Page 17 of Heatwaves

I feel myself melting, leaning against the wall to make sure I don’t end up with my butt onthe floor. A quick wink, and then Carter is gone, closing the door behind him. I hear their truck start up and hear my phone going off in the other room.

Hurrying over, I grab it to see who is messaging me when I could still be in the middle of my heat.

AIDAN

I can’t wait until I see you again, kitten.

OLIVER

If the others would have let me, I would have stayed. But they were right, you deserve some time for yourself.

TY

Try not to miss us too much, but know that you’re the only thing I’ll be thinking of all day.

AIDAN

Carter is driving, so he can’t message you, but he says we’ll call you later tonight.

Be good.

I sigh, feeling light as I move toward the bedroom. My mind runs over the last few days as Istrip the sheets from the bed, grimacing when I realize just how dirty they are. But I had a lot of fun dirtying them, and isn’t that all that matters?

Chewing on my lip, I wonder if I’m letting myself hope too much that this means more than just a shared heat. It seems like the four of them want more from me, otherwise, why would they say the things they said? But am I setting myself up to get hurt?

Shaking my head, I banish those negative thoughts from my head. No, I won’t let myself doubt this. The sex had been great, but there is more between the five of us, and I can’t wait to explore it more. Not only did I have an amazing first heat, but I might have found the men that can make my whole life amazing. Life is definitely looking up.

Staring out at the ocean spread before me, I let out a sigh before pushing to my feet. I don’t know why I keep coming back here like they’re just magically going to reappear.

Not that I want them to reappear. That’s certainly not why I bought a house on the beach. I’m a whale shifter. Of course, I want to be close to the ocean.

Scoffing, I turn away from the sunset and crashing waves and make my way up the path to my bungalow. I love my house.

It’s far larger than the one I lived in all those years ago—not because I need the space, but because I wantedthishouse. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it. Especially when I realized the beach is private, for a mile in each direction.

Just beyond those boundaries to the west is where the annual heat meet andgreet is still held. Although, it’s not nearly as large anymore since I launched Heat Assist a few years ago.

Stopping at the gate leading to my property, I glance back at the waves once more. I can’t help scanning the ocean, looking for people I don’t want to admit I’m looking for.

It’s been ten years since I went through my first heat with Aidan, Carter, Ty, and Oliver. Ten years since they walked out of my house and out of my life. And apparently off the face of the realm. No one has heard a peep from any of them since they left my house.

I’ve tried my damnedest to get over them, but I think not knowing what happened to them has had me clinging to the hope that they might just show up again one day. For all I know, they’re buried in someone’s backyard, just waiting for someone to find their bodies.

They weren’t really anything to me. We only shared one heat and got to know one another a little. I shouldn’t care that they ghosted everyone in their lives, including me. I shouldn’t have felt enough about them to be more than a little hurt.

But here we are, ten years later, and I still can’t stop thinking about them. It’s pathetic. I’m fucking pathetic.

Grinding my teeth, I tear my gaze away from the ocean and enter the code to open the gate. I pull it shut behind me and start up the stairs until I reach the deck that dominates my backyard. It runs along the pool, hot tub, and bar that I had built.

Why have a pool when the ocean is steps away? Sometimes, I don’t want to swim in the ocean. Sometimes, I have a bad day where I don’t have the energy to make the short walk.

I make it to the French doors that open to the backyard, and it takes a lot of effort not to turn around and stare at the ocean once more.

I’m not looking for them.

I just like the ocean.

My shoulders hunch over as I try to remind myself I haven’t made my entire life around them and the loss I still feel now.

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