Our Love Story

----Winning the event no longer matters. I win, get off my board and run to Chloe. She’s on the beach with Harlow, who has pale pink hair flying in the wind, and when they see me, their eyes widen. I look like a madman, for sure. My facial hair rough, my hair tousled by the waves, and I’m running like a beast to my beauty.

“Chloe,” I say, falling to my knees before her. My parents and the guys are here but I don’t fucking care. All I care about is Chloe right now. “I’m sorry. I’m a fucking scaredy-cat who tries to play it cool. I’m scared of being a dad. That’s the truth, but there are worse things than being scared of change. I could lose you. Lose our baby. Lose fucking everything.”

Chloe presses her hand to her face and I hate that I’m making her cry, but I need her to hear this. Now.

“I love you, baby. I love your perfect ass and your perfect smile. And I love how badass you are in everything you do. This is all new to you too, yet here you are. On two feet, fighting for the life you want. Baby, let me fight with you. For you.”

She flings her arms around me. “You had me scared, Noah. I was so freaking scared.”

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” I tell her, kissing her hard. “I swear I’ll never run again. I’m here. By your side. Through thick and thin.”

We kiss again, this time with more intensity, my desire growing as our mouths part, her tongue finds mine.

It’s not until my mother starts hollering that I remember that there are about a thousand people on this beach. We pull apart and look at our audience.

“A baby? Who is having a baby?” My mother’s gripping my father’s arm.

The world falls away. Her fear is understandable, but it is not mine to bear.

“We are,” Chloe says. “The five of us are having a baby. Together.”

My mom gasps, my dad is confused. The girl with the pink hair beams and Leo, surprisingly enough, begins to clap.

Enzo steps forward, standing next to me. Then Mason and Ethan stand on Chloe’s other side.

All four of us surround her. Protecting her. Craving her. Forever.