He flips me on my back and hovers over me. “We’re living on the beach, Jade. I want to wake up every morning with you in my bed and the cool ocean breeze blowing through our window. I want you to fall asleep in my arms every night listening to the waves crashing against the shore.”
I laugh. “Are you writing a romance novel here?”
“We’re not getting some shitty place miles from the beach. If we’re doing this, we’re getting a place on the ocean.”
His cheesy romance novel description did sound appealing. I could almost see it in my head. Why fight him on it? I’ve always dreamed of living on the beach, never once thinking it would actually happen.
“Okay. Let’s do it. Let’s get a place on the beach.” Just saying the words out loud has me smiling so much my cheeks hurt.
“I’ll start looking this week.” Garret’s smiling, too. I’m sure he thought I’d never agree to this. “Beach rentals fill up fast. Tell me which coast you want and we’ll go from there.”
“Um, I don’t know. You pick. I’ve never actually been to a beach. I’ve never even seen the ocean, so I really shouldn’t be deciding that.”
He stares at me. “You’ve never been to the ocean? How did I not know this?”
“I grew up in Iowa. When would I have gone to the ocean? Coming here to college was the first time I ever left the state.”
“Shit, I didn’t even think about that. Why haven’t I taken you to see the ocean? We’re less than an hour away from the damn ocean and I’ve never even taken you to see it.” He gets off the bed and holds out his hand. “Get up. We’re going.”
“Going where?”
“I’m taking you to see the ocean.”
“It’s winter. The weather’s crappy. I don’t want to see it right now.”
He glances out the window at the icy rain. “Classes don’t start until Tuesday. We’ll get on a plane and fly down to Florida.”
I yank him back under the blanket with me. “We’re not going to Florida. The ocean can wait. It’s not going anywhere. Now let’s figure out this summer. I think West Coast. California. Maybe we could go see Harper while we’re there.”
Garret considers it. “California, huh? I like it. Maybe an hour or so up the coast from LA. They have some great beaches and it’s not as crowded. My dad has a real estate agent out there. I’ll call her and see if she handles summer rentals.”
“I want input, Garret. Don’t just pick a place.”
“She’ll give us options and we’ll pick the place together.”
I wrap my arm around his chest and squeeze him. “I’m so excited about this. I just want the semester over so we can go right now.”
“You see? It’s better to just say what you want instead of trying to make me guess. Or pretending you don’t want something when you really do.”
“But I didn’t know I wanted this. I just knew I didn’t want to be away from you all summer.”
“And you never would’ve told me that if I hadn’t forced you to.”
“Well, you almost had me convinced you didn’t want to see me this summer.”
“You know there’s no way in hell I’d go four months without seeing you. I love you, remember?”
“I love you, too.” I shiver, burrowing deeper under the blanket.
“Let’s get out of here. It’s too cold. I hear the heat running now, but it’ll take forever to warm up. Let’s go eat and come back later.”
I get up, keeping the blanket wrapped around me. “Maybe we could go to your house and watch a movie in the theater room.”
“You’re not worried about seeing Katherine?”
“I’m done worrying about her. I don’t care if she hates me. She’ll have to get used to me because I’m not going anywhere.”
Garret smiles. “It’s good to hear you finally say that.”
