“I see. So, it was okay for you to abandon me… leave me alone with a bunch of people I didn’t know. And miss the entire wedding.”
“I know. It was a shitty thing to do.” Bowing my head in shame, I kicked up a spray of sand.
“You hurt me, Ryan.”
My heart was cracking. “Yeah, I hurt you. I’m sorry. I’ll never do that again.” I paused, meeting her gaze. “Come over here.”
Silently, she took hesitant steps my way. My eyes never straying from her, I swept her into my arms and ran my fingers through her wild mane of hair. She gazed up at me. Sadness, not forgiveness, filled her eyes.
“Ryan, I can never be Allee.” Her voice was small and watery.
I traced her soft lips with a finger. “I don’t want you to be her.”
Her eyes searched my soul. “Ryan, what do you want?”
As I contemplated my response, music started playing in the bar. I could faintly hear it, but I recognized the song instantly. Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up.” My nerves sparked through my bones. Allee was testing me! Taking a deep breath, I answered Willow’s question.
“Willow, I don’t want you to give up on me.” And for the first time I said it: “I love you.”
She didn’t respond. Our eyes still locked, I cupped her shoulders. “What do you want?”
“I want you to dance with me.” Exactly what Allee had said to me when I’d asked her that very question the night after learning of her imminent death. Except tonight, it wasn’t raining; the stars above us were shining brightly. We had a lot to live for.
Silently, our bodies melded, my arms looped around her tiny waist, hers around my neck. I’d forgotten what if felt like to have another heart so close to mine. It felt good. So fucking good.
“You’re a really good dancer, Ry-man,” she said softly as I swayed her.
Cotillion.At least it was good for something. Lifting her off her feet, I spun her around and around. Then, I set her down and my lips captured hers, now only our tongues dancing, our moans mingling with the waves and creating a harmony of sorts.
I don’t know how long we stayed locked in this passionate embrace until I finally broke the kiss.
“C’mon, my butterfly, let’s head back to our room.”
I kept my arm around her as we walked back in the direction of the hotel. At the steps leading up to the deck, she bent down and picked up a bouquet of white flowers.
“What’s that?” I asked as she stood up.
“Sam’s bouquet. With her eyes closed, she tossed it, and somehow it landed in my lap.”
I laughed lightly.
“Why are you laughing?” she asked as we mounted the weathered wooden planks.
“Sometimes the way things work out is funny.” There was no doubt in my mind that Allee had her hand in this. Wherever she was, she was watching over me.
Over us.