Chasing the Tide

Chapter Four Midnight on the sand

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, the buzz of summer excitement grew. Somewhere down the shore, music started to pulse, a low thrum of anticipation rolling through the evening air. Cassidy shot Lila a knowing grin.

"Tonight’s the big party. You coming?"

Lila hesitated, glancing out at the endless ocean. Maybe change wasn’t just something to think about—maybe it was something to dive into. The night air was electric, pulsing with music and laughter as bonfires blazed along the shore. The Myrtle Beach party was in full swing, and the scent of salt and smoke mingled with the heady aroma of spiked punch. Lila had never seen anything like it—crowds of people dancing in the sand, the ocean waves shimmering under the moonlight.

Cassidy handed her a red cup with a knowing grin. “One drink won’t kill you.”

Lila hesitated, then took a sip, the burn of alcohol warming her throat. She felt the music seep into her skin, her body swaying instinctively to the rhythm. The energy around her was intoxicating, and for once, she let herself get lost in it.

Noah found her moments later, his dark eyes glinting in the firelight. “Didn’t peg you for a party girl,” he teased, stepping closer.

Lila laughed, the sound light and unfamiliar even to her own ears. “Maybe I’m full of surprises.”

He reached for her hand, his touch sending a thrill through her veins. “Come on, let’s get away from the crowd.”

She let him lead her down the shoreline, the music fading into the distance as the waves lapped at their feet. The world felt smaller here, just the two of them under the vast, starlit sky.

Noah brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering. “I’ve been wanting to do this all night.”

Her breath caught as he leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a kiss that tasted of salt and summer and something she couldn’t quite name. The world spun around her, but in this moment, she didn’t care.

For the first time in a long time, she let herself fall. The party didn’t end at the beach. As the bonfires burned low, the energy shifted, and the crowd naturally funneled toward Cassidy’s family’s beachfront estate. The antebellum-style mansion stood grand and empty for the summer, its usual occupants—Cassidy’s parents, the senator and his wife—away on the campaign trail. That left the girls with the perfect escape: an opulent house on the water, filled with antique charm and just enough mischief for a summer they wouldn’t forget.

The living room hummed with laughter and music as bodies sprawled across velvet couches and danced beneath chandeliers. Someone had found the liquor cabinet, and soon, the sharp scent of whiskey and gin mingled with the ocean breeze filtering through the open French doors.

Lila perched on the railing of the wraparound porch, her fingers tracing the delicate woodwork as she took in the scene. This summer was meant to be a final adventure before reality set in—before she graduated, before she married Cotton. The weight of that certainty sat heavy in her chest, but tonight, it felt like a distant thought, washed away by the tide and the heat of Noah’s gaze from across the room.

Cassidy appeared beside her, handing her another drink. “You okay?” she asked, her voice light, but her eyes sharp.

Lila exhaled, a slow smile spreading across her lips. “I think I just needed this.”

Cassidy grinned. “Good. Because the night’s just getting started.”