Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Weston
“Guess we’ll just watch the fireworks alone.” I plop down in the sand next to Buddy, who’s already sitting and panting from our impromptu walk. I never intended for all of this to blow up in my face like this.
And the worst part?
I probably just made things so much harder for Brittany, and she doesn’t even care about me in that way—not enough to risk all this drama that I just brought right to her. I run my fingers through Buddy’s fur on the back of his head, racking myself with guilt.
I should’ve left the letter at home.
But for some reason, I thought it might be cool to show her the actual thing and laugh about it or something.
“Bad idea,” I mumble to myself as I stare out across the waters of the Atlantic.
They’re a charming blue, and the sun is starting to set.
It won’t be long, and the darkness will swallow the beach…
And then everyone will really start to celebrate.
“You walked like three miles to get here,” a gruff voice says from behind me. “I didn’t want to go for a hike, you know.”
I turn to see Parker in his preppy little get-up, rocking back on his heels in the sand.
“Exercise is good for you. You could probably use it with that stone-cold heart you got there—need to keep it in good health.” The bitterness in my voice isn’t intentional, but it hits harder than I thought I felt.
“Valid point.” Parker eases down in the sand beside me, and Buddy twists his head to look at him for a second, but he gets distracted by a golden retriever running loose beside a couple of guys with frisbees.
I tug on Buddy’s leash to remind him that it’s not a good idea to run off and try to play with a random set of strangers, unsure of what else to do. I eye Parker, whose eyes are focused on the clear blue waves crashing into the shoreline.
“I’m sorry,” he says, as if sensing my eyes on him. “I shouldn’t have flipped out the way I did. That’s not fair to you.”
“It’s okay.” I sigh. “I should’ve been a better friend.”
“You are a good friend.” Parker’s eyes drop to his feet, buried in the white sand. “That’s the thing, Wes. You’ve always been such a good friend to me. I owe it to you to give you my blessing to … pursue my sister.”
My brows raise. “Just like that? You’re good with it, now, huh?”
His lips press against each other, flatlining. “I mean, I wouldn’t say I’m good with it, but I’m accepting of it, yeah. Sure.”
“Wow, okay,” I breathe out, chuckling. “That was literally the most Parker way to say that.”
My best friend lets out a chuckle, shaking his head. “If I said it any differently, you might think there was something wrong with me.”
“Well, I already think there is,” I point out, giving him a knowing look. “I mean, come on. You’re wearing a polo.”
He glances down at his Fourth of July-themed shirt and makes a face. “Yeah … You’re not wrong. I look like I could be in a patriotic Old Navy commercial.”
“You’re the one who said it.”
“And I have to say, I agree.” A light voice cuts into the conversation, and I swear my heart skips twenty beats in the time it takes for me to look up at her. “You’re dressed like a frat boy … or a fifty-year-old dad.”
“I’d lean toward the latter,” I say, catching Brittany’s eyes, and noting the way her cheeks blush a deep hue of crimson.
“All right, that’s enough, you two.” Parker huffs, pushing himself up to standing and brushing off the sand from his pants. “You can talk about your weird Shakespearian stuff together. I’m going to go find Amy.”
“Please.” Brittany waves him off, a giggle slipping from her lips.
I sit there, trying not to stare at the way her navy blue sundress clings to her hips, or the way her red-painted toes stick out in the sand. Why is everything about her so pretty? It literally makes the whole friend thing nearly impossible.
“Happy Fourth of July,” she says to me, not taking a seat beside me. Instead, she lingers above me, as if she might bolt at any minute.
“Yeah, for sure. Happy Independence Day.” I nod to Buddy. “This is my new dog.”
“He’s cute.” Brittany hums, leaning over to pet his head. His tail immediately wags like he just found the greatest person in the entire world. “I like him.” She kneels and scratches his ears, her face in his. Buddy lights up, and I totally understand what he’s doing.
I feel the same way when I see her.
“You know…” Her voice trails off as she looks back at me. “It’s really good to see you.” She purses her lips together in the cutest way, and I take a deep breath as the darkness starts to overtake the beach. “I’m—”
“I’m sorry,” I say, stopping her from continuing. “I’m sorry that I put too much pressure on you. Honestly, I’ve just had a crush on you since I first saw you all those years ago, and when you gave me the time of day, it was…” I pause, laughing. “Magical.”
She smiles, her eyes brightening. “Well, I really enjoyed the connection I was building with you.” Brittany pauses from where she’s scratching Buddy’s ear and finally takes a seat next to me. “I think you’re incredible, Weston. And, actually … That was the best kiss I’ve ever had.”
My brows skyrocket. “You sure didn’t act like it was. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone duck and run like that after experiencing the best kiss of their life.” I try to laugh it off, but I can’t lie, the pride of being the best kiss of Brittany’s life is surging like wildfire in my chest.
“Well, sometimes falling for someone is scary,” Brittany says carefully, catching my eye. “Especially when the last time you did, you lost yourself in it.”
“I get that.” My voice softens as I hold her gaze.
“With Cal, I rearranged everything,” she continues, quietly. “My plans. My future. Who I thought I was supposed to be. And when it ended … I didn’t even recognize myself.”
I don’t interrupt. I don’t think I’m breathing.
“But with you … I feel like I can be myself. Like I can just exist next to you and not have to change shape. With your letters, there was no pressure, no version of me I was trying to sell. It was just … me, being authentically myself in a way I forgot I could be. I’m sorry I pushed you away.”
“I was happy to be your pen pal, Brittany.”
Her lip falters. “Yeah, but you know what?”
“What?” I ask her.
“I want more than that.” She leans in, just as an explosive blast of fireworks fills the sky around us.
Her lips brush mine, and I catch my breath as she sparks an entirely different kind of firework.
I bite at her bottom lip, my heart soaring at the sigh that leaves her mouth.
My fingers thread through her soft blonde locks, and I don’t question the moment—the gift I’m getting from the most amazing woman, ever.
Her tongue sweeps across mine, and her fists cling to my T-shirt, holding me to her. More fiery explosions ignite the night sky, and Buddy pants beside us, completely unbothered by our kiss or the party erupting around us.
“Thank you,” she whispers as she pulls away, her lips swollen and pink. “For being there for me.”
“Any time,” I choke out as her nose brushes mine. “You say the word, and I’ll be there—in more ways than just the form of a letter.”
She giggles. “So, does that mean we’re more than pen pals now?”
Disbelief fills my chest as I try to wrap my mind around this most perfect moment. “Um, actually…” I sigh, leaning away. “I probably should ask you on a real date first. You know, do this thing properly.”
She giggles. “Okay. Fair. I’ll go on a date with you.”
“Maybe I’ll get lucky enough and get two?” I joke, wiggling my brows.
She bursts into laughter. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself. My brother says you never make it past the second date. I should probably be leery.”
“Yeah, whatever.” I chuckle, draping an arm around her as we watch more fireworks explode in the sky. “For the record, this could be considered a first date.”
“Hmm…” She tips her head back playfully. “Fine then. Take me on a second date.”
I get caught up in the way her lips curl playfully into a smile—one that dares me in a way that makes my heart race, and my head feel light. “It’s going to be the best date of your life. Just like that kiss.”
I hope.