Page 55 of Hide Away By the Sea

I shook my head. “Me either.”

She trailed a finger down my neck to my chest. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”

Curving one side of my mouth into a smirk, I teasingly looked down at her lips. “I know of ways to keep us awake.”

The sound of her soft laughter filled the room as she leaned in closer to me. “Oh, is that so?”

Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she moved her hand to my thigh, her fingers trailing up and down, tormenting me. I shivered at her touch, and my mind began to race with all the possibilities that lay before us.

I leaned in closer, my lips grazing her ear. “Do you want me to show you?”

Her breath hitched in her throat, and I knew I had her. With a low growl, I kissed her lips passionately, my hands running through her hair. We broke apart and she looked up at me, her eyes smoldering with desire.

“Yes,” she answered. “I want this night to last.”

It wasn’t long before our clothes were discarded on the floor, and we were lost in each other completely.

* * *

Everleigh fellasleep about an hour ago, and I didn’t want to wake her to say goodbye. So instead, I kissed her gently and grabbed my bag off the floor. In a couple of weeks, I would see her again.

25

EVERLEIGH

The sky was an overcast sheet of steel gray, and the wind blew in salty gusts from the sea. Every day, Nyla and I sat on the back deck of my grandmother’s beach house, watching distant whitecaps form as we talked about life and tried to soak up every second together. Our lives were different in Boston, always so busy and rushed. We never had much time to relax and spend time as just friends away from the hospital. I hadn’t realized how much I needed someone like her—a best friend who kept no secrets from me, much like my grandmother had done before she passed away. Nyla seemed to fill that void. Well, I guess I couldn’t really say my grandmother kept no secrets from me anymore, not with finding her hidden love letters that I had no clue about. Still, my grandmother had been my best friend for many years and knew me better than anyone.

“I’m going to miss our time out here,” Nyla said softly, her gaze following the horizon.

Her red hair shone in the sunlight, her skin having taken on a sun-kissed glow since she arrived; it suited her perfectly and enhanced her freckles.

“Same,” I replied with a smile. “This place sure is magical.”

She laughed lightly in agreement. “That’s for damn sure. I was hoping we’d find more hidden treasures of your grandmother’s forbidden love.”

I chuckled. “Me too. We searched high and low, but I have a feeling we haven’t found everything. I’m sure I’ll come across it at some point.”

Nyla gave me a meaningful look. “And when you do, you better tell me. I’ve been so invested in that love story. I think I’ve read all the letters from T a gazillion times.”

I huffed out a sigh. “I just wish I knew who he was. Guess I’ll never know.”

Silence filled the air as we watched the waves roll in. We leave for Boston tomorrow. Nyla was going to return her rental car and ride back with me in my car. Our summer was over, and it was time to go back to the real world. What was crazy was that my life was about to change significantly. It’d been three days since Jensen left for the sea and I missed him, but I had a few surprises up my sleeve. And it wasn’t just him that would be impacted by my choices. Nyla had no clue, and neither did my parents, who I knew would be ecstatic.

Biting my lip, I peered over at Nyla, my stomach flip-flopping inside me. “Nyla, there’s something I have to tell you.”

Brows furrowed, she tore her gaze away from the sea to focus on me. Then, when all I did was smile, she gasped. “Oh my God, are you pregnant?”

Tilting my head back, I burst out laughing. “Seriously? It’s a little too soon for that.”

Nyla shrugged playfully. “Hey, I had to ask. I know you two have had a lot of fun the past few weeks.”

My cheeks burned and I couldn’t help but smile. Jensen and I have had the best time together. I never thought I could feel so connected and loved by someone. It made me sad to think I could’ve felt this way long ago if I hadn’t run away from him. Then again, maybe we needed all this time apart to grow.

“Well,” Nyla said, waving her hand impatiently, “what do you have to tell me?”

I took a deep breath before exhaling quickly, as my admission left my mouth. “I’m leaving Boston,” I blurted out.

Nyla’s mouth dropped and she chuckled. “I should’ve known. I could see it on your face when I arrived.” She nodded out toward the ocean. “This place totally got to you.”

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