AllFreeNovel
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Would I erase the memory of my mother just because she died? Never.
I wouldn’t even erase the memory of my father, regardless of what the outcome was, because at one time in my life, he meant something to me.
My voice is but a whisper when I say, “No.”
Beatrice wraps her arms around me, and squeezes me with all the might she can muster. “Then stop trying to write the future when today isn’t even in the book yet.”
Bryce
“Whose boat is this?”
“It’s mine.”
With wide eyes, Charly tilts her head. “You have a boat?”
I shove my hand into my back pocket. “Technically, it’s my father’s boat. We used to go out on the water together, just the two of us, when I was younger. As a teen, I lost interest, and after he died, I didn’t have the heart to take it out without him.”
Charly’s hand smooths down my back. “It’s been sitting here all this time?”
“I had it in storage, but once I started helping you with your bucket list, I figured now would be the perfect time to get it back in the water.”
“Are you sure?” She moves to stand in front of me, craning her neck to look into my eyes. “I don’t want you to do something you’re not comfortable with just because of me.”
Just because. As if she’s not worth the effort.
I take my hand out of my pocket, and cup her face. “I’d do anything just because of you, Charly.”
Her cheeks tinge with a pretty pink. “You say the most romantic things.”
“I’m speaking the truth.” I lean down, and capture her lips. “And you make it easy to say those things.”
She smiles against my mouth. “Come on. Show me your boat, Captain.”
I quirk a brow. “I can get used to that.”
She tosses a wink over her shoulder as she strides ahead of me on the dock. The salty breeze catches her cream dress, blowing the long material behind her. She brushes back the wisps of hair that frame her face, the rest of it gathered into a loose bun at her nape. Her emerald eyes gaze out across the water, always filled with a mixture of curiosity and wonderment. And then they flick to me, narrowing with the swell of her cheeks.
Her happiness is blinding. Contagious. It calls out to me like a siren, luring me in, forcing logic from me, convincing me that everything will be okay, even though I’m not sure it will be.
My stomach tightens into a fist, my chest tightening. My heart thrashes like a wild animal in a cage.
And I know what my body is trying to tell me.
I’m falling for this woman.
How could I not? Loving Charly is effortless. It’s involuntary, like blinking, or breathing. To know her is to love her.
I only wish I could be someone she loves.
After reading her new bucket list this afternoon, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized that I’ve been deluding myself. I’ll never be able to keep someone as vibrant as Charly. Not for long. It works right now because we’re so new. She’s on a mini-break from reality on this vacation. But back in her everyday life, she’d come to resent me for the things I can’t do with her. It’s why Ariel left. It’s why I lost most of my friends. It’s why I barely see the friends I have. Why would Charly be any different? My past experiences serve as a constant reminder that people don’t stick around. I can’t let my guard down enough to open myself up to the possibility of getting hurt.
And this will hurt.
“Come on, Cap’!” Charly waves me over. “What are you waiting for?”
For you to break my heart.
I push my demons away, just for a little longer. I’m going to enjoy every last second I have with Charly until my time is up.
