He had looked so handsome at the wedding. It took everything that Lauren had to not stare at him during the ceremony, even though she could feel his eyes on her. And now, here he was, coming to save her.
Her breakdown came out of nowhere. One second she was enjoying a piece of cake, and the next she remembered the time her dad had smuggled her five different types of cake at her cousin's wedding because she couldn't decide what she wanted. She ate every single piece and had a stomach ache the entire reception. Her dad sat with her and rubbed her belly until it was time to go home. She knew he felt guilty but didn't know why. The cake was delicious.
She had to get away. She found a spot on the beach and decided to sit until she could compose herself--and that had been ninety minutes earlier.
At least she wasn't alone now. She looked into Josh's eyes and then into the ocean. She had never realized how similar they were in color. They sat in silence for a long time. He always knew what she needed. "Thank you for sitting with me."
"I would rather be here than anywhere else." He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. She put her head on his shoulder and was thankful for the warmth coming off of his body. She hadn't realized how cold she was.
"Josh...why can't things just be simple?"
He must have known what she meant. "I wonder that all the time, but life always has challenges. Some are just more...creative than others." She laughed.
"You looked beautiful today, Lauren." At the sound of her name, her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't heard her name come from his mouth in too long.
He turned his face toward her, and she froze. In a previous life, she would have turned toward him until their lips met. In this life, they were sitting outside their parents' wedding reception.
He began leaning towards her, and she thought he might try to kiss her--but he didn't. He rested his mouth near her neck, not touching, but she could feel his heated breath on her skin. "I've missed you so much," he whispered right before planting a soft kiss on the top of her shoulder.
Before she could respond—tell him she missed him too, more than she ever thought possible--he simply stood up and walked away. Lauren took a minute or two—or ten—to compose herself before heading back to the reception. Her mom was waiting for her.
YOU ARE READING
Thicker than Water
ChickLitLauren and Josh are drawn to each other, unexplainably. All they want is to be together, however, they must keep their feelings for each other a secret. Will they be able to resist each other forever? "Lauren sometimes wonders, 'If I had known then...
