Beneath a Starlit Sky Read online

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  BENEATH A STARLIT SKY

  First edition. May 2, 2019.

  Copyright © 2019 Bella Emy.

  ISBN: 978-1386271192

  Written by Bella Emy.

  Beneath a Starlit Sky

  Bella Emy

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Epilogue

  Thank You

  Without You

  Copyright

  Part I

  Chapter 1

  Part II

  Chapter 2

  Thank You!

  About the Author

  Other Works by Bella

  Prologue

  Looking Back

  I’ll never forget the summer I turned eighteen.

  * * *

  It was a summer of firsts. It was a summer of self-discovery, and it was the summer I met Zachery Taylor and fell in love for the first time.I had just graduated from my senior year of high school, and while my friends were planning to backpack through Europe, my parents were torturing me by making me go with them to our annual summer vacation spot.

  Every single summer, for as long as I could remember, my parents would drag my baby sister, Molly, and me with them to the same summer beach house in Waverly, North Carolina. While I had to admit it was a beautiful beach town with the ocean just feet away, it would get boring after the first couple of days. That year, I had wanted nothing more than to join my friends experimenting and visiting Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam. However, my parents had made me a deal: if I would spend this last summer with them as a family, every year after, I would be free to do as I pleased. Sure, I was eighteen already, but I knew how much this meant to them and how much they had always looked forward to our summer getaways; I just wished that we could have done something a little more spontaneous once in a while.

  Little did I know back then, spontaneity was waiting for me where I was least expecting it: in the bungalow a few doors down from our very own beach house.

  Chapter 1

  “Molly! Quit it! UGH!”

  * * *

  I scrunched up my face and turned myself towards the window, watching the scenery flash by and change as we left New Jersey and made our way into the next state. I wanted nothing more than to disappear at that very moment, but I was stuck in this stupid car with my annoying little sister making faces at me.

  “Oh, Braelynn! Stop being so mean to your little sister! She just wants some attention from you!” my mother exclaimed from the passenger’s seat as my father drove us away from home.

  I let out a loud sigh. The next couple of hours in this car were going to drive me completely insane, but I knew from past experience better than to argue with my mom when it came to my two-year-old sister. I reached into the bag full of her toys on the floor and pulled out her kid tablet. I found her story time app, turned it on, and placed it on her lap. Molly rewarded me with a dazzling smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back. As crazy as she drove me, I loved this kid more than anything else in the world.

  “Sorry, Mom. All good now,” I finally responded. I wasn’t really annoyed with Molly. I was just in a sour mood because I wanted to be with my friends more than anything right then. Europe had always been a dream of mine, and I wished I could have been experiencing it with Jessie, Becky, and Tammy. God knew they were going to have an awesome time.

  Stopping at a red light, Dad said, “Aww, she’ll be fine now that you turned on her tablet,” then turning to face Mom, “she’ll probably nap most of the way there.”

  “That’s true, Dear,” she responded.

  I took advantage of Molly being entertained and popped my headphones into my ears. I scrolled through my playlist and started playing my favorite songs. Then I went into my text-messaging app and added to the group text where Jessie, Becky, Tammy and I kept our conversations.

  I miss you girls already.

  I hit the send button, but I knew I wouldn’t be getting a response till way later; they were currently in the air, flying at God knew how many miles per hour. I had been on an airplane before, but I had never gone away with friends. One day, I would do that and see the world.

  I then closed my eyes hoping time in the car would pass by faster.

  * * *

  “Braelynn, honey. We’re here.”

  I jumped a bit. “Huh? What?”

  Noticing we were parked, I saw Mom standing right outside my door, waiting for me to get out; an alert Molly was positioned on her hip.

  “Up, Rae! We here!” Molly shouted. She could never pronounce my name. I hated her nickname for me.

  Praising her, Mom exclaimed, “That’s right, sweetheart. We’re here!”

  I grabbed my book bag from the seat and stepped out of the car. I slung it across my left shoulder and stretched. I had been passed out for the last hour or so of the ride.

  Dad grabbed our luggage out of the trunk, and we started making our way into the house. It was a cute blue bungalow with three large dormer windows lining the top floor. All the rooms were on the first floor, and Mom and Dad just kept the top floor for storage. They had purchased the bungalow right around the time I was Molly’s age, and we had been vacationing here ever since.

  I placed my suitcase on top of my bed and began unpacking my belongings. After that was all done, I yelled out to my parents that I would be taking a walk. I always did that right after I had unpacked my things. I didn’t want to stay in the house too long and wanted to get some fresh air into my lungs after the long drive. I loved the ocean air; it always made me feel free.

  I walked out the kitchen door, which faced the back of the house. I literally took twenty steps and hit the sand; yes, we were that close to the beach. I slipped my black sandals off my feet and sunk my toes into the sand. I had always loved the feeling of sand in between my toes; the soft texture of it soothed them.

  I continued walking with my sandals in my right hand and my cell phone in my left. I placed it into my jean shorts’ pocket and took a deep breath. The smell of the ocean filled my lungs and a smile spread on my face from ear-to-ear. I walked along the coast and recognized a few people on boats and a couple of swimmers. The thing about Waverly was that everyone here was either a local or they would come here to spend the summer every year. In a small town, it was difficult not to know the people you spent time around.

  I spotted Misty, my best friend down here in Waverly, sitting on one of the lifeguard posts, texting on her cell phone. Misty was also a yearly vacationer; her parents’ summer house was just two away from mine.

  “Hey, Misty!” I yelled up at her, catching her attention.

  “Hola, my Bitchola!” Misty shouted back, jumping off the post, coming down to greet me. “When’d you get in?”

  I laughed. “Just a little while ago. What’s going on?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Usual shit. Missed you!”

  We hugged and then sat down together on the sand. Misty was a year younger, but she definitely looked older than me. If people looked at me, they could tell I was eighteen, but Misty always got mistaken for older. This year, they’d probably think she was twenty-one. She loved it because her fake ID worked that much better.

  Misty had long, wavy auburn red hair, green emerald eyes, and a smile that sent most guys swooning. She was more outgoing than I was and always knew about all the happening events down here.

  “Well, actually,
there’s going to be a huge end of the summer party like a week or so before you guys have to head back. A week before Labor Day, right?”

  “Yeah. College life. Gotta make sure everything is ready to go. But who’s throwing it?” I asked.

  “Aaron. The hot college junior from down the block. You know he’s gotten even hotter since last year,” she more so stated rather than asked.

  “I’ll bet. When did you see him and how long have you been down here?” I asked her.

  Shrugging, she responded, “About a week now. I saw him last night down the beach. He’s planning for it to be a huge party and asked that I bring some people.”

  “I guess I’ll be there. What else am I gonna do in this boring town?” I said, jokingly.

  She chuckled along with me. “Yeah, yeah, bitch. You have no choice but to come with me. I am planning on hooking up with him by the end of the summer.”

  I shook my head, lowering my eyes. Aaron wasn’t the type of guy to take it slow just because Misty was younger. He enjoyed the fast life: fast cars, fast girls.

  “I don’t think you should just wait on him exclusively. I’m sure there’s better. Plus, you never know who you might meet down here this year,” I suggested.

  “Brae, have you taken a good look at Aaron? He’s fuckin’ hot. I want him. I know deep down inside you think he’s too old for me, and you don’t wanna say anything to hurt my feelings, but I don’t care. I want him.”

  “Not just you. He’s too old for me, too.”

  “That’s your opinion. I’m going to screw him before the end of the summer,” she said with a wide opened grin.

  I was still a virgin, but Misty had lost her virginity last summer to her then boyfriend, Joseph. Their relationship had lasted throughout the summer months, but once the time came to head back home, everyone said their goodbyes and that was that. He had never been mentioned again. I knew she’d had feelings for him since we had kept in touch all winter, but now she just wanted to forget the heartbreak and move forward. Joseph wouldn’t be coming down this summer.

  Misty picked herself up off the sand and said, “Anyway, I have to head back. My dad’s going to send the beach patrol if I’m not home soon. I need to help him with dinner. Ever since Colleen’s been gone, he’s been a wreck.”

  Colleen was Misty’s mother who had taken off with another man about ten months ago. This was the first year Misty and her father were vacationing without her. It was hard, but they were getting through it. Misty hated how quickly her mother had forgotten about their family.

  “Have you seen her since she left?”

  “Ha! No way. That cunt took off and never looked back. She didn’t even call me on my birthday.”

  I could see her eyes start to well up with tears, but she played it off and smacked her hands on her ass to get rid of the excess sand from her shorts.

  “I’m sorry, Mist,” I stated, softly.

  She shrugged and began walking off. “No worries. I’ll see you around eight tonight at Pop’s.”

  Pop’s Ice Heaven was an ice cream and Italian Ice parlor that served the best treats around. All their flavors were originally named and everything they served was created on site. It was our typical meeting spot every evening. It was popular with the younger crowd of Waverly, even though there weren’t many teens. I knew she wanted to go and see if Aaron would be there.

  I got up from my spot on the sand and headed back to the edge of the water. I walked for another ten minutes before I noticed Mrs. Neverly sitting in a chair enjoying the fresh air.

  Waving to Mrs. Neverly, I decided to pay her a visit. She was a sweet older woman who lived here with only her dog to keep her company. Her husband, George, had passed away a couple of summers ago from a heart attack, and most of their children and grandchildren lived a few hours away. They had begged her time and time again to move to the city once George had passed, but she refused to leave. She said she belonged here and would never agree to settle anywhere else.

  She was sitting on a low folding beach chair with her dog sitting to her right. Sampson was a Golden Retriever who was as friendly as one could imagine.

  “Hey, Mrs. Neverly, how are you?” I asked before petting Sampson. As soon as he had seen me, he had wanted to jump up and lick me to death. “Hey there, Sampson! Yeah, I’ve missed you, too, boy!” I laughed, giving the dog a hug.

  “He sure did miss you. How are you and your folks, Braelynn? How’s little Molly?” she asked, looking up at me with a kind smile.

  “We’re all great, thanks.”

  “That’s good. You guys just got here?”

  I nodded. “Yep. Just a little over an hour ago. Anything new going on?” I smiled back at her, already knowing the answer. Waverly was known for always being a quiet town on the beach. Nothing ever really happened here.

  “Oh, just the usual craziness that happens every year. I think Mr. Albertson caught two fish this year!”

  We both laughed. Mr. Albertson was a local who enjoyed fishing for fun. It was known that he hardly caught any fish during the summer, but when he did, he would go parading around town, proud of his little catch.

  “Wow! I can’t wait to hear him coming down the block tonight. It feels good to be back. I didn’t want to come down at first,” I admitted before realizing I probably should’ve held my tongue.

  “Oh no? How come? We always look forward to you and your family being here.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. I feel like I’m missing out a bit. My friends are backpacking through Europe before we start college and I wanted to go with them but promised Mom and Dad I’d be here with them this last time.”

  She gasped. “Oh, that’s right! You’re a recent high school graduate! Congratulations, my dear.” She began rising from her seat to hug me, but I reached her so she wouldn’t have to get up.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Neverly.”

  Smiling, she said, “I know it gets a bit boring down here with the majority of the population being over the age of fifty, but I’ll bet this year you’ll find something worth coming here for.”

  She winked at me, but I wasn’t sure what she was suggesting. I just nodded at her and continued petting Sampson again.

  “Well, I’d better start heading on inside. It’s looking like it’s going to storm soon. Aren’t you going to head back in?” she asked.

  “I will in a little while. I think I’m going to continue walking by the water for a bit longer, and then I’ll head back.”

  “All right, dear. Well, you be careful. I will see you around.”

  “Sure thing, Mrs. Neverly. Bye Sampson!”

  Sampson barked once, sort of bidding adieu to me, and I headed off in the direction of the water.

  I continued walking for another twenty minutes and decided to walk up on the sand where a playground and basketball courts were set up. As I reached the edge of the sand, I threw my sandals on the ground and placed my feet in them, shaking out any sand.

  The park was pretty empty except for a little boy on the swings and his mother, who I didn’t recognize. They must have been new vacationers. I smiled when the mother noticed me and continued walking till I reached the bleachers. I wanted to sit for a few minutes; I didn’t realize I had grown tired on my walk.

  I sat down and pulled my phone out of my pocket. My text to my friends still sat there unanswered, but I knew they wouldn’t receive it till about nine tonight. I quickly checked my Facebook and Instagram but grew bored after only five minutes of browsing.

  And just then, out of nowhere, my heart completely stopped. My breath ceased, and as I sat on the bleachers, looking up, my bottom jaw hit the ground.

  Chapter 2

  A pair of deep blue eyes met mine.

  * * *

  The sexiest grin I had ever seen stared back at me. Realizing I had been gawking, I suddenly got a grip and smiled back nervously; I had obviously interrupted his workout. I wanted nothing more than to continue watching him do his chin-ups
and push-ups.

  At six-feet-two-inches wearing nothing but basketball shorts and running shoes, stood the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on. His dark brown hair was styled messily to the right, and his eyes as blue as the depths of the ocean completely hypnotized me. A dragon tattoo laced the left side of his toned chest, and the sweat dripping down his body left me wanting to lick my lips more than once. God, he was sexy!

  But what the hell was he doing? Was he walking toward me? Holy shit, he was!

  I swallowed the large lump that had formed in my throat, which I hadn’t even realized was there. How long had I been holding my breath? Since I laid my dark brown eyes on him? Goodness fuck was he sexy… like actor sexy… like complete perfection all wrapped up in one. Was I hyperventilating? I needed to get a grip; he was getting closer and closer with each step he took. I couldn’t get over his muscular form as he walked. What a total god!

  “Hey there,” he said as he approached me. His voice was sultry and smooth, and oh my God, did I want to die right in his arms then. He was holding a small, blue towel in his left hand and ran his right hand through his dark hair, getting it out of his eyes. Those eyes… those damn demanding, blue eyes. They were taking everything from me at that moment.

  He smiled and waited for me to respond, but I was completely awestruck. That dimple in his right cheek… damn, I was instantly attracted to this stranger.