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Chapter 61 - Heated Voices

Arles had taken a shower and was wearing a grey t-shirt with a pair of navy and red board shorts. He had moved the ship out to the open ocean, miles away from shore.

As he turned off the boat, he texted his position to his Dad. He had told his Papa that he was on the boat with Kelly, and knew it would be hell to pay if his Dad thought he was keeping it from him.

He looked around the control room, and grabbed a sweatshirt with a hood that he had taken from the cupboard in the bedroom. He draped it over his arm.

His phone dinged a message back that he read as he went upstairs to the upper deck.

It was night, and the clear sky seemed to have a million stars twinkling. He had made Kelly comfortable by moving a mattress from one of the bedrooms, to the upper deck. She lay back on it, with her foot still propped up on a pillow, looking at the stars.

She smiled at him as he arrived and handed her the sweatshirt.

"And if you're cold."

She immediately took it and slipped it on. "I am. This ice on my ankle has given me a chill."

Arles replied back to his Dad's text. "Dad is asking how you are."

Kelly giggled. "Oh wow. And I have a million questions."

Arles didn't look up at her as he finished the text. "I bet."

The wind blew her hair. She brought the sweatshirt up to her nose to smell. "This smells like you."

He put the phone in his pocket and sat down next to her on the mattress. "Is that a good thing?"

She laughed, "Of course. I love….this entire way you smell."

He smiled as he looked at her face. "Like…soap?"

She giggled. "I don't know what it is. But, I love it."

He nodded and took a pipe out of his pocket. "And medicine for your foot. How is it feeling?"

"I'm attempting not to move it."

He pushed over another pillow to keep it from moving. "So, we're going with good?"

"Yes." She giggled. "And, just trying not to think about it."

He nodded and took a drag off of the pipe. She watched as he grinned at her and exhaled slowly. "Oh, that's smooth."

She smiled as he handed it to her. "I didn't think you did this."

He sat back. "It's a recent thing. Ever since I moved here."

She exhaled. "First question."

"Of a million. It's going to be a long night."

"Where did you move from? You've never said."

He picked up the pipe and took another long, drag off of it. He grunted as he shook his head. "Hard to explain."

"Not really. Where did you live before?"

"Everywhere."

"Everywhere?"

He nodded and handed her the pipe. "Mostly, on a private island. But, I've also stayed in New York, Washington, London, Paris, Greece, California, just….all over."

He leaned back against the bench behind him and propped his arm up behind her.

She took a drag and coughed.

He rubbed her back. "Hold your breath."

After a few moments, he laughed as she handed him back the pipe and coughed.

"You don't smoke." He teased her.

"I do-"

He blew smoke above them and grinned. "You don't. Or at least you don't smoke a lot."

She sighed. "Fine. Okay. I was curious if you did or not."

He took another drag off of it and nodded. "Oh, I do. Karen tells me I smoke too much."

"Oh, hell. Karen would say I smoke too much." She complained as he handed it back to her.

She held it in her hands, with the lighter.

Arles wrapped both of his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

She inhaled his scent deeply and closed her eyes. "Arles. I'm so glad you are here."

He rested his head on her shoulder and smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

As he held her in his arms, she sat the pipe and lighter down next to herself. She lay against his chest and they looked up into the night sky.

"I love being out here." She told him.

He kissed the side of her face and smiled. "You need something more for pain?"

"No." She smiled. "It's not bad."

He brought his hand up and caressed her hair.

She smiled. "I would say you were stoned, but-"

"Hell, I haven't had enough for that. You said you had questions. Go."

"You've lived in all of those places?"

He nodded, "Yeah. At some time or another. Just…all over the place. Papa would need to go someplace, so he would take me with him. Or…..someone would want him to stay with them. That sort of thing."

"Like, with a woman?"

"No." He chuckled. "Papa has always been single. Focused on his work. Never anything like that."

"And that's not Doctor Smith?"

He laughed, "No. Dad is….Dad. Papa is my father."

"What is his name?"

"Lewis."

"Lewis, what?"

"Smith. Lewis Smith."

"Then, why are you Bennett, and he's Smith?"

"It's….complicated." He told her and kissed the side of her head again.

"Where did you live the longest?"

"The island. I'm sure of it. I actually still have a flat there."

She looked surprised. "Really?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I don't plan to return though."

"Moved away, to start over, huh?"

He held her in his arms and chuckled.

"Was it a girl?"

He laughed, "No. It wasn't."

She teased, "Was it a guy?"

He laughed and kissed the side of her head.

They looked into the sky together as they held one another.

After a while, Kelly finally spoke. "When do you have to go back?"

He sighed. "Too soon. But, I'm serious. Whenever you are supposed to be around that woman, I want you to ring me. I'll come back-"

"Arles! You simply can't do that-"

"Why not?"

"That's just…absurd. You, coming back from New York just for something like that. How long of a trip is that on the Bullet, anyway?"

He rubbed her arms as he rose up and took the pipe. "Several hours."

"See! Arles, I'm not going to ask you to do that."

He grunted as he exhaled. "You don't have to-"

"And I'm not."

He groaned. "Kelly…"

She sighed. "I don't want what little time we have together to be us arguing-"

"So, we're saving this to argue about over the phone?"

She turned back to look at him. "Are you serious?"

"Well, we need to talk about this. We actually need to talk about a lot of stuff."

She turned around to face him, being very careful with her foot. "Like what?"

He laid his head back and exhaled smoke. "I really like you, Kelly."

She smiled. "I really like you, too."

He returned her smile.

She moved to sit in front of him, draping her legs over his thighs, and laying them out behind him. He carefully helped her stretch out her injured foot. He took her hands in his and kissed her lips quickly.

They smiled at one another and kissed again.

Arles beamed at her. "This is all I've wanted all day."

Kelly giggled. "Me, too. Oh, I'll miss you so much when you leave."

His lips met hers again. "I'm here now. Don't worry about later."

Kelly took a deep breath, "Okay. Ask me a question."

Arles grinned. "Ummm. If you could do one thing, only one, for the rest of your life. What would it be?"

Kelly rolled her neck back in surprise. "Wow. That's a deep question."

He smiled shrugged his shoulders. "I'm curious."

"I have no idea." She confessed. "How about you?"

He thought for a few minutes. "I would have to say, travel."

"Seems like you've traveled a lot."

His lips met hers and they kissed again, still holding one another's hands with their fingers threaded together.

She smiled at him. "You're asking personal questions like that, I'll ask one."

He rubbed his nose to hers. "Go on, then. Ask me anything."

"Favorite memory?"

He sighed and looked back at the sky. "Umm. Let me think on that. Yours?"

She grinned. "My Dad took me on a cruise. When I was a little girl. I loved being on the ship and watching the sea. He wanted me to go do the activities they have, you know, for the children. But, I just wanted to watch the ocean under us."

He smiled. "The reason you love being on this boat."

"I like being on this boat because you are here."

They kissed one another again.

"So, your favorite memory?"

"Ummm. My Uncle. Lance. You met him."

"The one who looks like you. Yes."

"That's the one. When I was a boy, he took me to the village where my Mum was from. We spent all day there. Spoke to people who knew her, and I even met several members of her family."

"Where was she from?"

"New Germany. She died when I was born. I never knew her."

"Arles. I didn't know."

He shook his head. "My Papa has never spoken of her. Except, fairly recently to me. Lance felt it was important, and his girlfriend, Jane. She arranged the entire thing. Found the family members. Rang everyone. Set it all up."

"So, you see how damaged and hurt your Papa is from losing your Mom, and that keeps you from wanting to be in a relationship."

He nodded. "It's a brilliant way to make yourself miserable. I've seen it with others. When you allow someone else to hold your heart, you have to be so cautious with who you choose."

"That's true. What happened to her? Child birth?"

"Car accident."

"How did you live?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I've actually never thought about that."

"Well, it wasn't her fault-"

"Oh, I know. But…"

"Still. It happened. Your Papa never dated anyone else?"

"No. Still too sad at her loss. But, your Dad?"

She sighed, "He waited years, and then he found her."

"How old where you?"

"Old enough to be….be able to look after myself."

Arles held her hands tighter in his. "Kelly, you are not a disposable person."

Kelly's eyes welled up in tears.

He continued, "Kelly. I'm serious. You are….such a great person."

Kelly wiped her eyes, "Arles. You don't have to-"

"How has no one ever told you that?"

Kelly swallowed hard. "I am, though."

"What?"

"This entire thing, with us. Arles, I know I said I wouldn't push you about it, but…just saying we're friends. It hurts."

He looked shocked. "Hurts? But…."

"And it's alright. I'll know that you don't want me to see anyone else. But, I have to tell you that I feel like….it's so you can keep your options open."

He let go of her hands and sat back. "That's not why."

"You'll return to New York, and that will be it."

"You don't know that!"

She covered her face. "Arles. I just…. feel as though I can't talk about how I feel because you're so quick to tell me not to bring feelings in to this. I'm sorry, but I just can't help it. And, now you're out here telling me that I'm not disposable, has really made me feel like I am. But, with you."

He sighed and took her hand in his. "Kelly, I'm sorry."

"And I don't want you to say anything you will regret later-"

"Like what?"

She wiped her eyes. "Arles. I'm just tired. And I've probably said too much-"

"I think this needs to be said! Kelly. I'm so sorry I've made you feel that way."

Kelly wiped her eyes. "Don't bring feelings into this."

Arles looked shocked. "Well, what are you saying? That, you want to break-up?"

"We're not together!"

"You want to….what? Stop seeing one another? Is this because of what your Dad said? My mad family?"

Tears fell from her eyes. She looked back up at his face. "I don't know what I want. Arles, I'm so confused."

He pointed at her. "You need sleep. We'll talk about this in the morning."

She watched him stand up, and then he helped her to her feet. He carried her to a bedroom, laid her gently on the bed, and sat beside of her.

"Arles. Please forget what I said."

He grinned, "Problem with me. I have an excellent memory. My Dad says it's the worst disease of all."

She closed her eyes tightly and he tucked her in.

"You need to rest. Properly rest. Don't worry about anything-"

"But, you're angry now-"

He shook his head, "I'm not. Besides, don't bring feelings into this."

She sighed. "Arles."

He pat her hand. "Rest. I'll just be in the next room if you need anything."

"You're not staying in here?"

"Well. I didn't think you wanted me to."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him to sit down on the edge of the bed again. "Just. No."

He rose his eyebrow at her. "Okay. I'm so confused-"

She sat up and pointed next to her. "You get your ass into this bed!"

Arles didn't say anything. He reached over, and turned off the light. He pulled the duvet back and lay down next to her. She snuggled into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.

She was asleep in seconds. Arles lay awake, replaying the discussion in his head.

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