Read Online Heart on a Shoestring by Marilyn Grey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marilyn Grey
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wildflower meadow behind me waited. Anticipating. Where would the story of my life go next?
He moved his thumb across my cheek and traced my brow, then somehow, without me realizing it, his lips tangled with mine. My eyes closed and our chins touched, but I saw images of him smiling as we kissed. He pulled his lips away. Too early. And pressed his forehead into mine. I waited a minute. Caught my breath. Then kissed him again. My legs weakened even more and I lost my balance. His hand gripped my arm as I fell backwards and rolled down the hill. My back whacked against something and my leg twisted and seared with pain. I landed in the field of red petals and scrunched my face.
Out of nowhere, he knelt beside me. “Quite a spill there. Anything hurt?”
“My back and left leg hurt.”
“How bad?”
I shrugged. “You look good in flowers.”
“Can you move your toes?”
I tried.
“Did you try?”
“Yes.”
He lifted me into his arms and carried me through the meadow.
“Wait,” I said. “Can you hand me a flower or two? Or just bend down a little and I can get it.”
He bent his legs so I could pick one. And I picked three. I wanted to save them. Just in case. You never know what kind of moments you may want to remember forever. I didn’t know, but just in case....
Ch. 12 | Derek
There are two kinds of beautiful. There’s the kind that makes you turn your head and look with your eyes. Then, there’s the rare beauty that blinds you. That’s the kind that sticks with you forever. The kind that steals your vision and when you finally open your eyes you see the world differently. More vivid and colorful and beautiful.
Like her.
She affected me. Infected me, rather.
As I carried her to the tent, wrapped her leg in a make-shift splint, and brushed the hair from her face, I knew she had infected me with some kind of desire. A desire I couldn’t yet place. All I knew was the day before I questioned life and now I simply enjoyed it. No questions. No opinions. Isn’t that strange? Derek Rhodes? Speechless?
My sister would be happy. Perhaps my mother too.
I packed our stuff, carried her down the hill as the sun finally caved in and offered us the moon, and went back up to fetch the bags. By the time I came down she had decided to wait until morning to go to the hospital.
“You sure?” I said. “I have an extra boat docked here. It’s only a few yards around that bend. It’s actually my friend Aaron’s, but he said I could use it.”
“Thought you said no one else has ever been here?”
“He hasn’t.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into the large rocks behind her. Her eyes searched mine. “Why’d you bring me here?”
“I used to be like you. I sought attention in several ways and eventually rebelled against it all, but it seriously backfired in my face.”
She motioned for me to continue.
“Oh, what the hell. I’m attracted to you. Whether I want to be or not, since the first time I saw you at my sisters wedding. Those little pink flowers stuck in your violet hair. Your pink dress and green scarf that you named Willow Tree. The way you walked. The way you laughed. The way you so willingly left their house with a strange guy you had never met before. Not to mention the talk we had while parked behind the grocery store. You were intelligent and you fascinated me. You were more than a body. You were a mind and a heart. I liked that, I guess.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I said too much.”
“I don’t know what to say…” she said. “So wait, I still don’t get why you brought me here. And why did you want to get rid of my luggage?”
“I wanted you to see that you don’t need all that to be beautiful. Or loved. Or whatever. Your identity isn’t wrapped up in your hobbies, hair colors, or clothes. I wanted you to be free of that and see how beautiful you are like this.”
“Like what?”
“At rest.”
She uncrossed her arms and clasped her
He moved his thumb across my cheek and traced my brow, then somehow, without me realizing it, his lips tangled with mine. My eyes closed and our chins touched, but I saw images of him smiling as we kissed. He pulled his lips away. Too early. And pressed his forehead into mine. I waited a minute. Caught my breath. Then kissed him again. My legs weakened even more and I lost my balance. His hand gripped my arm as I fell backwards and rolled down the hill. My back whacked against something and my leg twisted and seared with pain. I landed in the field of red petals and scrunched my face.
Out of nowhere, he knelt beside me. “Quite a spill there. Anything hurt?”
“My back and left leg hurt.”
“How bad?”
I shrugged. “You look good in flowers.”
“Can you move your toes?”
I tried.
“Did you try?”
“Yes.”
He lifted me into his arms and carried me through the meadow.
“Wait,” I said. “Can you hand me a flower or two? Or just bend down a little and I can get it.”
He bent his legs so I could pick one. And I picked three. I wanted to save them. Just in case. You never know what kind of moments you may want to remember forever. I didn’t know, but just in case....
Ch. 12 | Derek
There are two kinds of beautiful. There’s the kind that makes you turn your head and look with your eyes. Then, there’s the rare beauty that blinds you. That’s the kind that sticks with you forever. The kind that steals your vision and when you finally open your eyes you see the world differently. More vivid and colorful and beautiful.
Like her.
She affected me. Infected me, rather.
As I carried her to the tent, wrapped her leg in a make-shift splint, and brushed the hair from her face, I knew she had infected me with some kind of desire. A desire I couldn’t yet place. All I knew was the day before I questioned life and now I simply enjoyed it. No questions. No opinions. Isn’t that strange? Derek Rhodes? Speechless?
My sister would be happy. Perhaps my mother too.
I packed our stuff, carried her down the hill as the sun finally caved in and offered us the moon, and went back up to fetch the bags. By the time I came down she had decided to wait until morning to go to the hospital.
“You sure?” I said. “I have an extra boat docked here. It’s only a few yards around that bend. It’s actually my friend Aaron’s, but he said I could use it.”
“Thought you said no one else has ever been here?”
“He hasn’t.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back into the large rocks behind her. Her eyes searched mine. “Why’d you bring me here?”
“I used to be like you. I sought attention in several ways and eventually rebelled against it all, but it seriously backfired in my face.”
She motioned for me to continue.
“Oh, what the hell. I’m attracted to you. Whether I want to be or not, since the first time I saw you at my sisters wedding. Those little pink flowers stuck in your violet hair. Your pink dress and green scarf that you named Willow Tree. The way you walked. The way you laughed. The way you so willingly left their house with a strange guy you had never met before. Not to mention the talk we had while parked behind the grocery store. You were intelligent and you fascinated me. You were more than a body. You were a mind and a heart. I liked that, I guess.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I said too much.”
“I don’t know what to say…” she said. “So wait, I still don’t get why you brought me here. And why did you want to get rid of my luggage?”
“I wanted you to see that you don’t need all that to be beautiful. Or loved. Or whatever. Your identity isn’t wrapped up in your hobbies, hair colors, or clothes. I wanted you to be free of that and see how beautiful you are like this.”
“Like what?”
“At rest.”
She uncrossed her arms and clasped her
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