Abby's cheeks flushed, and she struggled to not run away right then and there. Struggled not to turn back into the safety of the home behind her.
Eli offered her the flowers. “These are for you,” he said. His voice was deep, romantic, without a quiver of nervousness.
“Thank you,” she managed. Then, forcing herself to relax, “They’re beautiful.”
“I thought so too. Figured they matched you pretty well.”
Her legs turned to jelly. She managed an awkward laugh, and then he held out his hand to guide her down the dark steps.
“Shall we?”
“Where are we going?” she asked, trying to sound normal even as her insides fluttered with nerves.
Eli just grinned. “You'll see.”
He led her all the way to his truck, and helped her into the passenger seat. The first thing she noticed was how clean it was this time around. All the garbage was gone, and the seats and windows looked as if they’d been scrubbed down. She hadn't minded how it was before, but he’d obviously cleaned it up for her, and she felt a warmth spread inside her. Gentler than her nerves. When he climbed in on her other side, she smiled.
Eli stepped inside and shut his door. “You ready?”
She nodded.
He inserted the key, and the engine started with a lazy roar. He looked back at her. “Alright then, here we go.” He pulled out of the driveway, and together they drove out into the night.
~*~
Like the last drive they’d taken together, they drove out seemingly into toward the middle of nowhere, leaving her unable to guess their destination. But the mood in the cab was completely different. This time they both seemed to feel the same anxious excitement.
They continued on in darkness for another 30 minutes, going away from the mountains this time instead of toward them. They spoke a little, but not of anything serious, just casual conversation. Abby could feel Eli’s suppressed suppress. Obviously eager to share whatever it was that he had planned with her. And her anticipation grew with his.
Eventually they came to a dead end, nothing in sight. Of course, even if there was something out there Abby wouldn't be able to see it in night. A small hill was all she could see in the bright beams of the headlights directly in front of them. What they could they possibly be doing here?
A sudden shock of panic flew through her, without warning, an unconscious reflex.
Calm down, she told herself. Calm down. Everything is going to be fine. She took a few deep breaths, trying to slow her rising heart rate. Carefully trying to hide her concern from Eli.
“We're here,” he said. He put the truck in park, then killed the engine. He jumped out of his door and walked quickly over to hers, opening it and offering his hand to help her down.
Abby breathed. And took it.
Eli headed around to the bed of the truck. He reached over and grabbed a picnic basket and two big blankets. Abby looked at him, perplexed. “Just follow me,” he said, grinning. “It will all make sense in a minute.”
He led her up and over a hill, as soon as they reached the top she understood why he brought her here.
In front them lay a perfect view of the entire town. Brightly lit with twinkling lights. Just off to their right stood the remnants of an abandoned lighthouse; she could just make it out in the light from the town below. She was overcome by the sheer beauty of it all, and stood in absolute amazement of the spectacle before her.
Eli had continued on towards the lighthouse, and she could see him fiddling with something. A flicker of light suddenly appeared near him, and she saw him light a number of candles, which sat on something she couldn't make out.
When she moved closer to see what was going on, Abby couldn't believe her eyes.
He’d set up a full table with chairs, dining cloth, plates, drinks, and three lit candles to provide just enough light to see their food and each other. Eli slide one of the chairs back, and stood behind it waiting for Abby to sit down. It moved her almost to tears. This whole gesture. The whole thing. It was all for her. She wasn’t worthy of such devotion and meticulous planning, but here she stood. In front of a candle lit picnic dinner, with an extravagant view as their backdrop, and an extremely handsome man beckoning her forward.
Eli eased the chair forward beneath her. He then picked out two neatly wrapped ham and mozzarella sandwiches, and placed them on the table. His hand then reached back inside, and reappeared holding a very nice-looking bottle of wine. Abby didn't drink very often, but even she could tell this wasn't something you would buy from the clearance rack at Walmart.
He popped it open, and then poured them each a glass and finally sat down across her.
Abby looked at him, drawn to his eyes just as she’d been the first time they’d met. She wanted his attention, and didn't want to let go of it once she had it. He stared back at her, an excited smile coming over his face. There was something so charming about his smile. It drew her in. Completely captivated her. He lifted his wine in a toast. She did the same, holding her cup just inches from his.
“To the gift of being able to feel.” He said, “Without it we’d never know what it's like to really give ourselves to someone else. There’s no pleasure without pain, and without valleys, there are no mountains. Let’s enjoy the peak of this one.”
He tilted his glass forward against Abby's. The sharp ching of it rang through the empty air around them, and yet Abby felt surrounded by the atmosphere Eli had created for them. She never wanted this moment to end.
They had eaten while talking extensively about their pasts. Eli shared how he’d grown up mostly with his mother, since his father was a navel officer and often out at sea. When he would see his father, he said, it was mostly aboard the ships he captained, and that was how he’d begun to love the sea. Abby then shared her past growing up in central New York with her parents, how she’d hated the confined city, and desperately wanted something greater and more in touch with nature. She told of how she would visit Melody as a child, and that's how she met Molly.
When they finished eating, they moved towards the wide concrete platform surrounding the light house. It was flat, and more than wide enough for them to sit comfortably. Every ten feet or so large, pillars provided perfect back rests. They sat there, facing each other as they overlooked the flickering lights down below. Sneaking peeks at each other. Their eyes often locked, but instead of quickly turning away in embarrassment, their gazes lingered, trying to decipher the others emotions.
The tension between them grew ever stronger, and elation began coursing through Abby’s body.
She wanted him. She needed him. Needed to feel the warmth of his touch just once more. The taste of his lips called to her... but she resisted. What if she, couldn't go through it like last time? Raising his hopes, only to smash them once again would not just be mean, but cruel. No, she couldn't do that to him. Not again. Though the desire persisted, and she didn't know how much longer she could keep it at bay.
Suddenly, Eli leaned in close, and her heart skipped beat. “Abby.” Even the way he even said her name sent chills down her spine. “I... I think I need to tell you something.” She sat very still, waiting. Then, he leaned in closer, lips touching the stray hairs on her neck. “I think I may be falling in love you”. The butterflies that had been tormenting her back in the living room with Melody rushed back in with a vengeance. A sickly sweet feeling of doubt and desire all consuming. She didn't know what to say. How to respond? Abby couldn't make sense of her emotions. They veered and swerved into a million different directions. Leaving her completely lost, and without course.
Eli pulled back, still staring into her eyes, and as she still said nothing his expression slowly shifted into regret, probably wishing he hadn't laid his heart out in front of her so soon. And then it opened into despair. He began pulling back, clearly unsure of how to proceed next.
But what he actually did next took Abby completely by surprise.
He turned back to face her
suddenly, lifting both hands, gradually, gently, until he touched her cheek. She didn't move. He slowly caressed her face. Then he placed both hands gently behind her neck, just beneath her ears. Making her feel completely lost, and yet completely safe in his warm embrace. He leaned forward, and pulled gently on the back of her neck so that she would do the same. She didn’t pull away, just let herself go with it, inching closer and closer towards the very taste she have been craving endlessly. Their lips met. Passionately... intensely... lovingly. Fireworks lit up inside her, and in a moment all doubt was wiped away.
Oh no.
She was falling in love with him, too.
INTERLUDE 4
Six months ago.
Pain. Searing pain... Burning... Burning.
Abby woke to a scalding, unbearable pain on her left side. She was on fire. The thought woke her up instantly, and she began to roll on the floor, frantically trying to stop the fire from spreading. To put it out. Screaming the whole time.
It hurt more than anything she had ever felt in her life, but when she looked down after a full minute of flailing around on the carpet, the flames had gone out. Only a gaping, charred red hole remained.
Just looking at it nearly made her pass out, but she couldn't let herself. She had to get out. The end of the hallway was consumed in fire, and the length of it swam in thick black smoke. The door was right in front of her, or should be, but she could hardly open her eyes in the smoke.
She felt the blackness creep back into her vision, attempting to force her back to sleep. To save her from having to deal with the excruciating pain that consumed scorched and broken body. She coughed, tasted smoke.
If I sleep I die.
She forced herself onto her stomach, dragging her limp body forward inch by painful inch. Until she could feel the wall in front of her.
The door. Where’s the door?
She searched frantically, sliding her hands across the wall. Nothing but the rough bite of plaster. The fire crept forward down the hall, the heat of it agony on her burned side. And then—
There.
A fresh burst of adrenaline gave her just enough strength to reach up and turn the handle. Throwing the door open with a rush of cool air.
Her body fell out onto concrete stairs, tumbling into the dry grass below, and she lay there, too weak even to cry out. She could barely breathe. Exhaustion consumed her. There was no one around to hear her even if she called. And the pain. The pain was insufferable.
She closed her eyes, and let the darkness take her.
Chapter Fourteen
“He kissed you?”
Every time Abby tried to tell the story, Molly said the same thing. Abby just blushed, and said nothing. After so many torturous inquisitions from her friend, it felt good to turn the tables.
“Come on, you have to tell me! I'm your best friend remember?”
“Not a lot of competition around here,” Abby said smugly.
Melody shot her a look, and Abby laughed.
“I'm only joking, you know I love you Molls.” Clearly overemphasizing.
“If you really loved me you would tell me the rest,” Molly huffed, offended.
Abby laughed again, but decided she'd had enough fun at Molly’s expense. And she was dying to tell someone about it anyway, if only to try and make sense of it herself. So she told Molly everything. From her debacle with Melody, to Eli giving her the roses, to the lighthouse and the gorgeous view, to the candle lit dinner, and finally... the kiss. Abby had never heard Molly so quiet. Hanging on her every word. Only the occasional sigh slipped through her lips, as she melted just as Abby had done when it had happened to her.
“Oh my gosh, that's so romantic” Melody said. “I wish Eric would do something like that for me.”
Abby laughed. “Well maybe he will.”
Molly just looked at her. “So now what?” she asked after a moment. “What's the next step for you guys?”
The question took Abby by surprise. She hadn't thought of that. What did this all mean? Were they dating now? Were they a couple? Maybe Eli had gone home and realized what an awful mistake he’d had made and now he didn't want anything to do with her. Maybe he was just trying to recreate what he used to have with Hannah, but couldn't, and now wanted nothing more than to be just friends.
She didn't know, but she now she wanted to find out.
“Come on,” she grabbed Molly and headed towards Splash Café.
~*~
“Ay, I'm proud of you gringo. You really did your homework this time.”
Eli had spent the past hour talking about nothing but Abby. Ricky, who was both listening and making the food, was excited for him.
“I told you she was gonna be a lot of work to win over. But obviously you are up to the challenge.” Ricky said as he left the sizzling fries from the deep fryer.
“Yeah... I'm just nervous I overdid it.” Eli said. “You know, when Hannah died, the love I woke up with every morning for her never stopped. It kept coming long after I had anyone to give it to. Rudy helped, but a dog isn’t a person. All this passion has been bottled up for so long, that now, when I finally have a chance to let it out, I feel like I can't control it. It's all coming out at once. And I don't know how it makes Abby feel.”
Mostly, he wasn’t sure how she felt about the kiss. He’d told Abby he would never do anything she wasn't ready for, and then gone and kissed her anyway. She’d gone along with it, and it had felt incredible, but he was nervous he had pushed her. Too far, too fast. He might have scared her off.
“Well, you're about to find out.” Ricky said. Eli looked at him, startled. He was pointing towards the boardwalk. Eli followed the path of his finger and saw Abby and Molly approaching.
Even though he was nervous to see her, Eli couldn't help but be awestruck by her beauty. Looking at her never got boring, or old. If anything, his spirit grew with each new moment.
“Hello girls!” Ricky said to them as they approached. They waved and said “hi” back. “They're all yours pal,” Ricky murmured as they walked up to the counter. He turned away and head towards the back, and Eli was left on his own.
“Hey Molly.” Eli said casually. Just being this close to her instantly made his day better. “Hi Abby.”
“Hi Eli.” He struggled to read her body language, only adding to his anxiety about the previous night.
“Brr,” Molly said, “You guys are making me cold. One night you’re kissing on a mountaintop, the next you’re barely speaking to each other.”
He watched Abby’s eyes widen. Obviously she’d told Molly about their date, but that didn't bother him nearly as much as her lack of reassurance about it did. She shot Molly a vicious look, but the other girl simply scooted back and said “Alright, I get it. You guys don't need me here. I'll just uh… be over here. Sitting.” She pointed towards an empty table, but made a disgusted face when she went to sit down. “Ew, gross!”.
Seagulls, Eli thought. He smiled.
“I'm... I'm sorry about that” She said. Obviously talking about Molly's outburst. “I just needed someone to talk too... you know... process what happened last night.”
Eli could relate. “I don't mind, really.” He reassured to her, knowing full well how nice it was when someone took the time to do that.
“Thanks...” She replied.
Silence.
“So uhh... how's business today?” She asked, though the tone in her voice couldn't of shone any less of an interest in her question.
Eli couldn't handle it anymore. “Can we please just stop beating around the bush, and talk about what we really want to talk about. Last night. The kiss. How you felt about it perhaps?” He immediately regretted just blurting it out like that, but be was also curious how she would respond now that it was out there.
Abby looked shocked. But then her face straightened, and she spoke softly. “That's why I'm here, Eli. I'm trying to figure out what I feel. What you feel. I'm fell a little lost in this whole thing. But ple
ase, since you have it all figured out, then why don't you tell me? How do you feel Eli?”
Eli flushed. That wasn’t what he’d meant to say. “Sorry, that was… unfair of me. I barely understand what I’m feeling myself; I didn’t mean to force you to come to any conclusions. I don't know what it all means yet. I don’t know how it makes you feel, but what I said about falling in love with you last night, that was true.”
Abby's face softened, and Eli knew he had her full attention.
“Abby, every time I see you my heart skips a beat. You energize me like no one’s has been able to do since Hannah died, and I don't think that's a coincidence. I never thought I would be able to feel this way about anybody else, and had resigned myself to misery, but then you came along, and I don’t want to feel guilty about feeling this way for you. Hannah wouldn't want that. She would want me to be happy. She’d want me to move on and find someone else worthy of taking her place. And Abby, you are. You’re strong, beautiful, courageous, and I can't imagine what my life would be like without you in it. You’re free to do whatever your own heart calls you toward, but just know that if it’s towards me then I’m here with open arms. That’s how I feel.”
Abby stood there, expressionless, blinking, breathless. More than anything Eli wanted to know what was going on inside her head, but he couldn't do anything about that now. He’d laid his cards out on the table. His heart was in her hands, now, and she had the ability to do whatever she wanted with it. It was both a horrifying and an exhilarating prospect.
The seconds dragged on, and Eli struggled to stay composed. Do something, his body screamed. Say something. Fix what he’d just done. But anything he would say now would probably only make it worse, and he needed to be patient. Let her process and think, and when she was ready, if she was ready, she would let him know.
A single tear spilled down Abby's cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. Eli didn't know if that was good or bad.
Romance: The Second Chance - Contemporary Romance (Romance, Contemporary Romance, Suspense Romance Book 1) Page 9