he's got a lot to learn about the world beyond his screens. she's willing to show him the golden beaches and every secret corner of the city she loves. they just have to work out how they're going to survive when his existence is a secret from publi...
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The cool breeze of the northern summer shore is so strikingly different from Florida that Irena is actually wearing a sweatshirt.
She leans across the outdoor dining table, fishing the bag of dinner rolls from the end. She glances up just in time to catch Clay approaching across the lawn of the A-Frame house with his friends in tow. Nick's stature is a bit stiffer than Clay's, but he's laughing loudly with Karl. Irena shakes her head as she catches a snippet of the inappropriate conversation topic before they head into the house.
"Here, I," Izzy moves around her with the plate of hamburgers.
The table doesn't take long to prepare. Irena takes a moment to look down the cliff, at the rocky shores. Maine is certainly beautiful. Not her kind of beach, but this is something both her and Clay have desperately needed. Their friends, as well, have been benefitting from this vacation.
As soon as they've eaten dinner, Clay separates from Nick and Karl, gesturing with his head towards the pebbled path that leads down to the beach. Irena moves away from Izzzy and follows him.
The sun is starting to set, early August already resulting in a slightly earlier time for the sky to turn a brilliant reddish hue.
Clay's arms find her, wrapping securely around her collarbone and pulling her back to his chest. He plants a light kiss to her cheek before turning them both to the ocean.
The piney smell of the beach fills her nose, along with Clay's cologne and the familiar detergent he uses on his clothes. Behind them, the shadows of the trees are stretching across the sand from the setting sun. Irena sighs in content. She hasn't felt this peaceful in a long time.
"I could live here," she breathes. "So close to where Gram was. It's perfect."
"You'd move up here?"
"Maybe. Settle down when my party years are behind me."
"Kids?"
"Maybe," Irena shrugs. "Who knows. Focus on these next few years while they last. We have a whole lifetime to plan."
That brings a smile to Clay's face. She can hear it in his voice. His chest thrums against her back.
"I love you," he whispers.
"I love you too," she replies, singing it with a laugh to the open sea. The wind that pelts in whips her long hair back against him, but he doesn't complain.
Though there are friends behind them in the house and more weeks of the year left, this feels right. Like it's just the two of them. A small pocket of light in the world. Her home is in his arms and no where else. Irena's eyes drift shut in bliss. She'd spent eternity right here, if she could.
And a part of her always will. When the nights grow long and the day is just a bit too cold, she'll retreat here. Hold it dear to her heart until her insides are warm with it.
There will be a hundred more memories like this. To keep herself cozy and comforted. Memories to make with Clay and the new friends she's made. Memories that will never leave. Memories that all started in a city in southern Florida and changed two tumultuous lives forever, intertwining them in a permanent loop. And Irena wouldn't change that for the world.
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- the end -
hi everyone. end of this book. if you're interested in still following irena and friends, I have a georgenotfound sequel published called 'peridot' please check it out if you're interested <3
thank all so much for reading, i had a ton of fun writing this and I hope you all enjoyed :)
