Someone Like You

Chapter Ten

"My parents. We used to go here once a month before but as I grow old, we come here less. It has actually been three months since the last time I've been here."

I nod. "Are you an only child?"

He looks surprise for a second but he quickly recovers and smiles sadly. "Kind of. I used to have a little sister before but she died five years ago."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to – "

"It's okay." He grabs my hand and pulls me. "Come here. I want to show you something."

He gently pulls me until we get out of the house through the back door and in to the front of a lake. He continues to pull me to a wooden dock.

"Wait. Where are we going?"

"You'll see." We continue to walk until we reach the end of the dock. He lets go of my hand and step on a canoe. He raises his hand to me to me. "C'mon."

I accept his hand and carefully step in the boat. It slightly wiggles as I step in and I almost fall on the water but Alexander immediately pulls to save me.

"Are you okay?" He asks worriedly.

"Y-yes." I answer shyly. My face is on his chest while his arms are wrapping around my body. I'm unexpectedly grateful that I almost fell in the water.

He unwrap his arms and guides me gently as I sit in the canoe. He turns the other way and unties the boat from the dock. He then sits down right across facing me. "Ready?" he asks enthusiastically.

"Super!"

He smiles and starts to paddle. We move slowly going along with the flow of the water. I could see different birds flying above us and fishes swimming in the water. My eyes are all over looking everywhere. I glance at Alexander, who is smiling while looking at me. I unconsciously smile back at him.

He stops paddling and removes his jacket revealing his sexy arms showing off from his sleeveless shirt. I take a big gulp and I can't help but stare at him even more.

"You like it?" He asks playfully.

"Yeah. I-I mean no!" I startle. "I am not lewd or something."

"What are you saying? I'm asking about the view." He chuckles.

"Oh. Yeah. I like it."

I look away from him but I can see him pressing his lips hard against each other to stop himself from laughing. My face flushes in embarrassment. I bit the insides of my cheek while distracting myself by looking on everything around us but him.

"I used to do this with my family before. Ridding boats on this lake is how we relieve stress from city life. My parents told me that they bought the house because they have fallen inlove with this lake. This is actually the first place where my parents dated." He states.

"That's so sweet."

"Yeah. It's unfortunate we don't come here as often as before."

"Why?"

"We got busy. My parents are always on business trips and I am busy with my own things."

"That's not really unfortunate! If you just really want to, you can make yourselves some free times and spend it together!"

He laughs. "You sound like Edith."

"Who's Edith?" I say with an obvious bitterness.

"My sister."

"Oh." His sister who died.

He continues paddling.

"Wow." I gasp. Big tall trees are beautifully standing strong along the sides of the lake. Lilies with huge bloomed lotus are floating everywhere. And numbers of swans are swimming on the water playing with one another. "It's so beautiful!" The swans fly above us as we pass through them making this beautiful scene even more perfect.

"I'm glad you like it." Alexander says.

I look at him with a big smile. My heart flinches. Something about this whole thing is shouting 'romantic!'

Butterflies are all over my stomach right now. My heart would explode anytime. I'm so happy.

I never had imagined myself to be alone in a canoe with Alexander. What's happening now is fortunately becoming greater than how I imagined things to be.