Beneath a Starlit Sky Page 2

  Where had he come from? I had never seen him around here before. If I had, I would have had no problem coming with my parents down here every single summer. I would have gladly moved here.

  Realizing he was still waiting on me to answer, I responded. “Hi.”

  He chuckled, and the sound made me want to bite my bottom lip.

  “Ah, she speaks,” he stated.

  Blushing, I said, “Sorry. I’m Braelynn.”

  “Zachery. Zachery Taylor. You can call me Zach, though.”

  I smiled and he looked pleased.

  “My friends call me Brae and my little sister calls me Rae,” I admitted, hating the fact that I was unable to control my mouth. I shouldn’t have told him that. I felt like I was rambling.

  He nodded. “Braelynn. That’s a gorgeous name. But okay, Rae it is. What brings you around here? May I take this seat?” he asked pointing to the spot right next to me.

  I suddenly loved the nickname Rae that Molly had given me. The sound of it coming from his lips made me melt just a little bit more.

  I nodded. “My family and I vacation here every summer. I’ve never seen you here before.”

  He ran his towel on his neck and forehead, and God, did I want to lick the sweat off of him. My thoughts were running wild.

  “Yeah, I’m from Waverly, but this is my first time staying right on the beach with my grandmother for the summer. I was just down here this morning trying to enjoy the outside, fresh air. Then I saw you sitting here all by yourself and decided to keep you company.”

  He could have kept me company any day. What a wonder he was to look upon.

  Suddenly, understanding his words, I asked, “You’ve been down here since this morning?”

  It was now just about sunset. How could he have been working out so long? No wonder he looked the way he did…

  “Well, yeah. But I just started working out about an hour ago. I came down to watch the sunrise, jogged on the water, did a bit of fishing, had some lunch at the pizzeria a couple of blocks down, played some basketball, and then did some exercises. I like to stay on my feet.”

  He smiled again.

  “Wow. Impressive,” I replied.

  He winked at me.

  I was convinced at that very moment that he would be the death of me. Fuck, what was going on with me? And holy hell, when had I ever cursed so much? He was bringing out a side of me that I was not able to control. I had absolutely no power over it.

  “So, how old are you?” I asked, praying he was no more than twenty-two. He could totally be much older than me.

  “I just turned nineteen in May. How about yourself?”

  Yes! There was a God and he had just answered my prayers!

  “I actually just turned eighteen a week ago.”

  “Well, happy belated! Recent high school grad?”

  “Thanks. Yeah,” I answered hoping he wasn’t turned off or anything.

  “Nice. Congrats grad,” he smiled.

  I giggled, again saying, “Thanks.”

  If he was a local, how come I had never seen him around here before? Granted, I knew he said this was his first time staying on the beach, but Waverly wasn’t all that big. Even if someone weren’t staying on a property on the beach, you’d always run into them somewhere.

  “So, how long do you and your family usually stay down here?” he asked.

  “We’ll be here all summer. I won’t be going back home till the week I start college.”

  He nodded in acknowledgment. “Which one did you decide on?”

  “School? Oh, I just chose a local community college till I could figure out what I wanna do with my life.” I was a bit embarrassed that I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but it was the truth. Hopefully he wouldn’t think any less of me.

  We both smiled at one another.

  “How come I’ve never seen you around the beach before?” I asked, intrigued.

  He shrugged, “I don’t know. Weird, isn’t it? But enough about my dull life… what do you want to major in? What are your interests?”

  He had totally dodged my question, like he was hiding something. And yet, he wanted to know more about me, like he was interested. Was this really happening to me?

  “I like painting and drawing… I’ve got a creative mind.”

  “That’s so awesome,” he said.

  We were quiet for a bit, just enjoying the ocean breeze as the sun started its slow descent. The sky still seemed like a storm would be commencing soon. Although it looked threatening, the view was beautiful, creating a gorgeous picturesque summer effect.

  “I should head back to the house; I’m sure my parents are getting ready to have dinner soon,” I said, hating the fact that our time together had already come to an end. I knew we had just met, but I couldn’t help the immediate attraction and pull I had felt toward him.

  He looked reluctant, “Yeah, I should probably get going, too. If it doesn’t storm, I’ll come out again tonight and if the sky clears, maybe I’ll get to watch the stars. But I’ll stay closer to the house this time. Where are you staying, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “I’m right off Beach Crescent Ave, the blue house on the corner.”

  “I’m not familiar with the block,” he admitted.

  How could he not know the street? It was one of the main roads in Waverly.

  “It’s just a few blocks from here and my house is the only blue one there, but maybe I’ll see you later,” I announced courageously, rising from my seat on the bleachers. I had never been so bold in front of a crush before.

  Wait, was that it? Did I have a crush on Zach? God, just the thought of his name and his gorgeous face made my heart race. Yeah, I was pretty sure I was going to fall hard for this one. We may have just met, but I couldn’t control the emotions deep within me. Somehow, I got the slightest sensation that that would not be a good thing. What if he had a girlfriend? I didn’t know anything about him and I was making him promises to come see him later? What was I thinking? Maybe he wouldn’t even want to hang out with me. Ugh! I had been too forward.

  “I would really like that. See you around, Rae,” he said, smiling, and all of a sudden I knew he was not taken. That or he was a cheating scumbag? But he didn’t come across that way. Something about Zach was different and all I wanted to do was find out more about him.

  Once I arrived home, I had dinner with my family.

  * * *

  Molly was on the floor playing with some of her dolls while the rest of us indulged in what Mom had cooked that evening: roast beef and herb-rubbed diced potatoes.

  “Have you seen Misty yet?” Mom asked. She mixed some greens together in a bowl before sitting down in her spot at the table. Dad was already chomping down.

  “Yeah, she was on the beach,” I said, trying to quickly finish my dinner, hoping my parents wouldn’t notice how fast I was eating just to get through it. I had plans.

  “How is she holding up?” Dad questioned, after cutting up some more slices of roast beef and adding them to his plate.

  Shrugging, I said, “I don’t know. She acts like she’s okay, but she is so angry with her mother. I know it’s hard on her. I can’t imagine what she and her father are going through.”

  Frowning, Mom said, “It’s not an easy situation. Time will make it a bit easier, but the resentment she feels towards her mother I don’t think will ever go away.”

  Mom passed around the bowl of salad and Dad gladly refilled his plate. It was delicious, but there was no way I’d eat anymore. I was too anxious about hopefully seeing Zach again in a bit. I couldn’t leave just yet, though. It would raise too many questions.

  “I can’t imagine it ever would. Even if one day she goes ahead and forgives Colleen, there’s always going to be that little voice inside her whispering ‘What if? What if she had never left?’” Dad responded, stuffing a spoonful of potatoes into his mouth.

  “Why don’t you invite her over for either breakfast or lunch tomorrow? Ev
en dinner if you want, sweetheart. Might be good for her to get a bit of a break,” Mom stated.

  “And leave her dad alone? I don’t know if she will,” I responded.

  “No, not at all. Invite the both of them. A change of scenery or a change from the norm might be just what they need.”

  “That sounds like a great idea,” Dad added while chugging down the last bit of his Coors. My father was never a heavy drinker. He would only drink a beer or two with dinner once in a blue moon. He’d always kept the fridge stocked with bottles, but alcohol never seemed to be his drink of choice.

  “I guess I could,” I said as I finished up my dinner and went to place my dirty dishes into the sink.

  I then quickly moved away from the sink and went to grab my sandals from the shoe rack where Mom would always make us place our shoes.

  “Oh, why don’t you ask her now, since it looks like you’re heading out,” Mom said, raising an eyebrow at me, smirking. I may have been eighteen, but that didn’t stop my parents from wanting to know my every move. I wasn’t ready to go ahead and mention to them that I wasn’t going to see Misty right now. I didn’t want to have a hundred questions thrown my way. I just wanted to get out of there so I could see Zach’s handsome face once more.

  “Um, yeah. I guess I will ask her now,” I said, grabbing the doorknob. “I’ll be home a bit later, love you guys,” I called out, and raced out the back door.

  Chapter 3

  I don’t think I had ever bolted out the door as quickly as I had that very moment.

  * * *

  I didn’t want to have to explain anything to my parents; even though, what was there to explain? I was going down to the beach to spend some time with... a friend? Yeah, that sounded accurate. It just wasn’t the friend they were used to me hanging out with…

  The cool ocean air hit my face, awakening my senses; I could feel my body coming to life with each inhalation. I ran my tongue over my lips and tasted the salt from the sea. Suddenly not knowing why I had grabbed my sandals in the first place, I giggled to myself. Our house was right on the beach, as were the rest of the houses nearby. I guessed it was just out of habit, so instead of wearing them, I carried them in my hands.

  I walked a few feet; the soft white sand was so comforting in between my toes. It was as if the heavens above had purposely created this moment for us because, there, all on his own, sat Zach. I saw him sitting on the beach, looking up into the starlit sky. Even though it was already dark, there was no denying just how beautiful he was. His gorgeous face and hair swaying to and fro in the wind was like a captured scene from a movie. He definitely could pass for a celebrity. I didn’t want to get caught staring so I continued walking towards him.

  “Hey there, stranger,” I said, interrupting his thoughts.

  He looked at me, smiling. There were those dimples again. Lord, help me.

  “Hi, pretty girl. How was dinner?” he asked.

  Ooh, he was a flirt, and I was just about dying. I was ready to melt into the sand. I could possibly have resembled a pile of mush right then.

  When I was close enough to him, he patted a spot on the sand to his left, motioning for me to sit next to him. “Sit with me,” he said.

  Complying, I kneeled before sitting down Indian style.

  “Thanks. Dinner was good, thank you. How was yours?” I asked, smiling.

  “I didn’t have much of an appetite. Have you seen how gorgeous the stars look tonight?” he questioned, pointing towards the sky.

  I looked up and saw exactly what he was referring to; each star simulated a diamond.

  “Wow, it really is amazing. Do you do this often?” I asked.

  “Yeah, every night. It’s sort of like a hobby of mine, something I like to do. I reflect on my day and think about how wonderful it is to be alive, to really live in the moment, ya know?”

  He obviously took stargazing seriously and I could see why. It was certainly peaceful and a perfect way to get away from the every day obstacles of life. This was his way of winding down. I could picture myself getting used to sitting out here with him looking up at the stars, while the sound of the ocean lightly lapped and landed against the shore.

  Smiling at him, he must’ve thought I found him crazy.

  “I’m sorry. How are you?” He smiled at me nervously.

  Giggling, I responded, “It’s totally fine, really. I think it’s kinda cool that you enjoy staring up into the night. Most people our age look for trouble come evening. I’m not sensing that from you. You seem… different… deep.”

  And sexy, I wanted to say.

  “Well, thanks, pretty girl. I appreciate that.”

  I chuckled. My cheeks must have been exhibiting a flushed pink hue at that very moment.

  “What?” he asked, through that devilish dimpled grin again. God, how had I gotten so lucky to have met this gorgeously, intriguing man?

  “Oh, it’s nothing,” I lied, not wanting to let him know he was doing things to my body that I couldn’t control.

  “Please,” he said, grabbing my hand, taking me by surprise, “tell me.”

  How could I not tell him now? My tiny hand fit snuggly into his much larger one as he squeezed gently.

  “Well, you keep calling me pretty girl, making me kind of believe that it’s true,” I said softly.

  I knew I wasn’t ugly, but to be called pretty by someone like Zach was incredible.

  As he looked at me, his deep blue eyes shone in the moonlight like two shimmering sapphires. Strands of his dark brown hair fell softly, partially covering his right eye. His full lips, so sultry, so kissable, made me want to throw myself at him. God, he was gorgeous. Every little part of him was causing my body to behave in ways I usually had no problem controlling. Sure I’d had crushes before, but this seemed to be so much more intense.

  Suddenly realizing that maybe it wasn’t a crush, I wondered to myself if this could possibly be something more? Was that even possible? We had just met.

  And yet…

  No, it was too soon, too fast. There was no way.

  “Braelynn, you are pretty,” he said, and after about two seconds added, “no, I take that back. Rae, you’re enthrallingly gorgeous.”

  My heart must have skipped a few beats right away. I didn’t know what to say, what to do. Nervously, I bit my bottom lip and forced myself to look away from the perfectly sculpted human being sitting right beside me.

  “Rae, look at me,” he said. There was so much desire in his voice. I was finding it hard to stop myself from wanting to kiss those tender lips of his. I wished I could find the courage within myself to act on impulse.

  Gently grabbing my chin, he forced me to look at him and I couldn’t help but notice that his gaze met the want in his voice. It was so demanding, so…

  So. So what? So freakin’ hot!

  Damn, what was he doing to me?

  I should have said something then, but I couldn’t speak. It was like I had gone brain dead. He must have found me so rude. I needed to find a way to communicate before he started to wonder if I liked him or not.

  Again, he voiced the words he had spoken just moments ago. Bringing his face closer to mine, his lips were now just inches away from my own. “Rae, you’re beautiful,” he mouthed breathlessly.

  It would have been the perfect moment for a first kiss. The chemistry between us seemed to be soaring, the moon was in full view, the stars illuminated the sky, reflecting on the ocean as the waves crashed quietly to the shore. The setting couldn’t have been better. But, being me, and not knowing how to act, I just responded, “Thank you,” louder than I had intended.

  I pulled away and the magic was gone. I had killed the mood. Leave it to me to ruin the perfect moment.

  Way to go, Braelynn.

  I think I heard him chuckling a little to himself, but I was too embarrassed to look back at him.

  We remained in that very spot till close to midnight. Our almost perfect scene for a kiss didn’t happen again tha
t night and I wanted to curse myself. When I got home, I went straight to my room, threw myself on my bed, burying my face in my pillow and relived that moment over and over again. The next time the opportunity would present itself, I would not fail. I would kiss Zachery Taylor if it were the last thing I did this summer.

  The next morning, I met up with Misty on the beach.

  * * *

  She was on a pink beach towel in a skimpy bikini absorbing every single UV ray the sun was giving off. Misty had a fair complexion, but every summer she was set on tanning. She used a million different types of sun tanning lotions, all promising not to cause sunburn. Inevitably, she would always end up with a reddish tone instead of the tanned one she desired.

  Remembering what my mom had suggested about inviting her and her father over to dine with us, I decided lunch would be the safest bet. I wanted to see if I could run into Zach after dinner again tonight.

  “So, my mom wanted me to invite you and your dad over for lunch today. Would you guys like to come?” I asked.

  Misty lifted her head up to look at me. She placed a hand on her forehead to shield her emerald green eyes from the sun. Before speaking, she placed her sunglasses on her face.

  “Dad won’t be around much today… said he’s got something to attend to back home. Honestly, he’s been acting really odd lately, always staying late at work and whatnot, but sure, I’ll be there. I mean, where else would I be?” she answered, smirking.

  “Cool,” I replied, scanning the area to see if a certain someone would be around. It was still pretty early, neither Misty or I were late sleepers, but I was hoping I’d get to see him again today. Maybe he was at the park working out again?

  “Spacing…”

  “Huh?” I said realizing Misty still had her eyes on me.

  “Dude, you’re totally spacing out. Where is that head of yours?” she asked.

  “Oh,” I responded, giggling.

  She shook her head in disapproval and sat up. “Nope, you’re not off the hook that easily. Spill it. And where were you last night? I thought we were going to meet at Pop’s?”