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Our meals arrived soon, and we all chowed down. It was impressive how much food these guys could put away, although you wouldn't know it from looking at them. They were a good-looking group—fit, cute, and maybe a bit rough around the edges. Kind of like this guy sitting next to me.
Well into my second margarita, I listened to the conversation around me as I ate and kept one eye on the stunning beach scene in front of me, all the while thinking about Josh and what he was starting to mean to me, that little crush that I'd acknowledged before blossoming into something bigger.
As the sun started to reach the water's edge, it dawned on me that, hi, I was about to witness the sunset and had a chance at seeing the ever-elusive green flash. I jumped out of my seat and rushed to the edge of the patio where I had a better view.
Watching the sinking sun, I tried not to get my hopes up. I knew from experience that the crash down would only be worse. So I tempered my expectations.
Green flashes were rare. Most people went a whole lifetime without ever seeing it.
Even if I didn't see one, miracles could still happen, right? No matter what, green flash or not, I could still believe that my dad was out there, that he'd survived and was making his way back to us.
Regardless of my internal non-pep talk, I still found myself holding my breath as the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon. I felt a presence next to me but didn't look away from the orange glow in front of me. Despite that, I knew who it was.
Josh.
And I was also aware he knew what I was hoping to see.
We were both silent as we stared at the water, the warm breeze ruffling my hair. We weren't the only ones watching. Clusters of people paused to witness the magical moment, something we took for granted that the sun would rise and set every day.
The sun was now halfway gone, the ocean appearing to swallow it up in the distance, like some kind of mystical mirage. My whole body tensed as I waited those last moments, my heart pounding against my ribcage.
Lower and lower, the sun sank until only the last bit remained.
And now, my lungs stopped working, and I didn't blink. Any second, the brightness would disappear, and maybe, just maybe, we'd witness a phenomenon.
My eyes almost burning, the last bit of the sun slowly disappeared from sight. And right at the final second, the orange glow turned into a sizzle of green that made me gasp in shock. I could hardly believe it! In a flash, the green was gone.
Holy shit! We had actually seen it!
People around us applauded as I turned to Josh, his wide eyes mirroring mine. Whirling emotions whipped through me. A half-laugh, half-sob escaped me then. And suddenly, Josh's arms were around me, and I felt his chest rumbling with his laughter.
"You saw it, Jess! You saw it," he said against the top of my head while I fought the tangle of emotions for a long moment.
Leaning back, I peered up at him, electricity crackling between us as our eyes locked. I was so completely in shock that words wouldn't even form in my scrambled mind. But no words were necessary. Josh's face said it all. His face was lit up brighter than the hot summer sun.
"That was incredible," Josh whispered. "I'm so happy for you."
All I could do was stare at him, speechless, breathless, something about the moment bigger than myself.
What did it mean? Would a miracle actually happen?
Josh's eyes burned into mine, and I wondered if he could sense my thoughts. By the soft smile curving those sexy lips, he had to know the thrill coursing through my body. And now it wasn't just because of the green flash. It was for another reason altogether—this beyond intense physical connection between us that couldn't be denied.
With one hand, Josh reached up and gently removed the lock of hair that was blowing into my eyes, tucking it back behind my ear, his touch sending goosebumps down my arms. The motion only ramped up the tension between us, our breaths speeding up, our surroundings falling away.
For a second, I thought Josh might kiss me. His eyes moved to my lips, and he pulled me in tighter against him, our bodies crushed together.
But when a waitress walked past with a loaded-down tray, fajitas hissing and sending up steam, we were brought back to Earth.
Josh grinned at me and let up on his hold. "Forgot where we were."
Letting out a pent-up breath, I smiled back. What an amazing freaking experience! Between seeing an actual green flash and the aftermath with Josh, I was floating on a cloud.
God, was I experiencing the full spectrum of emotional mood swings or what?
But I didn't have time to dwell on it because his friends called out to us, wanting to know all about the green flash that people were buzzing about.
Soon, we were swept up into the night, the festivities, the drinking, the endless celebration. Josh's friends were a blast, and the drinks flowed generously, each guy picking up the next round as we moved on to a bar down the street, also overlooking the water. James knew how to pick them; that was for sure.
