The Beach Confession
1224 Words
Labadi Beach was empty. 7 PM. Wind. Waves. No people.
Damien told the driver to wait at the gate.
Ava kicked off her heels. Navy dress. Bare feet in the sand.
“You brought me here to fight?” she asked.
Damien took off his suit jacket. Rolled up his sleeves. “I brought you here so she wouldn’t.”
They walked. Side by side. Not touching.
The sky was orange. Then pink. Then dark.
“I don’t like her,” Ava said finally.
“I know,” Damien said.
“I don’t like that you didn’t push her hand away.”
Damien stopped walking. “Ava. Look at me.”
She did.
“I didn’t push her because I was watching you,” he said. “Your face. You looked hurt. And I hated it.”
Ava crossed her arms. “We have 5 months left. That’s it. Why does it matter?”
“Because it stopped being about 5 months,” Damien said. Honest. No CEO mask.
Ava’s chest tightened. “What is it about then?”
Damien stepped closer. Sand between his toes. “You. Waking up next to you. Coffee with you. Fighting with you. Even this. Arguing with you on a beach.”
He exhaled. “I don’t know what this is. But I know I don’t want Vanessa. I don’t want anyone else. I want you to not look at me like I’m going to leave.”
Ava’s throat hurt. “You did leave. Last night. At the gala.”
“I was wrong,” Damien said. “And I’m telling you now. I won’t do it again.”
The waves crashed.
Ava looked at him. Really looked. Tired eyes. Honest eyes. No lies.
“Damien...”
“I’m not asking for forever,” he said. “I’m asking for now. Real. Not contract. Can you do that?”
Ava didn’t answer with words.
She took 2 steps. Closed the space between them. And kissed him.
No hesitation. No contract clause. Just her.
Damien froze for 1 second. Then his hand went to her waist. Pulled her in. Kissed her back. Deep. Desperate. Like he’d been holding back.
When they broke apart, both breathing hard.
“Was that real?” Damien asked. Voice low.
Ava nodded. “That was real.”
Damien’s forehead touched hers. “Good. Because I can’t do fake anymore.”
They stood there. Ocean at their feet. City lights behind them.
“Can we...” Ava started. “Can we try? For real?”
Damien smiled. Small. Relieved. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He took her hand. Laced their fingers.
“Come on,” he said. “Dinner. Just us. No board. No ex. No contract.”
---
They ate at a small shack on the beach. Fish. Chips. Coke.
No waiters watching. No cameras.
Damien told her about being 12 and hating school. Ava told him about her mom’s jollof.
They laughed. Like normal people.
At 10 PM, the driver drove them home.
In the car, Ava was asleep on his shoulder.
Damien didn’t move. He just let her. And pulled her closer.
Mrs. Clarke opened the door. Saw them. Saw their hands.
She smiled. Didn’t say a word. Just closed the door quietly.
Upstairs, Damien carried Ava to her room. Or what used to be her room.
He set her down on the bed. Gentle.
“Stay?” Ava whispered. Eyes half closed.
Damien hesitated. The contract said separate rooms.
He ignored it. “Yeah,” he said. “I’m staying.”
He lay down next to her. On top of the covers. Arm around her.
No kiss. No more. Just sleep.
For the first time since signing, Ava didn’t feel alone in that mansion.
---
Next morning, the blogs were already up.
`Damien Cole Leaves Gala with New Wife. Skips Board Meeting.`
`Who is Ava Cole? Billionaire Ditches Ex for Mystery Woman.`
Damien saw it at 6 AM. He didn’t delete it.
He screenshotted it. And sent it to Ava.
Text: `Morning, Mrs. Cole. It’s real now.`
Ava woke up to it. In his bed. In his arms.
She smiled. And texted back: `Morning, Mr. Cole.`
The sun was barely up. Salt air through the open windows.
Damien was already awake. Watching her.
Ava opened her eyes. His were on her. Not cold. Not distant.
“Morning,” Damien said.
Ava’s cheeks heated. “You’re still here.”
“Where else would I be?” Damien’s arm tightened around her. “This is my bed too, Mrs. Cole.”
Ava laughed. Soft. Real. “You sent that text at 6am.”
Damien shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. Saw the blog. Didn’t care.”
He rolled over her, caging her in. “Say it again.”
“Say what?”
“Morning, Mr. Cole.”
Ava smiled up at him. “Morning, Mr. Cole.”
Damien kissed her forehead. Then her nose. Then her mouth.
Slow. Like he had all the time in the world.
---
They didn’t leave the room until noon.
The beach was empty. Private. Just them.
Ava walked barefoot in the sand. Her dress blew in the wind.
Damien watched her like he’d never seen the ocean before.
“You’re beautiful,” he said. Out of nowhere.
Ava stopped. “Damien…”
“I’m serious,” he said. “When Vanessa looked at me, she saw money. When you look at me, you see… me.”
Ava’s throat closed. “I see a man who’s terrified to feel anything.”
Damien’s jaw ticked. “You’re right.”
He sat in the sand. Ava sat beside him.
“I’ve never done this,” Damien said. “Just… been. No deals. No masks.”
Ava took his hand. “Then be. With me.”
Damien looked at their joined hands. “What if I ruin it?”
“What if you don’t?” Ava said.
Damien turned to her. “I don’t want 6 months, Ava. I want—”
He stopped.
Ava’s heart was pounding. “You want what?”
Damien exhaled. “You. For real. No contract.”
Ava blinked. Tears fell before she could stop them.
“Damien, I—”
He kissed her. Hard. Desperate. Like he’d been holding it in for weeks.
Ava kissed him back. Sand in her hair. His hands in her dress.
When they broke apart, they were both shaking.
“I’m scared,” Ava whispered.
“Me too,” Damien said. “But I’m more scared of losing you than I am of this.”
---
That night, they didn’t talk about contracts.
They talked about her mum. His father. The scars they didn’t show the world.
Damien told her about being 12 and watching his dad lose everything.
Ava told him about working 3 jobs to keep her mum alive.
No walls. No CEO. Just Damien and Ava.
In bed later, Damien pulled her close.
“Stay,” he said into her hair. “After the 6 months. Tear up the contract. Stay because you want to.”
Ava closed her eyes. “I think I already do.”
Damien didn’t answer.
He just held her like he’d never let go.
Because the beach confession wasn’t about love.
It was about choosing it anyway.
---
END OF CHAPTER 9
- Writer
