Page 143 of Burning Bridges Duet

“You,” I say simply. “I just want to be with you, right here, right now.”

She grins at me, her arms wrapping around my neck. “That, my dear Chase, I can definitely give you,” she says before kissing my lips.

I’m gentle with her, wanting to convey how much she means to me. Her interest in me and what’s important to me is deeply meaningful. She could have taken the easy road with her gifts, given that we’re both dancers, and it would’ve been effortless to connect over our shared passion. Of course, we did bond over that. However, her willingness to go the extra mile, to learn about my hobbies, purchase gear, and have the courage to try something new, shows me what kind of person she is. She makes me feel special, just as she does with the other guys. I thought it would be difficult to share her time, but it isn’t. She never makes it feel like we’re sharing anything because she’s always present in the moment, making everyone feel important. Having the ability to be so open and loving even after all she’s been through is amazing. I think about how she shared her trauma with us, and how it would only be fair to give her the same trust in return, so I ease away from the kiss.

“The twins told you that we grew up in foster care,” I say, and I can see her mind reeling with the sudden topic change, but she nods.

“So did Jaxon,” she says.

It seems like the guys have already opened up much more to her than I have. It’s time for me to catch up.

“I got there late. Jaxon and the twins spent their whole childhood with the family, but I got there when I was twelve,” I explain, and Liv tilts her head slightly, listening intently to me.

“My parents were killed in a robbery,” I continue, and her eyes fill with sadness. “It was on my twelfth birthday.” I look down at the ground, and Liv takes my hand, squeezing it gently. “I wanted to celebrate in a big way, so we went to a football game before getting dinner at a restaurant we liked. When we were walking home, two men with guns came at us. My dad didn’t want to give them anything, but my mom pleaded with him, so they gave them his money and her purse. The men were obviously on drugs, and instead of just letting us go, they shot them in front of me.”

As I speak, I see something like shock and recognition flicker in Liv’s eyes. Yes, gorgeous, we know the same pain. I feel a sense of comfort in knowing that she understands what I’ve been through. She strokes my hand with hers, looking sad for me, but there’s no pity. I decide to test a theory.

“And that’s why I don’t like the Batman movies,” I say, deadpan, and she looks at me with wide eyes before bursting out laughing, slapping her hand over her mouth in shock.

“Oh my god, I’m going to hell for laughing at this,” she mutters, still giggling. “I’m so sorry.” I can’t help but break into a smile, my serious demeanor crumbling.

“You know, I’ve told that joke to so many people, and they all just give me pitying looks, but you actually laughed,” I say, feeling a sense of relief.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry. That was so inappropriate,” she says with a wince.

“No, it’s perfect,” I assure her. “I pity myself enough. I need someone with a dark sense of humor who can help me find light in the darkness.”

“I would love to be that for you,” she says with a smile.

Since we’re already on the topic, I decide to tell Liv about the parts of my past that I’m not particularly proud of.

“After that, I lost my way completely. While I loved the family I found with Jaxon and the twins, I didn’t see a reason to be a good boy anymore. Nobody cared. Our foster family had too many mouths to feed to really care for our mental health, and teachers didn’t give a damn about foster kids, so I slid into some not-so-good groups. I befriended some guys in our local gang because they were breakdancing, and I danced with them every day. They wanted to recruit me for their gang, but I was young and dumb and didn’t see it coming.

“When I turned fifteen, they started to pressure me into swearing in, and I got scared. I tried to avoid them, but it didn’t work. One day, they came to our home, and I told Jaxon everything. He went out with me to talk to them, but they didn’t want to hear it. They told me that they had invested resources, time, and money into my upbringing, mainly because they’d fed me and showed me how to dance. Jaxon told them we would get some money from somewhere to buy me out, but it escalated, and one of them pointed a gun at me.” Liv’s eyes widen, but she doesn’t say anything, so I continue.

“Just as they pulled the trigger, Jaxon pushed me out of the way and took the bullet for me,” I say. Liv sucks in a breath, putting her hand over her mouth.

“He needed surgery, but he recovered relatively quickly. The cops came and handled the gang problem for me because those two went to jail for the incident. I owe Jaxon my life, literally, and I’m determined to repay him for it,” I finish. We sit there in the sand, watching as the sun slowly sets and the wind picks up. I look over at Liv and find she’s already looking at me.

“Thank you for telling me all of this,” she says, and I feel a sense of relief.

There is no judging or digging, just acceptance, which is all I needed. She links her arms through mine and leans her head against my shoulder as we look out to the waves crashing on the shore.

We sit there in silence for a while and watch the onset of night with both our knees tucked into our chests, my arm hooked into his as I lean into his side. I sense that he’s lost in thought and grief, so I try to be there for him without saying much. He’s already said everything that needs to be said, and now he just needs to know that he’s not alone in his pain.

A few meters away from us, some teenagers start a bonfire and turn up their music. They’re laughing and being loud, but the sound is pleasant. It’s good to know that they’re enjoying themselves and making the most of their time. As I sit here, I can’t help but wonder what my life would have been like if I had grown up here. Would I have made friends, danced and laughed on the beach, and attended bonfire gatherings? Would I have been a surfer girl instead of a dancer? I bet I would have.

As I sit lost in my thoughts, I hear the music shift from upbeat to slow. A smile spreads across my face as I entertain the idea that perhaps my first kiss would have taken place at a bonfire just like this one, then I recognize the song playing. It’s one of my favorites, “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez.

Chase peels my arm off him with a gentle touch and rises to his feet. I look up at him, furrowing my brows in confusion. Did I upset him? He smiles and extends his hand toward me.

“May I have this dance?” he asks, and I swoon.

“Of course.”

I smile and take his hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet and close to him as we start slow dancing. His left hand rests on my lower back, while his right holds mine. My head is leaning on his chest, tucked in under his chin, as we slowly sway from side to side. I feel the sand slipping beneath our feet, and with the sky growing darker, I can see the stars sparkling over the ocean. My stomach is full of butterflies, and I can hardly believe that this is how we’re ending this day after how horribly it started.

He whispers the lyrics of the song into my hair, and I look up at him. His eyes are as deep blue as the night sky behind his head. We stop dancing, and he cups my head with both hands, gazing into my eyes.