Page 48 of When Our Stars Aligned

I take Aly to one of my favorite places, Portside Beach. We watch as the waves crash against the large rocks that jet out into the ocean. It’s a stark contrast to the sandy beach we were at during SummerFest.

“This is gorgeous!” She beams and steps out on a flat rock to get closer to the ocean. She closes her eyes, stretches out her arms, and takes in a deep breath of salty air. I love how genuine she is. She’s not putting on a show for anyone; she’s just enjoying the moment.

I take a step back to fully admire her while she’s preoccupied taking in the view I’ve seen so many times before.

“Is it safe to walk out farther?” Her voice brings me out of the daydream I should not be having at this moment.

“Yeah, I’ve walked all the way out to the end before. There’s a large flat space near the end that’s perfect to sit on. Just follow my lead. I know which places to step.”

She follows behind me as I make my way out to the end of the rock formation. The only sound I can hear are the waves that slap up against the sides of the rocks. A large wave crashes, leaving us in a mist of salt water. I turn to see if Aly is okay. “Everything okay back there?”

“Yup!” she replies with a lightness to her voice.

“Sorry about getting a little wet. It’s kind of inevitable walking out here.” I hope she doesn’t consider the bit of moisture hitting us contaminated.

“That’s okay. I’ve been through worse.” She smirks and I know she’s talking about the full-on dive into the ocean at SummerFest.

We make our way to the end and I point to a section of flat rocks. It dawns on me that I should’ve brought a blanket or something for her to sit on, but she happily plops right down on the rock. I sit beside her and look out to the water. The sun is still high in the sky. Its rays reflect off the ripples of water, makingthe ocean look like it’s sparkling. Aly once said she would feel as though she were suffocating if she didn’t live near an ocean, and I feel that in my soul.

“This view is breathtaking. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“You’re welcome,” I say. “I discovered Portside Beach when I moved here a few years ago. It’s always been a place of peace and solitude for me.”

“When did you move out here?”

“About four years ago. I’m originally from a town an hour away from here. I stayed with my family for about a year after the incident, but once I healed, I knew I needed to move somewhere else. Travis has lived all over the U.S., but he considers Starboard Beach his home. I came to visit him and something about this place just felt right.”

“I can see the draw to this place. It’s pretty peaceful out here.”

“It is.” A small breeze kicks up and blows some of Aly’s hair in her face. Before she can fix it, I sweep her dark golden locks behind her ear. My fingertips lightly graze her cheek. I pause to take in the beauty before me. Her features are soft; she can be outspoken and sarcastic, but there’s a gentleness about her that draws me in. I also notice that she never shies away from my touch. Maybe Carter is on to something and she does feel safe with me. Her bright blue eyes meet mine and I realize I’m sitting here staring at her like an idiot.

“So…umm…you asked me about what happened,” I continue.

“You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I’m just…curious, I guess.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s just that no one has ever asked me before.”

“What?” Aly scrunches up her nose. I love it when she does that.

“I’m serious. No one has ever asked me about my injuries. I mean, my family knows because that’s why I came home, but that’s about it. I don’t really talk to many people.”

“But you’re okay with telling me?”

“Yeah, I am.” I don’t know why I feel comfortable telling Aly about one of the darkest times in my life. Something about her makes me want to spill all my secrets and that scares the hell out of me. “I can’t tell you too much because I don’t remember a lot. I was knocked out for the majority of it.”

Aly nods in understanding, so I continue, “We were out in the desert; it was my second tour and Travis’s first. We got word that there was a building collapse not too far outside from the base. We were told that women and children were trapped. We had to help, you know?

“Anyway, we rolled up to the scene and saw the building. It looked like a bomb went off and half of it was caved in. The thing was—” I pause and take a breath. I still remember the spine-tingling feeling that happened as we got closer to the building.

“It’s okay if you can’t finish,” Aly says softly.

“No, it’s okay. I can do this. Have you ever been to the scene of an accident when it first happens?”

“No accidents, only minor water rescues.”

“Gotcha, there’s generally some type of chaos. Even if it’s controlled chaos, it looks like a crazy scene. People are running around trying to help others, yelling things at one another, and so on. But this. This was different. Everyone was calm. No one was running around trying to help. No one was yelling orders or crying for help.”

She gives me a quizzical look.

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