Message in a Bottle - Nicholas Sparks [85]
“Do you want to?”
It took her a few moments to answer. “I’m not sure. I do know that I don’t want to marry him right now. We’re still getting to know each other.”
“But you might want to marry him in the future?”
“Maybe.”
Kevin looked relieved. “I’m glad. You seemed like you were really happy when you were with him.”
“Could you tell?”
“Mom, I’m twelve. I know more than you think.”
She reached over and touched his hand. “Well, what would you have said if I’d told you I did want to marry him now?”
He was quiet for a moment. “I guess I’d wonder where we were gonna live.”
For the life of her, Theresa couldn’t think of a good response. Where indeed?
CHAPTER 11
Four days after Theresa left Wilmington, Garrett had another dream, only this time it was about Catherine. In the dream they were in a grassy field bordered by a cliff overlooking the ocean. They were walking together, holding hands and talking, when Garrett said something that made her laugh. All at once she broke away from him. Looking over her shoulder and laughing, she called for Garrett to chase her. He did, laughing as well, feeling much as he had the day they were married.
Watching her run, he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. Her flowing hair reflected the light of the high yellow sun, her legs were lean and moving rhythmically, effortlessly. Her smile, despite the fact she was running, looked easy and relaxed, as if she were standing still.
“Chase me, Garrett. Can you catch me?” she called.
The sound of laughter after she said it floated in the air around him, sounding musical.
He was slowly gaining on her when he noticed that she was heading toward the cliff. In her excitement and joy, she didn’t seem to realize where she was going.
But that’s ridiculous, he thought. She has to know.
Garrett called for her to stop, but instead she began to run faster.
She was approaching the edge of the cliff.
With a feeling of certain dread, he saw that he was still too far behind her to catch her.
He ran as fast as he could, screaming for her to turn around. She didn’t appear to hear him. He felt the adrenaline rush through his body, fed by a paralyzing fear. “Stop, Catherine!” he shouted, his lungs exhausted. “The cliff—you’re not watching where you’re going!” The more he shouted, the softer his voice became, until it turned into a whisper.
Catherine kept on running, unaware. The cliff was only a few feet away.
He was closing ground.
But he was still too far behind.
“Stop!” he screamed again, though this time he knew she couldn’t hear it. His voice had diminished to nothing. The panic he felt then was greater than anything he’d ever known. With everything he had, he willed his legs to move faster, but they began to tire, turning heavier with every step he took.
I’m not going to make it, he thought, panicking.
Then, just as suddenly as she had broken away, she stopped. Turning to face him, she seemed oblivious of any danger.
She stood only inches from the edge.
“Don’t move,” he shouted, but again it came out in a whisper. He stopped a few feet from her and held out his hand, breathing heavily.
“Come toward me,” he pleaded. “You’re right on the edge.”
She smiled and glanced behind her. Noticing how close she was to falling, she turned toward him.
“Did you think you were going to lose me?”
“Yes,” he said quietly, “and I promise not to ever let it happen again.”
Garrett woke and sat up in bed, staying awake for several hours afterward. When he finally fell back to sleep, it was fitful at best, and it was almost ten o’clock the next morning before he was able to get up. Still exhausted and feeling depressed, he found it impossible to think about anything but the dream. Not knowing what to do, he called his father, who met him for breakfast in their usual place.
“I don’t know why I feel this way,” he told his father after a few minutes of small talk. “I just don’t understand it.”
His father didn’t answer. Instead he watched his son over his coffee cup, remaining silent as his son went on.
“It’s not like she did anything