"You two enjoy the rest of your evening," Dad says, "and stay out of trouble." His eyes narrow on Jaxon as if I’m fifteen and have a curfew to observe, which makes Jaxon chuckle.
And Mom kisses my cheek and whispers, "He's a good boy, Em." That's all she has to say for me to know she fully supports my trying to get back together with Jaxon. It makes my heart feel full as I watch them walk away toward the parking lot.
When I turn back toward Jaxon, Roger is already gone, wobbling off on tired legs into the busy crowd that swarms away from the beach in droves. Traffic will be a nightmare. It'll take a half hourjust to clear the parking lot, and I'm not keen on being stuck in a gridlock.
So when Jaxon looks at me and tilts his head toward the water and says, "Walk with me?" I can't complain.
We leave the boardwalk and take the wooden steps down to the beach. The sand has lost all of its warmth from the day and feels cold on my feet when I pull off my sandals. The crowd noise fades behind us as we move along the shoreline, replaced by the sound of small waves lapping against the sand.
We walk for a while without talking. Jaxon has his arm around my waist and his thumb strums my hip every so often. It's so comfortable being out here with him, like the ocean is so healing for our souls. Sometimes I feel like I'm part mermaid, because water therapy is definitely a real thing to me.
Jaxon stops eventually and turns to face me. With the city and festival lights behind him all I can see is the silhouette of his face, but I can tell he's feeling serious about something. I wrap my arms around his neck and lock my fingers behind his head.
"I've been thinking about something," he says, "and I need to say it out loud before I lose my nerve."
I sigh, wondering what might be on his mind, but I don't interrupt him.
"When I got my deployment orders, I knew it was gonna change me. I knew going in that the version of me who left wasn't gonna be the version who came back. And I told myself when I got back, you'd be here and everything would just pick up where we left off." He pauses and rubs the back of his neck. "But nothing quite went how I planned."
My throat tightens. "Jaxon." A stab of guilt makes me want to pull away, but he wraps his arms around my waist and holds me to his body.
"Let me finish," he says gently. "I was ashamed. That's the truth of it. I was ashamed of who I'd become and I was mad at myself for not being able to snap out of it. And instead of coming to the one person who actually gave a damn about me, I just blew up. You didn't deserve that, and I'm sorry."
I lean into him. When he gets vulnerable like this, I can't help it. "You should've come to me. I would've understood. I would've helped you through it, Jaxon. That's all I ever wanted—just to be there for you."
"I know that now," he says. "I didn't know it then. Or I did, but I couldn't let myself believe I deserved it. And then things with Mercy… Well, let's just say I let my pain speak instead of hearing how I'd hurt you."
The waves roll in and pull back and when he rests his lips on my forehead in a permanent kiss, I shut my eyes.
"We can't get those years back," I tell him, "but we can start now and do our best moving forward." It feels so unsettling to trust someone who's abandoned you in the past, but I'm trying my hardest. He deserves a second chance as much as I do.
"I'm not going anywhere, Em. Not ever again."
I lift my head, forcing him to lift his, and when he pulls back slightly, I'm able to rise up on my tiptoes and press my lips to his. The kiss is chaste and quick, but it seals the emotion I feel.
"And I'm never keeping secrets again." This is my promise to him now and forever. My heart will always be an open book. It'show I can heal myself, and how I will learn to trust that he can be safe for me.
"I love you, Emily Ann Carter." He leans down to kiss me, and I taste the grin on his lips.
"That's not my middle name, you know…" I kiss him back, but I'm chuckling, and it couldn't feel any better than this.
31
JAXON
Emily melts into me right away, her fingers tightening in my hair while her body presses flush to mine. The taste of mint chocolate chip lingers on her tongue, mixing with the salty tang in the air. I pull her closer, one hand sliding down her back to the curve of her waist, feeling her T-shirt ride up under my palm.
She breaks the kiss just enough to breathe my name. “Jaxon… don't you think we should go somewhere else?" I feel her smiling as she speaks and groans.
“No one’s coming down this far,” I murmur against her lips, already tugging the hem of her shirt upward. “I mean… we did it like this a few weeks ago.” Just not like this—that time, I was mostly clothed and we had the beach entirely to ourselves. Tonight, the festival keeps people on the boardwalk, but still far enough away that no one can see.
She lifts her arms, letting me peel the fabric over her head. The moonlight reflects off her skin as I drop the shirt onto the sand. Her bra is simple white cotton, and I trace the edge of it with myfingertips before reaching around to unhook it. The straps slip down her shoulders, and she shakes them off, baring herself to the night and to me.
"So beautiful," I murmur, leaning in to kiss the hollow of her throat, then lower, tasting the faint sweetness of her skin. Her hands are on me now, pushing my shirt up. I help her yank it off and toss it beside us. The cool breeze feels good on my chest, but her hands feel better, sliding over my stomach and up to my shoulders. She explores every inch like she’s memorizing me again.
“God, you’re hot,” she whispers, pressing her bare chest to mine. The contact makes me groan and start swelling. I cup one in my hand, thumb brushing the peak until it tightens. Emily arches into the touch with a soft moan that goes straight through me.
I find the waistband of her shorts next, popping the button and easing the zipper down. She steps out of them when they pool at her ankles, kicking them aside along with her sandals. Her panties match the bra—plain, pretty, already damp when I slide my fingers over the front. She groans and rocks against my hand.
