Page 68 of Taming Waves

The game begins, and it’s easy to forget everything else for a while. The sand, the firelight, and the way the stars seem to stretch endlessly above us all fade into the background. It’s just us, shouting, laughing, and running ourselves ragged across the beach. We take it easy on the girls, allowing them to enter the end zone and gently tagging them. However, they tackle us every chance they get, ganging up on us. At one point, both Avie and Amiya are clinging to Lennon’s back as he steps back and leisurely throws a pass to Anson. The ball sails through the air, again and again, being caught and fumbled repeatedly.

I can’t remember the last time I felt so light. I know it’s because I’m here with my friends, and my girl is among them—right where she’s meant to be, whether she realizes it yet or not.

I dive for the ball and crash into the sand, rolling to a stop just short of the water. The icy shock of the ocean soaks into my jeans, and I groan as I push myself to my feet.

“Are you okay?” Audrey calls, laughing as she jogs over to me.

“Absolutely,” I reply, grabbing her and pulling her down on top of me.

Her hair tickles my face as she struggles to escape my grasp.

“Don’t get me wet!” she cries.

I steady myself and lift her into my arms.

I carry her back to the crowd, whispering in her ear, “I’ll save that for later.”

As the game comes to an end, everyone gathers around the warmth of the fire. I drape a blanket around my shoulders and settle into a folding chair, watching the flames dance. Eden walks out from the deck, carrying a plate of s’mores supplies. I grab a stick and skewer a marshmallow onto the end. Gently, I turn it in the fire.

Audrey plops down in the chair next to me, her cheeks flushed from the cold or the wine—maybe both. “Not a bad birthday, huh?”

“Not bad at all,” I reply as I take a roasted puff and sandwich it between two graham crackers. The chocolate melts instantly, sticking to my fingers, so I lick it off before offering it to her.

She raises an eyebrow. “Are you going to feed me all night?”

“I’d love to. There’s no better sight than your sweet mouth wrapped around something warm and sticky,” I growl.

She ignores the comment, but I don’t miss the way her breath catches.

Amiya takes a seat beside me. “Happy birthday, Parker,” she says.

She extends her cup, and I tap it with my can.

“Thank you. It’s been a great night.”

She glances around and smiles. “It has, hasn’t it? How does it feel to be another year older?”

I think about it for a moment, looking back to where Audrey is chatting with Eden while sipping wine and munching on a graham cracker.

I bring my gaze back to Amiya. “It feels like I have a lot to look forward to.”

She nods, her smile softening. “Good answer.”

“There’s one more gift,” Anson says, raising a black box with a purple ribbon tied around it.

I take it from his hand and turn it around, searching for a card or name, but it’s just a box and a bow.

Once the fire died down, we moved the party indoors. The girls presented me with a huge cake covered in twenty-nine lit candles, and they sang me a drunken rendition of the birthday song.

“Who is this one from?” I ask, lifting the package for everyone to see.

The eyes of the room dart around, and a few people shrug in response.

“Nobody’s going to take credit? Okay,” I say as I hold it to my ear and give it a shake.

“Just open it!” Sebastian yells from his spot at the kitchen island.

I pull the ribbon until it’s loose, lift the lid, and peek inside, grinning widely.

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