Just as I was about to drag myself away from Jett, I saw a movement against the waves. At first, the tiny splash drew my attention because it deviated from the natural current. When nothing more happened, I scanned the water one last time and started to stand.
Jett’s hand grabbed my thigh, holding me there. He pointed just a little way from where I had seen the first splash. "Baby whale," he whispered.
I tried not to blink.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The sound in my head reminded me to absorb this moment as once in a lifetime, as a moment I may have never gotten.
My eyes scoured the water again. I didn’t want to miss anything. I stared so hard I began to think I’d imagined the splash. From the water, breaking the slight ripples, jumped a baby humpback whale. Right after, the mother followed. She soared through the sky like she could fly and the sun rays caught the water glistening over her body. She sparkled, she glimmered, she erupted with life.
I didn’t realize I was squealing until Jett nudged his chest into my back. “They can’t hear you, Vick.”
“I saw a humpback whale.” I looked over my shoulder at him and he attempted to hide his grin, but his lips curled at the corners.
“Yes, you saw a humpback whale and a baby one too.”
“It jumped out of the freaking ocean, Jett.” I couldn’t be quiet if I wanted to.
“They do that sometimes, Pix.”
“This is officially the best trip I’ve ever been on. I can’t believe that happened. I mean, we were just sitting here, and they jumped out like they wanted us to see them, like they wanted to be a part of my day.”
“They jumped out because that’s what they do. They have to breathe,” he deadpanned.
“Fine.” I would give him that. “They probably didn’t care if I saw them, but still ….”
His smile finally came out to play, and it reached all the way across his face, enough to crinkle the corners of his eyes.
He was so appealing when he smiled, like he had all this happiness bottled up in him he didn’t want to share with anyone. When he unleashed it, it blinded me to everything but him. The wind had tousled his jet black hair, and his blue eyes mirrored the sea below us.
On the edge of the world, I didn’t question myself when I leaned in and kissed him.
He wrapped a hand around my neck and kissed me back.
He tasted of Hawaiian sea and sun and love.
We made out on the edge of that cliff for maybe a minute. Maybe an hour. I lost track of time. I was more focused on how his hands slid over every part of my body he could reach, how his mouth owned every part of mine.
When he finally leaned back to stop us from going too far, he raked his gaze over me and grumbled, “I would screw you on the edge of this cliff if it wasn’t so dangerous.”
I smirked. “I’m game if you are.”
“You have a death wish, Pix.” He stood up and pulled me with him, lifting me over the chain with no struggle.
“I don’t. I just like to--”
“Have fun. I know. But vacation ends today when we fly back. You ready to face the real world?”
“My real world is still fun. I’m happy to get back to my day-to-day.”
We started walking back to our places. “You enjoy the city that much?”
“I’m loving it.” I practically burst with emotion. The city had always seemed out of my reach. I was so damn happy to be experiencing the hustle and bustle of it all over the past month that I would tell anyone about it. “The jostling to get to work every morning, the way people are so driven they would literally fight you to get one step ahead. Sounds weird, but the pulse of the city is amazing.”
He grunted.
“I’m lucky. I get to work near my best friend and do what I love. Steven gave me a great opportunity.”