AllFreeNovel
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“I’m fine. I’ll meet you outside.”
“Stop!” He hops out of bed, standing in front of me, and my eyes wander carelessly to see the bedsheet wrapped around his waist.
“Hey, eyes up here. I know you’re keen to see the Colonel Madden, but I need to check your nose.”
He scans my face, sliding his finger against the bridge of my nose. The bone is tender, and my eyes are still watering from the collision.
“You know, a Major General is higher than a Colonel,” I tease, trying to keep a straight face and ignoring the pain.
With a smirk in tow, his eyes dance with delight. “I didn’t know that. Perhaps you should look to make an educated decision.”
I punch him in the chest, pulling away. “Another time, playboy.”
I’m praying a bruise won’t appear from the brutal hit. Ten minutes later, he’s out front on the porch with me, all dressed and yelling at me to keep up. We hadn’t even started yet but he’s judging me on being slow.
Today isn’t as bad. I’ve surprised myself with how fast I can run without falling into a heap on the pavement. By the time we arrive at the pier, we make it just in time to watch the sunrise. The sun blooms on the horizon, golden petals stretching outward into the rich blue sky. My body relaxes at the stunning sight. It’s the invitation to a new day, new possibilities filled with hope and endless dreams. Dreams I have trained myself to stop conjuring up because they never belong to me.
Even when the world around me feels like it’s drowning, the sky always remains beautiful. It’s become my savior, my glimmer of hope when darkness shadows the light at the end of the so-called tunnel.
And beside Oliver, I allow myself to dream.
I dream of watching this forever.
With him.
“It’s beautiful, don’t you think?”
From the corner of my eye, I can see Oliver staring at me. “Yeah, I think.”
“Don’t you wish you could watch this every day?”
“I wish for that every night,” he whispers.
I turn to face him, unsure of what to say without saying something I might regret. He’s lost in thought, watching the sunrise quietly. I observe his sharp jaw, chin, cheekbones, and the way his hair, a mess of sandy blond strands, frames his face. When Oliver falls quiet, such as moments like now, he’s incredibly beautiful. An odd description to use on a man, but I can’t help but use a word so fitting to what I see beside me.
He's nothing like the asshole I met at the pub that night.
“I want to take you out for breakfast,” I say, breaking his deep stare out over the ocean. “Are you free?”
“I have to be somewhere at eleven, but free before that.”
We run back, stopping at Sally’s, which isn’t as busy given the early-morning hour. Taking our usual table, we both order and sit quietly watching the few people who stroll by as we wait for our food to be served.
“You’re quiet today,” I mention, not oblivious to his calm demeanor.
“I’m thinking.”
“About what?”
“You.”
“Me?” I ask, nervously playing with the end of my braid. “Why?”
“Because I’m thinking about how someone like you doesn’t see all the beauty around you. Every door is open, and she’s only staring at the one that’s closed.”
He’s quick to bring it up again. I grab the napkin, placing it on my lap to avoid eye contact as a waitress serves our breakfast. My acai bowl looks delicious, yet so does Oliver’s bacon, eggs, and hash browns.
“Oliver, you just don’t understand.”
