Message in a Bottle - Nicholas Sparks [84]
“Comfortable? You make it sound like I’m a couch.”
“I don’t mean it like that. I mean I just feel good about myself when we’re together.”
“You should. I feel pretty good about you.”
“Pretty good? That’s it?”
He shook his head. “No, that’s not all.” He looked almost bashful for a second. “After you left the last time, my dad came in and lectured me.”
“What did he say?”
“He said that if you made me happy, that I shouldn’t let you go.”
“And how do you intend to do that?”
“I guess I’ll have to bowl you over with my charisma.”
“You’ve already done that.”
He glanced at her, then looked out over the water. After a moment he spoke quietly. “Then I guess I’ll have to tell you that I love you.”
I love you.
Overhead, the stars were out in full, twinkling in the darkened sky. Distant clouds rode the horizon, reflecting the light of a crescent moon. Theresa listened as the words rolled through her head again.
I love you.
No ambivalence this time, no doubt about what he’d said.
“Do you really?” she whispered finally.
“Yes,” he said, turning to face her, “I do.” When he answered, she saw something in his eyes she hadn’t seen before.
“Oh, Garrett…,” she began uncertainly, before Garrett interrupted her with a shake of his head.
“Theresa, I don’t expect you to feel the same way. I just wanted you to know how I feel.” He thought for a moment and found himself remembering the dream he’d had. “Over the last two weeks, a lot of things have happened….” He paused.
She started to say something, but Garrett shook his head. It took a moment for him to continue.
“And I’m not sure I understand everything, but I do know how I feel about you.”
His finger gently moved across her cheek and lips. “I love you, Theresa.”
“I love you, too,” she said softly, trying out the words and hoping they were true.
They held each other for a long time afterward, then went inside and made love, whispering to each other until the early morning hours. But this time, after Theresa went to the bedroom, Garrett slept soundly while Theresa stayed awake, thinking about the miracle that had brought them together.
The next day passed wonderfully. Whenever they had a chance, Garrett and Theresa held hands, stealing a few furtive kisses when Kevin wasn’t looking.
They spent their day practicing as they had before, and once they had finished their final diving lesson, Garrett gave them their temporary certificates right on the boat. “You can dive whenever and wherever you want now,” he said to Kevin, who handled the certificate almost as if it were gold. “Just send this form in and you’ll have your PADI certificate in a couple of weeks. But remember—it’s never safe to dive alone. Always go with someone else.”
Since it was their last day in Wilmington, Theresa checked them out of the motel, and the three of them went to Garrett’s house. Kevin wanted to spend their last few hours on the beach, and Theresa and Garrett sat with him near the water’s edge. For a while Garrett and Kevin played Frisbee, and realizing it was getting late in the afternoon, Theresa went inside and found something to eat.
They had a quick dinner on the back deck—hot dogs on the grill—before Garrett drove them to the airport. After Theresa and Kevin had safely boarded, Garrett stayed a few minutes, watching until the plane finally began to back out of the gate. When it drew out of sight, he walked back to the truck and returned home, already watching the clock to see how long it would be until he could call her that evening.
In their seats, Theresa and Kevin thumbed through magazines. Halfway through the first leg of their trip home, Kevin suddenly turned to her and asked:
“Mom, do you like Garrett?”
“Yes, I do. But more important, do you like him?”
“I think he’s cool. For a grownup, I mean.”
Theresa smiled. “You two seemed to have hit it off. Are you glad we came?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’m glad.” He paused, fidgeting with the magazine. “Mom, can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Are you gonna marry Garrett?”
“I don’t know. Why?