Whispers In The Sand

1

Savannah Bailey was eight margaritas in when Imani SaintClair, the giggling bride to be dropped her off at the door of her summer beach house. "Oh, come on, it's only eleven!" Savannah complained.

In New York, people partied in the middle of winter at 2AM on a Tuesday. She didn't of course. Savannah Bailey hated the cold and loved routines but it was the summer and she was looking for a distraction from her latest let down.

"Girl, you're drunk," Imani laughed. "I'm tired and we have cakes to taste in the morning."

It was three weeks until the wedding and the only thing Imani knew for sure was that she would be marrying her highschool sweetheart on the beaches of their hometown, Paradise Cove. Though she wasn't the maid of honor, Savannah was sure Imani was waiting for her to take charge. The only thing she had booked for herself was the venue and that was only because her brother owned the land.

"Get to bed," Imani called as she pulled off down the road. "If you need anything, my brother's cabin is right down the road, good niiiight!"

Savannah's mind drifted to Kai. Her best friend since childhood, it was love at first sight from the moment they met the summer before the fifth grade. As they got older, Savannah's infatuation only grew. Kai was tall, dark, and handsome with an athletic tattooed body she wanted to lick from head to toe. But she knew nothing would ever happen between them, Kai was a notorious slut who never seemed to look her way but it didn't stop her from writing about him.

Kai had everything a woman would want in a man. Aside from his striking looks and amazing body, Kai was a great listener. Protective, ambitious, kind–he carried himself with honesty and integrity. Though he got around, he had never been disrespectful to the women who lined up to jump in his bed. Kai simply enjoyed being single and Savannah knew when and if he was ever ready to settle down, he'd be just like the men he inspired in her books. She just wouldn't be the woman he fell in love with.

As she washed away the night, Savannah tried to imagine Kai in love with someone who wasn't her character-insert. Instead, she found herself comparing against his lovers to find what they had that she didn't.

As she oiled her golden skin Savannah decided it couldn't be her looks. He liked beautiful brunettes, check. Full lips, round eyes, she had that too. Successful, check. Big boobs, a nice big ass, check-check.

Were they more interesting than her? She wondered. Smarter? Kai often joked that the woman of his dreams was a little smarter than he was. Did he think she was stupid?

Wearing nothing but her robe, Savannah drank a homemade cocktail as she painted Kai's perfect woman. Knowing him, she'd be stunning, charming, captivating and intense, like Kai's ex, Vivienne Harper. The maid of honor who had yet to arrive.

Although he hadn't mentioned her in years, Savannah imagined them locking eyes across a room at the wedding. She pictured a polite conversation leading to something more, and within a year, she'd be at their wedding, doing her best not to cry.

The moon was low in the sky, casting its pale light on the sand as Savannah stumbled barefoot onto the beach. Her head spinning and her dark curls still wet as she made her way to the cabin tucked away on the far side to finally confess her love.