Blind Fools

Blind Fools: Chapter 32

“What is it going to take for you to give me another chance?”

“I don't know, Ian,” she whispered. The silent seconds stretched into minutes, and he stood up. Ophelia looked over at him, tears making the pain more excruciating instead of washing it away. He held his cane in front of him, perceiving it, and then cocked his head toward the lake.

“This may sound arrogant, Ophelia, but I know for a fact that you can't live without me, and I can't live without you. I love you too damn much to let you go.”

“You don't really get a choice, Ian,” she said softly, and frowned as he tossed aside his cane and tugged off his tuxedo jacket. “What are you doing?”

“I'm not giving you a choice either,” he said and struck off toward the water. His longs legs traveled down the grassy hill too fast for her comfort.

Ophelia jerked to her feet. “Ian, stop! You'll fall into the lake!”

“I know,” he said sadly and kept walking. Ophelia rushed after him, putting both palms on his chest to make him stop or plow right through her.

“Stop it, Ian! You're scaring me. You know you can't swim without someone with you.”

“Then come back with me, Ophelia,” he said. “Love me as much as I love you.”

“Ian, really! I'm not falling for this antic a second time. You walked into the street to get me to go out with you, but drowning yourself won't get me to admit that I love you. Stop being foolish!”

He grinned. “So, you do love me?”

“Oh, for heaven's sake!” She threw her hands in the air and stomped away to gather her coffee cup and go back up the hill. “You know what?! Throw yourself in the lake! See if I care!”

“But you do care, don't you, Ophelia?” he asked, coming away from the lake and walking straight at her. She could never get over how he always knew where she was, like there was some imaginary string tied to her.

“Ian, please…”

“No, Ophelia,” he said, reaching his hand out to caress her face, but stopping just shy of her cheek. His fingers hovered there, trembling slightly. “I can’t…I just can’t let you go. You have to see how much I truly do love you, and if I have to, I’ll call you up on that deal you never honored.”

“What deal?”

“You once said that I could have you until the stars stop twinkling in the sky. I didn’t get to fulfill that agreement, and I’m not leaving until I get another shot at it.” His hand dropped to his side. Ophelia stared at him. The sun rose over the tree line, shining in her eyes and blinding her momentarily.

“That’s not how this works,” she told him. “You just can’t show up here and start cashing in on old promises.”