Page 61 of The Tides Between Us

And sitting on this surprise for the past month had been killing me as well.

It was a short drive to Orchid Beach Marina. Only about four minutes, to be exact. We could have walked but I didn’t want to push my luck with Giana before we got to the best part of the night. She gave me the same sideways look as I parked the car and turned off the engine. Giana didn’t even wait for me to walk over and open her door.

She moved in a haste, pushing it open and hopping out. Laughing softly to myself, I shook my head and climbed out of the Jeep and made my way over to her. She was standing beside the car with her arms crossed over her chest as she glanced around the marina with a touch of curiosity in her eyes.

And then she pinned her gaze on me and shot daggers at me.

I stepped up to her, reaching for her arms before pulling them away from her chest. “You really don’t like surprises, do you, princess?”

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at me in response. She refused to physically speak a single word to me. The last real surprise I had for her was when I flew in from Hawaii and showed up for Pop-Tart’s release into the wild. She seemed ecstatic about that surprise.

Giana did tell me she didn’t want birthday surprises, but she never said she didn’t want ‘just because’ surprises. I wanted to spoil her. I wanted to shower her with my love and give her everything she deserved and wanted.

“Well, get on with it already,”she signed in a huff.

I tilted my head to the side. “Why do you hate surprises so much?”

She let out an exasperated sigh.“I don’t want to talk about it.”

"Not acceptable,” I told her as I shook my head. “What happened?”

A wave of annoyance washed over her expression before a touch of sadness passed through it.“When I was ten, my parents decided it was a good idea to throw me a surprise birthday party. I came home from the beach with my brother and when I walked in, everyone jumped up, yelling surprise…”She stopped for a moment and gave me a knowing look before continuing.“Naturally, I couldn’t hear them and I wasn’t paying attention, so I literally walked right into the house and into another room without even noticing anyone.”

My heart sank as I pictured her as a young child, having something so normal like that completely ruined. She had told me before that she was eight when she lost her hearing, so I was sure it was still somewhat fresh at ten, especially having a reminder thrown into her face that she couldn’t hear.

“I’m so sorry, Giana,” I breathed softly as I slid my hands up and down her arms. “I didn’t know.”

She shook her head.“I was so embarrassed, but that wasn’t the only time I was embarrassed with a surprise. When I was in high school, two girls who I thought I was friends with said the boy I had a crush on had a surprise for me out in the courtyard. They had me convinced he was going to ask me to prom. I walked out there, like a damn idiot, and found him making out with another girl.”

Well, fuck. I didn’t know which surprise would have been more humiliating. They were both equally embarrassing, but the first was just an innocent one. The second sounded more malicious and was coated with ill intent.

“One of the girls walked up behind me and grabbed my shoulders, which scared me because I didn’t know she was there. I screamed and got the attention of my crush and the girl whom he was making out with. The two girls spilled my secret to him about me liking him right then and there.”

I couldn’t help the anger that built inside me. It was clearly a decade ago that this happened, but I wanted to find this guy and put my fist through his face for hurting my girl. No one—and I meantno one—would ever get away with hurting her.

“I ran away like a coward, but Winter ended up giving one girl a bloody nose and the other a black eye.”Giana smiled at the memory.“She made it better, but after that last surprise, I absolutely hated them.”

“No more surprises,” I promised her as I cupped the sides of her face. “After this one, of course, which I promise you will love.”

She swallowed roughly. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, princess. I’m sorry for how cruel people are, but I promise that will never happen to you again. I will always protect you. You’re safe with me.”

Her lips twitched. “I know.”

I pulled her to me and pressed my lips to her forehead before taking a step away. I slid my hand against hers, lacing our fingers together before leading her down to the dock. We made our way down the main one, before stepping onto one that jutted out to the side. There were various boats lined up and I stopped in front of an off-white center console boat that had bright blue script on the side.

Giana’s brow furrowed and she looked over at me as she released my hand to sign.“This isn’t Gabriel’s boat.”

I smiled and shook my head. “No. This one is yours.”

Her eyebrows relaxed but her eyes widened as she looked at me in total shock. She glanced from the boat and back to me. Her lips parted and she spoke. “What?”

“The boat is yours, princess,” I told her as I pointed to it. Her eyes scanned the side, stopping when they reached the name of the boat.

Poptart.

She whipped her head to look at me again. “You bought me a boat.”

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