As midnight approached, marking the end of my birthday, all the guests were gone, and I finally had Olivia to myself. Sitting on the beach next to the fading fire, wrapped up in a blanket to shield us from the cool night air, I’d never been more content. I could spend every for the rest of my life doing the same thing, and I would never grow tired of it.
“Thanks for an amazing birthday,” I said, nuzzling in the curve of her neck and dropping my lips to the spot just below her ear.
She turned around in my lap, winding her long legs around my waist. “Can I give you your present now?”
“You got me a present?” I asked. “What is it?”
She pulled down the straps to her sundress, exposing her pink, lacy bra.
“Me,” she smiled deviously. “Want to unwrap it?”
“F*ck, yes,” I growled, crushing my mouth against hers. I was hard in an instant, straining against my jeans and pressing between her legs. I could feel her damp warmth through the thin material of her panties, and I knew I wasn’t going to last long. I’d been waiting for this moment all day, and I was already too worked up.
I dropped my lips her throat, trailing kisses down her collarbone and over her cleavage as I pulled her bra down, letting her breasts spill over the top. Her nipples pebbled in the cool air, and I covered one of them with my mouth, sucking it gently while teasing the other one with my fingers.
“That feels so f*cking good,” she cried out, clutching my head to her chest and grinding her p-ssy along the length of my cock.
I loved hearing dirty words tumble from those pretty lips.
“Sorry baby, I can’t wait,” I said, fumbling with one hand to get my pants undone, and shoving them down enough to free myself. “This is gonna be hard and fast.”
Desire flashed in her eyes as she nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. Slipping underneath her short dress, I ran my hands up her smooth thighs until my fingers found the delicate lace of her panties and tore them off. Keeping my eyes locked on hers, I raised her up and positioned myself at her entrance, slamming her down hard and filling her in one swift movement.
She cried out in pleasure, lifting her hips and then dropping back down over me. I couldn’t control the groan that escaped my throat as I moved within her tight, wet heat. Her legs fastened around my back as I clung to her hips, rapidly thrusting inside her until I felt her body clench around me. As soon as she reached her climax I followed, exploding inside her with a low growl.
Our breaths were heavy as she collapsed against my chest, tracing her delicate fingers up and down my spine. “Happy Birthday,” she said softly.
“I’m not done with you yet,” I grinned. “Not even close.”
***
Our big day had finally arrived.
Well, actually, it was Myrtle’s big day. After months of nursing her back to health and rehabilitating her, she was finally ready to be released back into the wild – along with two other sea turtles from the rescue center. I’d grown strangely attached to Myrtle. Ever since she came in on my first day at the aquarium, she had become my own little project. In a way, I was a bit sad to see her go, but spending her days in a boring tank was no way to live, so I was happy she was going to be set free.
I was amazed at how many people had come out to Folly Beach County Park for the release of the sea turtles. According to Frank it was a big deal for people around here. All my friends had even shown up – Amy, Nate, Sadie, Nora, Jake, Gram, Mr. and Mrs. Porter, and of course, Dex. I had mentioned the release event one night, never expecting anyone to actually be interested in coming out, but there they all were… giving up their Saturday to support me. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have such great people in my life.
Eight months ago, I never expected my life to change so drastically in such a short period of time. More importantly, I never imagined that I could be so happy. For too long I was simply coasting through life, content to settle for what was easy and secure in order to keep myself from feeling pain. At some point along the way, I’d stopped feeling anything at all. Stopping by Steven’s apartment that day, finding him with someone else, was the best thing that ever happened to me because it forced me to live. I’d learned that nothing good ever comes easy and life doesn’t offer a guarantee. Life is full of pain and heartbreak, conflict and doubt… but there’s also love and passion, joy and laughter… and it’s the ups and downs along the way that make life worth living. It’s not about cruising along a straight path, but about not letting the dips and twists take away from the thrill of the ride.
I was no longer content to just be content. I was no longer drifting through an average life. Now, I was surrounded by people who loved and supported me, and were always there for me. They had taught me the most valuable lesson of all – that not all family is bonded by blood. A true family is made up of the people who are with you through good times and bad, whenever you need them, regardless of DNA. Not because they feel obligated to, but because they want to be. My family tree may have been sparse, but I had all the family I would ever need, and more.
I’d brought my camera along to the beach, and I couldn’t resist snapping pictures and capturing the happiness of the most important people in my life. Dex and Nate were chasing a screaming, laughing Sadie around on the beach while Amy stood back, observing them with a blissful smile on her face.
Also on the beach was Nora, sitting on Jake’s lap with her back pressed against his chest while he whispered in her ear, holding her protectively in his arms. Dex and I had grown very close with them, and despite the fact that Nora and I had been friends and roommates for four years, in a lot of ways, we were only now truly getting to know each other. We had been mere shadows of ourselves during those years together in college, both of us trudging down the paths that we felt obligated to follow because we feared what would happen if we shifted our course. Fortunately, we had both found our way to where we were meant to be.
My grandmother was standing with Dex’s parents, happily chatting away as if they’d known each other for years. Gram was like that, though. She had such a big heart and a kind soul, as well as a tough-as-nails attitude that I admired. We’d been spending a lot of time together since she came back into my life, and I was grateful for every day we shared. I was also starting to get to know my half-sister, Harper. We were taking it slow, one step at a time, but I hoped to eventually be part of her life in a real way. She was a great girl, I could already tell, and I’d been surprised at how open and welcoming she was to the idea of getting to know me. Part of me had expected her to have some animosity toward me because we shared a father, but she was nothing like that. I got the sense that she was closer to Gram than she was to her parents, and didn’t spend a lot of time at her own home. Hopefully someday she would learn, like I did, that you choose your own family. You choose who matters to you and who you want in your life.
Strong arms enveloped me from behind, pulling me against a hard chest and interrupting my stream of thoughts.
“Hey, baby,” Dex said, dropping a kiss to the curve of my neck.
Goosebumps tickled my skin as I sank into his welcoming grasp. “Hey, you,” I said. My body still reacted to him the same way it did when he first touched me, and I would never grow tired of that feeling. The warmth he brought me, from even the simplest look or briefest touch, made me feel more alive than anything else could.
“I’ve barely seen you all day, I needed a fix. I thought that you moving in meant I was supposed to get sick of you, not miss you more… What are you doing to me, woman?” he teased.
I turned around in his arms and looked up to meet his gaze. “I’m all yours tonight, if you want me…”
“Oh, I definitely want you.” His eyes flared with desire, burning into me as he lowered his mouth to mine. All of a sudden, I was counting the minutes until it was time to go home.
Living with Steven had been more of a chore than anything; something I put up with because it seemed like the logical thing to do. I’d always felt like I was suffocating being around him all the time, and frankly, I got fed up with him and his annoying habits. I would make excuses to get out of the house just so I could have some time alone.
It was nothing like that with Dex. With him, every day was an adventure. I never got sick of him and I missed him when he wasn’t around. He put a smile on my face every morning, made me laugh when I was in a bad mood… and of course, satisfied me every night. He gave me space when I needed it, which wasn’t often because the fact of the matter was, I was happier with him than without him.
We were open with each other about everything and there were no secrets or walls between us. No matter where we were, or who we were with, he always made me feel like I was the only one who existed to him. My heart was safe in his hands, and I trusted him with every part of me.
Dex was a regular at the group therapy sessions, and I couldn’t be more proud of him. They really seemed to be helping him, and the change in him was incredible. He still had the occasional nightmare, but they weren’t nearly as vivid and they no longer kept him up all night. The darkness that used to haunt his eyes was all but gone, and there was joy in them that I’d only ever caught glimpses of before.
Thinking about the future brought excitement and hope rather than fear and doubt. We were both healing. Healing from our pasts and helping each other move forward.
You can’t escape the past. It’s what makes you who you are and it remains a part of you. All you can do is accept it and move on. Choose to look forward instead of looking back. Make the past a part of your present and your future; a piece that you carry with you to remind yourself how you got to where you are and how far you’ve come.
Teddy’s parents had been right when they said that the greatest kinds of friends are the ones who bring out the best in one another. That’s what I had with Liv. She was my best friend, my confidante, my hero, my lover… my everything. We made each other stronger every day and together we could face anything.
Olivia’s ring was hidden in my sock drawer. For now. It wasn’t a matter of if I would ask, but when. The future was full of uncertainty, but the one thing I was sure of… was her.
She was my future.
Turn the page for an excerpt of Nora and Jake’s story, This Time Around, available now…
***
Nora Montgomery left home and heartbreak behind in South Carolina when she moved to New York City after her high school graduation. Now, four years later, she returns home and is forced to confront the past she left behind, and the reckless boy who broke her heart. It’s not long before the pieces of her past begin to blur with the present, and she realizes that the feelings she had for her first love never really went away. As old dreams resurface and new truths come to light, she begins to question the future she’s always planned on.
Jake Harris has spent four years regretting the night he let her get away. When she finally reappears in his life, he is determined to win her back and prove how much he’s changed. She might never forgive him for that night, but if he tells her the truth about what really happened, it will shatter the world she thought she knew. If he doesn’t, he might not get a second chance. He’s already lost her once and he won’t lose her again.
They come from two different worlds that are threatening to tear them apart… can they make it this time around?
***
When I first set foot outside the airport and got a taste of the fresh South Carolina air, I felt like I could finally breathe again. Like I’d been holding my breath underwater, and had finally reached the surface. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed being down here. Well… maybe I’d realized it, but I certainly hadn’t let myself admit it. Over the last four years I’d become pretty accustomed to pushing my feelings aside; especially my feelings about home. I’d managed to stay away for as long as I could, but now the time was right. Besides, it would only be for a little while.
I spent the two hour drive with the windows down and the radio blaring in my rental car. Driving was one thing I had definitely missed. No one drove in New York City. Transportation consisted of flagging down cabs on the sidewalk or hopping onto the subway. Throw any kind of weather into the mix and forget it: you’d better be prepared to walk. After a few weeks in the city, and walking countless blocks in high heels, I’d learned to always carry flats in my purse.
Either way, no matter what form of transportation you used, you had to fight the hordes of people, all of whom were also in a rush to get wherever they were going. That was another thing; city people are always in a hurry, always moving. There never seems to be any time to just sit back and enjoy the ride before you’re rushing on to the next thing. Perhaps that’s why the last four years had gone by so fast.
In my hometown of Beaufort, South Carolina, things were completely different. It was a small southern town in the heart of Lowcountry, with a historic feel and the kind of scenic beauty that required you to slow down and enjoy it. Life seemed to move a little slower there, and I never truly realized it, or appreciated it, until I was thrown into the chaos of the city. New York was beautiful in its own way, but to me, it paled in comparison to the natural magnificence of the south. The feel of the cool coastal breeze on your face, the quiet shade of the towering live oak trees, and swinging off a rope into the refreshing water of the river on a hot day… there was nothing quite like it, especially in the city. At heart, I was still just a small town girl.
Regardless, my time in the city wasn’t over yet. At last week’s graduation ceremony I sat among the rest of my NYU classmates as we filled the endless sea of chairs, donning our violet caps and gowns, and baking under the hot sun as we waited to collect our diplomas. But, unlike many of my college peers who would be heading off to various parts of the country to begin the next chapter of their lives, my “higher education” chapter was still unfinished. When the summer was over, I would be heading back to NYU for my first semester of law school… and three more years of city living.
As I turned off the highway and crossed into Beaufort, all the relief I felt when I first got off the plane vanished and my stomach began twisting into knots. When I saw the oak trees draped with Spanish moss, the historic antebellum houses and the river lined with marsh, I was flooded with memories that made my heart ache. Now that I was actually here it was easy to remember why I fled to New York and stayed away for so long. Everything about this place made me think of him.
Jake.
I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself down, and reminded myself why I was here. My best friend Susie was getting married this summer, and as her maid of honor, I was determined to help her with the preparations and spend as much time with her as I could before the big day. I had also agreed to keep an eye on my father’s law firm while he and my mother were away.
The reminder that my parents wouldn’t be home gave me some relief. At least I would have some time to myself and wouldn’t have to put on a show the second I walked through the door. They assumed that the only reason I hadn’t been back all this time was because I was so busy with school and my summer internships; which was they’d been so understanding about all the missed holidays, and having to come visit me in the city instead. They would never understand the real reason for my reluctance. After all, it had been four years. Four damn years! Frankly, I didn’t really understand it myself. If someone told me that they’d avoided going home for that long after a breakup, I would probably have them sent in for a psych evaluation.
At least with my parents out of town I would have a chance to get a grip on myself and figure out how to handle being here. Besides, I had no idea what Jake was doing, or if he was even in town anymore. I could handle this. In a few short months I would be leaving Beaufort behind. Again.
Pulling into my parent’s driveway, I could see that not much had changed. The home I’d grown up in was exactly as I remembered it –white with dark blue plantation shutters, and a two-story front porch that ran along the first and second levels– all of which was sitting beneath the tall oaks and magnolias. This had always been my haven, the one place I could always find peace. But even here I was haunted. Still, it felt good to be home.
I hauled my bags up the front steps and retrieved the spare key from its hiding place in the flower pot. After fiddling with the old lock for a few seconds, I swung open the front door and walked inside, pausing in the foyer to look around at the house I hadn’t been in for so many years.
Aside from redecorating the living room and adding a few new pieces of artwork, it was mostly unchanged. I stepped into the den and inhaled the faint scent of cigar smoke that lingered in the air, even though my father had been away. The bookshelves were filled with the brown leather-bound law books that my father had inherited from his father before him, and the same elegant, clear glass bottles lined the bar, filled with pricey amber malts and whiskeys that my father sipped nearly every evening as he puffed on a cigar. Everything about this room reminded me of him, and I almost felt myself beginning to miss my parents. Almost.
I walked over to the old grand piano that sat in the corner and ran my fingers over the smooth wood, leaving a trail in the dust that had collected on it. I’d never once seen anyone play it, and I often wondered why my parents kept it there, sitting unused and wasting space. When I was younger I’d tried to teach myself how to play, but it wasn’t long before I realized that the piano just wasn’t for me.
After a few minutes of wandering around my childhood home, I brought my bags upstairs to my bedroom. Walking in, it was as though no time had passed. It was completely untouched and exactly as I had left it all those years ago. I knew that my parent’s house had more rooms than they could possibly need, but after being away so long, I still half expected to find my stuff hauled out and replaced with gym equipment or a man cave, or something. It was nice that they had left it for me, and I was reminded of how much they cared about me. I knew they had missed me, and for a split second I started feeling guilty for being so relieved about their absence.
Dropping my bags down, I swung open the French doors to the balcony for some fresh air before lying down on my bed to rest. As I studied the floral pattern of the duvet that I hadn’t seen since I was a teenager, I felt my eyelids began to droop closed. All the traveling combined with my emotional turbulence had left me exhausted.
“Noraaaaaa!!!!”
I awoke with a start when I heard a voice outside. I glanced out the window at the changing color of the sky as dusk began to fall.
“Nora Montgomery! Get down here now!”
Standing up groggily, I walked out to the balcony and looked below to see the familiar blonde hair and cheery smile of my best friend, Susie.
“SUSIE! What are you doing here?” I yelled down to her.
“Here to see my best friend, duh.”
“Don’t move I’ll be right down,” I said as I rushed back out through my bedroom and down the stairs to meet her.
Opening the front door, I greeted Susie with a big hug. “I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow?” I asked her as we walked through the house into the kitchen.
“Ethan and I finished our packing early so we got in yesterday,” she answered. “How does it feel to be home? I really cannot believe it’s been so long since you’ve been back!”
“Yeah, it’s been a long time.” I went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of white wine. “I’ve really missed it here,” I told her truthfully as I poured two glasses.
We sipped our wine and caught up on everything from the few months since we’d last seen each other. Even though I hadn’t been home since I left for school in New York, Susie and I always made time to spend together. She would visit me in New York, or I would make the trip to Virginia where she and her boyfriend Ethan (now her fiancé), had gone to school at the University of Virginia. We’d all been close growing up. Susie and I have been inseparable since the age of four, and Ethan and Jake grew up next door to each other. When Susie and Ethan got together in high school, it wasn’t too long before Jake and I started seeing each other, too. After that we did just about everything together.
“Well, I have to get home to have dinner with my parents,” Susie said as she stood up. “But you and I are going out tonight. No excuses!”
“Okay,” I laughed. “But wouldn’t you and Ethan rather have some alone time?”
“No way!” she said. “I think we can handle a night apart. Besides, he’s already going out tonight with, uh… his friend.”
I smiled at her attempt of a cover-up. As though I didn’t know which “friend” she was talking about. Susie was good about not mentioning Jake. I had made it pretty clear that I didn’t want to talk about him, and over the years she had stopped trying to bring him up in conversation. I was grateful for that. However, her little slip-up did reveal that Jake was still here in town, and hadn’t moved away like I’d wished. Beaufort was a small town, and my stomach dropped at the mere idea of running into him. I’d known I would have to see him at the wedding–he was Ethan’s best friend–but I’d hoped that I would have some time to mentally prepare before then.
“I’ll pick you up at 8:30!” Susie yelled out her car window as she started pulling out of the driveway. “Wear something sexy!”
I took a step back to get a better look at my work. It wasn’t much, but it was getting there.
Over the last few months I’d started to work on renovating my grandfather’s fishing cabin. Well, it was more like a shack right now, but it wouldn’t be when I was done with it. It had been falling down for years, and my parents had finally given me the go-ahead to work on it. I’d always loved this place. Even though the building was battered and run down, it was tucked away in the woods and sat right on the lake with a little dock for swimming and fishing.
Throughout my entire childhood and teenage years, I’d spent a lot of time in this place. But, as much as I’d enjoyed being here, I stopped coming a few years ago and hadn’t been back until I started the renovation. When Ethan announced that he and Susie were getting married, I decided to finally fix this place up so I could let them use it. We had all spent a lot of time here back then, and I knew how much they loved it here. This place held a lot of memories… memories that still made my throat tighten and my chest ache, even after four years.
I met Nora during the spring of my senior year of high school, shortly after Ethan and Susie got together. Nora and Susie were a year behind us in school, so even though I’d seen her around, I didn’t know much about her. All I really knew was that she was a Montgomery–rich, smart, privileged–definitely not the type of girl that would hang around a “bad boy” like Jake Harris. Not that I’d ever done anything really bad, just stupid teenage boy crap. But it was a small town, and when someone labeled you a bad seed it stuck and everyone had a tendency to believe it.
When Ethan first tried to get Nora and me together I had scoffed and told him he was crazy. “Why would I want to get with a snob like that?” I’d said. As much as I loved Ethan, I wasn’t going to pretend to be interested in some random girl just so we could all hang out together. Not my style. Especially not when there were a shitload of other girls I could be giving my attention to. Ones that were much more my speed. Why have just one girl when you can have lots of girls? That was my philosophy.
Then, one especially hot day in April, Ethan and I decided to come up here to the fishing cabin. We were hanging out on the dock drinking beers when he told me that he’d invited Susie and Nora. Before I had time to protest, I saw them coming out of the woods and heading our way. Ethan ran over to Susie but Nora just kept walking towards me. Without saying a word to me, she pulled her tank top over her head and shimmied out of her cutoff denim shorts, revealing a tiny black bikini underneath. She walked past me to the edge of the dock, dove right into the water, surfaced, and then swam back over and gracefully climbed out. I’d been watching her since she arrived, and as she spread out her towel and sat down, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She glistened in the sun as beads of water slid down her tan skin, her rich brown hair falling down her back and clinging to her perfect body.
She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
When her hazel eyes finally met mine, she flashed me a grin and said, “So, Jake Harris… are you just gonna sit there and stare, or are you gonna offer me a beer?”
I couldn’t help but smile as I remembered it.
From that moment on, I was totally hooked. I’d known she was different. Nothing like I’d assumed, but still unlike any girl I’d ever met. Within minutes, I’d grabbed my phone to text whichever girl I had plans with that night and cancel. I didn’t make any more plans after that, and I stopped noticing other girls altogether.
Until that point, I’d never really pursued a girl before. At least not for anything more than a couple dates or a hookup, so I’d had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to be around her. I wanted to know her.
Unfortunately, I had no clue how to go about it. The girls I was used to were easy… in every sense of the word. Nora was different. She didn’t hang all over me, making up excuses to touch me any chance she got, or bat her eyelashes and laugh at everything I said, even when it wasn’t remotely funny. Instead, she called me on my bullshit, teased me when I deserved it, and didn’t flinch about getting a little dirt under her fingernails. She challenged me. And I loved it.
I had resorted to tagging along with Ethan and Susie like a pathetic third-wheel anytime I thought she might be with them. I could tell she didn’t take me seriously, not that I could really blame her. I’d dated or messed around with half the girls in town, and had never been with one person for longer than a week or two. I knew that I would have to do something to make her realize that I wasn’t just messing around with her, and in order to do that I needed to spend some time alone with her.
Since she never would have agreed to go out with just me, I had to beg Ethan and Susie to help me out. After making fun of me for quite a while – “Jake Harris needs help getting a date? Oh how the mighty have fallen!” – they finally agreed to make “plans” for all of us to hang out at the cabin, and then never show up so that I could have a chance to be alone with Nora.
The day of our “date” had finally arrived, and everything at the cabin was set up perfectly. I’d planned it all out, spending most of the day getting ready. I’d strung twinkle lights along the path to the water and along the dock, and found an old radio in my dad’s garage. There was supposed to be some kind of meteor shower that night, so I’d brought blankets and set up lawn chairs so we could watch it. I didn’t know shit about romance, but I thought I’d done pretty damn good.
When Nora walked down to the dock, I’d handed her the flowers that I’d picked from my mom’s garden. I could still remember the look on her face. I’d never seen anyone look so confused… but there was a hint of excitement in her eyes when she started to realize what was going on. Moving in real close, I’d looked down at her and said, “So, Nora Montgomery… are you just gonna stare at me, or are you gonna give me a chance?”
By some miracle she had actually decided to stay, and we sat down at the end of the dock with the radio on, staring up at the sky as I took her hand and entwined my fingers with hers. I don’t remember anything about what was going on in the sky that night, but I didn’t care. I barely took my eyes off her. At some point she’d turned to me, and our eyes met. Without saying a word I’d leaned over and kissed her. After that, we’d been inseparable.
Just thinking about it made my chest constrict, filling me with agony. So, I pushed the memories aside and started packing up my tools. Ethan was meeting me at my apartment in an hour, and I was in desperate need of a shower. A night out would be good for me. I’d been so busy with work and classes over the last few months that I barely ever left the house unless it was to go to a construction job or a class on campus. Now that I was finally finished with school, I couldn’t wait to unwind a little bit.
Ethan and I went down to the waterfront to grab some food. As we sat in the booth waiting for it to come, he held his beer up.
“Here’s to you Mr. Architect,” he said. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“That makes two of us,” I chuckled. “And here’s to the future groom.”
“Hear, hear!”
We clinked our beers together. It was strange to think about how much we’d grown up. Ethan had been my best friend for as long as I could remember, and it seemed like just yesterday we were stealing beer from the neighbors and getting in brawls with the idiots at school. Despite how much had changed, sometimes I felt like I was permanently stuck at the age of eighteen.
Ethan on the other hand, was gearing up to marry his high school sweetheart and he couldn’t have been happier. After we graduated from high school, he had taken a year off to stay in town while Susie finished her senior year. Then, they’d both gone off to college together; somehow managing to beat the odds and stay true to one another. Ethan had proposed to her over their Christmas vacation, and frankly, I was surprised he’d managed to wait that long. He’d wanted to put a ring on her finger for almost as long as he’d known her.
In a lot of ways, I envied what they had together. It seemed so stable and uncomplicated. Sure, they’d faced their struggles throughout the years, but they’d always managed to come out stronger on the other side. For them, love had always been enough. If only it was that simple for everyone.
“So, what’s next?” Ethan asked. “Are you thinking about joining a firm, or are you gonna work on your own?”
“Still figuring it out,” I said. “There aren’t many architectural firms nearby, so it would mean branching out. I’d love to work on my own, but I’ve gotta get some projects under my belt first, and even then, who knows if I could actually generate any business here. You know how people are in this town… So, for now I’m still working with my dad, and maybe soon I’ll get some projects going.”
My dad worked in construction, and since I’d been working with him on jobs for as long as I could remember, I already knew a lot of contractors and architects in the area. Unfortunately, Beaufort was a small town, and most people here still saw me as the troublemaker I’d been when I was growing up. Especially the wealthy folks. If I was smart, I would get out of here and start fresh someplace else, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not yet anyway. I felt like I was tied to this place, and I couldn’t really understand why.
“How’s the wedding stuff going?” I asked, changing the subject. “Has Susie turned into bridezilla yet?”
“Not yet, but she’s been so preoccupied with final exams and moving back down here that she hasn’t had time to start freaking out. Now that we’re here and she’s giving it her full attention, I’ll probably have to run for cover eventually.”
After we ate, Ethan and I walked down Bay Street to find a place to settle in and grab a few drinks. When we passed one of the local favorites, The Landing Bar, we saw that a familiar band was playing, so we decided to check it out. I was two steps from the door when I heard the gentle strumming of a guitar, followed by a voice that halted me in my tracks. I’d recognize her voice anywhere.
When I got inside I saw Nora sitting on a stool up on the makeshift stage, strumming the guitar as she sang “Wagon Wheel.” The girl loved to sing… and I loved listening to her sing. So much of our time together had been spent with her singing and playing guitar while I just laid back and enjoyed it. I’d always told her that she had the most beautiful voice I’d ever heard. She still did.
Cowering behind the other people standing in the bar, I kept my head low and watched her. She looked exactly the same, and still made my mouth water. She was wearing a short pink lacy dress with her brown cowboy boots. Her long brown hair came down in light waves, and her eyes sparkled. She lit up the entire room. When Nora was around it was impossible to notice anyone but her.
I couldn’t believe she was here, and being around her made me ache with longing. Even though I’d expected her to be around for the wedding, I didn’t think she would here so soon… and nothing could have prepared me for seeing her here now.