Awakened

Thirty-Six

Life seemed to move at a supersonic speed after that morning together. Everything had changed, but it all felt so right. It felt right to be with Beau, like it was where I was supposed to be. Not that anyone else in our lives shared that sentiment, but to be honest I didn't really care. Thomas hadn't spoken to me since that awful night by the pool, and when Cynthia finally pulled me into one of her warm embraces the next day it didn't feel the same as before. As her arms wrapped around me it felt more like she felt sorry for me, like she could already see how this was going to end.

Sam tried to be supportive, in fact, she never once said anything negative about my relationship with Beau. I caught her glances though, when she didn't realize I was looking. I could see the worry etched into her face whenever he was around. Shelly, on the other hand, didn't even try to placate me. She made it clear from the jump that she thought this whole thing was a huge mistake.

Again, none of it mattered. Ever since that morning he had given me everything I'd asked for. The hearts, the flowers, and all that other bullshit. There had been dinners, a trip to the movies, and he'd even gone to the bookstore with me and Sam. He was trying.

There was only two weeks left of Summer, and despite living in pure bliss with him, our time in dreamland was coming closer and closer to ending. Anytime I brought up what comes after, Beau would silence me with a kiss and tell me not to ruin the moment. It would be a lie to say that it didn't bother me that he refused to talk about the future, but at the same time I didn't want to do anything to mess up what we had.

The truth was simple, in two weeks I would be returning home to prepare for college. In two weeks Beau Dalton would likely be setting sail for God knows where for God knows how long. How could I possibly ignore that? How could I pretend that the thought of getting in my parent's car and driving away from him didn't kill me? We hadn't even talked about what any of this means. Would we stay together? Could we even make the long distance thing work? These questions constantly raced through my mind, and time seemed to be ticking away like a bomb waiting to explode at any moment.

Beau: Be ready in 20 minutes, I have a surprise. Bring a bathing suit.

The text made my heart leap, and I jumped up from the couch and bounded up the stairs to my bedroom.

I threw on a pair of jeans and the first shirt I could find, dabbed on a bit of makeup, and gathered my hair into a ponytail. I throw a bikini into my bag, along with a towel just in case. When I take in my appearance in the mirror I can only hope that he wasn't expecting me to get all dolled up. I'm too excited to put any more thought into what I'm wearing, instead only focused on being in his arms again.

"Where are you running off to in such a rush?" Shelly asked, peeking over the top of a self-help book on loving yourself.

The smile on my face was a dead giveaway that whatever it was involved Beau. "I don't know, he said he has a surprise."

"Hmm. Alright then. Text me and let me know what your plans are." She says, looking back down at the pages and away from me.

A honk from outside causes me to fling open the door, and when I see him in the drivers seat there is little I can do to calm my pounding heart.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask, still grinning from ear to ear. We've been driving for half an hour now, and he's been very secretive regarding his plans for the evening.

"You'll see." He replies, never taking his eyes off the road.

I let out a groan, and a smirk plays on his lips. "Fine." I relent, accepting that he's going to force me to be surprised.

When we finally arrive at what I assume is our destination, I am both confused and intrigued. It looks like a beachfront park or campground of some sort, though I see hardly any other people around. There is a small building with one of those windows like you'd see at a concession stand. Beau exits the car, speaks with the man behind the counter for a few moments, and returns with a parking pass.

"Ready?" He asks, clearly enjoying watching me try to figure out what the hell we are doing here.

I shrug, "I have no clue what I am ready for, but yeah. I guess so."

He grabs a backpack and cooler from the trunk, and leads me down a pathway. When we finally arrive at a picnic table he plops the cooler down and pulls out two sandwiches. I raise an eyebrow, "You made lunch?"

Beau laughs, "It's just a sandwich, don't get too excited." He pats the seat next to him, and when I am by his side he pulls a crumpled sheet of paper from his pocket. "We have a lot to get done, so eat quick."

I recognize the paper as my Summer Bucket List, and my cheeks burn red. "Oh God, you kept that?"

It feels like an eternity has passed since Sam scratched those words onto paper.

"Of course I did. Now eat." He shoves the sandwich into his mouth, and I laugh when mustard drips down his chin. I take my finger and wipe it off, and his eyes go dark when I slide it into my mouth to clean it from my skin.

We finish the meal quickly. He turns to me, mischief written all over that beautiful face. "Alright, first things first." He says after clearing his throat. "Starting right now, the only answer is yes."

"What?" I ask, not quite understanding.

He points to one of the lines on the paper, "A day of yes. That day, Kat, is today."

I roll my eyes, "Beau, we don't have to-"

He holds up a hand to silence me. "Hm, I don't think I heard that correctly. What did you say again?"

I can't help but laugh. "It was just a stupid list, we can-"

Again, I am interrupted. "Damn, that sure didn't sound like yes to me. You know, you're really bad at this, babe."

I bite my lip and narrow my eyes, unsure of whether his antics are adorable or annoying.

"I'll ask you one more time." He gets so close that the words come out as more of a whisper. He gently rubs his nose against my jawline, until his lips are pressed to my ear. "What do you say?"

The tiniest moan escapes my lips. I am physically incapable of controlling myself around this man.

"Yes." I say, breathlessly.

He grins wildly, "That's what I thought. Now, come on. We have to get to the pier, can't miss our reservation."

Beau takes my hand and leads me towards a long wooden pier, and up to a large man wearing a hideous Hawaiian shirt. It's unbuttoned, revealing an unnaturally hairy chest and puka shell necklace.

"Names?" The man asks.

"It's under Dalton. You must be Johnny?"

The man nods, and smiles before handing both of us a clipboard. On it is a waiver. A waiver for parasailing.

I look up at Beau, beaming that he has put so much effort into this date. "Really? We're doing this?"

He smiles, "Yes."