After hearing Marcus’s harrowing ordeal, Aria wept uncontrollably, clinging to him as if he might evaporate.]
They had both endured unimaginable trauma.[]
They’d sacrificed everything, risked everything, to find their way back to each other.
During their separation, longing had twisted like invasive vines around their hearts, constricting until each breath became a conscious effort.]]
“We’re never letting go again,” Aria whispered brokenly between sobs.]
“Not a chance in hell. From now on, every tear you shed will be from pure happiness, I swear it,” Marcus vowed, devastated by her obvious emotional wounds.
“Is this development near the ocean? I caught a glimpse of water when we drove in,” Aria asked, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve.[]
“Absolutely. Wait till you see the master suite–floor–to–ceiling windows overlooking the Pacific. We’ll wake up to sunrise over the waves every morning for the rest of our lives.” Marcus led her by hand toward the bedroom.]
Morning light cascaded through enormous windows, transforming the hardwood floors into rivers of gold. Crystal accents throughout the room caught and fractured the light into countless miniature rainbows.
Aria felt an overwhelming impulse to reconnect with those bittersweet campus memories that had sustained her through countless dark nights.]
“Can we hit the beach? Right now?” She tugged at his hand, her excitement almost childlike in its purity.
They quickly changed into casual clothes and raced hand–in–hand along the shoreline.[]
Ocean breeze lifted their lightweight shirts, tangled playfully in their hair, while iridescent shells glittered beneath their feet like scattered jewels.[]
Aria kicked off her sandals, allowing her toes to sink into warm sand as she tilted her face toward the sun.[]
The sensory experience overwhelmed her with its richness.
Coconut sunscreen mingling with Marcus’s familiar cedarwood cologne, freshly baked sourdough from a nearby café…]
And something else entirely.[]
A unique fragrance initially registering as slightly bitter, gradually transforming into something complex and intoxicating–notes blending harmoniously into an indescribable perfume.]]
Aria felt weightless, as if drifting through cotton–candy clouds, everything around her crystalline and unburdened.[]
With sudden clarity, she identified this elusive scent.[]
Freedom.
Like enthusiastic tourists discovering a favorite destination, they sampled every beach activity available.[]
They attempted surfing, dancing atop boards until massive waves capsized them both, emerging soaked and laughing hysterically at each other’s bedraggled
appearance.
They ventured into scuba diving, marveling at kaleidoscopic fish schools swirling around them while massive sea turtles glided majestically past vibrant coral formations. The dive photographer captured them mid–kiss underwater, suspended in azure infinity.[]
This became their first photograph together after years of separation–a perfect crystallization of their reunion.[]
Inspired, Marcus suggested creating a new seashell mosaic. They collected buckets of multi–colored specimens, sprawling across warm sand to arrange their impromptu masterpiece.
A mischievous hermit crab scuttled behind Marcus, delivering a surprisingly painful pinch to his ankle.[]
Aria captured his comically outraged expression–arm extended in shock with the tiny culprit dangling defiantly from his finger.[]
My Ex Planned His Wedding On My Death Day?!
212.9
Chapter 14
She immediately posted it on Instagram with the caption “Shellfish Assault: The Crabening.”
Friends who recognized their legendary campus romance expressed astonishment and delight at their miraculous reunion, flooding the comments with congratulations.[]
Eventually exhausted from play, they collapsed onto a secluded stretch of beach, watching the sun melt into the horizon in spectacular fechnicolor.]
They savored freshly grilled oysters paired with craft IPAs, sharing confidences that had accumulated during their forced separation.[]
As darkness settled completely, a group of college musicians arrived with acoustic guitars and portable speakers, setting up around a freshly built bonfire..
The group laughed and joked around for a while until someone finally struck a chord, and this mellow, slightly raspy version of Bruno Mars filled the night air.]
“It’s a beautiful night, we’re looking for something dumb to do. Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you. Is it the look in your eyes or is it this dancing juice? Who cares baby, I think I wanna marry you.“[]
They both fell silent, the lyrics washing over them as their eyes got suspiciously misty in the firelight.[]
Even after the impromptu beach concert ended and the musicians departed, Aria and Marcus remained motionless, content to simply exist together in the same space.
This
This is just the beginning.” Marcus promised, sealing his words with a tender kiss.[]
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