Synonym

"It's a shame most people only know the Mohegan's as 'that place I can ski and gamble'. The Mohegan's are amazing people. They were one of the tribes that invented lacrosse and they were one of the most useful Native tribes during the revolution. Especially after the British burned New London, Groton, and Fairfield to the ground. Benedict Arnold was killed in the battle on this very beach area." I continued the conversation.

"Another notable thing to add to the list of majestic things that happened on this beach." Finn laughed with me.

"There's another reason why I like Connecticut Beaches." I murmured while watching the waves hit the sand delicately. "Which is?"

"The first time we got along was on this beach." I smiled at the memory of that first team bonding day. I don't think anything will replace that.

"And we came here after our first date because you wanted to watch the sunset." Finn added while intertwining my right hand with his.

"We did a lot of things here." I murmured while leaning my temple against his bare upper arm and shoulder. "I love you more than you can comprehend. I honestly don't know if I'd be here today without you. With my sports career but emotionally also. You're always there for me and you always know just what to say. I don't even want to think about what would happen if you actually listened to me and left that night. I wouldn't have made it out of my own mind. I don't think I'd be sitting here today." I had tears in my eyes again but this time they were happy tears. I closed my eyes and smiled in the bliss of Finn's warmth.

"I would have been a fool to leave you after I'd just realized I loved you. I knew from the second you opened your mouth I'd end up with you. At the time I didn't know if it would be just a one time sexual thing or a relationship but I'm intimately glad it was the later because I'm so God damn in love with you, Sylvia Ashleigh Mason." His shoulder shifted so my head wasn't resting on it anymore. His pointer finger tipped my chin up to look at him. "Are you crying?" "Tears of joy? Yes. Because I love you, Griffin Marcus Riley." I smiled while pressing my lips up to his slowly His warm, plump lips moved against my own in a romantic way that made my heart flutter. When we separated I opened my eyes to look deep into his green ones as I grinned. His bright white smile met mine. I loved his smile. It was beautiful. Especially with his dimples that he somehow made sexy like no one else I had ever seen before.

I rested my head on his shoulder again and his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling him into me. "I used to hate my full name. It was my mother's maiden name. Elizabeth Griffin. But something about the way you say it makes me lose my mind."

I waited for him to keep talking and he did. "I didn't always hate her, though. We used to have fun. She hated the beach but I loved it. She was a city girl. One time we all went to Fairfield to see get pizza from Colony and Pepe's because my parents couldn't agree on which one was better. Frankly, I'm more of a Colony guy." (Okay, anyone from CT debate me on this. We can't be friends if you think Frank Pepe's is better) He laughed. I had never seen Finn talk so happily about his mother. It was almost strange and most certainly foreign. "The fire hydrants in Fairfield are painted as Redcoats because they burned Fairfield down. Twisted sense of humor they have."

"We should retire early and get a job at a rest station on I-95 so we can be those people who bable on about useless information regarding their state." I joked with him.

"Like how Connecticut has the richest private population in the US but is one of the poorest states? Or how Bridgeport is our biggest city and is also one of the most dangerous cities in America?" Finn asked cynically. I didn't have to see him to know he hade a raised eyebrow and smirk on his face.

I nudged him with my body. "No, you idiot! Like how Lyme decease was discovered here and was named after Lyme, Connecticut."

"Or how about how Bridgeport re-elected their Ex-Mayor after he got out of prison?" Finn mocked. "Like seriously? He went to jail for corruption so they re-elect him."

"My favorite is when the governor casually said that he didn't know if people in Florida could actually read." I laughed out loud at the memory. That was quite the news article to read, in all honesty.

"The first nuclear submarine if from Groton, Connecticut. We also have one of the biggest nuclear plants in the country."

"Gustav Whitehead was actually the first in flight. He beat the Wright brothers by a year."

"The lense for the Hubble Telescope was built here."

If you're loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you!

"You know that lense cost the government billions because it was a failure right?" I pointed out. I had been unhealthily obsessed with NASA as a kid. "Metric to standard conversion error."

"Gustav Whitehead was actually the first in flight. He beat the Wright brothers by a year."

"These are all really depressing. I think we'd get fired pretty fast." Finn reasoned. He wasn't wrong. Tour guides are supposed to be preppy, we were anything but.

"Eh. It's a depressing world. You just got to see the light. Kind of like how this beach is the light of Connecticut for me." I shrugged. If I couldn't find the light, my life would be a short and miserable one. That was for sure. "You are the light for me."

And just when I thought I couldn't love him more, he surprises me.