The Choice - Nicholas Sparks [75]
“Don’t say that.”
“But it’s true, isn’t it?” Her smile was pained. “That’s what I was thinking about today, even though it hurts me to say it. I love you, Travis, I really do. If I thought of this as a weekend fling, I’d put it behind me now and then go back to imagining a future with Kevin. But it’s not going to be that easy. I have to make a choice between the two of you. With Kevin, I know what to expect. Or at least until you came along, I thought I did. But now . . .”
She paused, and Travis could see her hair moving slightly in the breeze. She hugged her arms tightly to her body.
“We’ve only known each other for a few days, and while we were on the boat, I found myself wondering how many other women you’d taken out like that. Not because I was jealous, but because I kept asking myself what brought those relationships to an end. And then I started wondering whether you would feel the same way about me in the future as you do right now, or whether this will just end up like all your previous relationships. As much as we think we know each other, we don’t. Or at least, I don’t. All I know is that I fell in love with you, and I’ve never been more frightened about anything in my entire life.”
She stopped. Travis stayed silent, letting her words penetrate before saying anything.
“You’re right,” he admitted. “Your choice is different from mine. But you’re wrong if you think this was just a fling for me. I might have started out thinking along those lines, but . . .” He reached for her hand. “That’s not how it ended up. Spending time with you showed me what I’ve been missing in my life. The more time we spent together, the more I could imagine it lasting in the future. That’s never happened to me before, and I’m not sure it’ll ever happen again. I’ve never been in love with anyone before you came along—not real love, anyway. Not like this, and I’d be a fool if I let you slip away without a fight.”
He ran a hand through his hair, drained.
“I don’t know what else I can tell you, other than that I can imagine spending the rest of my life with you. I know that sounds crazy. I know we’re just getting to know each other, and even admitting what I just did might make you think I’m nuts, but I’ve never been more sure about anything. And if you give me a chance—if you give us a chance—I’m going to live the rest of my life proving to you that you made the right decision. I love you, Gabby. And not just for the person you are, but for the way you make me think that we can be.”
For a long moment, neither of them said anything. In the darkness, Gabby could hear the crickets calling from the foliage. Her mind was whirling—she wanted to run away, and she wanted to stay here forever, her warring instincts a reflection of the impossible bind she’d gotten herself into.
“I like you, Travis,” she said earnestly. Then, realizing how it sounded, she struggled on. “And I love you, too, of course, but hopefully you already know that. I was just trying to tell you that I like the way you talk to me. I like the fact that when you say something, I know that you really mean it. I like the fact that I can tell when you’re teasing or telling the truth and when you’re not. It’s one of your more endearing qualities.” She patted his knee. “Now will you do something for me?”
“Of course,” he said.
“No matter what I ask?”
He hesitated. “Yeah . . . I guess.”
“Will you make love to me? And not think it might be the last time it ever happens?”
“That’s two things.”
She didn’t dignify his answer with a response. Instead, she held out her hand to him. As they moved toward the bedroom, she broke into the tiniest of smiles, finally