Four on the Beach

Jasmine Rose Four on the Beach Copyright © 2023 by Jasmine Rose All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. Jasmine Rose asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. First edition This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy Find out more at reedsy.com Contents 1. Marie 2. Marie 3. Marie 4. Marie 5. Anthony 6. Marie 7. Marie 8. Marie 9. Kent 10. Marie 11. Marie 12. Marie 13. Marie 14. Jessie 15. Marie 16. Marie 17. Marie 18. Marie 19. Anthony 20. Marie 21. Marie 22. Marie 23. Marie 24. Marie 25. Marie 26. Marie 27. Marie Join My Newsletter One Marie After a long flight, I made it to my destination. No longer did I have to worry about a snoring neighbor or even a tantrum-filled toddler who enjoyed kicking the back of my seat. I made it to paradise. The next three months would be filled with absolute bliss if I had anything to say about it. Pulling my luggage from the track, I checked my phone for the time. After such a horrendous flight, I was all but ready to jump off of the plane. Thankfully, I finally landed in Delaware. Now I’d just need to take a taxi up to the beach house and my vacation would begin. It was about time. Abandoning the airport, the smell of something sweet wafted around. If I had to guess, there had to be some kind of food truck lingering near. Knowing how close the beach was, I could take a bet there was more than one near cooking some sort of mouthwatering food. Fighting off the temptation of following the scent, I turned my attention to the line of taxis parked alongside the airport entrance. One more ride and then nothing else would be able to stop me from relaxing. Pushing myself forward, I grabbed the taxi nearest to the front of the line and gave the driver the address of my destination. The moment the words left my lips, my body collapsed against the seat. To say I was exhausted had to be an understatement. From my eyelids to my limbs, as a whole, everything felt so heavy. We were on the road in a matter of seconds. Unlike the sweet smell that filled my lungs earlier, the stench of faded cologne and cigarettes filled my senses. This taxi alone must’ve carried all sorts of people coming and going. I wondered what kinds of stories the driver had heard during their time working. Not being a chatterbox, I made sure not to add another to the list. That didn’t stop me from having one. After years of college, I was ready to be finished. Even with only one more year to go, I was all for snatching my diploma up early. If only it worked that way. This being my last summer vacation, I figured running away to my childhood beach house would be the best option I could pick with the extra time I now held in the palm of my hand. An escape was all I needed to blow off some steam. I peered out the window, eager to watch the familiar scenery pass by. Too much time had passed since the last time I traveled to the beach. Despite spending the previous year at the beach house and getting my fill of the heat, leaving the area had done enough damage to make me miss it well enough over the months. I couldn’t wait until I could curl my toes in the sand and feel the warmth of the sun against my cheeks. Paling over the year, my skin could use some serious color. With so much to possibly do in a three month period, I had plenty of time to get everything out of my system. Once I got to the beach house, I could slip away and go for a swim. Maybe even do some laps to burn what little energy I had left lingering in my system. From being stuck in traffic, the drive up to the beach took nearly thirty minutes. More than enough time to plan out what I’d do for the remainder of the day. Unless I wanted to burn out, I needed to take my sweet time. Maybe the best thing to do was to pick out a bed and sleep. During that flight, I couldn’t sleep if I tried hard enough. I got everything but silence on that trip. Once we arrived, I’d be surrounded by the one thing I craved. When the car came to a stop, I stared at the house for a few passing seconds. It was almost like I was looking at a distant memory. Despite the lack of life, the house seemed to be well taken care of. Somewhat surprised, I pushed the curiosity to the back of my mind. I could question my mother about it sometime. If anything had changed with the house, she’d be the one responsible for it. After paying the driver and grabbing my luggage from the back, I dragged my belongings up each step with a grunt. With the sound of the taxi driving away, I took in the silence that followed. With the exception of some squawking seagulls in the distance, the lack of sound was deafening. I felt alone for the first time. Feeling my lungs swell with relief, I headed up to the door. Spotting the potted plant next to it,