Page 14 of Just My Style
“I don’t think that’s true,” I say. “He may think it’s true, but it’s not. Having another person in your life to love you and support you is something we all need.”
It’s certainly something that I need. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him to move back to New York. To be with me. Maybe we can even have a child together, and then he’ll get the chance to be the dad he’s always wanted to be.
As darkness descends, I grip his hand more tightly. Panic threatens to overwhelm me again.
“We’re fine,” he says again. “Just relax.”
I lean back in the kayak and stare up at the stars. After a while, they grow blurry with sleep, and I doze off. I don’t wake again until Victor leans over to stroke my face. It’s still dark, and the moon shines brightly in the sky. Then I realize we have buoyancy again.
“The water?” I ask, my voice thick with sleep.
He smiles. “We can paddle back now.”
It’s hard to tell when we reach the correct dock, but Victor manages to guide us where we need to be. He pushes his kayak onto the landing and steps onto the platform. Climbing the ladder, he cranks the lever to raise his boat out of the water. Then he lowers it back down for mine. When I’m finally standing on the solid dock, I breathe a sigh of relief. Victor holds out his arms and I crush myself against his chest.
“See?” he whispers into my hair. “Everything is fine.”
He lowers his lips to mine, and the rest of the world fades away.
He lives in Friendly, and I live in New York… this is probably a gigantic mistake. But right now, I don’t care. I let the sweetness of the kiss carry me away.
Chapter 10
Victor
After I walk Cara to her door, and kiss her once more, I head to the beach. I follow the boardwalk across the dune, kicking my shoes off when I reach the sand. It’s cool on my feet as I walk toward the water. Waves crash against the shore, bringing in the tide. I focus on the sound, the ebb and flow of the water, as I walk down the beach.
I try to empty my mind of all thoughts for as long as possible, but inevitably, they push to the surface. I think of sweet, beautiful Cara, and how much I long to make her happy. I barely know her, but it’s already so clear to me that she could be my forever. Maybe we could even start a family of our own, and this time, I’d get it right. I wouldn’t show up in my kid’s life when he’s already grown, a stranger who has nothing in common with him but DNA.
Is that true though? Maybe we do have things in common, and we just don’t know it, because he won’t let me in.
Will he ever give me a chance? Is it even worth staying in Friendly?
Despite everything, the truth is that I love him. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him—if he’d only give me an inch.
But he won’t. It’s been almost a full year since we met, and he’s still not willing to even kayak in a group with me, let alone share a meal or a conversation.
Why am I torturing myself when I could be back in New York, part of a surgical team, respected and revered? With Cara by my side…
As the last stars disappear and the sky grows lighter, I still have no idea what I should do.
Chapter 11
Cara
It’s the day of the sandcastle competition and I ride my bike to the beach. I’m still wobbly, but at least I’m not crashing into things. I pedal faster, wanting to beat Victor to the beach for once. Just to see his face light up when he spots me there.
We’ve spent the last few days together, riding bikes, walking on the beach, chatting about anything and everything but mostly New York. Kissing…
Today, I’m going to tell him that I think he should move back to NYC. We can vacation in Friendly every summer. That way, he’ll still get to see Jared, but we can also have a life together in the city.
I’m nearly to the boardwalk that crosses the dune when I hear voices. I brake and plant a foot on the ground to stop the bike. Up ahead, I see two figures walking together over the dune. Even from their backs, I recognize them as Jared and Sean.
They stop walking and turn to face each other. Even in the dim early morning light, I can see that they both wear masks of anger.
I know I should make my presence known, but I quietly move into the shadow of a nearby building instead.
“What is your problem?” Jared demands.