When the Sun Goes Down

by Erin Noelle

  We meet up with his parents in the kitchen area where they have drinks already made for us to take on our walk into town. Much like during the daytime, it appears most of the locals are taking part in the holiday celebrations. The four of us stroll around the streets, talking and laughing like I’ve always been a part of their family. It’s astonishing to me how comfortable and at ease they make me feel. At one point his mom even slips her arm around my waist as we’re talking about different beaches that we’ve traveled to. No one can or will ever replace my mom, but Sarah Ellis is doing a phenomenal job of making me feel like a daughter again.

  A couple of hours later, Lucca and I return to the house while his parents head over to sit with some friends of theirs for drinks and to watch the show. They tell us to have a great time and give us both quick pecks on the cheek. As we walk hand-in-hand down the street, I feel like I’m floating I’m so blissful. I’m overjoyed that I agreed to come on this trip with him.

  “I really like your parents,” I say sincerely. “They’ve been so welcoming.”

  He beams back at me. “They really like you, too. I told you there was no reason to be nervous.”

  We walk up to the house and he says, “I need to grab a few things from inside, and then I’ll be ready. Go to the bathroom or whatever else you need to do. You may want to grab a hair tie or something, because it gets windy out there.”

  I do exactly as he says and run upstairs to use the restroom and snag a ponytail holder. When I come back down, he’s walking in the back door — once again with a look on his face like he’s up to something.

  “All set?” he asks.

  I nod and follow him back outside to the boat slip. He climbs onto the boat first, and then helps me do the same. Excitement and nervousness both have my stomach flopping around, but his confidence and composure help to alleviate any uncertainties I have. After pushing a bunch of buttons, and adjusting some other levers that apparently start the engine, we back away from the dock. He’s standing in front of the control panel and steering wheel while I’m sitting in the co-captain’s chair in awe of what he’s doing.

  Before long, we are out of the little canal that runs along the back of the homes and out in the open waters. There are a lot of other boats out, obviously with the same plan that we have, so we aren’t able to travel at too high of a speed, not that I really care to anyways. We ride for about ten or fifteen minutes until we pull into a little cove away from the rest of the traffic. I’m still sitting there, taking everything in, when he kills the motor and pushes a button that I think drops the anchor.

  “Hopefully, we can stay hidden back here,” he says as he turns to me with a huge smile on his face. “I want to keep you all to myself tonight.”

  Standing up next to him, I wrap my arms around his waist and lift up on my tiptoes to kiss him. “I’m always just yours.”

  “That’s my girl,” he mumbles against my mouth. “Now, I have a surprise for you.”

  “What kind of surprise?” I ask enthusiastically.

  “Hold on, let me show you.” Walking to the back of the boat, he grabs a container and a cooler. He pulls a large blanket out and spreads it across the open area in the front V-shaped part of the vessel. “Come sit up here,” he instructs.

  I hurry over to where he is and take a seat on the soft fabric, anxious to see what he’s planned. First, he brings over the cooler and sets it next to me; then, he walks back over to the captain’s area, and suddenly, music begins playing. Joining me on the blanket, he grins at me as he pulls out a bottle of wine with two glasses and a plate of fruit and cheese.

  “I brought us some refreshments for the show, and I thought a little music would be nice.”

  Graciously, I accept the glass from him and pop a few grapes into my mouth. “Nice indeed. Thank you for making this so special for me.”

  He leans over and kisses the tip of my nose. “Take a few drinks and then I want you to lie down and look up.”

  Doing as he says, I take a few sips of my wine and then set it to the side as I lie on my back. “Wow” is the only word I can muster. I have never seen so many stars in my life. The entire night sky is covered in the twinkling beauties, and the sight is truly breathtaking. He lies down right next to me and takes my hand in his. Neither of us says anything for a while; words really aren’t necessary. At one point I hear him humming along to the song playing through the speakers, which is one of my favorite Ed Sheeran songs, and I pray he covers me up, cuddles me in, and kisses me like he wants to be loved, just like the lyrics say.

  When the fireworks show starts a short time later, I feel like my heart is going to explode with euphoric rapture, much like the pyrotechnics lighting up the heavens. We lie there and watch every color in the rainbow adorn the already awe-inspiring sky for quite a while. Then, as if he knows what song is about to come on, he turns onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow and begins to sing.

  “This is my love song to you; let every woman know I’m yours,” he begins to serenade me with the most heart-felt song I’ve ever heard. His voice isn’t perfect, but his tone and pitch are the last things I’m focused on. Our eyes are locked onto one another, staring deep into each other’s soul, and I’m completely captivated by the words he’s singing to me. When he gets to the chorus, giant crocodile tears of joy begin to trickle down my cheeks. I’m simply overwhelmed at the man lying in front of me and the love I feel for him. As the song comes to an end, he brings his lips to mine in a kiss so passionate and intense that the colorful blasts overhead are jealous.

  Without wasting another moment, I transition from being flat on my back to sitting on top of him, straddling his hips. Nothing on the planet could keep me from making love to him right now. My digits are fumbling at his shirt buttons as our tongues continue to dance with the music. After he helps my shaking hands remove his clothes, he lifts the hem of my dress and dips his fingers into the waistband of my white panties. Slowly he runs the tips of them across my lower abdomen, awakening the baby dragons and causing me to flood immediately.

  He begins to kiss his way down my neck as I tangle my fingers in his hair and grind against him, frustrated at the thin piece of cotton acting as a barrier between his body and mine. Unexpectedly, with his mouth never leaving my skin, he grabs the front of my panties and yanks hard, ripping them off of me. Rising up slightly, I grab his hard cock and line it up with the entrance to my aching core. Slowly lowering myself down on top of him, I bite down on his shoulder to keep from screaming out as he fills me. Grasping my hip bones with his strong hands, he lifts me up and down on his throbbing shaft in a rhythmic tempo.

  Our bodies move as one to the melody under the starlit summer sky, and accompanied with the exhilaration of the entire night, we rapidly reach our release together. Breathlessly collapsing against his body, he wraps his arms around my waist and holds me so close I can feel his heart pounding against my chest.

  “This is what I wished for that day in the park, Katrina,” he whispers into my hair. “You and me. Always.”

  It’s in this moment I know I can’t go through with killing my father. His actions have stolen so many things from me, and I’ve wasted way too much of my life concentrating on him and getting my revenge. There’s a good chance if I were to carry out the plan that I’d get caught, and that would keep me away from the life awaiting me -my life with Lucca. I won’t allow that asshole or anyone else to stand in the way of that. I’ve finally found the one who brings light to my life — Lucca Ellis is my sunshine.

  The rest of our vacation in Florida is spent frolicking in the sand, surf, and sun, and unfortunately, the day that we have to return to New York comes way too quickly. Even though I know that we’ll see them again at Thanksgiving, saying goodbye to Sarah and Christian is much harder than I expected, and I can’t help but get choked up as we walk away from them in the airport towards our departure gate. Lucca keeps me close to him, attempting to console me by rubbing my back and playing with my hai
r. I want his two year internship to be over with now so that we can stay in Florida, and I tell him as much.

  “The time will go by fast, Katrina. I promise,” he assures me. “If when that time comes, you still want to move down here, that’s what we’ll do. I’ll go wherever makes you happy.”

  Despite being sad about leaving the Sunshine State and the Ellis’, my heart is still overflowing with bliss as we board the plane and settle into our seats. I’m more excited than I ever thought possible about my future with Lucca. This trip together has given me all of the assurance I need about what path I should follow. In addition, I’m excited to get back into my business classes so when we do move in a couple of years, I’ll have everything lined up and ready to go. I can’t wait to see Leo to tell him how right he was about me needing this vacation. Finally, I’ve let go of the hatred and animosity that I’ve carried with me for almost a decade, and I’m truly ready to move forward — no more looking back. Lucca has freed me from my past.

  Over the three hour plane ride, we play a few card games and then look through the SkyMall magazine together, laughing at some of the ridiculous items and making note of a few of the things that look pretty cool. We discuss our plans for the rest of the summer, and when we found out that neither of us has ever been to Las Vegas, I tell him I’ll be booking that trip for us as soon as we get home. I’ve always been curious as to what all the hype is about, plus I really want to do one of those gondola rides at the Venetian that I’ve seen on commercials.

  Before I know it, we are landing at JFK airport; the trip is officially over, but we both still have huge smiles plastered across our faces. Once we’re off the plane, he carries my tote bag for me as we make our way holding hands through the airport towards the baggage claim area. About halfway there, he says he needs to use the restroom, so I wait for him out in the terminal. As I’m standing there, I casually look up at one of the televisions scattered throughout the airport, and the first thing I see is the large headline plastered across the bottom of the screen: Breaking News: Governor Robert Green Found Dead, Apparent Suicide. Nausea , extreme dizziness, and an overwhelming heat takes over my body. Then everything goes black.

  The next thing I know, Lucca is crouched down, hovering over me, begging me, “Please wake up, Katrina. Please.”

  I look around, trying to grasp my bearings, and I notice lots of people walking by and staring at us. Then I realize that I’m in the airport and I remember…

  “Oh, thank God, you’re okay,” he says, exhaling a sigh of relief. “We gotta get you out of here, babe, before someone recognizes you. Your picture has flashed on the TV several times. The media is going crazy trying to find you.”

  “So you saw? My dad? It’s really true?” I whisper as he helps me stand up on my wobbly legs.

  Wrapping his free arm around my shoulder, he pulls me into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, Katrina.”

  We begin walking at a steady pace towards the baggage claim area. I can’t even begin to make sense of the thoughts and emotions running through me — it’s almost like I’m having a system overload and, in turn, am shutting down. Sitting on a bench with my eyes fixated on the ground, Lucca gathers the luggage from the carousel, and then leads me outside to grab a taxi. He gives the driver his address instead of mine — and even though I’m not sure why — I go along with whatever. He leans over and explains in a soft voice, “I’m sure the reporters are camped out at your place.”

  Nodding, I lay my head on his shoulder and pass out until the car comes to a stop. He nudges me awake once we are outside of his home, and after paying the driver and retrieving my bags from the trunk, we hurry inside. Unsure of what to do next, I try to call Leo, but get a “cannot connect your call at this time,” which I assume is because he’s out of the country.

  “I think you should just call the Manhattan police station, babe. Tell them who you are, and that we just got back in town and saw the news reports. I’ll call Stephen to find out what he knows; I’m sure he’s at work.”

  I find the number online and dial it with shaky hands. Immediately, I’m transferred to Detective Conner, who gets the address of where I am, and informs me that he and his partner are on their way. All that I can do now is sit and wait.

  “I can’t believe this,” I say as I run my fingers through my hair. I’ve wanted him dead for so long, and now that he is, I don’t know what to feel. I’m not happy, I’m not sad, I’m not relieved… I’m just numb.

  “All Stephen knows is that they found him in his home office with a gunshot wound to the head and that there was a suicide note. He said he’ll call if he finds out anything else, but of course everyone’s being hush-hush about it.” Lucca picks me up and sets me in his lap, after hanging up his phone. He rocks me gently back and forth, kissing the top of my head. “Just tell me what you need me to do, babe. I’ll do anything. I feel completely helpless right now, and all I want to do is make sure you’re alright.”

  Clinging to him, I bury my face in his chest, finding comfort in his scent and the feel of his warm body against mine. “I’ll be alright. I simply want to get through all of this as quickly as possible. I’d just told myself today that after this week I knew was finally ready to move on from him and all of the years I’ve spent loathing him and wanting revenge. I guess he heard me.”

  Lucca makes me a cup of hot green tea while we wait, and even though I probably shouldn’t, I sit and watch the news recapping what they know about the governor’s death and the coverage of the immediate swearing in of the lieutenant governor. Nearly twenty minutes later, there’s a knock at the door, and Lucca gets up to let in the policemen. Detective Conner and Detective Rayburn join me in the living room where they extend their condolences before sitting down.

  “Miss Foster, there has been quite a bit of speculation about your involvement in the death of Governor Green from the media,” Conner begins. “Your disdain for your father has not been a secret ever since his trial for your mother’s murder; you even legally changed your name to rid of any association with him several years ago.”

  “Yes,” I agree solemnly. “I’ve had extremely limited contact with him ever since I witnessed him shooting my mom. Surely, you can understand that.”

  “I can indeed, but you should understand why people would think you were involved after you publicly announced your intent to get revenge on him,” he quips.

  “I was fourteen years old, and I’d just lost my mother, detective,” I snap back, not appreciating his tone. “Am I being officially questioned here? If I need to call my attorney, I’d be more than happy to get her here quickly. From our earlier phone conversation, you made it seem like you were coming over simply to report on the findings at the scene.”

  The other officer, Detective Rayburn, cuts in as he picks up on the growing hostility in my voice. “Miss Foster, we aren’t questioning you at all. I apologize if we’ve made you feel like that.” He pauses to grimace at his partner. “We know that you’ve been out of town for the last week. We’ve pulled Governor Green’s phone and computer records, and it doesn’t appear that you’ve had any contact with him any time recently. There doesn’t appear to be any foul play whatsoever in this case, but as you can imagine, with the high profile nature of something like this, our top forensic specialists began investigating immediately and everything looks to be what it seems — a cut and dry suicide. However, please understand that it will take us quite some time to finalize and close out this case.”

  “Okay, thank you for clarifying that for me. Is there anything else I need to do?”

  Detective Conner’s voice softens a little. “Not at this time; if we need you for any reason, we’ll contact you. Again, I’m sorry for your loss, and I apologize for my previous behavior. It’s been a bit of a stressful day, none of which is your fault.”

  The two men stand up and begin to walk towards the door. “I apologize in advance for the onslaught of media attention that you’re about to receive. Feel fre
e to say what you wish, but know that you don’t owe anyone anything. If any other evidence comes to light, we’ll be sure to contact you first thing,” Rayburn says before they let themselves out of the house.

  A little while after they’re gone, Lucca makes me dinner, and it isn’t until it’s sitting directly in front of my face, that I realize how hungry I am. I’ve literally been sitting in the same spot on the couch, watching television for hours, not saying much of anything.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Lucca asks calmly as I take the last bite of my soup. “Talk about anything at all?”

  I smile slightly at him. “I’m going to be fine, Lucca. Actually, I’m going to be better than fine. It’s not how I envisioned I would get it, and I can’t even say that I’m happy or pleased that he’s dead, but finally, I feel closure. I know the truth about him killing my mom, and even though I was ready to move on, I’ll never forgive him. I’ll be happy when it all blows over and we can go back to being us. You’re my future and you’re what I care about. I just hope this doesn’t freak you out and send you running,” I admit honestly.

  Sitting down on the couch next to me, he takes the food tray off of my lap and sets it on the glass coffee table. He pulls me onto his lap, slides his hands around the back of my neck, and brings my face down to his so that my forehead is resting on his. “I will never disappear on you, Katrina. You are mine and I am yours, and I’ll never stop loving you.”

  Later in the evening, we take a long bubble bath together, and he takes complete care of me — washing my hair and body, drying me off with a towel, and then carrying me back to bed. I don’t deserve someone as amazing as him, but I plan on keeping him forever nonetheless. As we fall asleep in each other’s arms, I hope I never have to go to bed without him again.