Chapter 3

• He led me to his car, opened the door, and helped me in before he went to his side. We drove for a few miles before he pulled up at the beach. He got out and came round to open the door for me.
• A perfect wolf-gentleman.
• “What are we doing here?” I asked when we finally reached our destination. I was glad I wore jeans and a button down shirt under the gown. If I’d worn the girly dress and high heels Maria had picked out, I would have felt even more uncomfortable if we ended up in the water.
• His lips rose in half a smile. “You’ll see.” He took my hand and led me towards the rocks at the far end of the beach.
• “I’ve watched this movie before.” I stated taking off my tennis shoes. “The girl always ends up washed up in the morning naked and stabbed a couple of times. Her eyes wide open in terror.” I tied the shoelaces together then hung them over my shoulder. “Would you like to know how it ends?”
• Ash laughed. “I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
• “They arrest the jealous boyfriend a few days later and give him the death penalty. The electric chair,” I said the last part with a little drama, like when they introduced vampires in the old movies. “But he didn’t even leave the courthouse jail because during the trial it’s revealed that the man in question is a gay party planner. He hangs himself in his cell using his shirt. ‘Denise and Dennis forever’ written on the wall in blood.”
• “I don’t get it and your humor is worrying.” His tone was a little too serious and made me uncomfortable. I was acting weird again.
• “It comes with the background.” I kicked the sand around. “In a disturbing way it’s kind of romantic.” He stopped walking and turned to me with a worried look on his face. “What?”
• He pulled me in a tight embrace. I placed my head on his chest. I felt so warm and completely safe there. Moving right now would be a brutal punishment. “Lee, I’m sorry about your family.”
• I wrapped my arms tighter around his waist, making myself even more comfortable in his embrace. I could fall asleep like this. “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”
• “It was. I got there too late, and now you and Dave are paying for my mistake.” He sounded sad and angry. This wasn’t the time for self-loathing or regrets.
• “I’m dealing with it, and I’m doing well. I don’t have nightmares anymore. I haven’t been this happy since it happened so stop with the guilt trip and give me my present.”
• He smiled but he still looked pained. “I love having you close to me.”
• “You’re growing on me too.” I yawned.
• “Are you sleepy?”
• I shook my head trying to clear the fog that was creeping inside. “No. I don’t know why but I feel really tired.”
• “Do you want me to carry you?”
• “That’s so romantic, like a scene from a romance movie. Me in your arms, walking on the beach as the sun sets in the background.” I failed miserably trying to imitate a romantic. I kept yawning after every two words.
• Ash smiled down at me. “It’s four o’clock in the afternoon.”
• “If you squint your eyes just right, the sun will look like its setting,” I said squinting my eyes.
• Without warning, he scooped me up in his arms and started walking. “Normally it would take me ten seconds, but I’ll take ten minutes to get to the tent. So you can rest for the duration.”
• I nodded. Giving into the fatigue, I placed my head on his shoulder close to his neck. His sweet scent filled my lungs. It was better than fresh air.
• * * * *
• I stretched out on the silky soft ground. It felt warm, but there was a cool breeze coming from all directions. I propped myself on my elbow and looked around. I was on the beach in a white tent. I remembered Ash’s gift, did I fall asleep through it?
• I cringed. I can’t believe I did that!
• I got up and walked out. It was dark except for a bon fire a few feet away. Ash was standing close to the water staring out at the moon over the ocean. I walked to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging his back.
• “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” I felt guilty. I’m a horrible girlfriend.
• “Don’t worry about it.” He pulled me to stand next to him, and tucked me under his arm. “Isn’t the moon beautiful?”
• “Yes. What time is it?”
• “Three o’clock in the morning.”
• “What! Why didn’t you wake me?” How could I have slept for so long?
• “You looked peaceful. Don’t worry you’re awake for the second part of your gift.”
• “What was the first part?”
• “The sunset. I wanted to give you this night of beauty and quiet, just the two of us. Without your dad listening in on us.” He chuckled softly.
• “I’m sorry.” I was feeling even guiltier.
• “Stop apologizing.” He led me back to the tent and sat down, putting me between his legs and cradling me, my back against his rock hard chest. “I hope holding you like this won’t make you sleepy.”
• I chuckled. “No chance of that happening, I promise.”
• “I never thought I’d be this happy again.” He sounded so relieved.
• “Why?”
• “My family was killed some years back. Since then, happiness had been a distant memory to me, until I met you.”
• “That’s something I know very well.” I waited a heartbeat before I approached the heavily guarded topic, “Do you mind my asking how they died?”
• After what felt like an hour he spoke. “A jealous man did it. He killed my son and my pregnant wife without flinching. He hated me, and that was the best way to punish me.”
• I could hear the agony in his voice. I didn’t like it when he was sad. He would fall into that pit and it would take a lot of effort to pull him out of it.
• “It’s a good thing you are still alive, otherwise we would both be in worse pain if we hadn’t met.”
• “If I had died your family would still be alive.”