Once everyone was settled and conversation steered away from them, he made sure no one was looking and took Eliza’s hand under the table. He attempted to hide the mischievous look trying to creep onto his face. He simply needed to touch her, reassure her that they would live through dinner. They had to break their hold when the soup arrived.
He watched her carefully, but she showed no signs of turning green or getting sick. She looked … happy. She smiled and laughed at Tea and looked radiant in that purple dress, clinging to her appealingly. He realized he was staring again and quickly examined his soup. The dinner wore on, but his family was behaving themselves. Whenever he had the chance, he stole his hand over to hold Eliza’s, tracing small patterns on the back of her hers while it lay on her leg. Johnny occasionally glared at him, causing him to secretly retreat until he looked away.
He leaned over to her and whispered, “What’s up with Johnny?”
She glanced at Johnny, who was reenacting something for Jozef with animated gestures. She shrugged. When dessert had come and gone, he felt they could make their exit without upsetting anyone too much.
“Are you ready to escape?” he whispered with a small smile.
“If you’d like.”
He hesitated, realizing she wasn’t as pained by dinner as he was. “We don’t have to, if you’d like to stay …”
She captivated him with her eyes. “Where did you want to go?”
He shook his head, smiling. “Surprise.”
“Okay.” She smiled and looked a little mischievous herself. They stood up, made their excuses, and said their good nights. Johnny seemed about to grill them, but Mia restrained him long enough for them to sneak away without further explanation.
Taking her delicate hand in his, he guided her through the dining hall, slowly so she didn’t trip with those beautiful but deadly looking shoes. They worked their way up to one of the top deck lounges that he had scouted before. He asked her to close her eyes. She did so without question, and it gave his heart a small surge that she trusted him so willingly. He led her to a small bench in a corner of the lounge, where the dark windows reflected the small tables scattered around the room. As she waited, he stole a dozen tiny votive candles from surrounding tables. He placed them all around her, arranging a constellation of candles that softly illuminated the window and turned it into a dark mirror, showing their shimmering reflections. He asked her to open her eyes.
They were wide and smiling as she took in their candle-lit private retreat. The lounge was nearly empty, with most of the guests still at dinner. She didn’t say anything.
“Do you like it?” He wondered why she was so quiet. She just nodded. He took her hand, moved closer to her, and rested his other hand on the window sill. “I’m sorry my family was so strange at dinner.”
She smiled. “They were wonderful.”
“They’re strange, but there’s not much I can do about it. Speaking of strange, do you know why Johnny was giving me such odd looks over dinner?”
“Was he? I didn’t notice.” David wondered how much Johnny knew about his and Eliza’s sudden relationship. Then he realized he knew next to nothing about her family or friends. “Tell me about your friend, Addison,” he requested. “Is she like you?”
She smiled. “Yes and no. She’s quiet, like me, but much more driven. She’s very excited about school this fall, but I’m going to miss her—she’s my best friend. At least we’ll have the summer.” This made his heart twinge; he wished he had a summer to spend with Eliza.
“What will you do? Over the summer, I mean—I’m guessing not shopping and not swimming,” he said. What did Eliza do for fun? This seemed like something he should know.
“Hmm.” She was hesitating to tell him something, once again. It drove him a little crazy.
“I want to know all your secrets, Eliza.” He used his free hand to tuck a stray wisp of her hair behind her ear, giving him an excuse to touch it. The candles flickered in her eyes, giving them a lively look that ran counter to the serious expression on her face.
“Addison talked me into working as a camp counselor with her this summer. And I might do some tutoring,” she said, seeming resigned.
“That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Well, it’s senior summer, right?” She seemed wistful. “We should be having some grand adventure.”
“If you could take any adventure that you liked, what would it be?” he asked, curiosity burning in him now. She smiled at him shyly and then looked away.
“I would go somewhere I have never been—maybe to Alaska?” she said. “If I had the money, I would go to Italy.” She was more firm in her fantasy now.
“Italy? Why there?”
“There is so much there I would want to see—churches, museums, ancient buildings—even the food is good there. I would need a lot of maps, or a guide or something, because I’m sure I would get horrifically lost in all those small cobblestone streets and alleys. But I could spend a whole summer there and not see it all. It just seems so—” But she stopped suddenly.
“So what?” he pressed, eager to know what caused that rosy color to rise up in her cheeks.
“So, well, romantic. But I guess that it wouldn’t really be romantic if I was there by myself …” As she trailed off, he had a warm feeling rise up in him.
“Well, as long as we’re having an imaginary trip, you can take whoever you want,” he said, grinning. “So, who would you take? And please don’t say Nicolas, because you might break my heart.” He put his hand over his chest, feigning heartbreak, but when he thought of Nicolas going to college with Eliza, it didn’t seem fair. David only had a few days with her. She smiled sweetly, and he could see why Nicolas would keep trying even when she had turned him down; he would have to be a fool not to.
“Well, it would have to be someone devastatingly handsome, so that pretty much rules out Nicolas,” she said, playing along. He grinned even wider. “And it would have to be someone who was good at languages, so they could help translate. Do you know anyone who might be interested?” She looked at him with mock seriousness.
“I’m going to go start studying Italian tonight,” he whispered, and leaned in to kiss her because he simply could not resist. Gently caressing her bare neck, he pulled her close and kissed her, and then stopped. Even in their secluded corner, she would still be aware of the bartender and few other guests that had straggled in. He didn’t care who saw them, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
“Sounds like a very romantic trip,” he said softly. He rested his hand on her bare shoulder, unable to resist the gentle lure of touching her.
She surprised him by reaching up with her free hand and running her fingertips across his lips and then through his hair. “Only if you were there,” she said very softly.
Her touch and her words sent that thrilling feeling through him. He pulled her to him again and kissed her, not caring at all who saw and actually hoping to make her a little uncomfortable. It must have worked, because too soon she pulled away from him. He was starting to wish the bartender and other people would disappear.
“What about you?” It seemed her voice was a little hoarse.
“Me?” he said blankly, mind wiped clean of any thoughts by her kiss. What were they talking about again?
“Where would you go—if you could go anywhere?” she clarified.
“With anyone?” he asked, smiling. She nodded. “I would take you to Great Britain. I would go exploring castles with you, and go to Derbyshire to see if we could find the real Thornfield Hall. I would find a small country house that took in guests and keep you all to myself, out of the prying eyes of bartenders.” He grinned wickedly.
Her eyes went wide, and she stared at him with the strangest expression. “Or not, if you’d rather not …” he said, unsure.
“I would go,” she said, a little breathless, reaching to touch his face with her fingertips again. If she didn’t want him to kiss her, that was not the way to go about it. He held her cheeks and brushed her lips with his. He peppered her forehead and cheeks with kisses before reaching her lips again, this time unable to hold back. When he finally stopped, they were both a little breathless. Even he was starting to notice people taking up residence at the tables near them—the ones he had stolen candles from.
“Hmm. I think that’s our cue to leave.” He nodded in the direction of a couple taking a seat near them. She nodded, not speaking, and they both rose up.
They were quiet on the slow walk back to her cabin. His mind was whirling, and he still hadn’t asked half the questions that he had intended. But it didn’t seem the right time to grill her. Her dress reflected the light of the hallway lanterns as they passed, making a mesmerizing highway of light as they walked.
As they reached her cabin, he asked, “Will you spend the day with me tomorrow?” He was starting to form a plan in his head for the day, not wanting to waste any of it. She nodded, still oddly quiet.
“All right. Be ready, bright and early. We disembark at eight o’clock.” He smiled, but she had such a serious expression that he was suddenly concerned. He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “You okay?”
She nodded, but didn’t seem okay. He hugged her, his hand lightly rubbing her back and reveling in the softness of her skin.
“Did I embarrass you back at the bar?” he guessed, whispering in her ear, but still holding her close. She shook her head softly into his chest. “Then what?”
“You’ll be here in the morning?” she asked.
“Promise.” He kissed her softly, once, and then twice. When he stopped, she looked away from him, turned to her door and disappeared inside her cabin. He stood there for a moment, confused. What just happened?
He turned, his legs restlessly carrying him down the hall. He wasn’t ready to return to his cabin. He walked aimlessly through the ship, encountering late night stragglers returning from the shows and lounges.
He had only started to know her, and there simply wasn’t time left in this trip for all the questions he wanted to ask and conversations he wanted to have. It wasn’t fair—as if life was supposed to be fair—but it did seem horribly unfair for Eliza to be dropped into his life, only to be whisked away by fate and college and duty. He could hardly stay away from her. But he was afraid if he got too close, it would only hurt more when she left.
He stopped in a lounge, his mind churning as he gazed out the window at the moonlit seascape. It was the same as the first night they met—decks empty, light shining—the only thing missing was her. If he hadn’t met her that night, they wouldn’t have to face the prospect of losing each other.
He began to understand what Tea meant about hurting and being hurt. That dangerous precipice he was hovering over—if he fell, it was going to hurt and hurt bad and not only him. He had to be careful not to get too close to her, no matter how much he wanted to, or he might hurt her without even trying. It all started to click into place—Tea’s warning, Johnny’s suspicious glare, even his father’s wary looks at dinner—they all thought he was going to hurt Eliza. Then he realized with a shock—they must think he was going to sleep with her.
He laughed out loud, gathering suspicious looks from the other passengers in the lounge. It amused him greatly that they had all thought of him sleeping with Eliza before it had occurred to him. Not that he wouldn’t want to—in some alternative universe where Eliza and he could be together, not just for four days, but as long as they wanted. Some alternate time where they could … love each other. As he thought about this, his humor died an angry death. He realized they all thought he would sleep with her and leave her, like one of Tomasz’s one-night girlfriends. She had saved his life! More than that—she was Eliza. How could they think he would hurt her that way? And if he got that close to her, only to have her torn away from him, it would hurt him more than he was willing to think about.
Perhaps they were only supposed to save each other, and then go on with their own, separate lives. But if four days was all they were to have, then he was determined to make it the best four days possible. He had things to do before tomorrow morning. They only had one day left, and he was going to make it count.
Chapter 9
Beaches
Feeling around her dark cabin in a daze, Eliza took off her strappy heels, deposited them in the tiny closet, and fumbled her way to the bed. She sank to the ground, back pressed against the mattress, and dropped her hands into the lap of her purple satin dress.
I would go, she had told him. She had meant it with every fiber of her being. She would go anywhere, do anything, with him. In that moment, she was afraid she had already fallen in love with David Marek. Even though she had only known him for a few days. Even though it made no sense whatsoever. Her mind spun with the force of it, and her heart felt like a hundred-pound stone. She was in love with him, and they only had one day left. It wasn’t fair—no, fair didn’t touch it—it wasn’t right. Like a hurricane or tornado wreaking destruction, it wasn’t evil, it wasn’t anyone’s fault, it was just horribly, tragically wrong.
She didn’t know how he felt, but the way he kissed her, the way he talked to her … well, it made her feel loved. But it didn’t matter, because they had run out of time. That thought kept slicing through her like a knife, causing fresh pain each time it went through her. The cruise would end. He would return to Green Bay, go to Basic Training at the Naval Station in Chicago, and then be off to the Navy. There was nothing she could, or would, do to stop him. And when he was gone, she would only have their brief time together to hold onto.
She was afraid he might disappear before tomorrow and she would be robbed of that last, final time with him. But he had promised she would see him in the morning. She had him for one more day. Her heart sank further, as though she had fallen into the deck pool and sunk like a stone to the very bottom.
She changed out of her dress, pulling on some cotton pajamas that felt warm and reassuring against her skin. She washed up in the miniature sink, blind without the light, and climbed into her bed. She could barely think as that sinking feeling pulled her like a tide into the fog of sleep. Her last thought before drifting under was that anything that David could want, she would give to him. Tomorrow.
* * *
He had forgotten something, but he couldn’t remember what it was. The deck was empty, cold, and harshly lit by the frozen moonlight. Something was missing. He searched, running through the decks and stairways. He started to think he was the only one left on the ship. Eliza. He had promised he would meet her, but he was too late. She was gone. Everyone was gone, and he was alone on the soulless ship.
David sat straight up in his bed, heart pounding. For a moment, he thought he was still in the dream. Then Tomasz’s snoring crashed him back to reality. He glanced out the porthole and saw only blackness and glittering stars. He lay back down, willing his heart to stop thudding against his rib cage, but the adrenaline kept coursing through his body.
He swung his legs out of bed and checked his watch. It was already five o’clock in the morning. He gave up on sleep and opted for a workout instead. He was already keyed up about his day with Eliza, and he didn’t need this crazy dream lingering in his mind.
Dressing hastily in the dark, he was out the door without disturbing Tomasz. The empty corridors, dimly lit by hallway lights, echoed his dream. The gym was barren as well. His iPod was lost that first night in the pool with Eliza, leaving him with nothing to distract his mind. His bruises throbbed while he pounded on the treadmill and reviewed his plans for the day.
The cruise director had been amazingly helpful when David wanted to make arrangements for their landfall at Freeport. He hoped Eliza would enjoy the day he had planned, but he
realized, with regret, that he didn’t really know her. There hadn’t been time to discover all the things he wanted to know, and there wasn’t going to be. Still, he wanted to leave her with something—a memory, a kiss, a token—that would be undeniably theirs, so their time together would not simply vanish down the rabbit hole and be forgotten. He wanted something, too—a day he could hold onto when the white sand beaches of the Bahamas were only a fond memory.
Having run long enough for Tomasz’s minimum workout routine, David jogged back to the cabin, taking the stairs two at a time. Tomasz’s snoring wasn’t disturbed by his entrance or the gray light filtering into their room. He took a quick shower, ready with time to spare. The ship had docked at Freeport sometime during the night. Perhaps he could stroll to the top deck, check out the island, and burn off some of his nervousness. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he remembered to tuck the small box he had acquired the night before in one of the dresser drawers—just in case Tomasz got curious.
* * *
She saw him standing at the bow of the ship, his dark hair catching moonbeams and throwing them off. The wind blew through it as he waited for something. She walked towards him, but he didn’t see her. When she reached him, he turned, and the smile that lit up his face stopped her heart cold. He didn’t seem to notice, simply crushed his lips to hers, telling her all that she wanted to know: he loved her, he wanted her, she was his.
She awoke, disoriented by the darkness, and her arms ached from his sudden absence. And then she remembered—this was their last day. She flipped on the light. Her hazy dream had made her oversleep, and she had less than an hour to get ready.
She stood under the steaming shower for a while, washing away the last vestiges of the dream. So odd. She never remembered her dreams. She had always slept like the dead, her mother said. But of course David would infiltrate even her subconscious mind; thoughts of him filled every part of her. He was impossibly handsome, but her need for him went beyond the touches and kisses that drove her mad with longing. She felt complete when she was with him.
Life, Liberty, and Pursuit Page 10