Page 88 of Spring Tide

“We made it here,” I say softly.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” He glances at his watch, clearing the sleep from his voice. “How long was I out for?”

“Just over an hour, but it’s okay. I wanted you to get your rest.”

Scrubbing a hand over his forehead, he asks, “Should we go check it out, then?”

“Yeah, but it’s a race.”

“Wait, what?” he asks, but I’ve already yanked the driver’s-side door wide open. I’m halfway down the beach by the time he catches up with me. Both of his arms circle around my waist, hoisting me over his shoulder as he runs toward the shoreline.

“Put me down,” I yell through my laughter, playfully swatting at his back.

He abruptly stops in his tracks. “Holy shit.”

“What, what is it?” I squirm in his arms, flailing until he sets me down in the sand.

“I’ve never seen it quite like this before.”

I follow his gaze, watching as an electric-blue wave crests and breaks against the shore, a brilliant smile stretching across my cheeks. I didn’t know if we would still be able to catch the summer glow, but now I’m so happy we made the long drive.

“This must be the very tail end of it,” I say, entranced by the glimmering water. “I saw it for the first time the summer I turned sixteen. I come back every year to watch, but the red tide was so late this year.”

“Yeah, we almost never get it like this at home.”

“That’s probably a good thing ... not as much pollution there. But isn’t it still so beautiful?”

“It’s incredible.” He grins, looping an arm around my shoulders and tucking me against his side. “It also definitely smells like rotten eggs.”

“Ah, that sweet sulfury smell,” I say with a laugh. “Didn’t you know, with beauty comes pain?”

“I tell myself that every day.”

I roll my eyes, playfully bumping him with my hip. “So I was thinking about something on the drive over here.”

“Oh yeah?”

“My dad has a condo just a few miles from here. He’s out on a work trip right now, so we could stay there tonight, and I could drive us home first thing in the morning,” I ramble, nervously twirling a strand of hair between my fingers. “If we leave by eight thirty, then we should have plenty of time for you to make your shift. Only if you want to, of course.”

He squeezes my shoulder. “I’d like that.”

“Oh, good, then.”

“Wait, isn’t tomorrow supposed to be your last shift of the season?”

“I switched with one of the girls already, so I’m on in the afternoon. You’ll have to share the beach with me one last time.”

“I guess I’m okay with that,” he says, his soft smile melting into a smirk.

I take his hand as we wander the shoreline together, long enough to make the trip worthwhile. By the time we make it back to the car, I feel a mixture of exhaustion and happiness that’s bordering on delirium.

“You want me to drive back to your dad’s place?” Luca asks, opening the passenger door.

“Yes, please.” I carefully slip inside as he bends down, popping a kiss onto my forehead before closing me in.

I ramble off directions as we pull out of the parking lot and onto the county roads. He turns up the stereo, humming under his breath and murmuring the words to some Wild Rivers song. He looks lighter, happier than I’ve ever seen him, as if a heavy weight has been lifted off his shoulders tonight.

It’s not long before we’re pulling into a parking spot in front of my dad’s four-story condo. I watch as Luca scans the perimeter of the building, his eyes going wide before he schools his expression.

---