Page 30 of A Seaside Escape
Sam followed her into the kitchen, slid his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. ‘Mmm, are you sure you’re okay with me staying over? It’s not too soon is it?’ They had been seeing each other for a few weeks but, apart from Christmas, they had been virtually inseparable since that first passionate night.
‘Of course I don’t mind. It’s been three weeks and every night you’ve gone home I’ve missed you like crazy.’ She arched her neck and he nibbled her earlobe, sending shivers down her spine.
‘Okay, well I’m glad you feel the same, Miss Yorksherrr,’ he purred. ‘Now don’t be long, we have some serious heavy petting to do when you come up.’ He squeezed her bottom and made his way upstairs.
Mallory nibbled at her lips, but couldn’t stop them pulling upwards into a grin that almost made her face hurt.
She finished up the dishes as quickly as possible and went upstairs, Ruby following closely behind. Sam had finished in the bathroom and was lying in bed, in all his scrumptious, naked glory. Mallory brushed her teeth, washed her face and climbed in beside him in her own birthday suit. He groaned with pleasure when he felt her naked skin against his own.
Suddenly he jumped out of bed. ‘WHAT THE FU—!!’ He switched the light on.
Mallory sat up abruptly. ‘What on earth is it?’ she panicked.
Sam flung the covers back from the bottom of the bed to discover a bleary-eyed Ruby staring up at him from her usual spot beside Mallory’s feet and they both collapsed in fits of hysterical laughter.
‘I thought… I thought…’ Sam gasped, trying to get his words out between loud guffaws. ‘That you must either be thehairiestwoman I’ve ever met, or worse still that you had a huge hairy pet tarantula that you’d forgotten to tell me about!’ He held his stomach.
Tears of laughter streamed down Mallory’s cheeks as she visualised herself braiding her leg hair whilst holding the leash attached to her giant pet spider. When their laughter had subsided, they were both drained. They cuddled up together, feet either side of the little black dog who seemed unfazed by the whole episode. Every so often one of them would give a little chuckle until eventually they dozed off.
*
May 2015
Mallory awoke and felt a little strange. She looked around to discover that she was standing at the midpoint of the Atlantic bridge. Had she been sleepwalking? Confusion clouded her mind.
‘Hey, Miss Yorksher,’ a familiar voice came from behind where she stood. She spun to the direction of the voice; heart pounding. A familiar handsome face smiled warmly at her.
Her mouth fell open. ‘Wh-what’s happening? You… you’re…’ She gasped for breath, shaking her head; not quite understanding the surreal situation she found herself in.
Sam stroked warm fingers down her cheek. ‘Don’t worry, baby, you’re dreaming.’
‘No, you’re real… you… youseemreal.’ Mallory felt her eyes well up with tears. It couldn’t be a dream. She didn’twantit to be a dream.
‘Let’s not dwell on that, I’m here now. Let’s make the most of it, huh?’ He enveloped her in his arms and for the first time in weeks a calm serenity washed over her as she melted against him. The familiar feelings surfaced as she nuzzled his neck and he sighed. ‘I wanted to ask you about something you said today.’
‘Mmm, anything.’ She didn’t want to let go. But she gazed up into the emerald eyes that locked lovingly with hers.
‘You said that the workshop would be where you would run your businessif you stay.’How could he know this?Thoughts buzzed around in her mind like bees around a hive, but then reality hit and she realised that this was most likely an interaction with her subconscious.
‘I feel lonely without you, Sam. I don’t know if I want to stay here. Maybe I should go home.’
‘Youarehome, Mallory. This is where you and I wanted to be. Yourheartis here. Look at where you end up on every walk you take and even in your dreams.’ Mallory looked around her and took in the beautiful scenery from the bridge. The sun was beginning to rise over the sea and the sky was an array of glowing orange shades, causing a glistening sheen on the water as if it were on fire. He was right.
‘But how do I cope without you?’ she sobbed, nuzzling into him once again.
‘You remember the wonderful times we had, just like my mom said. You make friends. You start to do what you love in that workshop and it’ll all work out right.’ He paused, squeezing her into him, almost as if to buffer her from the blow he was about to deliver. ‘At some point, Mallory, you will have to scatter the ashes.’
She shook her head frantically, looking up at him in desperation. ‘No! I can’t do that. It’d be like losing you all over again!’ Her heart ached at the thought.
‘No, Mallory, it’s something youneedto do. I’m not in that urn, baby. I’m in here and in here.’ He touched first over her heart and then her head. ‘You need to set the ashes free into all the places we’ve visited and loved up here. When you’re ready, you’ll know.’ He let go of her and turned to walk away. ‘Remember how much I loved you, Miss Yorksher… with all of my heart.’
She felt physical pain and grabbed for him but he was out of reach. She tried to run after him but couldn’t move. Her feet seemed glued to the bridge.
‘Sam! Saaam! SAM!!’
She lurched to a sitting position; covered in sweat, or tears, or a mixture of the two; heart pounding; breathing ragged. How cruel to dream such a realistic vision of her beloved and then have it snatched away so quickly. Ruby appeared at the side of her, nuzzling her hand where it lay clutched into the bedclothes.
When her breathing and heart rate finally resembled normal, she looked at her clock: six forty-five. She lay back and tried to recapture the dream, but it was no good. A whirlwind of emotions swept through her mind, scattering her thoughts like torn pieces of newspaper on the breeze. She tried to replay the dream in her memory; thinking and rethinking the conversation, but her attempts were futile and so she went downstairs. Ruby followed.
