“Damnit, I missed the opportunity to meet Zach? You’re gonna have to set something up so that I can get to know him and make sure he’s worthy enough for my bestie,” she responded, smiling.
I looked at her skeptically and said, “You still haven’t answered my question.”
“What?” she asked, shrugging.
I eyed her letting her know that she needed to spill the beans.
“You know damn well ‘what’.”
“Alright, alright. Yes, I was with Aaron, but before you say anything else, no, I haven’t screwed his brains out… yet.”
I shook my head. “So? What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.
“Nothing,” she responded, looking at me as if she were innocent. “We just made out. I’m planning on saving the goods for the night of his party. I’m gonna rock his world!” she exclaimed.
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”
“Of course! Hell-o! Have you gotten a good look at him? Now, enough about me and Aaron. Tell me about your night with Zach Attack! Has he asked you out yet?” Misty asked.
Zach Attack? Hell yeah, he attacked my insides in the best possible way.
I shook my head, saying, “Not quite, but…” I let that hang in the air for a while, torturing her just a bit. When she couldn’t take anymore, she grabbed me by the arms and shook me.
“But what! Mmm! Tell me, Brae!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. She had to be one of the most impatient people I had ever known.
I looked up towards the water and there stood Zach. He appeared to be chatting with Liam Kennedy, another nineteen-year-old local. He hadn’t seen me yet, but the way he stood there in his shorts and button-down shirt made him so fucking irresistible; he looked completely scrumptious to me.
“But… we shared the most amazing kiss last night, beneath a starlit sky, as the fireworks went soaring above us. It was magical, something totally out of a movie. But damn, Misty, he is incredible. He told me he really likes me. I told him I did, too, but I think I’ve fallen in love with him.”
She stared at me and her mouth almost hit the sand. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me? Oh my God, Brae! That’s fan-fucking-tastic! But hold up… love? What’s this thing you call love?”
She looked at me disapprovingly. Misty did not believe in love. I think it all went back to what her parents displayed in front of her. There they were, two people who were supposed to love each other for better or worse, but instead, one of them had run off. She certainly did not have a good example of what love was supposed to be.
“Yeah, I know how you feel about falling in love and you don’t want me getting hurt, but I don’t know. He makes me feel things I’ve never felt before with anyone else. He makes me feel… alive. It’s so soon, I know, but my heart is all in. I swear. Look, there he is now,” I said to her, pointing to the muscular guy in the white shorts and light blue button-down shirt. His long blond bangs swished from side-to-side due to the steadily blowing wind.
Misty looked up and saw Zach. “God damn, Brae. How the hell did you control yourself and not jump his bones last night?”
I laughed and nudged her gently. “Stop it! Come on, let’s go get the two of you acquainted.”
We got up, dusted the sand off of us, and waltzed over to the shore. Just as we reached them, we saw Liam had already begun walking off, guitar in hand. He always had that rock guitar with him.
Zach’s blue eyes finally met mine and the smile that illuminated his face was priceless.
“Hey, pretty girl,” he said, causing a heat to rise from deep within my core. God, what was he doing to me? “Hello,” he said almost immediately, looking at Misty.
“Hey Zach,” I said, “this is my best friend, Misty,” then turning to Misty, I continued with, “Misty, this is Zach.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Misty replied.
“Ah, this is the Misty I have been hearing so much about! Pleasure is all mine,” Zach declared.
Misty smiled, obviously pleased. “Such a gentleman. My bestie did good.”
I blushed but let her and Zach continue getting to know one another. They talked about school and how this was Zach’s first time spending his summer on the beach.
After a while, I smiled nervously and grabbed Misty by the arm. “Would you excuse us for just one second?” I asked, looking at Zach.
“Certainly,” he responded.
I spun Misty around and we walked a few feet away.
“What did I say?” she asked in defense.
“Nothing! I just wanna know what you think of him? He’s awesome, right?”
Nodding her head in approval, she replied, “Bitchola, he’s more than awesome. He’s perfect, and if you don’t move your ass and make him yours soon, I’m going to have to steal him from you… just kidding!” She laughed when she saw my face.
We giggled and then turned back around and walked over to him once more.
“All good?” he asked, running a hand through his soft, dark brown hair. His smile caused his sexy dimples to show once more. I was ready to lose my shit.
“Yes, perfect,” I mumbled, smiling back.
Misty, Zach and I walked along the shore for about fifteen minutes before she claimed she had to go.
“I’m sorry, guys. I’m supposed to be meeting someone by the bay in about ten minutes, and if I don’t turn around and head back soon, I’m going to be uberly late.”
I already knew Misty was referring to Aaron, but I nodded letting her knew I understood.
“It was great to meet you, Misty,” Zach said, giving her one of his famous, pearly white smiles.
Smiling back, she said, “It certainly was. Maybe we can make plans for another day to all hang out. Brae, you should totally bring him to the party. I’ll call you later.”
“Bye, Mist,” I responded, waving at her as she took off.
Zach grabbed my hand, and we continued walking further down the shoreline.
“Your friend seems really nice,” he said to me.
“Yeah, Misty is great. I don’t know what I would do without her. She’s having a rough time going through some family drama, but she’s doing okay considering. I love her to bits.”
He turned me around to face him then. “Well, she’s lucky to have such a great friend like you, pretty girl.”
As the water lapped at our feet, he cupped my face with his hands and kissed me with the sunset as our backdrop.
6
Three weeks had passed, and I was still on cloud nine from the way Zach had been making me feel.
Every single day, we’d spend the night right beneath the starlit sky, kissing and making out, to the point where the both of us were ready to explode. I wanted him more than anything else I had ever wanted in my whole entire life. Truthfully, I didn’t know how much longer I could resist holding out.
At the end of July, on a gloomy evening, Zach and I were having our usual date under the stars. I hadn’t even bothered going home for dinner. I had completely lost track of time, but I didn’t care. Zach and I were lost in one another between stares and kisses on the sand. I had even missed the dark clouds rolling in.