You and I Forever

by Melissa Toppen

  I bounce back up sputtering for air. Shoving my wet hair out of my face, I look down at my now see through white tank top and gray jersey shorts, the material clinging to my body. “You are in so much trouble.” I hit Bentley with a look of disbelief and immediately dive towards him.

  He jumps just in time to avoid my grasp which sends me falling into the water once more. The moment I resurface, I hear Bentley's laughter radiating through the air. It's one of the most amazing sounds I have ever heard.

  “I think I hurt my foot.” I immediately fake injury and lift my leg slightly.

  “Are you okay?” He steps forward, falling right into my trap. The moment he's close enough for me to reach, I lunge out of the water at him and throw my arms around his waist causing him to stumble backwards.

  He laughs at my feeble attempts to tackle him in the water. No matter how hard I push or pull, his body stands firm. He laughs even louder when I wrap my entire body around his legs, my weight floating in the water. Reaching around with my feet, I try to put enough pressure on the back of his knees to make him cave, but it still does me no good. This man is solid muscle and moving him is damn near impossible.

  I growl out in frustration and release his legs, pushing away from him as I swim out further into the water. “You suck.” I shake my wet head at him.

  “That's not very nice.” He throws his head back on a laugh, clearly getting an immense amount of pleasure out of my failure to tackle him.

  “Seriously?” I stand up, the water hitting me just below my chest. “Look at me.” I exclaim, gesturing to myself. “And you say I'm not very nice.” I laugh, splashing water in his direction as he starts to close in on me.

  “Are you still going on about that?” He laughs, turning his head when I send a wave of water flying towards him. “Come here.” He says, pulling me into him when he finally manages to reach me through my splashing.

  “Don't.” I warn, suddenly fearful that he is going to try to dunk me or something.

  “I'm waving the white flag.” He laughs, pushing my matted hair away from my forehead before taking my face in his hands. “Though I must admit, you look incredibly cute right now.” He wipes under my eyes with his thumbs, wiping away the traces of makeup running down my face.

  “Yeah, drowned rat. I do the look well.” I retort sarcastically, trying to playfully push him away but his grip holds me tightly against him.

  “You're perfect.” He says, pulling my face down to his. He kisses my lips gently before tightening his arms around me and deepening the kiss. The waves roll around us but Bentley holds us still, his body only swaying slightly with each wave that passes.

  I'm sure perfect is not a word one would use to describe the way I look in my current state but it is definitely the word I would use to describe how I feel in this very moment. Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

  ****

  “I can't believe you have never Hula danced before.” Bentley laughs at my attempts to dance alongside the instructor and not seem completely clueless.

  “It's not like there is a large demand for it in Illinois.” I retort, pouting at him. He shakes his head and laughs harder. “Besides, I don't see you out here really giving it a go.” I give him playfully evil eyes as he sits on the beach just feet from me.

  “Why would I, when I can sit here and watch you?” He smiles up at me, his face so carefree it instantly brings a smile to my face as well.

  While I may be a dancer, that doesn't mean that I don't have to practice to nail a specific type of dance. And you can tell by watching me that I have definitely never Hula danced before. There is a certain way the girls swirl their mid sections that I can't quite figure out but I am having a blast trying.

  I'm sure I look ridiculous. Bentley insisted we stop and give it a try after we had dinner at a nearby restaurant on the beach. To say that I am not dressed for the occasion is a bit of an understatement. The grass skirt the instructor insisted I wear does not compliment my black cocktail dress in the least. But honestly, I don't really care what I look like. I am having an incredible time and realizing very quickly how much I love all things Hawaii.

  I love that they have Hula dancers out on the beach teaching tourists their native dance. I love the grass skirts and leis. I love the trees, the sand, the crystal clear water. I love everything about this place. But what I love the most, is the man sitting in front of me. He has his pants rolled up and his shoes off as he sits in the sand watching me.

  “I think you should try it now.” I shimmy towards him and lean down to grab his hands.

  “Oh no.” He shakes his head. “I would not look nearly as good as you do in a grass skirt.” He tugs at the straw like material and smiles up at me.

  “I think you would look rather sexy in a grass skirt.” I tease, sliding down next to him in the sand. I turn my attention to the instructor and watch as she works with the other people who have stopped by to give it a try.

  Bentley drapes his arm over my shoulder and pulls me into his side. Snuggling into him, I continue to watch the other people as they try to master the dance. I continue to watch for a few more minutes, not having the motivation to continue once I hit the sand next to Bentley. It feels so peaceful out here. Even with all the people around us, I still feel like we are the only two people in existence.

  Eventually Bentley shifts next to me, dropping his face into the crook of my neck as he nuzzles against me. “Take a walk with me.” He says, pulling back to kiss my cheek.

  “Okay.” I agree, waiting until he stands before reaching my hands up to him and allowing him to pull me to my feet.

  Stepping out of the grass skirt, I lay it next to the others and then nod at the instructor, who smiles sweetly at me. She can't be more than nineteen or twenty but I would guess she has been doing this since she was a child. She is so natural with not only the dance part but with the people as well.

  “You ready?” Bentley steps up beside me as I grab my heels from the sand and turn towards him.

  “Ready.” I say, allowing him to lead me away from the crowd hand in hand. We make our way to the edge of the water in silence, the crashing of the waves offering the only noise with the exception of the faint music and laughter still echoing from the beach behind us.

  Leading me along the edge where the water meets the sand, I smile every time the water rushes around our bare feet. The further down the beach we go, the quieter it becomes. Bentley doesn't speak. He keeps his eyes ahead of us, his face peaceful.

  Words can't describe what it feels like to see him like this. His hair wild and windblown, his shoes dangling from his hand, his shirt unbuttoned slightly revealing a slice of his perfect chest. He seems so young, so carefree. It's amazing to witness.

  He catches me looking at him and smiles widely in my direction. “You're staring.” He observes, tightening his grip on my hand.

  “I am?” I question like I had no idea.

  He only smiles wider and shakes his head at me. “How are you feeling?” His question surprises me a bit but I get why he's asking. It's been only a few days since I lost Patty and while it is easy to forget real life when swept away to a place like this, it's important to acknowledge that real life still exists.

  “I'm okay.” I admit, smiling that I actually do feel pretty good. Patty wouldn't want me to sulk, I know that. And as hard as losing her has been, I know that the last thing she would want is for me to shut the world out and use my pain to disappear inside of myself, something I have done many times before.

  Only this time, I don't want or need to disappear. Bentley gives me the strength I need to push through. And while there are times when the pain is so real and so strong that it becomes almost unbearable, I know that I can get through it because of him. Because he makes things better. He makes life better. He makes me better.

  “Thank you for this.” I continue, my eyes looking down at my feet in the sand. “This is exactly what I needed.” I admit, having felt more free in the last three d
ays than I ever have before.

  “Sometimes it's good to step away.” He says, stopping abruptly and pulling me to a stop next to him. “I just want to make sure that you know that I am here for you. This isn't a vacation to run away from your pain.” He says, turning inwards to face me. “This is an opportunity for you to make peace with it. I only hope that I am helping you do that.”

  “Bentley.” I say, tossing my heels behind me before turning back towards him. “You are the reason why I'm here.” I say. “Not physically but mentally, emotionally. If it wasn't for you, I would have shut down by now. I know myself well enough to know that much. But you haven't let me. Not for one second have you let me give into the pain and the sorrow. You have kept me strong. You have given me the ability to say goodbye to Patty the way she would have wanted.”

  I pause, taking his face in both of my hands. “You are everything to me. I will never be able to thank you enough for this, for everything.” I say, stepping towards him to press my lips gently to his.

  “All I want is for you to be happy Anna. It's all I have ever wanted.” He says, pulling back slightly.

  “I am happy.” I say, pulling him back to me. “You make me happy. Everyday. I know that I am not the easiest person to deal with sometimes but you have never given up on me, even when I had given up on myself, you still fought for me.”

  “Because I love you.” He breathes, closing the distance between our lips.

  “I love you.” I whisper against his mouth, pulling his body tightly against mine as the waves splash around our feet.

  Chapter

  Seventeen

  “And here we have Kilohana Crater. The secondary volcano that created Kauai.” Our pilot says, pulling my attention out the window of the C-182 Plane that Bentley arranged to take us on a private air tour of the islands.

  “It's hard to believe all of this beauty was created from volcanoes.” I say, turning towards Bentley, a wide smile stretched across my face.

  Today has been the most incredible day. From our place in the sky I have gotten to see countless waterfalls and cliffs, canyons and beaches. Seeing the island like this, is like looking down at one of the most beautiful places on earth from the heavens. It's breathtaking.

  Bentley squeezes my hand and winks at me when I look up to meet his gaze. It's clear to see how much I am loving this experience and I can tell how happy that makes him. I can't believe that I ever questioned this man's feelings for me. I have no doubt about his feelings now. He has made me see myself through his eyes, just as he said he would, and I know that I mean more to him than anything, just as he means more to me than anything.

  Turning my attention back out the window, I look down at the blue water. The beauty spread out beneath me. We have been in Hawaii for less than a week and already I have seen almost everything there is to see. Bentley has made it his mission to show me the land and I have loved every single second of it.

  “The next time we come here, I want to do this again.” I say, just moments after the pilot announces that our tour is over and that we will arrive back at the airstrip shortly.

  “Absolutely. Anything you want.” Bentley says, reaching across the small aisle between us to take my hand.

  “Anything?” I question playfully, raising my eyebrows up and down suggestively.

  “Anything.” His smile spreads wider, his eyes lighting up.

  “Well in that case.....” I trail off, licking my lips at him. He shifts in his seat, clearly trying to adjust himself without drawing attention to that fact.

  The movement causes me to burst into laughter and he throws me a playful glare the second it leaves my lips. I immediately fall silent and give him an innocent look which causes him to break into laughter of his own.

  Biting down on my bottom lip to silence myself, I shake my head playfully at him and then turn my attention back out the window, not wanting to miss a single second of the amazing view passing us by.

  ****

  “I'm starting to really consider your idea to move here.” Bentley says as we lay in bed, legs tangled together, my head resting against his bare chest.

  “Let's do it.” I turn my head upwards to him, a large smile crossing my face.

  “I wish we could.” He says, shifting beneath me to roll onto his side, causing me to turn on my side as well. Facing him head on, I snuggle closer to him and reach up to push his hair away from his forehead, loving how incredible he looks laying next to me like this.

  “Me too.” I admit seriously, knowing that we can't but wishing that we could.

  “I do have another idea though.” He smiles sweetly at me but doesn't continue.

  “Well, what is it then?” I ask, not sure why he is keeping me in the dark.

  “Marry me.” The words rush from his lips and I take a sharp inhale, immediately feeling winded by his statement, or question, depending on how you look at it.

  “Bentley, I....” I start but he doesn't let me finish.

  “Marry me Anna.” He repeats. “Think about it. We could do it here in Hawaii, just the two of us. We could have the ceremony on the beach, the waves crashing in at our feet. We could take home a piece of this time with us. A memory that no other will ever outdo.”

  Taking a deep breath, I try to figure out how to respond to what he's suggesting. On one hand, I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with this man. On the other, marriage is a huge commitment and one that I don't want us to rush into.

  “I want to be your wife.” I admit, letting my hand fall gently to his cheek as I speak. “But I don't want you to rush into this because of where we are and the week we have had together. This isn't real. Life isn't this good. Things between us won't always be this perfect.” I say, apology lining my face.

  “I know that.” He says, his eyes burning deeply into mine. “But none of that matters. There is no one but you that I want to experience this life with. The good and the bad. I want to fight with you, make love to you, hold you when you cry. I want to experience every up and down with you, as my wife.” He says, not an ounce of playfulness to his words.

  “Are you sure you didn't just swallow too much sea water?” I joke, trying to lighten the intensity of the situation.

  “Anna, I'm serious.” He says, pushing into a sitting position.

  I sit up next to him, reaching in front of him to take his hand in mine. “What do you want me to say Bentley?” I ask, wanting so badly to agree to what he's asking but also wanting to know that we are doing it for the right reasons.

  “I want you to say that you love me. I want you to say that you want to be with me as badly as I want to be with you.” He says, turning his face to the side to meet my eyes.

  “I do.” I say, my words barely above a whisper.

  “Then prove it.” He challenges. “Say you'll be my wife. Say you will marry me.” He says, shifting his body towards me.

  “You really want to do this?” I question, reaching up to trail my hand down his cheek. “You really want to get married here?” I breathe out.

  “Is that a yes?” He asks, his voice hopeful. “Wait.” He holds up his hand. “Don't answer that.” He shakes his head and pulls himself out of the bed.

  Crossing the room to the closet, he disappears inside for what feels like forever but is likely no more than a few seconds. When he finally reappears, he has his hands behind his back, the position causing his chest muscles to stand out on full display.

  I can't keep my eyes from trailing across his perfect shoulders and chest and down to his rippled abs. There should be a rule that he is only ever allowed to wear boxers when we are alone together. I don't think I will ever tire of looking at his incredible body.

  “What are you doing?” I question playfully when he pulls one hand from behind his back and extends it to me. I take his hand and allow him to pull me to the edge of the bed, not trying to hide my confusion about what exactly he is doing.

  Dropping to one knee, my stomach immediately
knots and I can feel my hand trembling against his as he holds it tightly. He looks up to my face and the moment he opens his mouth, I can feel the tears welling behind my eyes.

  “From the first night I walked into my club and saw you on that stage, I knew my life would never be the same again. And you have proven me right every step of the way. You have challenged me. Pushed me. Motivated me. Inspired me. You have shown me what it means to care for another person more than I care for myself. The life I lived before you was void, empty. At the time, I didn't know any different so I accepted it for what it was and embraced it. But all of that changed the moment you came into my life. I thought I knew happiness. I thought I knew a lot of things.” He pauses for a brief moment before continuing.

  “I almost let you go once Anna. I will never make that mistake again. Life without you is not a life I want. You once said that I was your dance. I feel the same way about you. Every single thing that happened to me, every failure, every triumph, it was all leading me to this moment. To you. I love you Anna Blake. I promise to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much. Will you marry me?” He asks, pulling the other hand out from behind his back revealing a huge princess cut platinum diamond ring perched inside of a small red box.

  It isn't until this moment that the first tear manages to escape and falls down my cheek. For someone who doesn't cry often, I feel like it has been something I have done more in the short time I have known this man than in all the years before him.

  I search for words, something, anything to portray even an ounce of the emotion that I am feeling in this moment but no words will come. I am speechless. Completely and utterly speechless. So instead of saying anything, I shake my head yes and watch as his eyes glaze over as well.