Page 62 of One More Chance
“You could take a little vacation. See the ocean. I want to show you the ocean, Harper,” he says.
His words dig into my lungs, into my heart. Suddenly everything in my chest is so heavy. He wants to show me the ocean. “Really?”
“Yeah. You can bring your camera, sight see. I’ll have to work a little during the day, but we can have the evenings together. And the weekends. Maybe you could stay a week? Or even two?”
“Wow, I don’t know.” I swallow against my words. I look down at our feet moving in perfect rhythm. I think about the farm, if everything will be okay while I’m gone. I think about the fact that I’ve never been anywhere worth speaking of in my whole life. I think about what something like this could mean.
“I just, I really want to do this for you,” he says. “You deserve it.”
“I would have to make sure everything is covered here.”
“Oh, I already did,” he says.
“What?”
“Yeah. Everyone says to have a good time and not to worry,” he says.
“Um, well…shit.” I sigh. “Okay, let’s do it.”
Jensen exhales, his eyes fluttering shut, then opening again. “Good, because I already bought your ticket.”
“Oh my god, see. This is what I’m talking about! Ridiculous,” I say, laughing and pushing at his chest.
He grips me tighter. “It’s gonna be great, Harper. I’m gonna show you so much.” He presses his cheek against my temple, inhaling deeply and returning to silence as the song finishes.
Like it or not, I’m going on an adventure with Jensen. Who I am kidding? It sounds amazing. But also a bit scary.
Actually, it scares the shit out of me. I’ve never flown on a plane. I’ve never been out of the state, other than driving into a bordering state for day trips. I’ve never seen the ocean. And I was about to plunge head-first into all of it with none other than Jensen.
Part of me is riding the high, enjoying the ride while it lasts, hanging onto every delicious moment and making a mental scrapbook of this time to flip through later. Another part of me is absolutely terrified for when the ride ends, when it’s time to get off.
Will the memories be enough? Or am I setting myself up for a terrible tailspin?
Sure, I was alone before Jensen and I was fine. But I was acutely unaware of how lonely I was.
Could I return to it as easily?