CHAPTER 33
"Her name was Alexa … " Adam began, and Beth was amazed he was actually going to discuss
a subject Amanda was sure he would avoid at all costs.
She listened intently as he stared out over the water and shared the details of what had been the
best and most heartbreaking year of his life.
He shared with her what he felt when he heard Alexa's laugh or saw her face beam with
excitement at the simplest thing. He talked about the trip they took across the globe … filling the
precious few days she had remaining on this earth sharing as many experiences as they could.
She waited in silence as he spoke of the unwavering courage Alexa displayed in the days
preceeding her death, and how she'd done all she could to ease his pain … to make it easier for
him.
"She sounds like an amazing woman Adam … a woman who loved you with her heart and soul."
She replied softly when he stopped short of sharing with her the details of the last hours with his
precious Alexa. He wouldn't share that with anyone … it was too personal …
"There will never be anyone else like her." He whispered, noticing the tide receding from the
beach below.
"I'm sorry you didn't have more time with her … I would have liked to have known her. I know
she would have been someone I liked very much."
"She would have liked you too." He nodded, still not looking at her … still lost in his memories.
"When she drew her last breath … I felt the life drain out of me as well." He admitted. "I was
determined never to let myself feel that deeply for anyone again. It hurt too much … I knew that
I'd experienced the deepest love imaginable … and I wasn't going to let myself do that again. I
had a plan for how to deal with the loss … a plan for how to keep anyone who might come too
close at bay."
"You don't have to explain Adam. I know how much it hurts … I know what it's like to wish you
could numb your heart because of the pain that goes through it with every beat." Beth said. "I
understand why you need to keep your distance … I had the same plan. It was going to be me
and my baby … and that was going to be enough."
Adam let out a sad laugh. "We both had a plan … we both knew what we needed to do to survive
without ever feeling that kind of pain again …" he turned to look directly at her. "The thing is …
our plan didn't quite work out the way we thought, did it?"
Beth searched his eyes, trying to see what he was trying to say. They were interrupted by the
laughter of a group of teenagers coming up from the beach.
Adam stood up and held out his hand. "Walk with me?" He asked. Beth slipped her small hand
into his and followed him down the stairs to the beach, moving past the teenagers who seemed
oblivious to their presence.
"Adam if you're worried I'm going to push myself on you … or ask you to be something you can't
… don't." Beth stopped walking. "I may be acting a bit fragile … but I'm tougher than I look …
I'm not going to dissolve into a puddle of tears … even if that's what it's seemed like lately." She
shook her head trying not to think about the strange way she'd been reacting to everything.
"I don't want to be the reason for your tears." Adam said, turning to look down at her … his hand
coming up to brush imaginary tears from her cheek.
Beth tried to look away, but his hand cupped her face … urging her to look at him.
"It's not your fault Adam … It happens … Ask Richie …" she let out a weak laugh, reminded of
the way she'd rebuffed his advances.
"Would you stop? I'm trying to tell you something" Adam replied impatiently, cutting her off.
Beth shifted nervously, very aware of how close he'd moved to her.
"I'm trying to tell you that I can't ignore what I've been feeling for you any longer." Adam began.
"I tried to fight it … I tried to push you away … but I realized something when I was sitting here on
the beach watching the sun set over the water."
His thumb moved on her cheek tenderly. "I don't want to watch the rest of the sunsets in my life
alone." He whispered, his voice taking on a husky timbre.
Beth let out a little gasp and for several seconds they didn't move, both completely lost in the
depths of the other's eyes as his words sunk in.
Slowly Adam lowered his head, his gaze moving from her eyes to her full mouth and back again.
His lips brushed hers softly, as his hands moved to frame her face.
Beth felt her heart stop. His kiss was as light as butterfly wings against her lips, and when he
lifted his face to make sure this was what she wanted, she couldn't help but fist her hands in the
neck of his sweater and pull him back to her.
Their kiss was tender and gentle at first, both exploring and becoming aware of the taste and feel
of the other. Beth's hands slipped over his shoulders and twined around the back of his neck as
he pressed her body against his with an urging grip on her waist. For several long moments they
shared the first promise of things to come.
Unable to feel close enough, Beth arched into Adam's body as his tongue traced the seam of her
lips … imploring her to open to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She felt his hands slide
under her jacket as they roamed the softness of her back through her sweater, and when they
slipped to brush the bare skin beneath the hem, she let out a little involuntary gasp that he
devoured hungrily.
"How did I come to need you so desperately." He murmured against her mouth and Beth replied
by boldly tasting the inviting crevices of his mouth with her tongue.
"Her name was Alexa … " Adam began, and Beth was amazed he was actually going to discuss
a subject Amanda was sure he would avoid at all costs.
She listened intently as he stared out over the water and shared the details of what had been the
best and most heartbreaking year of his life.
He shared with her what he felt when he heard Alexa's laugh or saw her face beam with
excitement at the simplest thing. He talked about the trip they took across the globe … filling the
precious few days she had remaining on this earth sharing as many experiences as they could.
She waited in silence as he spoke of the unwavering courage Alexa displayed in the days
preceeding her death, and how she'd done all she could to ease his pain … to make it easier for
him.
"She sounds like an amazing woman Adam … a woman who loved you with her heart and soul."
She replied softly when he stopped short of sharing with her the details of the last hours with his
precious Alexa. He wouldn't share that with anyone … it was too personal …
"There will never be anyone else like her." He whispered, noticing the tide receding from the
beach below.
"I'm sorry you didn't have more time with her … I would have liked to have known her. I know
she would have been someone I liked very much."
"She would have liked you too." He nodded, still not looking at her … still lost in his memories.
"When she drew her last breath … I felt the life drain out of me as well." He admitted. "I was
determined never to let myself feel that deeply for anyone again. It hurt too much … I knew that
I'd experienced the deepest love imaginable … and I wasn't going to let myself do that again. I
had a plan for how to deal with the loss … a plan for how to keep anyone who might come too
close at bay."
"You don't have to explain Adam. I know how much it hurts … I know what it's like to wish you
could numb your heart because of the pain that goes through it with every beat." Beth said. "I
understand why you need to keep your distance … I had the same plan. It was going to be me
and my baby … and that was going to be enough."
Adam let out a sad laugh. "We both had a plan … we both knew what we needed to do to survive
without ever feeling that kind of pain again …" he turned to look directly at her. "The thing is …
our plan didn't quite work out the way we thought, did it?"
Beth searched his eyes, trying to see what he was trying to say. They were interrupted by the
laughter of a group of teenagers coming up from the beach.
Adam stood up and held out his hand. "Walk with me?" He asked. Beth slipped her small hand
into his and followed him down the stairs to the beach, moving past the teenagers who seemed
oblivious to their presence.
"Adam if you're worried I'm going to push myself on you … or ask you to be something you can't
… don't." Beth stopped walking. "I may be acting a bit fragile … but I'm tougher than I look …
I'm not going to dissolve into a puddle of tears … even if that's what it's seemed like lately." She
shook her head trying not to think about the strange way she'd been reacting to everything.
"I don't want to be the reason for your tears." Adam said, turning to look down at her … his hand
coming up to brush imaginary tears from her cheek.
Beth tried to look away, but his hand cupped her face … urging her to look at him.
"It's not your fault Adam … It happens … Ask Richie …" she let out a weak laugh, reminded of
the way she'd rebuffed his advances.
"Would you stop? I'm trying to tell you something" Adam replied impatiently, cutting her off.
Beth shifted nervously, very aware of how close he'd moved to her.
"I'm trying to tell you that I can't ignore what I've been feeling for you any longer." Adam began.
"I tried to fight it … I tried to push you away … but I realized something when I was sitting here on
the beach watching the sun set over the water."
His thumb moved on her cheek tenderly. "I don't want to watch the rest of the sunsets in my life
alone." He whispered, his voice taking on a husky timbre.
Beth let out a little gasp and for several seconds they didn't move, both completely lost in the
depths of the other's eyes as his words sunk in.
Slowly Adam lowered his head, his gaze moving from her eyes to her full mouth and back again.
His lips brushed hers softly, as his hands moved to frame her face.
Beth felt her heart stop. His kiss was as light as butterfly wings against her lips, and when he
lifted his face to make sure this was what she wanted, she couldn't help but fist her hands in the
neck of his sweater and pull him back to her.
Their kiss was tender and gentle at first, both exploring and becoming aware of the taste and feel
of the other. Beth's hands slipped over his shoulders and twined around the back of his neck as
he pressed her body against his with an urging grip on her waist. For several long moments they
shared the first promise of things to come.
Unable to feel close enough, Beth arched into Adam's body as his tongue traced the seam of her
lips … imploring her to open to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She felt his hands slide
under her jacket as they roamed the softness of her back through her sweater, and when they
slipped to brush the bare skin beneath the hem, she let out a little involuntary gasp that he
devoured hungrily.
"How did I come to need you so desperately." He murmured against her mouth and Beth replied
by boldly tasting the inviting crevices of his mouth with her tongue.