When The Waves Kissed The Shore

Feel the heartbeat of each word and line. CHAPTER 1 SAVANNAH Will life ever feel as simple as it does inside a book? I keep wondering why life has to be so tough sometimes. Here I am, sitting in a cozy coffee shop where my friend works, lost in thought because of the book I'm holding. It's one of those books with a perfectly happy ending that seems too good to be true, like something only possible within the pages of a novel. I reach for my coffee, feeling the warmth of the cup in my hands. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air, mingling with the faint hum of chatter and soft music playing in the background. The sunlight streams through the window, casting gentle shadows on the worn pages of the book. I return my gaze to the book, its cover worn from countless readings. The story within promises, happiness, love, and all the things that seem elusive in reality. For now, I allow myself to escape into its pages, if only to dream of a world where happy endings can come true. "So you're planning to spend your whole day here, reading a book?" I looked up and saw my friend Sasha, who works here. "Yes, and you can't do anything about it because I'm one of your regular customers," I replied with a wide smile. Sasha rolled her eyes playfully. "So, what's the book about this time? Another epic love story or something?" I nodded. "Yep, pretty much. It's about two people who defy all odds to be together. Classic, I know, but sometimes you just need a dose of fairy tale." Sasha grinned. "Well, I hope it's worth it. But don't get too lost in there, okay? Reality might miss you." "I make no promises," I quipped, turning back to my book as Sasha chuckled and went to attend to other customers. My peaceful reading was interrupted by the ringing of my phone. Glancing at the screen, I saw it was my mom calling. "What does she want this time?" I muttered to myself before answering. "I ran out of money, can you send some?" Her voice came through the line as soon as I picked it up. What else did I expect? No "hello" or her asking about how I'm doing. Just straight to the point, asking for money. "Hey, Claire!" she shouted, as if realizing she should at least acknowledge me. "I'll send some," I said flatly before ending the call. I sighed, setting my phone aside and trying to refocus on my book. It wasn't the first time my mom had called with a request like this, and I knew it wouldn't be the last. Sometimes it felt like all she cared about was money. Since I've been living with Dad, she's started calling me whenever she runs out of money. It seemed like every interaction with my mom revolved around financial requests, leaving me to wonder if she saw me as anything more than a source of funds. Does she see me as her personal ATM? Another call interrupted my thoughts, and I glanced at my phone expecting to see my mom's name again, but this time it was Dad. "Savy, are you busy?" he asked. "Nope, I'm just hanging out at my friend's workplace," I replied. "Oh, I see. Causing a commotion again?" Dad chuckled. "No, why are you judging me?" I teased back, grateful for the distraction. "Sav, I need you here in my office. I have something for you to do," Dad said, his tone turning serious. "Okay, I'll be there," I said, already gathering my things and preparing to leave the coffee shop. There were so many people in the coffee shop, especially since it was lunchtime. I spotted Sasha behind the counter and made my way towards her. "You're leaving? That's great," Sasha exclaimed as she saw me approaching. "Something came up, but I'll be back. Don't miss me too much," I joked. "Please don't ever come back here," Sasha replied, pretending to beg for her life. "Bye, Sasha," I said with a grin as I walked towards the door. As I reached the door, I accidentally bumped into someone, or rather, someone bumped into me, and suddenly I felt the warmth of coffee soaking into my shirt. "Oh god, sorry about that," I immediately looked at him upon hearing his deep voice. He looked like a god. Tall and lean, with chiseled features and striking blue eyes that seemed to draw you in when he made eye contact. His dark hair was perfectly styled. He was dressed in a short-sleeved, light blue button-up shirt, white pants, and grey slip-on sneakers—a combination that made him look like a character from a manhwa or a novel, almost unreal. Please, marry me. I will do anything to make you happy, literally any— "Miss, are you okay?" His voice brought me back to reality as I realized he was speaking to me. "No, it's okay," I reassured him with a smile. I couldn't bring myself to get mad at someone who looked like this, and it was just a shirt after all—I could buy another one if I wanted to. "No, it's not. Can you come with me? I'll buy you a dress to change," he insisted. "What happened?" Sasha interjected, coming over to see what was going on. "We bumped into each other, but it's fine, really," I explained. "Don't worry about it, it was just an accident." The man continued to insist on buying me a new dress to replace my coffee-stained one. "Can I get your number then? If you're in a hurry, I'll treat you next time. How about that?" he asked. Do you want me to be in your life forever? I do. "Sure," I agreed, handing him my phone and he quickly dialed his number. His phone rang, "Got it. See you next time," he said with a smile as I made my way out of the coffee shop.