Page 123 of Beyond the Blue Horizon

At least that’s what Piper felt right then.

Just…happy.

Happy to be home for a little while, surrounded by the ones she loved most and who loved her just as much.

She was excited for her future.

For her journey.

Excited to chase down a dream that she’d had since she was just a little girl drawing clothes on sheets of paper and taping them to her walls.

But she always knew, in the end, this was where she belonged.

A whistle echoed from the open driver’s side window of the car that idled at the curb in front of her house.

Piper lifted a middle finger as she strode down the walkway in her heels and sequin dress.

Laughter rang from within, and Eva popped her head out the window. “Now is that any way to greet your best friend?”

A giggle rolled out of Piper as she sauntered toward the car.

The night all around her.

Excitement thick in her chest.

She hadn’t seen Eva in almost a year, and she’d missed her like crazy.

“It’s my knee-jerk reaction to being catcalled.”

“Girl, you look so hot tonight, a whistle was required.” Eva’s grin was wide as she peered out the window.

Piper gave a little spin right in the middle of the walkway. “You like?”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure everyone is going tolike. You look like you’re ready for a little fun.”

Piper rounded the front of Eva’s car, opened the passenger door, and plopped inside. She tossed a smile at Eva from over the console. “Well, you promised me some.”

Eva smirked, her sleek, black hair swishing over her bare shoulders. “And I always deliver.”

Music thrummed through the club. Piper and Eva were in the middle of the dance floor beneath the frantic, strobing lights, the two of them fully letting go.

They’d tried to play it cool when their fake IDs had worked, something Eva had procured for them while Piper had been gone.

The two of them had immediately weaved into the fray where they allowed themselves to get lost in the dark, provocative vibe.

They’d been there for hours, their skin slicked with sweat as they moved to the seductive beat.

The night had been far more than alittlefun. Piper couldn’t remember the last time she felt so invigorated.

The last time she laughed so much.

The last time she felt so free.

She had a clear path set out for her life. Her hopes and dreams right within reach. It was going to be a ton of hard work. She was told her second year would be the most challenging and she wasn’t daunted by the prospect, but for this summer, she was letting all that pressure go.

She was going to enjoy every single second that she had.

Whether she was with her family or her friends.