by Anna Edwards
“Ben?” she whispers.
I lift up the box and, with hands shaking like never before, open the lid to reveal the solitary square-cut diamond ring inside. “Samantha King, will you marry—”
She crash tackles me before I can finish, laughing, crying, screaming yes, yes, yes, and when I slide the ring on her finger, my hands are remarkably still, even if my heart is pounding like a sledgehammer.
She kisses me, and I kiss her, and we tear our clothes from each other’s bodies.
So I guess I was right after all in Dr Murrell’s office. The next phase of my life is starting now. And I know I’m not going to be alone for it.
THE END
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Chapter One
Laurel sat in the booth of the noisy restaurant, twisting her hands together and nervously looking around. The sizzling fajita plates, the smell of fresh tortilla chips, and the pleasant sound of the mariachi band playing on the other side of the restaurant were a welcoming distraction while she waited for Colin to show up. Of course, Laurel was notoriously early and still had ten minutes before he was to arrive.
Her sister, Skye, set her up on the blind date in hopes that Laurel would finally get out of the house. Finally move on. It took a lot of time after her horrible breakup with John, but Laurel was thankful for her sister’s push to get out. And if the waiter pointing a smiling man in her direction was any indication of how tonight was going to go, then Laurel was very thankful.
She had at least thirty seconds until the man arrived at her table, who stopped to help an elderly woman stand from her chair in the process. Laurel smiled to herself while watching the interaction, and it only widened when the woman stood as tall as she could on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek. As he walked closer toward her, she felt a shiver run down her back.
There was something about the man – Colin, no doubt – staring at Laurel that made her feel chills. Whether they were good or bad was yet to be determined, but there was a peculiar, almost instant, connection to the man that held her attention while walking to their table. Maybe it was the way he walked toward her with such confidence, the way his smoldering eyes never left hers, or, perhaps, even the warm smile that spread across his face as he locked eyes with her.
“Laurel?” he asked, reaching out his hand. Laurel loved the warmth that came with the handshake.
“Yes,” she answered, returning his smile. “You must be Colin.”
“I am.” he countered, still holding onto Laurel’s hand a beat longer. When he let go, she immediately missed his touch, but his smile and gaze never left her sight for a single moment as they began to talk.
Long minutes flew by, and Laurel found herself laughing with Colin over their shared plate of fajitas. As the night passed, their chairs became closer, their food ignored, and their drinks slowly became tepid. While talking about everything from movies, to music, and sports, Laurel was surprised when one shared passion was mentioned – Alice’s Angels.
“I’ve been volunteering twice a month at their soup kitchens since I was in high school!” Laurel exclaimed. She was surprised when one of her favorite places to volunteer came spilling from the handsome man’s lips. “The summer after my senior year of high school, I even went with some volunteers from around the country to South America to help build homes!”
John never understood her urge or drive to spend half of her Sundays at the local Alice’s Angel’s soup kitchen, and it was one of the things that drove them apart. He just didn’t seem to care about anything other than himself. Or much about Laurel, for that matter.
“Are you serious? I loved helping out. I have a special connection with them.” Colin gave Laurel a small smile, but she could see the tiny sliver of sadness in his eyes. She refrained from asking, though, and changed the subject.
“So, Skye tells me you just moved to Houston. Have you had a chance to check our little city out?”
“Little? Funny,” Colin started, his mood becoming lighter, “but no. I haven’t had a chance to get out. I’ve been here for two months and my weekends have been busy getting my house set up. But if someone was offering to show me around…”
Colin’s hand found Laurel’s on the table, and his fingers began to softly play with hers, and the chills from earlier returned. Good chills, she decided. Definitely good. Very good, even. At first contact, Laurel found herself staring at their slightly tangled fingers until she glanced up at Colin and she blushed. But it didn’t bother her as they held each other’s stare.
“How about in two weeks?” Laurel whispered, not recognizing her own husky voice.
“It’s a date,” Colin answered.
Colin walked to his car after reluctantly seeing Laurel off for the night. Three hours of one of the best nights of his life, and he felt satisfied over the night’s date. Yes, he grudgingly let Laurel go with a simple kiss on her cheek that he let linger longer than he’d originally anticipated, but the night itself was a success, and for that, Colin drove home a happy man.
He’d never connected with a person on that kind of level before. No, not connection. Chemistry. Instant attraction. Maybe even fate.
Colin nearly snorted as he laughed and drove away from El Pancho. His brothers would make fun of him, even tell him to stop acting like a girl while holding him in a headlock and giving him a noogie. But Colin wouldn’t care because he was absolutely infatuated with Laurel Pearce.
He loved the way she scrunched her nose when he told her that his favorite superhero movie was Batman vs. Superman or the way she nearly squealed when their love for eighties rock and roll was revealed. And Colin would never forget the way she sighed with closed eyes then smiled when she took that first bite of cinnamon ice cream.
All these memories Colin would have to hold on to forever because once he told Laurel his biggest secret, one that women seemed to run away from, he knew that Laurel was sure to be just another girl he’d watch disappear into the horizon without so much as a glance back.
Putting himself into a funk, Colin eased his car into the driveway. Once inside, he could feel himself breathing harder until he collapsed onto the sofa in exhaustion. Colin grabbed for his cannula and flipped the switch on his oxygen tank.
He took in uneven breaths until his breathing returned to normal. Cal, his closest friend and heart doctor, would give him hell for going so long without oxygen, but Colin didn’t want to scare Laurel away. But something about her was different. Maybe she wasn’t like the rest?
No, there was no way Laurel would leave him just because he was a little impaired.
Not his Laurel.
Chapter Two
“Come on, slowpoke! Catch up!” Colin grinned at Laurel as she trailed him on the uneven paths that ran through the park near his house. She gave him a playful glare and jogged the last few feet to stand next to him.
“Is this really how you wake up?” Laurel asked with a smile, slightly out of breath after the uphill jog.
“Just a quick five mile jog every morning. It’s better than coffee.” Colin gave Laurel a wink at her gasp. Even though the jog was harder to do these days, he still committed to them. Two weeks since the blind date that started it all and Colin knew more about Laurel than he did his own self, something he was more than happy to admit.
In the days following their date, Colin and Laurel chatted non-stop, texted, and even emailed. He still hadn’t told her everything, but he figured telling Laurel about his heart condition was meant for a more serious, face to face talk. And right now, they were about
to spend the day having fun.
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that and make a suggestion for breakfast if you’re up to it?” Laurel’s eyes crinkled with her smile, another one of those traits Colin was soon starting to recognize as something he looked forward to seeing. “Ever hear of the Pancake Palace? It’s about fifteen minutes from here, but so delicious.”
Colin couldn’t deny Laurel her need for pancakes, not when she talked about the place like it was the greatest love of her life. He pretended to think about it, prompting Laurel to make more promises.
“Afterward, we can do anything you want. There’s the Museum District – except I refuse to enter parts of the Houston Museum of Natural Science – a really interesting art exhibit at Smither Park, and Discovery Green. If you’re more into the funky and weird, there’s the Beer Can House, the underground water reservoir at Buffalo Bayou, and we even have a funeral museum. Although, I’m not sure I want to spend part of the day in a place that celebrates the finality of life. Oh!” Laurel finally took a breath and gave Colin a stare that he could only describe as adorably evil.
“BRB. The Big Red Button! We’re doing that today. Let’s go!” Colin let Laurel lead him back to their cars.
When he got into his car, he cleverly slipped the cannula of his portable oxygen tank over his ears to rest under his nose and breathed in the air from his portable oxygen tank as he started his car and followed Laurel.
Laurel got out of her car after leaving the Pancake Palace and waited for Colin to park. She saw him fuss with something on his face but didn’t think anything more about it when she watched him step out of his car.
He wasn’t overly muscled, leaner and more toned like Laurel preferred. His eyes were kind, his smile gentle, and the man himself? Laurel smiled at the thought of the enchanting, sweet man walking toward her. Never had she had those feelings toward someone so soon.
The instant attraction scared her and comforted her. If there was one thing about Colin that made Laurel feel a little insecure about, it was that he seemed to have this look in his eyes that screamed he had a secret. But she did too. Everyone had secrets, and Laurel couldn’t punish Colin for them. Besides, they’d only been out a couple of times, and Laurel loved the ‘getting to know you’ phase of relationships. Especially this one.
Over the last couple of weeks, getting to know Colin, the ins and out outs of how he worked, was like a breath of fresh air. John had never been so open with Laurel. Communication was just another reason they never worked out, but Colin? He was an open book. He loved dogs, loved cooking, and he loved life. When he spoke, his words were eloquent, sophisticated, and he made Laurel laugh more in the last two weeks than she had since she left John.
Her smile widened when Colin caught up to her. More so when he pulled her into him and laid a soft, lingering kiss on the top of her head.
It stunned Laurel for a moment. They hadn’t even kissed yet, not a real one anyway. Even this simple one seemed so intimate to her and her smile faltered. She held onto Colin, wrapping her arms around him tighter, burying her face into his chest and breathing him in. When Colin moved his mouth, Laurel looked up to him with a new smile.
“Ready for the Big Red Button?”
She stepped back from Colin and held out her hand.
“I think so,” he answered uncertainly but grabbed her hand anyway.
Laurel dragged him down the sidewalk until they came to a small alcove on the bridge that crossed over Buffalo Bayou. On one of the brick pillars sat a red button. She reached a hand out to press it but stopped herself, turning around to look at Colin with an artful smile.
“Before this button is pressed there is one thing you should know.”
“What’s that?” Colin asked with a cunning smile of his own. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at Laurel.
“Are you prepared to join the thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of people who have burped the bayou?”
Laurel held back a giggle as Colin’s smile turned to confusion.
“Press the button but look into the bayou right away.”
Laurel stepped out of the way, so Colin could step up to the button. When he pressed the button, they both looked down into the murky water below them and watched as it suddenly bubbled up. Just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared.
“What the…?” Colin started, but turned to the button again and pressed it. He looked down and began to laugh. “This is the strangest thing anyone has ever shown me on a date.”
He turned to face Laurel, and she beamed at him.
“Yes, but it’s close to the Aquarium and the Ferris Wheel! From where we parked, it’s a quick walk. In fact, if you look across the bayou, you can see the restaurant.” Laurel pointed across the water to the white building with the blue writing on it.
“Sounds like fun! Let’s head over.”
Hand in hand, Laurel and Colin headed to the small amusement area.
Colin felt his breathing getting heavier, almost harder to take in air. But the burning in his lungs was worth seeing the smile on Laurel’s face, hearing the melodic sing-song sound of her laughter. Thankfully, the sun was setting, and they were ready to leave the restaurant after snacking on a couple of delicious seafood appetizers. But his walk was getting slower, his breathing turning into a strange wheeze.
“Are you okay?” He looked down to the honey-haired beauty next to him and saw her worried face.
Colin tried to give her a reassuring smile, but the unease didn’t wash away from her face.
“I’m good. I think I’m just a little tired,” he started, hoping that Laurel would buy it.
She nodded at him, but the look never went away. He knew that the long walk to the car was going to be a test, but he kept his head high, concentrated on taking in air slowly and deeply, and tried to keep the talking to a minimum.
By the time they got to their cars, Colin’s head felt woozy.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Laurel asked. He turned to face her, his back to his car. He started to speak, but nothing came out.
Colin felt himself beginning to tumble to the ground but caught himself last minute on the side mirror.
“Colin!” Laurel cried out, her voice wavering and full of fear. She reached down to help him stand up fully.
“My key, in my pocket. I need to get in my car.”
“Are you crazy? You can’t drive! You clearly need to get to a hospital,” Laurel exclaimed.
“I need oxygen. It’s in my car.” Colin’s voice was a gravelly whisper. His eyes begged Laurel to help him, to not ask questions. Gratefully, she grabbed his keys and unlocked his door, and he slid inside.
The second he sat down, he reached for his oxygen tank and strapped the cannula to his face. He closed his eyes, and like magic, the oxygen flowed through his nose, and he could feel his heartbeat slowing, the burning leaving his lungs.
When Colin finally opened his eyes, he turned to his right and Laurel was sitting in the car next to him, her eyes filled with unshed tears. The second his eyes caught hers, she reached for his hand and started to cry.
The feeling in his heart was strange. It wasn’t the fact that his heartbeat was down, nor the oxygen returning his stats to normal. It was Laurel.
She wasn’t running. In fact, she was leaning in to hug him. She was holding him. She was comforting him.
As soon as he could move again, Colin pulled Laurel the rest of the way over the armrest between the seats and held her as tight as he could and let her cry in his chest.
It looked like his secret was about to come out.
Chapter Three
Laurel hung up the phone after saying goodbye to Skye and turned to Colin. It took her a good ten minutes to calm down once she saw that he was okay, but there were so many unanswered questions between the two of them.
“Skye will pick up my car,” Laurel stated, appreciative that her sister had a spare set of keys and was willing to take an Uber to downto
wn. Her eyes settled on Colin who still looked a little wary. After the incident, or whatever they would call this, Laurel drove Colin’s car to his house with shaky hands.
“This isn’t how I wanted to bring you here,” Colin joked, but his mouth clamped shut when he saw the look on Laurel’s face.
“Please don’t talk like that,” Laurel started, nervously folding her arms across her chest. “Because there’s no easier way to ask this, what’s wrong with you?”
Laurel sat back on the dark leather couch, far enough away that they could talk without distractions, close enough that if need be, they could easily reach for one another. She stared at Colin and waited for an answer. She could see his struggle to get the words out and began to feel bad that she was putting so much pressure on him to open up.
Laurel reached out her hand and laid it on Colin’s. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t pressure you. I mean, this is like our fifth date but…” She let out a nervous sigh, and her cheeks lifted into a quick smile before she rolled her lips inward. “Sometimes it feels like I’ve known you for years instead of two weeks. It seems almost impossible that mere weeks ago, we met on a blind date. We connected so intensely, so intimately that it scared me. And this might be one-sided, but –”
“It’s not,” Colin interrupted, putting his other hand over Laurels. He pulled her closer to him, and after a few false starts, started answering her questions.
“I was born not only six weeks early; I was born with a heart defect called Ebstein Anomaly. When I was born, one of the valves in my heart was deformed. Basically, the blood didn’t flow the right way, and it led to my heart being enlarged and becoming weaker. Most cases aren’t severe enough at birth, but I was the oddity. Meds only worked briefly, so when I was three days old, I had surgery and eventually I was released from the hospital after recovering. Ever since, my heart was never one-hundred percent.”