into the water. We went under, and since I wasn't prepared, I gulped tons of water, but then she pulled me up so I could breathe. I coughed fiercely, and as I removed wet hair from my face, she laughed. She enjoyed playing in the water and occasionally splashed some my way.
"Seriously, babe?"
"I think a little bit of the ocean will do you good."
I stood up but immediately sank down as my body shivered in the cold breeze. "In your great plan, did you miss the fact that we have no spare clothes?"
"We have blankets." She captured my hands and then said, "If you had the chance to turn back time and not meet Damian, would you do it?"
Narrowing my eyes at her, I tried to swim back, but she wouldn't let me. "Let's not give me the whole 'It's better to love and lose' and all that jazz, okay? Plus, I don't really see the point of doing all this here."
"That's not what I'm trying to do. I'm just trying to explain that if he dies, both of them deserve to have known each other. Be honest with yourself. I'm not saying you don't care about Kristina and her feelings, but you're the one who's afraid to let him in and have to face his death again." She wrapped her arms around me, and whispered in my ear, "I'll leave you to it. You have to be fair, even if you are afraid for your heart." With those words, she swam back to the shore, wrapped herself with a blanket, and left the beach.
Several people glanced my way as I sat in the water dumbstruck, but I seriously didn't care.
She was right.
At the end of the day, this was, again, all about me.
Selfish.
Turning my face to the sun, I enjoyed the beautiful sunset and came to the decision that would forever change my life.
I just hoped it was the right one.
Damian
"If you glare at the kid any more, you'll kill him," Rosa joked, popping another grape in her mouth as we sat on the white plastic chairs in the yard, watching the kids play in the sandbox. "Seriously, you've been doing it for the last two hours. Don't you get bored?"
Jason put some plastic Superman figures there as the girl I learned was named Ruby squealed and took out hers as well. Kristina bit her lip but held her Barbie doll close. I had no fucking clue why my kid even bothered with all those toys, considering the bored expression on her face only brightened when the stupid kid paid attention to her.
What was there about him for her to become obsessed to begin with? Now my Sapphire… she was someone worth the obsession.
"I'm not in the mood, Rosa."
She rolled her eyes. "Come on, he isn't harming her. So your little girl has a crush? Good for her. Speaking of crushes…" Her eyes focused on Peter, who emerged from the kitchen with a big glass of lemonade and searched for something.
Or someone.
His gaze stopped on Rosa, and she stood up quickly, winked at me, and sauntered toward him. Had I not been there to keep an eye on my child, I would have stopped all her nonsense at once. But Peter was harmless, and even if I still wanted to smash his face over a brick for touching my woman, I preferred Rosa to be occupied rather than talking my ear off.
"Daddy," Adelaide screamed and ran toward Jeb, who picked her up, spun around, and hugged her close as she burst out laughing. "Again," she asked, and he repeated the action.
"Hey, Jason, want to come here and help your old man out?" Cormack called, as he flipped yet another batch of burgers. I'd fucking go nuts if I had to stand the whole day and grill. Jason sighed, but packed his toys into his case and ran to his dad as Cormack gave him the water to pour on the meat.
That left Ruby and Kristina watching Jeb, who was still having the time of his life with his girl. Then Ruby searched for her mom, jumped on her lap as Mary sat on the porch swing, and demanded, "I want to see Daddy."
Mary gently patted her hair and replied, "Next weekend, baby." Satisfied, the little girl joined Jason and Cormack. It took me a second to realize my possessive daughter was nowhere near
"Seriously, babe?"
"I think a little bit of the ocean will do you good."
I stood up but immediately sank down as my body shivered in the cold breeze. "In your great plan, did you miss the fact that we have no spare clothes?"
"We have blankets." She captured my hands and then said, "If you had the chance to turn back time and not meet Damian, would you do it?"
Narrowing my eyes at her, I tried to swim back, but she wouldn't let me. "Let's not give me the whole 'It's better to love and lose' and all that jazz, okay? Plus, I don't really see the point of doing all this here."
"That's not what I'm trying to do. I'm just trying to explain that if he dies, both of them deserve to have known each other. Be honest with yourself. I'm not saying you don't care about Kristina and her feelings, but you're the one who's afraid to let him in and have to face his death again." She wrapped her arms around me, and whispered in my ear, "I'll leave you to it. You have to be fair, even if you are afraid for your heart." With those words, she swam back to the shore, wrapped herself with a blanket, and left the beach.
Several people glanced my way as I sat in the water dumbstruck, but I seriously didn't care.
She was right.
At the end of the day, this was, again, all about me.
Selfish.
Turning my face to the sun, I enjoyed the beautiful sunset and came to the decision that would forever change my life.
I just hoped it was the right one.
Damian
"If you glare at the kid any more, you'll kill him," Rosa joked, popping another grape in her mouth as we sat on the white plastic chairs in the yard, watching the kids play in the sandbox. "Seriously, you've been doing it for the last two hours. Don't you get bored?"
Jason put some plastic Superman figures there as the girl I learned was named Ruby squealed and took out hers as well. Kristina bit her lip but held her Barbie doll close. I had no fucking clue why my kid even bothered with all those toys, considering the bored expression on her face only brightened when the stupid kid paid attention to her.
What was there about him for her to become obsessed to begin with? Now my Sapphire… she was someone worth the obsession.
"I'm not in the mood, Rosa."
She rolled her eyes. "Come on, he isn't harming her. So your little girl has a crush? Good for her. Speaking of crushes…" Her eyes focused on Peter, who emerged from the kitchen with a big glass of lemonade and searched for something.
Or someone.
His gaze stopped on Rosa, and she stood up quickly, winked at me, and sauntered toward him. Had I not been there to keep an eye on my child, I would have stopped all her nonsense at once. But Peter was harmless, and even if I still wanted to smash his face over a brick for touching my woman, I preferred Rosa to be occupied rather than talking my ear off.
"Daddy," Adelaide screamed and ran toward Jeb, who picked her up, spun around, and hugged her close as she burst out laughing. "Again," she asked, and he repeated the action.
"Hey, Jason, want to come here and help your old man out?" Cormack called, as he flipped yet another batch of burgers. I'd fucking go nuts if I had to stand the whole day and grill. Jason sighed, but packed his toys into his case and ran to his dad as Cormack gave him the water to pour on the meat.
That left Ruby and Kristina watching Jeb, who was still having the time of his life with his girl. Then Ruby searched for her mom, jumped on her lap as Mary sat on the porch swing, and demanded, "I want to see Daddy."
Mary gently patted her hair and replied, "Next weekend, baby." Satisfied, the little girl joined Jason and Cormack. It took me a second to realize my possessive daughter was nowhere near
Similar Books
