snapped.
Nancy and Derek both flinched. They looked at Henry. Nancy pulled Derek away. “We’ll catch you later….”
Henry didn’t know what to say. “Ren, it’s nothing personal.”
“I asked you a question.”
“I—I just can’t.”
“You can’t, or you don’t want to?”
He sighed. He turned and looked at the beach, which was vacant. It was dark outside , and the torches illuminated the area. It looked private. “Can we take a walk?”
She nodded then followed him to the beach. He put his hands in his pockets as he walked alongside her. When he reach ed the edge of the water, he sat down. The moon was high in the sky, and he saw the water start to rise from the tide.
“I’ll be perfectly honest with you, Ren. I like you.”
“You do?”
“I think you’re perfect.”
“It doesn’t seem like it. What happened the other night? When I followed you outside, you were leaning against your truck like you were upset. Did I do something to you?”
“No, not at all.”
“Then what’s going on?”
“I’m very attracted to you, your appearance and your personality, and I would love to date you. I love that you’re so focused on school and you’re so smart. I like that you’re so easygoing. And I like how gorgeous you are. But I haven’t asked you out because I can’t.”
“Why can’t you? Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
He sighed. “I’m in love with someone else.”
Her lips fell. “Oh.”
“But I don’t want to be. I want to get over her and move on. I would love to move on with you. But I couldn’t do that, pursue you, if I had feelings for someone else. Like I said, it’s nothing personal.”
She hugged her knees to her chest and looked out at the ocean. “Why are n’t you with this girl?”
“She’s marrying someone else.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“And you are trying to forget her?”
“Every day.”
“Do you see her all the time?”
“I used to. I told her I need space right now. She’s still my best friend, but I can’t be around her anymore.”
She nodded. “That’s the only reason why you don’t want me?”
“The one and only. I respect you. You deserve something better than what I have to offer. As soon as I’m over her, I’ll ask you out, if you’re still available.”
She stared out at the ocean and felt the sand under fingertips. Her grass skirt moved in the slight wind. Her blonde hair drifted down her back and slid across her skin. “So you won’t date me until you’re over her?”
“No, I didn’t say that. I just didn’t want to ask you out. I had to be honest with you first.”
She nodded. “That’s really sweet, Henry.”
He shrugged.
“Thank you for telling me the truth. Most guys wouldn’t do that.”
He stared at the sand and remained silent.
“I’m okay with that,” she whispered.
He looked at her. “Okay with what?”
“That you have feelings for someone else.”
That response surprised him. “Really?”
“Yeah. You won’t always feel this way. I respect you for telling me the truth instead of just using me to get over her.”
“So I can ask you out?”
She smiled. “Yes.”
“You wanna go to the aquarium with me?”
“When?”
“Now.”
“Sure.”
“I can get us in. It’ll be a private show.”
“I hope the penguins aren’t mean to me,” she teased.
“They’re only assholes to me.”
She laughed. “I’ll tell them to be nice to you.”
He stood up and pulled her to her feet “Shall we?”
She grabbed his hand and held it as they walked up the beach. Henry liked the touch. Now that she knew the truth of his predicament, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
They walked to his car, and he opened the passenger door for her. “You want to go by your place so you can change?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Of course not.” He shut the door and got into the driver’s seat before he pulled onto the road.
They sat in
Nancy and Derek both flinched. They looked at Henry. Nancy pulled Derek away. “We’ll catch you later….”
Henry didn’t know what to say. “Ren, it’s nothing personal.”
“I asked you a question.”
“I—I just can’t.”
“You can’t, or you don’t want to?”
He sighed. He turned and looked at the beach, which was vacant. It was dark outside , and the torches illuminated the area. It looked private. “Can we take a walk?”
She nodded then followed him to the beach. He put his hands in his pockets as he walked alongside her. When he reach ed the edge of the water, he sat down. The moon was high in the sky, and he saw the water start to rise from the tide.
“I’ll be perfectly honest with you, Ren. I like you.”
“You do?”
“I think you’re perfect.”
“It doesn’t seem like it. What happened the other night? When I followed you outside, you were leaning against your truck like you were upset. Did I do something to you?”
“No, not at all.”
“Then what’s going on?”
“I’m very attracted to you, your appearance and your personality, and I would love to date you. I love that you’re so focused on school and you’re so smart. I like that you’re so easygoing. And I like how gorgeous you are. But I haven’t asked you out because I can’t.”
“Why can’t you? Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
He sighed. “I’m in love with someone else.”
Her lips fell. “Oh.”
“But I don’t want to be. I want to get over her and move on. I would love to move on with you. But I couldn’t do that, pursue you, if I had feelings for someone else. Like I said, it’s nothing personal.”
She hugged her knees to her chest and looked out at the ocean. “Why are n’t you with this girl?”
“She’s marrying someone else.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“And you are trying to forget her?”
“Every day.”
“Do you see her all the time?”
“I used to. I told her I need space right now. She’s still my best friend, but I can’t be around her anymore.”
She nodded. “That’s the only reason why you don’t want me?”
“The one and only. I respect you. You deserve something better than what I have to offer. As soon as I’m over her, I’ll ask you out, if you’re still available.”
She stared out at the ocean and felt the sand under fingertips. Her grass skirt moved in the slight wind. Her blonde hair drifted down her back and slid across her skin. “So you won’t date me until you’re over her?”
“No, I didn’t say that. I just didn’t want to ask you out. I had to be honest with you first.”
She nodded. “That’s really sweet, Henry.”
He shrugged.
“Thank you for telling me the truth. Most guys wouldn’t do that.”
He stared at the sand and remained silent.
“I’m okay with that,” she whispered.
He looked at her. “Okay with what?”
“That you have feelings for someone else.”
That response surprised him. “Really?”
“Yeah. You won’t always feel this way. I respect you for telling me the truth instead of just using me to get over her.”
“So I can ask you out?”
She smiled. “Yes.”
“You wanna go to the aquarium with me?”
“When?”
“Now.”
“Sure.”
“I can get us in. It’ll be a private show.”
“I hope the penguins aren’t mean to me,” she teased.
“They’re only assholes to me.”
She laughed. “I’ll tell them to be nice to you.”
He stood up and pulled her to her feet “Shall we?”
She grabbed his hand and held it as they walked up the beach. Henry liked the touch. Now that she knew the truth of his predicament, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
They walked to his car, and he opened the passenger door for her. “You want to go by your place so you can change?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Of course not.” He shut the door and got into the driver’s seat before he pulled onto the road.
They sat in
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