He was trying to be candid with me. To show me he could keep his promises.
Chapter 11
Colin
It seemed like I was losing Abby. No matter what I did or what move I made, I only seemed to make things worse. I had no idea how to reign in the situation or make it any better since it had spiraled so badly. It seemed that between Abby and I, everything I touched turned to dust instead of gold.
And I didn’t understand why.
I didn’t want to lose her. I loved Abby with every fiber of my being. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know her favorite color or most cherished childhood memory. I loved the woman she was. The person she was. The person she wanted to be. I wanted to stand by her side and support her. Help her. Watch her grow and flourish and succeed. I wanted to help her reach any height she wanted to launch herself towards, and I wanted to be there to catch her when she fell. I wanted to kiss her tears away and wake up to her smile every single morning for the rest of my life.
I wanted Abby, and I was willing to do anything to have her.
As I sat in my office over the lunch break, I thought of her. Of how badly I wanted her. How badly I needed her. I had no idea what to do, or what the right step was now. I was petrified that the more space I gave her, the more she would convince herself that she was happier without me. But I knew I could make her happy. Our time together had proven that much to me. No one would ever be able to convince me that she wasn’t happy when she was with me.
But the hectic nature of our lives seemed to get in the way of all that.
I needed to do something to make her see that this was the right step for us. That we were meant to be. That our paths had converged the way they did for a reason, and that this was it. Spending our lives together and building a world just for the two of us. That was our destiny. To forge bonds together and conquer the world in whatever capacity we dreamed of.
Individually or together, side by side.
We were closer it seemed when we were on our road trips. When it was just the two of us stuck in a shabby room together. Our schedules had gotten busy so quickly after we had gotten engaged that we didn’t really have time to enjoy it. Work, including endless meetings, got in the way and my desire to keep her safe was stifling her ability to fly the way she was used to flying. To exploring the way she was used to exploring.
To learn the way she was used to learning.
That was the answer. We needed another trip together. Another trip with us stuck in a room where we could come together as a couple and simply enjoy one another. I just didn’t know if a road trip was the answer.
So, I opened up my computer and started doing a little research.
Abby had mentioned something about taking vacations together. Taking a vacation somewhere to a place that meant something to one of us. It wouldn’t really be a vacation if I took her back home, but I knew where I could take her to educate her on me a little bit.
A Caribbean cruise.
It was perfect. I could get us a balcony suite and treat her to spa days and hot tubs with endless drinks, and I could tell her stories about the first cruise I ever took. The cruise that got me hooked on cruises from that moment on. If she wanted to know what my favorite type of vacation was, then I wouldn’t just tell her about it.
I would take her on it and show her.
Looking up availability, there was a Caribbean cruise leaving a nearby port on Monday. That was a pretty short timeframe—only three or four days from now. But the next cruise up to my standards didn’t leave for another three weeks, and I was worried that would be too late.
I was worried Abby might leave me before then.
So, I booked the trip without hesitation. Two tickets on a prime Caribbean cruise for seven days. Nothing but the ocean surrounding us, luscious foods to indulge in, and a balcony that hung right over the ocean waves below.
All I had to do was convince Abby to go with me.
Picking up the phone, I dialed her number, hoping she would pick up. I knew she needed space, so I had to make the phone call quick. On the last ring, when I figured it was going to shoot me to her voicemail, she picked up.
“Hello?” she asked.
“Abby. Hey,” I said, smiling.
“Hey Colin. How are you?”
“I’m doing okay. I’m at work. How are you?”
“Just laying around which is nice. I’ve been feeling so tired, like I haven’t gotten enough quality rest since the conference.”
“What if I told you I had a remedy for all that?”
The phone went silent before I heard her sigh.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Would you have dinner with me tonight so we could talk about it?”
“I just told you I’m tired and you want to take me out to dinner?” she asked.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I wasn’t thinking. I just—”
Be honest. Be open. Be communicative.
“I miss you more than I can stand,” I said, breathlessly.
There was silence on the other end of the line. I could feel her considering my words. I could feel my heart thundering in my ears as my hand began to tremble.
Please say yes. Please say yes. Please say—
“Okay,” she said.
“Okay? You will? Perfect. If you want it to
