Page 78 of Forged Forever

He joins me on the balcony, leaning against my side. You can see the waves cast in white moonlight against the midnight water. A few bonfires light up the beach further down, but the only sound is the water lapping the shore.

“I know, and it really is a special place, handsome. How are you feeling? Are you tired?”

“I’m okay. You worry about me too much. It’s been over 6 months.”

“I know, but you shouldn’t overexert yourself.”

“Hey lovebirds,” Seb calls, joining us on the balcony. “Jake, man, you up for a beach walk?”

“Yeah. Lead the way.” We follow Seb downstairs to the lower patio than onto the sand. Jake slips his shoes and socks off, feet sinking into the cool sand. “It’s colder than I thought,” he ponders.

“Perhaps, but you will complain about it scalding your feet in a matter of weeks,” Alex replies.

“Let’s go, slowpokes,” Seb calls from ahead of us with E.

Nick steps up to my empty side as we walk towards the water’s edge. I suggest Jake not dip his toes in, but he ignores the warning, yelping as the water touches his feet. His coordination isn’t perfect yet, as Nick grabs his shoulders when he tries to jump back. Laughing at his reaction, we settle on the beach closer to the house. Nick and Alex gather wood to start our own bonfire while E passes out sticks and s’mores ingredients.

This was a nice choice instead of the typical drunken grad party. Jake and Nick get into a discussion about martial arts, and Jake seems interested in joining classes to improve his strength and coordination more. Alex, Seb, and E are discussing Seb’s options for college. Bay, however, is staring out at the dark ocean, lost in thought, so I get up to take a seat beside him. “What’s got you lost in thought tonight?”

“Hey Summer. Big day,” he replies, not turning his head towards me.

“Definitely. What’s wrong, Bay?”

“Penny and I broke up last weekend. It was mutual. We’re going to be in different states. She’s moving to the west coast in a few weeks to start a summer program.”

“I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” I lean my head on his shoulder in support.

“It’s okay. We decided this in May. Realizing today was the last time I’ll ever see her was…hard. I’ll miss her, but it’s for the best.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Not sure.” His shoulders lift in a shrug. “It’s a time for celebration.”

“Your life, your choice, Bay, but we’re all here for you. You don’t need to bottle stuff up. Let us help you through this; it’s not an inconvenience, nor does it take away from graduation.”

“I’ll tell the guys. I wanted to sit with it for a while first.”

“Okay. Perfectly reasonable. Should I leave you to contemplate?”

“You can stay if you want,” he smiles, finally looking at me.

Nodding, I get comfortable, stretching my legs out in front of me, hands splayed behind my body. I’m not sure how long we sit in silence before Seb comes over, telling me Jake is tired. We put out the fire and pack up our things to head back inside.

Alex offers me his shower since there are so many of us tonight, which I happily accept. I’ve never been in his bathroom before. White marble tile floors greet me, along with white wainscoting on the lower half of the walls and navy paint on the upper half. There’s a clawfoot tub along the right outside wall, under a window that looks out over the side yard. Beside the tub is a large glass walk-in shower with the same marble as the floor. A double vanity in white is along the bedroom wall, with the toilet tucked at the end. Gold fixtures and sconces complete the rich but homey look. “Beautiful room, Alex.”

“Thank you. My mother designed it when I was little. Towels are under the sink.”

Smiling in thanks, I close the door behind me. I take a nice hot shower, pulling on shorts and a tank top afterwards, my hair piled into a bun on top of my head.

The room is empty when I leave, but I find Jake leaning against the headboard in my bed, freshly showered and half asleep. Setting my bag in the closet, I walk across to him. Brushing his hair off his face, his eyes open. “I hate getting tired so much,” he grumbles.

“You’re alive and independent again. Look how far you’ve come in six months.”

“Yeah, yeah.” His mouth opens in a big yawn.

“Come on, get up and under the covers.” He rolls to my side of the bed, so I turn down the sheets, and Jake rolls back over, smiling, as I cover him up. “That was smooth,” I chuckle. “Want anything downstairs?”

“All good, Sum.”