Page 88 of Memories By the Shore
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Easton presses, his eyes trained on the romantic spot my friends helped me create.
“Absolutely,” I state, without a doubt in my mind. I don’t see any negatives about this whole situation. I live in the town I love, have a network of supportive people, and I’m taking over a family business I love. My life is set. Avery and the baby were the missing pieces. “Is your brother waiting for us at the courthouse?”
“He is,” Riley says. “If she says yes, he’s waiting on standby.”
I run a hand through my hair. “I’m so fucking excited.”
“What a hell of a summer this is for you, Jasper.” Easton takes his turn at wrapping a friendly arm around me.
“A life-changing summer,” I mutter. Just then, my phonevibrates at my side. I slid it out to see that it’s a text from Avery.
Arizona: I’m here. Where do you want me to meet you?
Me: Just stay in your car. I’ll come and get you.
I tap out the quick response, then put my phone away.
A few minutes later, I'm walking with Avery down to the shore.
“You’re not going to throw me into the ocean, are you?” Avery asks, a thick blindfold tightly around her eyes.
My hands are on her shoulders while I lead her through the sand. “I would never.”
“Yes, you would.” She giggles sweetly.
“That’s true, I probably would.” I laugh. “But then I’d come in after you.”
“You’ve been blindfolding me a lot lately.” Her voice is airy and light.
“I have, haven’t I?” I flirt. Glancing over at my three friends, each one with shit-eating grins on their faces. They’re continuing to make me regret including them.
As we approach the blanket covered in rose petals, my heart pounds against the back of my ribcage. I am ready to marry Avery. I love her. “Okay, Arizona.”
Her fingers come over mine, and we both pull the blindfold off her head. She gasps. “Jasper.”
“Avery.”
She looks stunned and confused when she turns toward mewith her palms covering her mouth. “What is all this?”
A calmness cloaks me—one I’ve never known except from the sea. I smile and bring my hands to her cheeks. “Avery Thomas,” I begin. She sucks in a sharp breath. “My dad met my mother when he was fourteen years old. He knew he would marry her from the moment he saw her.” Avery’s almond-shaped green eyes bore into mine. “I might not be fourteen, but Iamnineteen. And I knew from the moment I hit you with that volleyball you were like no other girl I’ve ever met.”
“When you hit me with the volleyball you knew?” she whispers, slight humor in her voice.
I chuckle. “Yes.”
She smiles, letting me continue.
“Others like to say that people our age don’t know what love is or is about, but Idoknow. It’s how my body feels when I’m connected to you. It’s how I can see into your thoughts and how we can simply lay in silence for hours without feeling the need to fill it with empty words.”
“Love can be quiet,” she whispers. A single tear escapes from under her eyelid and rolls down her face.
“Yes.” As my body warms, I lean into her, bringing my forehead to hers. “Now, I’m going to ask you something, and I want you to know I’m more than sure I want to do this.” Then I pull away, lowering to one knee in front of her.
“Fuck yeah, dude!” Bodhi calls out from a few yards away. I crack a smile, pushing his wails away. And when Avery does the same thing, I am even more sure of my decision.
“Avery.” I swallow hard, barely able to catch my breath, as the nerves finally hit me. “Will you marry me?”
Everything around us blurs. I stare at her from the position at my knee and watch in slow motion as a quick rise in her chest results in what I can only describe as a low-pitched shriek. “Oh my god.”
