Zain Zain and Jasmine lay on the bed Sunday night, eating a pizza. They had take out sent in and hadn’t left their hotel room since they entered it. They were officially married now… no matter how long it lasted… and could do what they wanted for only a few more glorious hours. Zain’s heart sank, hating the thought of having to say goodbye to her the following day. He had waited for her his whole life. And now that he had found her, he wasn’t going to let her go. “Come with me to USC,” he breathed against her skin, the pizza forgotten. She rolled him over onto his back and lay across his chest, looking into his eyes. “Zain, we talked about this.” “I know, but we’ll have a whole year to figure something out.” He hated the thought of leaving her behind after graduation, but he hated the thought of losing her more. Jasmine kissed his chest, her beautiful brown hair fanned out over him, framing her gorgeous face. “Zain, I’m not going to hold you back—” “You won’t.” He bit his lower
ZainSteam billowed around them like a warm, comforting blanket—a stark contrast to the chill of uncertainty that awaited outside the sanctuary they had created. Zain reached out, his fingers trailing through the condensation on the glass door before pulling it open. The sound of water rushing from the showerhead filled the space with a soothing rhythm, and he stepped inside, eager for the embrace of both the heat and his wife.Jasmine was already there, a vision of serenity beneath the cascade. Her skin, kissed by water droplets, glistened under the soft bathroom light. She turned toward him, her eyes locking with his with an intensity that spoke volumes of the wordless pact they’d made—to cherish these final moments before parting ways, before their love was tested by distance and time.“Hey,” Zain whispered, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, inviting and genuine. His heart thrummed, a steady drumbeat syncing with the pitter-patter of water hitting the tile.“Hey,” Jasmine
Jasmine “If this is casual, why does it hurt so much?” Jasmine asked Zain as the taxi pulled up in front of the courthouse. Zain bites his lower lip, tears in his eyes. “We don’t have to do this. We can stay married and get a corm room together at USC.” “I know, but I don’t want to hold you back.” As tempted as that sounds, she could never forgive herself if he quits baseball to support a wife and family. “You’re not.” They had the same conversation for the last hour. And before that, every time one of them had brought it up. “Jasmine, we could rent a car and speak with the officials at USC when we get there.” He sighed, his eyes pleading. “then we can call our parents and let them know what’s going on.” She chuckled. “At least they would have a year to get over being mad at us.” Zain gave her a small, heartbreaking smile. “Or until Christmas.” “Let’s go.” Jasmine knew if they didn’t get out of the cab now, she’d take Zain up on his offer and have the cab driver take them to a
JasmineJasmine Hunt rode in the back of her parent’s Mercedes, headed toward South Pointe, the southern point of Miami, Florida. She pulled her long brown hair back into a ponytail, fanned her neck, and let it fall over her shoulders and down her back again. They were almost there, and, already, the heat was sweltering. Jasmine couldn’t wait for the promise of a constant ocean breeze, ready for her summer vacation to begin.Since she had just graduated from high school, Jasmine had hoped to get away by herself this summer. But that wasn’t happening. Instead, her parents had persuaded her to go to South Pointe and spend time with them on the beach. After all, this would be their last summer together before she headed off to UT Knoxville in the fall. But at least they would be spending all summer on the beach, so it wouldn’t be a total waste. Although she was glad to have time with her parents, Jasmine had waited a long time to have her own life. Now, she wanted to start living it.“Ar
Zain Perez slipped his surfboard into the bed of his black pickup truck, heading to his mother’s house. He had just come home from the University of Southern California on a full-ride baseball scholarship. Although he had been offered the same at the University of Miami when he had graduated high school, Zain had to get away or bust, so he chose to go to USC. Now, Zain was about to start his senior year… and was the first in his family to graduate college.He remembered his father’s sacrifice, sneaking his family out of Cuba in the middle of the night and staying behind to ensure their escape. Zain had just been a boy at the time, but he still remembered it as if it were yesterday.“I don’t want to leave you!” Zain cried, only nine years old. “I love you!”His mother clutched his older sister, Carmen, and stood to the side, crying as she watched.His father, Javier, knelt before him. “It’s okay, son. I’ll be along soon. I’ll be right behind you. I promise.” Then he squeezed his should
Zain“Wow!” Zain gave Juan a manly handshake. “You have a son!”“Yeah, but Sylvie is my little princess.” Juan smiled, raising an eyebrow.“Speaking of which, where is she?” Zain asked, looking around.Just then, a cute little girl with light brown curls wearing a frilly pink dress saw him. “Uncle Zain!” She ran toward him, and he scooped her into his arms and nuzzled her neck, playfully scratching her with his day-old beard. “Ew!” She laughed, pulling away.“Do you have a kiss for your uncle?” Zain asked, turning his cheek to her.She gave him a big kiss on the cheek and then squirmed to get down. “Love you, Uncle Zain!”“Love you, too.”When he stood her on her feet, Sylvie grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the backyard. “Come on! Everyone’s here! Abuela’s waiting!”Zain laughed. “I’m sure she is. Well, let’s get this over with. But will you promise me a dance?”Sylvie stopped in her tracks and twisted back and forth, watching her frilly dress flare out. “Sure! Let’s go!” Then
JasmineJasmine had barricaded herself into her bedroom for the rest of the night, not wanting to deal with her parents. But she woke early the following day, dressed quickly, and headed for the beach. Although she wanted to go surfing, Jasmine didn’t want to go alone, so she watched the sunrise instead.Streaks of pink and soft orange spread across the morning sky as she sat on the sand close to the shoreline, wrapping her arms around her legs. This truly was beautiful. If she could, she would move here and stay forever. Although she liked Maine, the winters were frigid, and Jasmine was more of a summer girl.Jasmine watched the sun rise behind the ocean. She liked this time of day, early morning before the beach became crowded. The seagulls were flying about, swooping down to catch a fish, and then flew back up again, cawing to their friends in an occasional disagreement, adding to the ambiance.As she watched the birds and the ebb and flow of the sea, she thought of her parents. Sh
Zain Zain hadn’t slept well all night, thinking of her. When he finally got to sleep, it had been fitful. As soon as the faint rays of sunshine peeked in through the window, he showered and hurried out, in a hurry to get to the beach to see Jasmine. Jasmine. What a beautiful name. It suited her well. Zain quickly grabbed his board, wanting to get to the beach early to meet her. Even though they had just met, he couldn’t deny his attraction to her. But even if they ended up just becoming friends and nothing more, that would be fine with him. It would be nice to have another surfing buddy for the summer. Zain slipped out the front door and locked it behind him, feeling like a kid sneaking out. He started the engine and soon was on his way to South Pointe. He didn’t want to seem like a stalker, but he couldn’t help himself. Turning the truck down another corner, he wondered what he was doing. Jasmine was clearly only eighteen, and he was twenty-one and would be twenty-two by the tim