AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We continue walking hand-in-hand, in silence, the salty ocean breeze moving through her long hair. I brush the loose strands from her face, tucking them behind her ear. She stops walking and blinks up at me. She stands there speechless, but still manages a soft smile, and I feel the mood shifting around us.
“I’ve missed you, Livy, and I didn’t realize how much until yesterday, seeing you again.” I want to kiss her, but I need to be sure that she wants it just as badly as I do. I will give her all the time she needs, she’s worth waiting for.
I run my fingers down the side of her jaw, and her gaze turns down towards the sand. She is breathtaking and vulnerable and suddenly I don’t want this night to ever end.
She tries to pull her hand from mine, but I hold it tighter and gently pull her along, continuing to walk in the direction of our secret spot. She seems lost in her thoughts. I can see the confusion in her eyes, and I decide not to push her.
“I think we should let the others know where we are, but I left my phone in my purse at the table. I don’t want Ellie and my sister to worry about me. Maybe we should walk back.”
“I’ll handle it. I’ll text Liam now to tell him where we are and ask him to find the girls and let them know.”
I let go of her hand and I instantly miss the warmth of her. I quickly text Liam to let him know, adding that we could be gone awhile. He shoots me a text back almost instantly, likely already on his phone working, letting me know that he has it covered.
“Done. Liam will let the girls know. They are cancelling the Amber Alert,” I joke, wanting to see that smile again, the one that can take me to my knees. She shakes her head and chuckles as I return her hand to mine.
“Always the funny man, Parker."
“Is that your way of telling me how handsome I am?”
“Are you flirting with me?”
“Is it working?” I wink and flash her my sexiest smile.
We are just seconds away from our spot, the beach house, so close I can see the veranda and the white-washed grey shingles, worn from the salty air and the sun.
It belongs to my family, passed down by my grandparents, and typically sits empty for much of the year. In the summer, we all take turns staying there, often coming together as a family on holidays like the Fourth of July, setting up tables in the sand for our annual clam bake.
Livy and I reach the path leading up to the beach house where we used to hide away from the world. This is where we came to be alone together, just the two of us. The walls of the small coastal home are bursting with memories. The veranda just steps away with a porch swing, red Adirondack chairs around a fire table, and a hot tub with an ocean view.
“Will you sit with me?” I motion towards the veranda. Livy nods and follows me towards the swing where we sit, our legs touching. I can’t help but notice her toned bare legs on display since taking off her tall suede boots. It’s taking everything in me not to run my fingers down them.
“I think the last time I sat on this porch swing with you I was eighteen and had just snuck out of my bedroom window. It’s mind-blowing that we never got caught considering how many times we did that.” She laughs a little, looking out into the ocean, the porch swing swaying gently.
“It’s true. There could be an AC/DC concert at the foot of their bed and I’m pretty sure your parents would sleep right through it. It’s actually impressive.” We both laugh as she curls her knees up into her chest.
“I see you are still friends with Hunter. I saw him with you at the restaurant.” I pick up on her attempt to shift the conversation from her parents. I want to ask her about her family and especially how her dad is, but I can see she isn’t comfortable with the subject, so I leave it.
“Yup, still friends. I love him, but you know Hunter. He hasn’t changed much. He’s still kind of like a two-year-old, just with slightly smaller tantrums and a much bigger bank account.”
I feel her body stiffen beside me and I’m curious why, worried she’s re-thinking being here with me. She inhales deeply but doesn’t move to leave.
“Does he ever visit you in New York?” she asks.
“He does. He heads my way every couple of months. We’ll hit up a Yankee’s game and he’ll stay with me at my suite.”
“Suite? Where do you live? Do I even want to know the answer?”
“Very funny. I live in the penthouse at the Seaside. It’s not the Playboy mansion.”
“Are you sure about that? Never mind, I don’t want to know. I’m sorry Parker, I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s none of my business.” Her eyes offer up a silent apology as she looks my way.
“I’m an open book Livy, it’s okay. You can ask me anything. I’ll never lie to you. So tell me more about Bloom. What made you decide to open a flower shop?”
“Flowers bring me joy. They always have, ever since I was a little girl working with my mother in her garden. We spent hours there, bringing seeds to life, and those are some of my fondest childhood memories. She used to say that gardening was an act of love of the purest form, that it made you look forward to each new season bringing change and new hope. I figured if I could take my joy of flowers and turn it into a business that gave me financial freedom, I could be happy. It’s been a lot of hard work and late nights but somehow Ellie and I did it. It’s been profitable enough to support the two of us.”
“You should be proud of yourself. It’s not easy to build a profitable business from the ground up.”
“Thanks. You’ve always been supportive. Remember that time you supported my decision to get bangs? You really should have broken up with me right then and there. I didn’t even want to be seen in public with myself, but for some reason you willingly did.” Her mouth curves into a smile at the memory. She looks so damn pretty.
