Page 87 of Spring Tide

With the way his schedule is running at the moment, that seems like an impossible feat. Luca barely has time to even breathe these days. If he doesn’t allow himself to decompress, I’m worried the pressure will build and build until it all implodes.

“That might be good if you can swing it.”

His sigh is so deep and heavy that it hollows out a cavity in my chest. “It’s a lot to juggle, but I feel like I need to.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, just ... just be with me.” He lets one hand drop from the steering wheel, molding his fingers around my thigh. “That’s all I need.”

“I can do that.”

We allow a comfortable silence to blanket the space around us. The freeway is quiet and mostly empty at this time of night, so all we can hear is the steady sounds of our mingled breath and the dull white noise of the car’s engine.

I rack my mind for the best way to comfort him. I don’t want to keep debating the topic tonight, especially since he’s already entered a cycle of self-doubt. He could do with a distraction instead, a means to get his mind off the situation until he’s ready to deal with the fallout.

And I might have the perfect solution.

Scrambling for my phone, it only takes me a few minutes to pull up the surf cams for Cape Casserat. As suspected, the beach in my hometown is experiencing a red tide, one that’s persisted for nearly a month.

“Hey, do you think you could pull over on the next exit?” I ask, tucking my phone back into my purse.

“Uh, sure?” He cocks one brow. “We’re still a few miles short of Boyer, though.”

“I know, but I want you to switch with me.”

He taps his thumb against the outside of my thigh. “You want to drive?”

“Mhm,” I say cheerfully. “You don’t start work until noon tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You showed me your home; now I want to show you mine. I’m taking us to Cape Casserat tonight.”

“What?” He shoots a bewildered glance in my direction. “We won’t make it there until nearly midnight.”

“That’s perfect.”

“You’re confusing me.”

“There’s been a red tide there for weeks.” I’m bouncing in my seat, heels tapping in the footwell. “It’s probably the last chance we’ll get this season to see the blue wave.”

“Are you talking about bioluminescence?”

“Yes,” I say excitedly. “So, will you go with me? I’ll drive us back, and you can get some sleep before your shift.”

“Fuck it,” he says with a shake of his head, eyes bright with amusement. “Let’s go.”

We pull off onto the nearest exit and quickly swap places. Luca yanks at the bar below the passenger seat, adjusting the pitch for optimal legroom. I do the opposite, pulling myself forward a good six inches or so. Once we’re all settled, I shift into gear and merge back onto the freeway, headed for my old home.

It only takes an hour for Luca to pass out beside me. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps, finally free from the ceaseless tension, so I dim the music and let him rest.

The remainder of our drive is familiar. I run this same route about three times a year now, visiting my dad whenever he can slip away from work. He’s a senior account executive at a telecom company, so he’s generally busier than either of us would like. He travels often, but he keeps his condo near the cape in case I ever need a safe place to land.

Despite the offer, I’ve never stayed the night without him here before.

It’s approaching midnight when we finally pull up to the beachfront. I place a hand on Luca’s shoulder, gently shaking him as I whisper, “We’re here.”

“Hm?” he murmurs, slowly blinking himself awake. He stretches both arms over his head, yawning and rubbing at his eyes.

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