pte

t su

ty, from the constant pressure, from the endless talks about her future. Her mother thought

knew how r

te stone. Beautiful in the cold way that expensive things were be

ed up at the bonfire

low against the dark sky, the shapes of people dancing

shirt. If the security guard her father insisted on woke and found her

r bare feet as she walked to

sky. Someone had a guitar. Someone else had a cooler full o

p, suddenly shy. She didn't know

look

ehind her. She turned

e strong line of his jaw, the ink that covered his arms. A silver earring caught the light when he moved.

, though it wasn't entir

ooked at her. His eyes were dark b

rom around he

gave i

or permission to breathe." He stood up, tall an

enn

want to sit? Fire

't sit around bonfires with tat

she

the cooler. She had never h

ed like

she asked, nodding

capture truth." He took a

ty lunches. She attended board meetings for organizations she didn't care ab

really do

e does s

. I jus

a long moment. "T

onely. But she had never

s," she w

*Hope you're having a good time at

She turned the phone

out of here?" Lan

would

it m

n her life, the dest

someone

g to see yo

dropping low. "You scared of

t facing consequences, and she had never be

" she w

offering his hand. "You should

choice. Take it and step into something dangerous.

ok his

d was soft and the waves crashed against the shore. They wa

eal," he said when t

do you

ue. Something

he had been trained to give. But standing

is parents have it all planned out. The merger, the

don't w

nt. I've never been all

her. "What if you could have anythin

feel something

air between them. Da

ough. "But you're going to remember this ni

should hav

made her w

ow

ace in his hand

rld st

nds tangled in her hair, pulling her closer. She could feel the ocean breeze against her skin, the soft sa

ed back, she

?" he asked, his vo

istine white rooms. The place where she w

" she b

tage set back from the beach. Weathered woo

shold, heart pounding.

is?" he asked, rea

ike she was something precious and

es

was trying to memorize the taste of her. His hands fo

n fell to

" he said, his voi

time in her life

to his bed. The sheets were soft

r, there was nothi

n. His mouth followed, leaving her gas

whispered ag

ase

't s

her throat. "I'm ju

looked into her eyes and asked if she wa

es

orld was ending. Like this was

er name like a prayer. In the way he held her

s. His fingers traced patterns on her bare shoulder. She

red, even though it was t

uld

s messy from her fingers. His eyes were dark an

now your last n

it m

arms, nothing else

dmitted. "I

d this was real. That she was the kind of woman

to rise. Slower this time. Sweeter. Like

ever ha

oke up, he

beside her, written in dark ink

Don't let them make you

him. For her. For the night that changed eve

rose over the ocean. She couldn't stop herself from looking

y. Like he had neve

ut couldn't touch the memories. She folded the note carefully and hid it in t

ellion. Her

k in the city. Back to chari

r told her supposed boyfriend No

said

en did. They took what they wer

strange arms around he

he note hidden in her jewelry box and remember wha

member

ew she alw