Just Getting There

Prologue

Prologue

Summer of 2008...

“I can't believe this is our last day together, Jade. It seems like we just met.” said Aaron.

He kissed my lips, softly, as if it were our last. I was on the brink of crying. All I could do was stare into his eyes. We were leaning on the cruise ship's railing, looking out at the peach-kissed sky. The sun was setting and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The ocean was calm and so was the windy mist blowing in our faces. It was beginning to be a romantic evening, but reality kept hitting us.

This was our last day together.

Aaron Louis was so damn gorgeous, and that very moment he looked beyond gorgeous...beyond sexy...he was breathtaking. He stood tall about five foot nine, light skinned, with broad shoulders, and a perfectly carved body. He wore a white, collared, button-down polo shirt, which was rolled up to his biceps, showing off his muscular arms. He also wore khaki cargo pants, that showed off his muscular calves he got from playing basketball in high school, and wore white lakai shoes. He had dark brown curly hair and the eyes to match. He was so sexy that I had no idea what he would see in a girl like me.

Me, I wouldn't say I'm gorgeous, but I've sure been told that. I had curly, long, black hair and big brown eyes. My boobs were only a B-cup, which weren't much “fun”. My wardrobe compared to his was probably pathetic; a hot pink tank top with white shorts and white open-toed sandals. To me, I always seemed normal and average. But Aaron saw more in me than most guys did. Which only brought me to tears.

“Baby, don’t cry, we can still call, chat, e-mail.” he offered.

“Aaron...I love you, and I know we've only been on this cruise for six weeks, but you're so perfect. I don't like the fact that I'm never gonna see you again.”

I was starting to cry then. All I could do was think about all the fun and romantic times we had on the Carnival cruise ship. 

It was early July when my mother and my little brother decided to take a cruise to the islands of the Bahamas. I met Aaron at the teen club they had on the ship. Ever since then, me and Aaron were inseparable. I remembered all the times I would sneak out of my cabin when my mom would take her naps, while bribing my ten year old brother with five bucks to keep his mouth shut. Our dates would include hot-tubbing, playing games in the arcade, dancing at the teen club, and eating at most of the restaurants on the ship. Now the ship was on its way to dock in the harbor of sunny California, and according to the recent announcement we only had two hours left until arrival.

"Love? Look Jade, we've only been hanging out for a while. Yeah, I think you're hot and sweet, but let's be for real, okay?" he said sympathetically, patting my shoulder.

I stood there, astonished.

"Jade...I've got to meet with my folks, so I guess we'll talk later, iight?" he said, with a wink. Then he kissed me on the cheek and left.