Five Years Ago
The ocean didn't care who you were.
It didn't care how experienced you were, how many lives you'd saved, or how many promises you'd made.
The ocean took.
And sometimes...
It never gave back.
⸻
The morning sun painted the Pacific in shades of gold, the waves rolling lazily toward the shoreline as Malibu Beach filled with early joggers, surfers, and families staking out the best spots on the sand.
From the top of Tower 17, Alissa laughed.
Not the polite laugh she gave coworkers.
Not the reassuring smile she wore for nervous tourists.
A real laugh.
The kind that came from being completely, impossibly happy.
"You call that coffee?" Ben teased, taking another sip before dramatically grimacing.
Alissa rolled her eyes.
"You've been drinking my coffee for three years."
"And somehow," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist, "it keeps getting worse."
She elbowed him.
"Liar."
"I married you despite your coffee."
"You married me because I'm gorgeous."
"I married you because you tackled me during rookie rescue training."
"You were drowning."
"I was pretending."
"You were panicking."
"I was committed to the bit."
She laughed again, shaking her head.
"You still would've drowned."
Ben kissed the top of her head.
"Worth it."
Below them, the beach patrol crew groaned.
"Oh my God," Jason called from the sand. "Can you two stop being disgustingly in love before breakfast?"
Ben leaned over the railing.
"Jealous?"
"Violently."
Captain Liam walked past without looking up.
"If either of you falls off that tower, I'm writing 'idiot' on your incident report."
Alissa grinned.
"See? He loves us."
"I tolerate you," Liam answered without slowing down.
Which, coming from Captain Liam...
...was practically a declaration of affection.
⸻
Twenty-three weeks pregnant.
Alissa rested Ben's hand against the small bump beneath her uniform.
The baby kicked.
Ben froze.
"...Did she just—"
"She did."
His eyes watered instantly.
"I think she likes me."
"I think she's telling you to stop talking."
He laughed through tears.
YOU ARE READING
Malibu Tides
FanfictionMalibu Tides is a contemporary romance and family drama series set on the sun-soaked beaches of Malibu, where the elite lifeguards of Malibu Beach Patrol risk everything to save lives while battling the storms in their own lives. At the heart of the...
