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I blink a few times as I stare at Slade, wondering if I imagined him there next to me. Our eyes touch, brown meets blue, holding the gaze for several beats too long. I’m mesmerized. What’s his excuse?
“Hey, how’s Frankenstein? Being a good husband, I hope.”
I seal my lips together and refuse to laugh.
“Aw, c’mon. That was funny, admit it.” Slade’s always trying to coax a laugh out of me. Why am I holding it in? I must look as sad as I feel. Pathetic. He’s offering me happiness on a silver platter. Why should I refuse his gift?
I release my laughter, letting it enter the atmosphere. “It is funny. I was quite the sight that day.” Then I admit the truth. “I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and nearly screamed.” Just thinking about that moment makes me laugh even harder.
He watches me with a surprised look. I suppose he hasn’t seen me laugh much. Genuine laughter, anyway.
His lips twitch. “Not much shuts me down, but you certainly did that day. Except nothing could hide your beauty underneath it all. It was obvious even before you saidtrick or treat.”
My back crashes onto the sand as I hold my stomach, my mirth making it hurt. “Stop it,” I manage to say.
He lies down beside me, chuckling. I guess I’m not the only one who found my appearance on thefateful dayhilariously funny. It feels good to laugh about it. The heartache is fading. Slowly, but at least it’s fading. Screaming on the beach on a moonlit night with Slade definitely sped up the healing process.
Silence eventually descends upon us, and we simply stare at the cloudless blue sky, side by side.
He called me a beauty. I’m so touched I feel like crying. I’m side by side on the sand with Slade. Just us. Together. It feels so good. Natural. Like we’ve done this for years.
No tears will make an appearance.
“Will you hate me if I ask how you’re doing?” Slade asks.
“Nah, I appreciate the concern.”
“Was that an answer?”
“Good as it gets right now.” I wish time could speed forward.
Slade turns on his side, propping his head in his hand, his elbow in the sand. “I have an idea. Are you ready? Prepare yourself. You might not be able to handle this much happiness. I’m gonna do some grocery shopping and…”
I interrupt to flirt. Big mistake. “Groceries. I’ll never be hungry again.”
His brow furrows in confusion for less than a second before he goes on. “Wait for it…there’s a clothes store in the same strip mall. I thought you might be interested in purchasing, you know, real clothing made of cotton. Wanna come with?”
Our eyes catch as he hovers over me. My heart starts to pound, an unquenchable ache. How different is reality versus fantasy when it comes to Slade? I would love to find out. Right now, though, I’m lost in his eyes.
Wandering. Drifting. Floating away.
“Marin?”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to come with me?” he asks again, silent expectation in his gaze. “Thought maybe you could use a change of scenery for a bit. Not that this isn’t the best scenery.”
“It is the best.”
He means the ocean. I mean him.
I sit up quickly, brushing sand off me. What is wrong with me? I need to pull myself together. Summon my usual control. I’m acting like a lovesick teenager when I’m supposed to be, well, sad.
I’m sick of being sad. I’ve paid my dues. I’m done. Time to move on. “I’d love to. Thank you.”
I’m looking down at him, still sprawled out on the sand, his hands thrown out above his head.
He looks so relaxed, so inviting, so in need of someone to fill the space on his empty chest.
