Nothing. I have nothing.
I think about the paths laid out before me and the ones I can choose to follow.
Follow the woman who had everything she wanted and who's now rotting from the inside out.
You are my grand prize, Elise.
Or follow the man who lived in regret and heartbreak for so long that he let the water take him.
You are my greatest failure.
I don't know which path to take.
I don't know what's worse.
The slow decay or the quick end.
The tide reaches out to me and then pulls back.
And I consider reaching out and letting it pull me in.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Sophie
The day is beautiful. Sunny and warm, and no humidity.
Callum and I are enjoying our beach day as he takes a quick dip in the ocean to cool off. He always runs so warm, and I recline in my comfy chair with a book in my lap. The sand feels fantastic, and I curl my toes before burying them and sighing in pleasure.
The view is incredible, not a cloud in the sky, the sun reflecting off the crystal-clear blue water, and the best view of all—
Callum is striding towards me from the ocean—my gorgeous, wonderful man.
Droplets from the ocean cling to his lightly tanned skin, dripping down his broad, muscled chest that's covered in dark hair. The water drips down his stomach, his happy trail leading into his blue swim trunks. I push my sunglasses down my nose so that I can get a better look at him.
My mouth waters as he runs his hand through his dark hair, and I bite my bottom lip at the view, heat pooling very low.
I might just have to take a dip myself.
He grins at me when he sees me looking and kneels down in front of me, cupping my cheek with one hand while the other gently brushes the hair back from my face. I reach up and pull the sunglasses off my face, meeting his warm brown eyes.
"Hello, my otter," he murmurs, and I grin at him, giggling when he shakes his wet hair at me like a dog, spraying me with cold droplets.
"Callum!"
"Sorry, just wanted to get you a little wet," he says casually, and I snort, watching his face darken in a blush. "I—"
"Oh, yeah?"
"Not lik—well, yeah, like that too," he grins and leans forward, kissing me deeply.
"You're ridiculous," I murmur against his mouth, gently biting down on his lower lip and hear him groan softly in return.
He sucks on my top lip and mumbles, "And you love me anyway."
That statement makes me pause.
Pulling back, I meet his eyes and hold steady. I haven't voiced those feelings yet to him—am I that obvious? I worry for a second that it's too soon, and does Callum think that it's too soon? Does he think that I'm flighty, that I'm only experiencing limerence? That I'm just using him as a rebound?
