Page 101 of Something Forever

“Sure,” I murmur against Whitney’s head. “You’re not tired from the journey?”

She shakes her head. “Stretching my legs would be good.”

After we all add about three more layers, covering ourselves with scarves, hats, and gloves, the four of us ramble down the lane towards the pebbly beach. Simon and my mom clasp hands a few feet in front of us, and Whitney snuggles close to me, burying her face in my chest for warmth as the wind picks up. While we stroll down the sparse, unpopulated beach, Whitney shivers against me.

“Do you want to go back?” I ask, tucking an arm around her.

She shakes her head, her teeth chattering.

“You’re freezing.”

“It’s s-s-so pretty,” she manages with a smile, looking out at the waves on the horizon. “It’s like a p-painting.”

I watch her expression as she takes in the view, the reality of her being here with me settling in. She came all the way to England for me. She braved her fears just to stand beside me and meet my family.

Those three little words, always so present these days, hang on the edge of my tongue. This is as perfect a moment as I’m going to get — Whitney’s blonde hair whipping in the wind, the light blues of the sky fading into a wide-sweeping mélange of pink and orange, the soft sound of children’s laughter floating from a few yards away.

I tug her to a halt, meeting her eyes with a fierce intensity. “Whitney, I?—”

“Look!” my mum shouts, flailing towards the ocean. Both of us glance up and in the direction of her pointing in time to see a dolphin head peeking out of the water.

“Oh my God,” Whitney exclaims, running ahead towards the shoreline. “Liam, did you see?”

I nod and follow after her, trying to hide my disappointment. I’m sure there will be another moment soon. I don’t know if I can keep this in for much longer. It’s eating me up, the desire to hear her say those words back to me.

What if she doesn’t say it back?

She has to.

She came here for me.

That has to mean something, right?

36

WHITNEY

It’s official: I love England.

It’s Christmas Eve, and Charlotte is showing me her sticky toffee pudding recipe while Liam and Simon sit by the fireplace, drinking spiked eggnog. We’re both wearing festive colors; I’m in a red dress and Santa hat, and Charlotte’s wearing a gold blouse with reindeer ears on her head. I even managed to wrangle Liam into an emerald sweater that looks painfully good on him, bringing out the green of his speckled eyes.

Simon’s boisterous laugh travels to our spot in the kitchen and Charlotte rolls her eyes, nudging me conspiratorially. “My husband is the silliest man in all of England, I swear,” she says. “Let’s join them. I need a drink.”

After washing my hands, I follow Charlotte into the living room. She’s sitting on the couch next to Simon, her arms draped around his shoulders. Liam is pouring us both drinks, a glass of white wine for me and an eggnog for his mom.

“Let’s play Charades,” Simon announces, slapping his thighs.

I glance around the room, unsure where to sit, but before I can move, Liam settles into the available armchair and pulls me down to sit in his lap. I glance at him with a soft smile, and he tugs at the white ball at the end of my Santa hat, bringing my head closer to his. He presses a soft kiss to my cheek, rubbing his thumb against my jawline. The motion tugs at my heartstrings, the memory of our night on the kitchen counter flashing through my mind.

“I’ll start, then!” Simon whirls around to face the group, the fire illuminating him from behind.

Liam shifts so that he can see Simon, settling his hands on my thighs. We watch as Simon flails about, making wild gestures that neither Liam nor I can decipher. We’re both laughing and making terrible guesses while Charlotte just sits in silence, watching her husband thoughtfully.

“The Princess Bride!” she yells, and Simon claps his hands together, nodding. She squeals and jumps up to hug him.

“How the hell did you get that?” Liam asks in a baffled tone.

Charlotte shrugs. “When you’re married for a long time, your minds sync. You two will experience that eventually.”

---