The Big One (Second Chance Romantic Comedy)

by Katherine Hastings

  “You might want to lose the heels.” He gestured to my stilettos. I set the champagne on the curb and leaned down, unclasping the straps securing them around my ankles before slipping them off.

  “I’ll carry them,” he said, and he added them to his own clothes that he held in his large fist and slung them back over his shoulder. With his now-free hand, he reached down and slid his fingers between mine. “Come on.”

  We moved down the narrow walkway until I felt the sand wrap around my bare feet when we stepped onto the beach. Hand in hand we walked in silence, the crashing waves growing louder with every step the only sound that broke the peaceful silence of the night.

  Stepping between the beach chairs, we moved through the sand until we reached the water’s edge. The soft glow of the moon reflecting on the dark water stole my breath away. I looked up at him and saw the same look in his eyes he’d had that first night he’d kissed me on the beach. Desire and passion swirled together like storm clouds rolling across the sea, and I wanted to dive into them and let the power of those emotions wrap around me while I submerged myself beneath them. Those same feelings brewed in my own, and my gaze floated down to his mouth that parted before he whispered my name.

  “Ellie,” he breathed, the word carried on a soft gust of wind. “I missed you.” He released our belongings, and they dropped into the sand. His arm encircled my waist and drew me into him, the power of his pull causing a gasp that parted my mouth. Those familiar lips found my own and I moaned into his mouth, savoring the taste of champagne on his tongue. The force of his kiss crushed my lips, and I relished the pain before it softened, now gentle and slow as he coaxed my own lips to match his pace.

  When his kiss softened even more, I whimpered as his lips drifted away. They hovered against mine, the salty wind the only thing that could fit between us. Pressing his forehead into mine, we stood silent and breathing. Every inch of my body tingled and begged for the same attention he’d just given my lips.

  “I missed you, too,” I whispered, closing my eyes and pressing my forehead tighter to his. “Is this really happening? You and me?”

  “It had better be, because I’m not spending the next ten years of my life kicking myself for letting you go.”

  Our eyes opened, and we looked at each other, the intensity in our stares matched only by the power in our kiss. We were still us after all these years and looking up at him I knew, just like I did that first day he kissed me, my life would never be the same.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Liam

  Her hair blew in the wind and my heart raced at the sight of her standing in front of me on the beach. I’d pictured this moment in my dreams more times than I wanted to admit, but now here she was... and it wasn’t a dream. Reaching out, I touched her face to prove this was real and Ellie was really back in my life. The way her skin warmed beneath my fingers as she pressed her cheek into the weight of my hand finally convinced me she wasn’t a mirage and this night with her was happening.

  Voices down the beach shattered our protective bubble. Turning toward the sound, I saw the dark outlines of several bodies in the moonlight running down the beach, their laughter carrying across the open air. Squinting, I saw a warm glow illuminating the darkness at the end of the beach.

  “Want to do something fun?” I turned back to her, and she answered with a nod and a smile.

  Grabbing her hand, I picked up our stuff with the other and led her down the beach toward the orange glow and the sounds of music and laughter. When we got close enough for her to see what it was, I heard the soft sounds of her giggle.

  “You’ve got to be kidding,” she said between laughs.

  “Look familiar?” I said, smiling down at her. Those eyes sparkled with excitement and her smile grew.

  “It’s a beach bonfire... just like the first night we met.”

  “Second time we met, technically,” I corrected with a smirk. “The first time was at Wilson’s where you stared at me like I was a serial killer, or a ghost.”

  As we stepped into the warm light of the fire, I saw her cheeks flush. “Shut up. You were really hot.”

  “Were?” I asked, and faked a pout. “Are you saying I’ve let myself go?”

  “Hmmmm. Let’s see.” She stopped and slid a hand across my chest. Pursing her lips, she squeezed the pecs I tightened beneath her touch. When her hand moved south to examine my abs, the playful gesture caused the bulge in my pants to swell. I swallowed hard and looked down at her.

  “Nope. Still sexy,” she said, finishing her exploration of my current state and pulling her hand away. The coy wink that followed nearly dropped me to my knees.

  Stammering for words, I stood frozen beneath her playful gaze. I shook my head, not just at her, but to help me regain the senses she stole from me with the softness of her touch.

  “Ciao.” A voice startled me from her stare.

  Turning around, I saw the group of late teens staring at the intruders to their beach party.

  “Hello,” I responded in English, and smiled. “Do you have room for two more?”

  A quizzical look met mine, and he glanced to his friends. With a shrug he waved us in.

  “Why not! The more the merrier!” He answered back in English and pushed his red plastic cup toward me. “Help yourselves!”

  “Thank you!” I smiled back. “We brought our own.” I gestured to the half-full bottle of champagne Ellie clutched in her hand.

  “Cups are over there.” He pointed to the keg that had a stack of cups teetering on it, the summer breeze threatening to topple them over.

  “Plastic cup? Just like the old days?” I arched an eyebrow at her.

  “Absolutely.” Her grin grew, and we walked through the youths scattered around the fire. I grabbed two cups from the keg and carried them to the dried log pulled near the fire as a make-shift bench.

  “After you.” I gestured for her to sit and she curtsied, flashing me that sweet smile before she sat down. Wasting no time, I sat down beside her and dug my feet into the sand. It was warm from the fire and felt like it did on a hot, summer day in the sun. Relishing how it felt on my skin, I realized I hadn’t made enough time for the beach lately. Her presence here reminded me of so many things I’d forgotten to make time for these days. The warmth from her smile lit up the life I hadn’t noticed had been darker than I’d even realized.

  “Here.” She lifted the champagne bottle and pointed to the red cups I held in my hand.

  As I held them out, champagne glugged while she poured half of what remained into each cup. After laying the empty bottle in the sand, she took a cup and hoisted it toward me.

  “Cheers,” she said.

  “To us,” I added, and her face lit up, and not just from the flickering light of the bonfire.

  We pushed our plastic cups together and took simultaneous sips before each exhaling a happy sound.

  “Is it just me or does champagne taste better out of a plastic cup?” she asked.

  “It’s the best thing I’ve ever had.” I laughed and took another sip of the bubbles.

  “What were we drinking at that first bonfire we met at?”

  “Zima,” I said, barely able to control my laugh. “We were even classier back then.”

  “Oh my God! Zima! That’s right!” She erupted in laughter, and I lost the battle against my own. “I used to love that stuff!”

  “Do they even make it anymore?”

  “I have no idea. Now I’m going to have to hunt for it. We can have a Zima party again.”

  The fire crackled when someone threw another log on it and I realized just like that first night we’d met, the other party goers disappeared. It seemed like whenever she was near me the rest of the world faded into nothing.

  “I can’t believe we found a beach bonfire. I can still remember that first one like it was yesterday. Can you?”

  “Of course. I see it in my mind every night before I fall asleep. I remember everything, Ellie.” The distance
between us may have only been inches, but it felt like a mile. Sliding an arm around her shoulder, I pulled her in close. Her head settled onto my chest and I closed my fingers around her bare arm. “Everything.”

  “We should find Jim online and send him a picture. He would die knowing we reconnected after he introduced us all those years ago.”

  “He’s on Instagram. Shall we?” I asked, my smile growing.

  “Hell yeah.” She pulled out her phone and I loosened my grip so she could spin around in my arms. Pressing our heads together we smiled and held up our red cups, the fire cracking in the frame behind us. She took the picture, and we slid back to our spots to examine it.

  “You are so beautiful,” I said, admiring not just the photo, but the woman at my side.

  “You’re not so bad yourself.” Her eyes dropped to my chest and she bit that lip I wanted to kiss again.

  “Now we have two pictures together. I still have the only one we took that summer.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you serious? You do?”

  Nodding, I kicked a little sand. “Of course. I’ve kept it all these years. Do you still have the other copy?”

  “Yes,” she said, barely a whisper.

  “Sometimes, when I’m feeling particularly bummed about something, I pull it out and just stare at it. Just remembering the happiest time in my life.”

  Her gaze dropped again. “Me too.”

  Knowing I still held such a substantial place in her heart made all those nights thinking about her seem not so pathetic. It was nice to know the feeling was mutual.

  “Well, now we have two. And this one we’re posting. Go on Instagram and find him. Jim Sitka.”

  She clicked open the app and found him. “Oh my God! I never knew his last name. I haven’t seen him in so many years. There, I followed him. Okay, I’m posting the photo and tagging him.”

  With a few pushes of the buttons our photo popped up on her feed and I smiled at the sight of us together. In seconds a notification popped, and she read it and burst out laughing.

  “What is it?” I peered over her shoulder.

  “My friend, Louie. He wanted photos tonight and said he’d be waiting. Apparently, he was.”

  I looked at the comment he left below our photo and tipped my head, reading it out loud. “#fuckallen #louiedidthis #yourwelcomeellie #hiliam #yourereallyhot.”

  “It’s an inside joke,” she spit out.

  “I’m really hot?” I laughed. “Well, tell this Louie fellow thank you.”

  “Sorry, he’s really excited about this. It was him who found you this second time around, so I suppose he and Jim are due some credit.”

  “He seems like fun. I hope to meet him some day.”

  “I would love that. Nita would love to meet you, too.”

  “I can’t wait. And out of curiosity, who’s Allen?” I asked, knowing I probably didn’t want to know.

  She rolled her eyes. “My ex. We split up the night I found you. Cheater. It’s the reason I was so drunk I messaged you a bunch of gibberish.”

  My mouth dropped. “You let me think it was my English reading that was having trouble! I speak it all the time, but I rarely write it. You sneaky little minx.”

  Laughing she raised her hand. “Guilty as charged. I was so hammered I barely remember what I was trying to write.”

  “Well, I’m glad you did. And that Allen guy? He cheated on you? What an idiot. Who could ever cheat on you?”

  “I hate cheaters. More than anything. I think it’s the shittiest thing you can do.”

  “Well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad it happened. It brought you to me, after all.”

  “It’s one hell of a silver lining.” I felt her body press back into mine and I tightened my grip on her shoulder. The party surrounding us picked up when the music started pumping out the newest dance tunes and I saw her feet tapping in the sand.

  “Dance with me?” I slid my hand beneath her chin to bring her eyes back to mine.

  Worry lines formed between her brows. “I’m a terrible dancer.”

  “I remember,” I teased, and she slapped my shoulder. I downed the rest of my champagne. “Come on.”

  Standing up, I extended a hand. After slamming her own champagne, she took it with a shake of her head, and I yanked her into my arms. Our bodies crashed together, and she laughed when I spun her out, my height making it easy to twirl her under my arm. The rest of the party joined in the dancing while we laughed and twirled, our bodies moving in and out as she giggled and laughed. I was smiling so wide I worried my face would crack. Moving with her beside the fire, under the moonlight, was a dream I hadn’t even dared to imagine.

  The music faded out and a slow song came on the radio wedged in the sand. The other dancers broke apart and soon only she and I stood beside the fire. Shy eyes met mine, and I tugged her hand and pulled her back into my embrace. When her arms wrapped around my neck, she buried her face in my chest. Closing my eyes, I pressed my lips to her forehead and rocked with her to the soft sounds of the music. The crackling of the fire and the crashing of the waves amplified the atmosphere and once again, she took me off to a world inhabited by only the two us.

  We rocked together in silence until the song came to an end. Lifting her eyes to mine, I saw the desire beneath those thick lashes and heavy lids. When she rose on her toes, I finished closing the space and pressed a soft kiss onto those full lips I loved so much. I wasn’t sure if it was the warmth of the flames or the feel of her in my arms, but my body burned like I was on fire. Applause erupted around us and we broke apart, the world surrounding us returning and we saw the smiling faces of the teenagers cheering for our kiss.

  She snickered and gave them an acknowledging nod. “We seem to have this effect on people.”

  “It would seem we do,” I said before sending her for a twirl that we finished in a mutual bow.

  “You two are awesome!” A girl planted in the sand shouted up. “I want someone to kiss me like that,” she said, sighing to her friend at her side.

  “That deserved a beer!” Another guy said, holding two cups filled with the foamy liquid.

  “Don’t mind if I do.” Ellie took them from his hands and handed me one. “To us.” She bumped my cup and a little foam trickled over the side.

  “To us.” I smiled and took a foamy swig.

  “Where are you guys from?” A kid asked, clutching his own red cup in his hand.

  “I’m from Chicago, USA and he lives here.”

  “And are you two, like a couple? How does that work?”

  Those words rocked me back to reality. How would this work? We lived in two different worlds, and for a moment the protective bubble enveloping us threatened to pop. But one glance down at her and I knew we would figure it out. This time, we wouldn’t mess it up again.

  “We aren’t sure,” I answered confidently. “But we will figure it out.”

  The nervous expression on her face softened and a soft smile lifted her lips. “We’ll figure it out.”

  “Actually, we met ten years ago at a party just like this one,” I said to the beachgoers who were listening to our conversation. “And now she’s back again, and we stumbled onto your party. So thank you for letting us join the fun. It’s quite perfect, actually.”

  “Shut up! Ten years ago?” The blonde girl in the sand asked.

  “Ten years,” I answered and couldn’t believe how much time had passed.

  “So what happened?” she kept on.

  Ellie sat down on the log and started to tell our tale. One by one the people from the party moved toward us, each intrigued by the stories she told from that week we spent together in Door County. I sat beside her and listened, those memories still fresh and vivid while she told the tale of how we came to be and how she’d gotten here tonight.

  “That is so romantic!” the little blonde in the sand swooned and teetered, the beer having gotten the best of her. After several beers and an hour of laughing and talkin
g with the teens, I noticed Ellie was also feeling the effects, and they hadn’t spared me either. The sounds of her tipsy laughter transported me once again, and I let them continue peeling back every layer of pain I’d felt in her absence.

  “Poliziotti!” A voice ripped through the crowd. Panic erupted, and the teens started sprinting down the beach, two trying to carry off the barrel.

  “Poliziotti?” Ellie asked, looking to me for translation.

  “Police,” I said. “This is a private beach and we’re not supposed to be here right now.”

  “Well then, let’s go!” She hopped to her feet and danced excitedly. “Remember when we had to run from the cops that night?”

  “Oh, yeah!” I leapt up beside her and glanced to the flashlight heading toward the crowd of scattering bodies.

  “Come on!” She started jogging away and cast a playful glance over her shoulder. My grin accepted her challenge, and I scooped up our stuff and took off after her. She tore down the beach, her hair flowing behind her and her skirt flying in the breeze. My heart raced as I took long strides and overtook her, racing past her and toying with her while she pushed to keep up. When we were far enough away from the light I turned back, laughing as I ran at her. Dropping our things, I bent down and caught her around the waist, throwing her up over my shoulder.

  “I know just where to hide!”

  Her excited squeals ripped through the still night while I bolted with her into the ocean.

  “Liam!” she shrieked as the water sprayed up around us, but I just smiled and kept on running. When the water got too deep, I pulled her into my arms and hoisted her in the air above my head. The way her face lit up, fear and exhilaration lacing her expression as she was suspended in the moonlight, sent my heart hammering even harder. With a push, I sent her screaming through the air.