Page 34 of Beginnings By the Sea

We played a few rounds of poker for old times’ sake, but as soon as the sun started to go down, Miles and I decided to go for a walk on the beach. The sand was still warm from the afternoon sun, but the further you stuck your toes in, you could feel the coolness. It was April, which was the time of year when some days would be hot and some chilly.

The other day, I saw a picture online that predicted the weather in North Carolina accurately. It was of a man who, in the first picture, was wearing a jacket and pants for the morning, and when it got to lunch, he was in short sleeves and shorts. By the afternoon, he was in only shorts, his body covered in sweat and holding a fan. Then, when the sun goes down at night, you’d have to be bundled up again. However, that was only for the spring and fall seasons. Summertime could be pretty brutal with all the humidity.

Miles walked close to my side, our arms sometimes brushing against each other. Every time we touched, it took all I had not to smile.

“Tonight was fun,” I said, looking over at him.

He smiled and nodded. “It was. I hate that the guys have to leave so soon. They were excited about seeing you.”

“Same,” I said. “Although I guess I can’t be too shocked that Noah hasn’t changed one bit. He’s still as wild as ever. I thought for sure he’d find a nice girl and settle down.”

Miles focused his gaze to the sand. “He will one day. Right now, he’s enjoying life. Some of us consider finding that special someone to be more important than others.”

Thinking of Luke and how he was getting married soon made me think of mine and Miles’s wedding.

“Luke told me that he and Kristina are getting married at Hampshire House.”

Miles chuckled and turned his blue gaze my way. “That’s nice, right? I wish I could’ve given you something like that.”

Hearing that hurt my heart. I linked my arm with his and his eyes flashed with need at my touch. The warmth of his skin made goose bumps fan out over my skin; I loved the excitement of it.

“I didn’t need a fancy wedding, Miles. Getting married in my parents’ backyard was perfect enough. We had everything we needed. All our friends were there, and we had cake.”

Miles tilted his head back and laughed; I knew I could get him to smile at that.

“Still. There was so much I wish I could’ve given you.”

I held his arm tighter. “I had everything I needed. I just didn’t know it until it was too late.”

“That goes for both of us, Nyla,” he said, his voice full of trepidation.

We walked slowly, and I wanted to enjoy every single second. Being with Miles was like being at home; I felt comfortable, safe. But it was also exciting and new. Nothing was ever dull with Miles. The passion was always off the charts and that made things interesting.

“Were you serious about going to Luke and Kristina’s wedding?” he asked, furrowing his brows.

I nodded excitedly. “I wouldn’t want to miss it.” My smile faded and I bit my lip. “But I have a question.” He cocked his head to the side, waiting for me to continue. “Are your parents going to be there?” I wondered.

Miles raised an eyebrow at me before smirking devilishly. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

Sheepishly, I bit my lip again. “Do they hate me?”

He burst out laughing. “Oh yeah, they despise you. I’d be afraid of my mom dumping the punch all over you.”

I pulled away from him and smacked his arm. “That’s not funny. Tell me the truth.”

Miles chuckled again and shook his head. “No, they don’t hate you. They know I’m here to see you.”

I gasped in surprise. “They do? So, does that mean your mother won’t be pouring punch all over me? I have a pretty green dress that I’d love to wear, but I don’t want it to get ruined.”

Miles moved closer to me, our arms touching again, but I made no move to hold onto him this time, even though I wanted to.

“My parents were more pissed at me over our divorce than anyone,” he confessed.

“Why?” I asked.

He stopped walking and stepped in front of me, his expression serious. “They were mad because I asked for the divorce when I didn’t want it. They disapproved of my method.”

His words confused me. “Your method? What are you talking about?”

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