Asher’s POV

We ate our lunch, and after that, we changed into other clothes. The food had been good, but my mind had barely been present through it. I kept stealing glances at Tara, noticing the way the sunlight brushed against her skin, the way she moved so freely, and so unaware of the storm quietly building in my chest.

We headed back to the sea, and as the waves rolled in and out, rhythmic and calm, I came up with a fantastic idea, one that I knew would brighten the moment—or at least distract me from the thoughts I didn’t want to face.

“Tara, I think I have an...