he spoke again his voice sounded worried.
“I’ve tried so hard to hide my feelings,” he said. “I was afraid that I might destroy our friendship. I’ve desperately fought the desire to talk to you about what I’m about to say, and I’ve lost the battle.”
He put his arm around her and drew her close. “I’m desperately and utterly in love with you,” he said quickly, afraid that he might lose his nerve.
Arielle was speechless!
She tried to say something but she couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
Then Paul kissed her, and she felt a sudden desire sweep over her. But it was gone just as quickly as it had come. She could see the sincerity in his eyes and she knew that he genuinely meant what he had said.
“Paul, I love you to death,” she said, finally. “But not in the same way. I don’t want to hurt you, and I definitely don’t want to lose you as a friend. I love you. But I’m not in love with you.”
She watched his face change as he pulled away and looked back at her, hurt in his eyes. She started to say something, but he stopped her.
“You’re not going to lose me,” he said in a soft, husky voice that she could barely hear. “I’ll always be here for you, Arielle. I love you unconditionally, and I don’t expect anything in return.” His voice barely a whisper, he added, “I thought you might have the same feeling for me, so I decided to talk to you about it.”
“Paul, please forgive me,” she said. “I didn’t know. I had no idea!”
“There is nothing to forgive,” he said with a soft smile, and as he said it he touched her cheek tenderly. “You will always be my numberone girl.” “Thanks, Paul” she said, daring to chuckle. “You know, you’ll always be my number oneguy as well.”
And what she said was true. She couldn’t imagine being any fonder of anyone. They looked at each other and laughed softly.
“You’re an incredible girl,” he said.
“You know, Paul,” she said, “though I can’t return the same kind of love to you, I want you to know how important you are to me.” Then she hugged him warmly.
He stayed for a little while longer, but soon decided that it was probably time for him to be going home. “I hope this doesn’t make it awkward between the two of us,” he said. “I mean, you know. I hope it doesn’t damage our friendship.”
“Don’t worry about that,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anything you could do to make me not want to be your friend. We’re going to be okay,” she said. She knew that seeing him around would only intensify the pain for him, but she just couldn’t cut him out of her life.
Arielle had been looking for the kind of love she had been reading about in her favorite books: Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights. And she had always wondered if she would ever find her Mr. Darcy or her Heathcliff. Paul was wonderful as a friend, but he just didn’t fit the blueprint of a soul mate.
It was coming to feel like a more and more remote possibility. But she knew that what she really wanted was to find someone who would make her feel the way Liz Bennet felt for Mr. Darcy. She knew it was a dream, but for right now she knew she had to hang on to that dream.
Chapter 8
June 30th
I am so happy to be back in St. Jean de Luz. There is something magical about this place. It may be just the sheer beauty of it all; then again it may be the incredible warmth that surrounds our family when we are here. Everything around us is so serene and so comforting: amazing white-sand beaches, crystal-clear ocean, and wonderful weather. My parents enjoy taking long walks through the beautiful gardens, admiring the splendor of it all. There are days that the three of us take drives down to the beach to admire the beautiful sunsets, and on the way we take pleasure from the wonderful lush greenery and cascading waterfalls. I am trying to enjoy as much time as I can with my parents because I know my life
“I’ve tried so hard to hide my feelings,” he said. “I was afraid that I might destroy our friendship. I’ve desperately fought the desire to talk to you about what I’m about to say, and I’ve lost the battle.”
He put his arm around her and drew her close. “I’m desperately and utterly in love with you,” he said quickly, afraid that he might lose his nerve.
Arielle was speechless!
She tried to say something but she couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
Then Paul kissed her, and she felt a sudden desire sweep over her. But it was gone just as quickly as it had come. She could see the sincerity in his eyes and she knew that he genuinely meant what he had said.
“Paul, I love you to death,” she said, finally. “But not in the same way. I don’t want to hurt you, and I definitely don’t want to lose you as a friend. I love you. But I’m not in love with you.”
She watched his face change as he pulled away and looked back at her, hurt in his eyes. She started to say something, but he stopped her.
“You’re not going to lose me,” he said in a soft, husky voice that she could barely hear. “I’ll always be here for you, Arielle. I love you unconditionally, and I don’t expect anything in return.” His voice barely a whisper, he added, “I thought you might have the same feeling for me, so I decided to talk to you about it.”
“Paul, please forgive me,” she said. “I didn’t know. I had no idea!”
“There is nothing to forgive,” he said with a soft smile, and as he said it he touched her cheek tenderly. “You will always be my numberone girl.” “Thanks, Paul” she said, daring to chuckle. “You know, you’ll always be my number oneguy as well.”
And what she said was true. She couldn’t imagine being any fonder of anyone. They looked at each other and laughed softly.
“You’re an incredible girl,” he said.
“You know, Paul,” she said, “though I can’t return the same kind of love to you, I want you to know how important you are to me.” Then she hugged him warmly.
He stayed for a little while longer, but soon decided that it was probably time for him to be going home. “I hope this doesn’t make it awkward between the two of us,” he said. “I mean, you know. I hope it doesn’t damage our friendship.”
“Don’t worry about that,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anything you could do to make me not want to be your friend. We’re going to be okay,” she said. She knew that seeing him around would only intensify the pain for him, but she just couldn’t cut him out of her life.
Arielle had been looking for the kind of love she had been reading about in her favorite books: Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights. And she had always wondered if she would ever find her Mr. Darcy or her Heathcliff. Paul was wonderful as a friend, but he just didn’t fit the blueprint of a soul mate.
It was coming to feel like a more and more remote possibility. But she knew that what she really wanted was to find someone who would make her feel the way Liz Bennet felt for Mr. Darcy. She knew it was a dream, but for right now she knew she had to hang on to that dream.
Chapter 8
June 30th
I am so happy to be back in St. Jean de Luz. There is something magical about this place. It may be just the sheer beauty of it all; then again it may be the incredible warmth that surrounds our family when we are here. Everything around us is so serene and so comforting: amazing white-sand beaches, crystal-clear ocean, and wonderful weather. My parents enjoy taking long walks through the beautiful gardens, admiring the splendor of it all. There are days that the three of us take drives down to the beach to admire the beautiful sunsets, and on the way we take pleasure from the wonderful lush greenery and cascading waterfalls. I am trying to enjoy as much time as I can with my parents because I know my life
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