Garret parks next to the metal railing and comes around to let me out.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to park here,” I tell him.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re good.” He clicks the car remote, locking the doors.
“I have to go see it.” I run off toward the beach. Garret runs after me and scoops me up into his arms.
“Not yet,” he says and plants a kiss on my lips.
I love being in his arms again. And hearing his voice again. And feeling his lips again. I love everything about him.
“I can’t go to the beach?”
“I’m taking you to the beach. But I’m taking you to a different part of the beach. Over there.” He points to a giant black rock formation jutting out from the sand that has stairs so you can climb to the top. It’s so big it’s like a small hill.
“Why there?”
“It’s a lookout point. It has a great view of the ocean.” He sets me down. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
We run along the sand and climb to the top of the rock. There’s nobody up there, but near the edge of it there’s a blanket with a picnic basket on top.
“That looks just like the blanket we used in the woods.”
“Because it is.” He grabs my hand and leads me to it.
“But how did you. . . When did you . . .”
“What do you think of the view?” He puts his arm around my waist as we face the ocean.
“It’s incredible.” I scan the beach, which is a never-ending stretch of sand with small houses on one side and the roaring ocean on the other. “Is this a private beach?”
“Yeah. It’s just for the people who live here.”
“Then we should get out of here. We’ll get in trouble.”
“We won’t get in trouble. We live here, Jade.” He points behind me to some two-story condos. “We live in that white one and Sean and Harper are in the blue one next to it.”
I turn to get a better look. “Seriously? This is our beach? We’re really going to live here?”
“Yes. This is where we live now.” He turns me back toward him and takes my sunglasses off and sets them on the blanket. I notice his are off, too. “But before I take you to our place, I have to do something.”
“Okay, what?” I kiss him quick, but I want to kiss him a lot more so I hope he hurries up with all this talking.
“I’m kind of old-fashioned. You know that, right?”
“Old fashioned how? What do you mean?”
“Like I’m into traditions and stuff like that.”
“Yeah, I guess you are.”
“So I was thinking that if I’m going to live with a girl, she should be more than just a girlfriend. Living together is kind of a big step.”
“What are you getting at here?”
He smiles at my impatience, but now I feel bad for rushing him. I can tell by his tone that whatever he’s trying to say is important. I’m just really anxious to get to the kissing part.
“I’m sorry. Go ahead.” I give him my full attention, gazing at his gorgeous blue eyes.
