“What do you already know?”
“That you’re the only one I ever want to kiss.”
My heart sank again at his words but not in the heartbreaking way that it had before. It bounced off my stomach and plopped back into place, leaving me feeling whole and happy again. Being there with him felt so right and so strong. It was hard to feel any doubt. And that was something I had unfortunately gotten very used to feeling.
“Well then, if it was convincing you needed, why didn’t you just ask?” I teased.
“That was all I wanted to do. When I saw you with my sister at the pier, I had to force myself to be impartial. Or pretend to be at least. I heard from Jeff and Molly that you ended up staying in town but seeing you, God, I was so relieved. If only because I hated the way we left things, and if I’d lost my chance with you, then I at least wanted to make things right.”
I smiled.
His face fell for a moment and then looked up at me. “Thank you for what you did for Jill.”
“I didn’t even know—”
“I know. That’s why I…” He trailed off. “Hey, do you want to get out of here. Maybe go back to the Admiral, see if we could catch the end of the party?”
I nodded. He took my hand and led us there.
Rick led me to the strip along the boardwalk. The party lights glowing in the background were starting to fade as we neared the water. There were small boats and yachts lined up along the shore. A few had lights on but very little activity visible. We slowed near a small boat swaying in the water and I held on to the wooden planks along the bridge. He stopped suddenly, looking up for a minute.
“Why are we out here?” I asked quietly, not that I was complaining.
He looked back down at me. He didn’t say anything. Just looked at me thoughtfully.
I decided it didn’t matter why, but I was happy I was there with him. I pressed my body against his, wanting to feel as much as I could of him in that moment. “I thought the scenery was more suitable out here.” He placed one hand on the side of my face.
“For what?” It was almost a whisper. My eyes diverted to his lips.
“For watching boats,” he said cheerfully, dropping his hands from my face and catching my hand instead. He pulled away and laughed lightly.
Hiding my frustration, I turned to face the ocean. But Rick swiftly pulled me back with a tug, grabbed the other side of my face to steady me, and pressed his lips hard against mine. His kiss softened within seconds, and I wrapped both arms around him. We pulled apart for a quick breath, and I smiled shyly.
His response was more seductive. His eyes were still glued to mine. “I love you, Amy. Everything about you. I felt it from the moment I touched you that night at the pool. Thought it was cute when you turned red and stormed off instead of thanking me. Even when you ran into me…it was frustratingly stimulating.”
“You sure have a funny way of showing it,” I remarked, referring to his anger at me at the gym on our first day of camp. He broke his gaze and blushed a little and looked at the planks we stood on. I tugged on his sleeves, getting his attention back, needing him to know exactly how I felt. “I love you too.” I meant those words more than I knew anything else.
EPILOGUE
It was the first week of October. I jumped off the train at the Madison station and walked down the stairs to street level. I waited for Rick at the usual corner, across from the newsstand. I never had to wait long, since he’d always keep track of any train delays and arrival times.
The air was cooler and slightly windier than the last time I’d visited, two weekends ago. I wrapped my thick sweater around myself tighter. Then I felt something heavier around my shoulders.
“This should do it.” I heard Rick’s voice behind me as he laid his black wool jacket over me.
Without turning, I smiled, then faced him as he came around me. He seemed almost taller; it may have been the full-length jeans and long-sleeved black shirt he was wearing. His tan was fading, and his hair was a shade darker. His features seemed so much more pronounced in the fall daylight. “I thought you’d just pull up.”
He gave me a half grin and leaned in to give me a lingering kiss. “Nah, that’s not very gentlemanly. Would have pulled you off the train myself if I got here in time.” He turned me to the direction of the parking lot. “How was your trip?”
“Quicker now that I have study material keeping me busy.” I pointed to my backpack, which he was pulling off my shoulder.
“A little heavier than last time…they’re really workin’ you hard there.” He said as he opened the backseat and tossed the bag in, then shut the door behind it.
I blushed. “Not exactly. My only class on Monday was canceled, so I brought a few extra clothes, if you don’t mind me staying an extra day.”
Rick lifted an eyebrow. “Are you kidding? Every minute I get with you I wouldn’t trade for anything else.” He lightly pushed me against the passenger door. “Hmm… what should we do with all that extra time?” He put on his husky, seductive voice, which he knew drove me insane—in a good way.
“Slow down,” I said, pushing him playfully. “Aren’t we meeting Peter and Rachel at the diner soon?” Rachel would always get in on a Friday night when she visited for the weekend. And she did end up inheriting my car, mainly because I couldn’t bear to sell or donate it. And she lived in a town where parking wasn’t an issue and driving was a necessity. She was one of the few friends I’d catch up with while in town. “And I want to stop by the apartment and say hi to Jill.”
“They can wait,” he insisted, pressing himself back against me. Both his arms stretched on either side of me, securing me in place so I couldn’t move. “Everyone can wait.” He kissed me slowly. “So, I meant to ask you, where do you go to watch the sunrise now?”
I thought about his question for a moment and frowned. “You know, I haven’t watched one since I was here.” I shrugged. I hadn’t exactly stopped to think about it, but if I were to guess why I didn’t need to watch a new day unfold every morning, it was because the one I’d been waiting for finally had.
END
ROXANNE TULLY grew up in New York City where she studied theatre, stage management, and design. A traditionalist at heart, she loves spending time in bookstores, diving into exciting new books. Roxanne now lives with her husband and son in New Jersey, where she continues to write.
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