Chapter Forty-one
Iknock on Torin’s door, hoping and praying it’s Kolt that answers.
But I have no such luck.
“Vanessa?” Torin answers, shock slackening his expression.
“Is Kolt here?” I ask nervously, “I need to speak with him.”
He visibly cringes, “Kolt left twenty minutes ago.”
“Left?” I choke.
Maya appears in the doorway, “Just to help Olivia,” She assures, “He’ll be back.”
But all I can hear is that he has left. He isn’t here.
“Are you sure?” I whisper, tears stinging my eyes.
“We’re sure,” It’s Rett that answers, somehow showing up at the right time, “He will be back for you, Vanessa.”
I nod, even if my heart is cracking more and more. I should have expected this. I did this. I forced him to stay away.
How can I expect him to stick around when I am the one who asked him to leave?
“Okay,” I whisper, doubt creeping in.
“Vanessa,” Rett starts, “Just give him the chance to prove it.”
My head jerks in a resemblance to a nod, “Sure.”
But I can’t get past the thought that he has left for good, that he isn’t coming back.
I have pushed him too far. I am too much.
And now it is over.
Chapter Forty-two
Ihave one goal.
To fix all that was broken, to mend the ribbon with the one woman that holds my entire being in her whole hand.
I feel like nothing without her.
The boat slashes through the water as I push the boat to its limit. The water is choppy and rough, throwing me around as I tackle to keep control, needing to get back as quickly as I can. Clouds tumble above me, the sound of shrieking birds and turbulent water the only sound to accompany the journey.
I can see the storm, know it’s going to hit any minute now. I can make it through it though, I know I can. I’ll battle the damn ocean to get back to her if I have to, to prove to her we are forever.
Steadying my breathing and willing myself to calm down, I slow the boat. Going too fast will only cause trouble. The ocean all around me turns more violent, and icy needles of rain begin to fall from the grey clouds above. My grip on the wheel turns to steel as I focus on the horizon, the island not yet in view but it has to be right there, just a little further.
She’s there, she’s waiting for me.
The waves only become angrier, rising like vengeful titans, slamming into the boat as if they were holding a personal vendetta against me. The rain worsens, coming down in torrents, stinging where it hits my bare skin and soaks through my clothes. The further I get from land, the stronger the storm gets.
Not making it back isn’t an option. My son needs me, the woman I plan to marry needs me too. She needs me even if she thinks she doesn’t.
The boat tips sideways as a wave slams into the side of it and I hold on, praying it doesn’t go over. When it rights itself, I push on, battling the ocean and the storm as I try to get back.
