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To my surprise, she lets out a quick giggle, her eyes twinkling at me. “Something tells me that life with you would be anything but boring, if a first date on a canal cruise is anything to go by.”
She leans her head on my shoulder, and her warmth and presence comfort me. Her words strike a chord, making me realize that I have been letting my father's actions dictate my beliefs about love and relationships. I’m not exactly ready to say that she’s changed my point of view irrecoverably, but it’s been a long time since I’ve heard someone speak of love and romance like she does. Not many other people around me still believe in it, I guess.
“You don't have to be like him, you know,” she says quietly. “And the woman you marry doesn't need to be like your mom. You get to choose your partner and the way your marriage plays out. Don’t make the mistake of repeating something that you’ve already watched fail, you know?”
I look down at her, wondering what I did to deserve such an angel spending her time with me, helping to fix the broken pieces of my belief in all things sweet and loving. “I know, but it’s hard not to be influenced by what you see growing up. It’s not like I never believed in love, but I find myself looking at all the other couples my parents’ age, and so many of them are in the same position as Mom and Dad. Still together, but distant. Barely speaking, cordial instead of affectionate. You know the type. It feels like a fatality.”
Julia nods in understanding. “I get it. But you have to remember that your parents’ relationship is not a reflection of what’s possible for you. My parents are divorced and they had the worst relationship you can possibly imagine, but I don't let it define me. I know that if I get married, I will make it work.”
I smile, heart swelling in my chest with affection for her. “You are very pure, Julia, but I’m afraid that life can screw even the purest people.”
Julia raises herself up so we are face to face, her eyes searching mine. “Things can be different, Seb. And they will be, with the right person.”
“You might be right,” I say, pondering her words. “I don’t want to be like him. I want more out of my life than to just be running a company and nothing else.”
Julia scoots even closer to me. One more inch and she will basically be in my lap, and I have to take a few deep breaths to keep myself centered and not give into the urge to pull her against me. “I bet you’re nothing like your father,” she breathes. “You have a good heart and you know what you want. You just have to believe that love is worth fighting for.”
I squeeze her hand, feeling a renewed determination to keep this woman with me. It might be foolish, but I don’t mind feeling like a fool right now. “How can you say that? You barely know me.”
“I don’t know…It’s hard to explain…” She pauses for a moment, her eyes locking onto mine. “And don’t lie to me and say that you don’t feel the same connection that I do. It feels like I’ve known you for years, Sebastian, not days.”
She leaves me reeling with her words. I feel exactly the same, like I know Julia’s heart, her mind, which is ridiculous if I look at it logically. I’m too old to be head over heels like this, too experienced in the real world, but being close to Julia makes all of my logic flee.
My body seeming to work on autopilot, I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear like I did the day we met in the library. Touching her feels like the most addictive thing in the universe. Julia’s eyes go wide, her breath hitching, and I feel a sudden surge of emotions. Before I know it, our lips are touching, and she leans into me with a contented sound that has lightning flashing through my veins.
The kiss is soft at first, as if we're both unsure, but then it deepens. My head spins, pulse pounding in my ears, blood lighting on fire until I’m suffused with heat. With need.
Her lips are soft and warm against mine, my heart racing with excitement. I put my hand on her cheek, holding her face gently as we continue to kiss. Something inside me is screaming that I've been waiting for this moment my whole life, and I don’t want it to end.
What are you doing?!My mind interrupts,You’re going too fast!
Suddenly, a wave of guilt washes over me, and I pull away, apologizing profusely.
“God, Julia, I’m sorr–”
But to my surprise, she leans in for another kiss, and I can’t resist her. We kiss again, and this time it’s even more intense, like we’re both trying to communicate something without words.
When we finally break apart, she looks at me with a sparkle in her eye, and I can tell that we’re both thinking the same thing—this is just the beginning. Logic and overbearing parents be damned.
But the guilt is still there. She’s so young. Was that her first kiss? Is she going to regret, someday, that her first kiss was with a thirty-three year old man? If it wasn’t her first…who else was there in her life?
“Why did you apologize?” she asks, tilting her head to one side.
“I don't want to make your mom hate me.” I pull the reasoning out of thin air. It’s not exactly a lie, but I’m pretty sure that Margaret already hates me, and we both know it.
Julia waves my worries away dismissively. “Sebastian, you’re worrying too much. My mom isn’t here, and I’m not her. I’m my own person, and I’m allowed to make my own choices,” she reassures me, placing a gentle hand on my arm.
“I know that, and I’m not trying to undermine your decisions, but if she hates me then things are just going to be messier between you and I.”
She shakes her head, a wry smile on her lips. “Let it go. Better that she hates you than me, anyway, right?”
I groan, and she laughs. Pulling her in for one last, chaste peck on the mouth, I keep her in my arms while the captain of the boat brings us back to the dock.
“You’re so special, Julia,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “I feel so blessed to have met you that day. You’re exactly the person I need to shake up my life.”
Julia’s cheeks flush a rosy pink, and I am certain a more beautiful creature has never walked this earth. God, she’s so stunning.
“You’re pretty special too, Seb,” she says, her voice soft and gentle.
