, jewellery, exotic food and seashells, Noah pulled me towards a lemonade stand.

"You ever try one of these?" he asked eagerly, already reaching into his pockets for change.

"I've had lemonade before."

"But this isn't just any old lemonade, you'll see."

A couple of dollars later and with burning lips, I realized just what he had meant.

"I honestly don't know how people come up with these things." I sighed, trying to scoop up the crushed ice in the bottom of the plastic tumbler, to relieve the fiery heat on my tongue. "You could have warned me!"

"I didn't think it was that bad, it's just chili mango lemonade." Noah laughed, draining every last drop from his. "Suppose you're not going to want any spicy Samosas to wash it down with?"

He continued joking as we accepted the endless free samples, handed out to us as we strolled by each stall, finding it hilarious when I doubled back and tried my luck at snaring another cheesecake in a cup.

"Now this is my kind of food." I sighed, licking the cup clean and debating if it was wise to ask him to get me maybe just one more.

"You sure you don't want to try those Kale smoothies over there?" he said sarcastically, as we walked side by side past a very green and very unappealing stall selling bottled kale and other smoothies with ingredients I couldn't pronounce.

"Nope."

Passing by another full of wooden crate boxes pilled high with fresh fruit, Noah told me that the center of the galaxy supposedly tasted like raspberries, a fact he seemed to have saved, just for that very moment.

"You've been waiting to tell me that haven't you?" I teased.

Pretending to act sheepish he quietly said maybe and wandered over, to ask if we could pick a few to try. Placing two small raspberries in the palm of my hand, the juices bleeding into the cracks, I watched the berries stain his lips as he ate his, and asked him if he could taste galaxies.

"I hope so." Noah replied as he helped himself to a couple more.

Trying my own, I nodded and wished for the slightly sour but sweet taste to last, as we drifted to the end of the market, with the sunlight on our backs signalling that it was time to head home.

As we came full circle to our bikes under the shady palm, Noah asked me if I minded waiting for a few minutes, as he'd forgotten to pick up something important from one of the stalls.

Unlocking his bike from mine I told him I'd wait by the row of benches that over looked the beach and watched him quickly peddle away, all the while wondering what on earth he'd be bringing back. I hoped it wouldn't be anything kale related, because just the thought of it made me retch.

Maybe he'd bring back a punnet of the galaxy berries, I thought or perhaps it was something for The Allen's seeing as they liked their food friendly and organic.

I was proven wrong of course, because as I watched Noah, wind in his hair glide back onto the boardwalk I noticed that he was balancing on his handlebars, a small potted plant. Vivid red flowers with dark stems hung over the clay pot.

"That's what you went back for?" I asked slightly puzzled as to why a plant was too important to forget.

"It's a little gift." Noah said cradling it between his arms. "For you."

With cheeks to match the petals, I stammered and mumbled before settling for a still confused but polite thank you.

"It's you." he beamed handing over the pot, soil spilling out from the bottom and onto my sandals.

Still baffled I took it and placed it in the broken wicker basket on my bike, the colours clashing spectacularly against the sparkly stickers and pink gloss frame.

"What do you mean it's me?" I asked.

"It's a Scarlett Begonia plant."

"Oh."

Noah rolled his eyes and let out a small laugh, like he couldn't believe I didn't know what it was, or what it meant.

"I saw it earlier but wanted it to be a surprise, I guess. You never heard of that song - Scarlett Begonias?"

Of course I hadn't.

"It's a song about a girl, by a band called Sublime or I guess if were being musically correct it's actually a Grateful Dead song, my mum loved them. " he said nervously biting his bottom lip, seeing the blank expression on my face, one of confusion and with no idea who either of them were. "Anyways, I just thought it was cool and rather apt after today's adventure." he added.

"Okay well I think you're going to have to enlighten me about this song and those bands because you know me, musically challenged and all that." I pointed out.

Spinning the wheels on his bike, Noah slowly rode out in front of me and said with a grin. "Looks like I'm gonna have to."

. . .

The ride back had felt shorter than the journey to Hillside, the sun lying low over the ocean and again time slipping through our fingertips like the sand beneath our wheels.

With every house we passed and with each new path I wished for the day to give me just a few more hours. I wished for all the time I'd spent curled up in bed, with the blinds drawn cursing time passing slowly to be given back so I could spend them more wisely.

That didn't happen of course and so I found myself once again outside on the lawn, the light creeping behind the bungalow and Noah stood in front of me, like the last time.

Thankfully the Scarlett Begonia had made it in one piece and as I sat it down beside me, Noah reminded me to give it enough sunlight and water.

"I may not be able to look after myself very well, but I think I can at least keep a plant alive." I joked, knowing that I was about to say goodbye to Noah and not feeling happy about it.

"I'd best get going." he sighed, turning the peddles with his foot and looking at me with big, brown eyes.

"Thank you again for today, you don't know how much it means to me to get away from all of this." I said, pointing at the house and the street and all of Pesmo. "And you were right, it was worth the wait to see that place, the 'heartless' rock."

Narrowing the gap between us I broke away from what my mind was telling me, shake his hand, go inside and instead, I hugged him.

It was different to the quick embrace at the beach, our arms now a little tighter and our body's closer for a little longer.

Maybe it was me who pulled away first or maybe we both relaxed our grip and stepped back, but regardless, it didn't matter because I liked it.

I hoped he did too.

Smiling as always, Noah said goodbye and cycled away, leaving my plant doppelganger and I with the days memories.

Back inside the bungalow that was still Poppy-free, I took it to my room and placed it on the window seal, making a special place for it next to the delicate napkin flower- my first 'almost' gift from Noah.

Lifting back the blinds so the sunlight could catch the petals, I noticed there was a tiny red envelope tucked into the side of the pot, beneath the stems and soil. It was the colour of my name.

Inside was a folded paper note, with small scribbled handwriting I hadn't seen before in black ink that was difficult to see. Holding it close to the golden glow that crept between the blinds, I read it aloud.

At the bottom Noah had signed his name, and at the top I saw my own.

"Scarlett Begonias"

Once in a while you get shown the light,

In the strangest of places if you look at it right.

Noah.

. . .