Love
When had he first seen her? It was a Saturday, he remembered that much. She had been lounging on the rocks that jutted out from the edge of her land. Clad in only a chemise and a petticoat, her legs flicking the cool seawater carelessly as the waves broke harshly upon the rocks. A carefree smile plastered across her face and her long red hair heavy with salt. How old had she been? How old had he been? He couldn't quite remember. She plunged into the icy waters suddenly, obliterating young James Gatz's view of her. When she resurfaced, she held a small crab on her hand. The girl placed it on the rock in front of her.
"Hello." She said to it.
He couldn't remember why this was funny but he let out a small laugh, loud enough to alert her of his presence. She ducked behind the rock, peering at him with large green eyes.
"I-I didn't mean to frighten you." He said apologetically.
She didn't respond but merely dove beneath the water and swam far from him.
Jay Gatsby didn't know why he thought about her now; he was, after all, waiting for Daisy to call. Somewhere in his mind he knew she wasn't going to and he hated her for it. Too. She loved him too. How could he be so blind? She wasn't his anymore. Maybe she never had been.
Quietly he dove off the air mattress and swam to the side. Gatsby was no fool and he wasn't about to start acting like one. He picked up the phone and called the police, anonymously reporting Daisy. Why? Was there a point? No. Was he crazy with revenge? No. But something told him it was a lost cause. He made his way inside, changed, and set out on a walk.
As he walked the coastline, Gatsby gazed out over the horizon. Thoughts of Daisy slowly began to deteriorate and slip away like sand in the tide.
That was when he saw her.
Lounging on the rock, she basked in the sun. A wave broke viciously, drenching her with its salty spray. The folds of her petticoat and chemise clung to her, revealing much more than was proper. Her unfashionably long hair fanned out around her as she dove beneath the surf. When she resurfaced, she held a large crab in her hands.
"Hello." She murmured.
He wasn't sure why it was so funny but he laughed. She ducked behind the rock, peering at him with those green eyes.
"Hello." She said.
It took him a moment to realize she was speaking to him.
"Hello. I'm Jay Gatsby."
"Amelia."
"May I?" he asked, motioning towards the rocks. She nodded, but stayed in the water. "I live just down the way."
"Summer home?"
"No. This place is so beautiful I can't bear to leave it."
Lie number one. He just met this girl formally and he already lied.
"No. That's only a half-truth. An old flame lives across the way, on East Egg."
"Pining? That's very unflattering for a man of your stature, Mr. Gatsby."
"Stature?"
"Everyone knows about your parties. I see them from my window."
"Why don't you ever come?"
She shrugged sending ripples scattering in all directions.
"Why aren't you swimming?"
"I'm not wearing a bathing suit."
She tilted her head to one side.
"Neither am I."
Before he could speak Amelia turned and dove into the water. Gatsby watched in awe as she arched out of the water, staring at him expectantly. Gatsby removed his coat, shoes, and belt. Amelia smiled and swam closer. He peered down at the breaking waves and hesitated.
"James?" she said.
At the sound of his name, his real name, he pitched into the rolling surf. The water closed around him, soaking his clothes and cooling his skin. He resurfaced laughing. At what he wasn't sure but he laughed.
"I like the sound. Of your laughter, I mean. It's like… love."
"Love?"
"Yes. Don't you remember how you felt when you were first in love?"
"Of course."
Lie number two. Honestly, he couldn't think of the name of his first love. He had forgotten all those things when he met Daisy.
"No you don't." she said.
"No… I guess I don't."
"But you have been in love."
"I was. I was in love with a beautiful girl who wasn't what I thought she was. You?"
"I was. I was in love with a boy who captivated me without ever telling me his name." She looked up at him. "I still am."
Jay Gatsby had never been addressed so boldly, so honestly by a woman. It shocked and fascinated him. He leaned over and kissed her. As the waves beat around them, battering them into the rocks, Gatsby started to realize that this was what he had wanted from Daisy. The one thing he never got. Unquestioning, ceaselessly love.
Amelia pulled back first.
"That's exactly what your laughter is like."
"Then I need to laugh more."
"Will you join me for dinner, Mr. Gatsby?"
"I would love to." He stole another kiss and gathered his clothes, fairly running back to his home.
Later Amelia would find out precisely what had happened. Nick said James had called and told him about the most amazing girl and he had sounded nervous. He had told Nick he was going to go for a float in the pool to relax. They said it was quick and not to worry about if he was in pain, but it didn't consol her any. She had spent 17 years with his face at the back of her mind and now… it was over.
Nick dwelled on what Amelia had told him. Jay Gatsby had finally gotten what he wanted. He always got what he wanted. But did he have to drag the poor girl down with him?