Beyond Boundaries {ON HOLD}

Chapter Nine

This chapter is dedicated to my darling Michelle. You love this book so much, I might soon immerse you in it.

You're not so far away
But I can't come to you like this
So I'll just stay away

~Ron Pope

LEILANI

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

I count the number of times the pebble I threw skips before dropping into the pond.

The harmattan season was already in full swing by this time of the month and I rub my hands together to get rid of the cold the sunset was pulling in.

Picking up another pebble, I do the same, the sound it makes the only thing that's currently holding me together.

I'm back in the one place that holds the most memories of Chris and I, the little pond in the middle of his allocated farmland where we always met up to avoid all the family members.

Even now as I sat, the memories of us surround me and I can hear us all over again in my head.

"I think it's a water hazard" I had said the first time he brought me here.

"Then I'll get rid of it" He replied, taking my hand in his "What else would you have me fix?"

My eyes sting with unshed tears. The place looked exactly the same as we left it. Like it's been frozen in time. Like no one's been here in a long time.

Probably because no one actually has been. Him inclusive.

"No, I like the pond" I later countered after we had spent a lot of time together beside it.

Christian and I were currently on our third picnic "Don't get rid of it"

"Ok, maybe I'll make it into a little pool then" He smiled at me "One just for us" He leaned in and gave me a peck on my cheeks.

I tapped the grass beside me "Would you also build a house on here?"

"I'm planning on it" He answered, surveying the property with me "A big house where we'd live together"

"Are you sure you'd like to live with me?" I ask, tilting my head at him "I'm usually a lot of trouble"

"That's ok" He winks, covering me up properly in his jacket "Whenever anyone asks where I am, I'll just say I'm in a lot of trouble"

I gasp at the double meaning "You dirty little..."

The sound of approaching footsteps has me whipping my head back so fast I'm surprised it doesn't hurt at the force.

A familiar figure fills my vision and I watch him make his way to me "What are you doing here?"

"Uhm, hi Chris" I ignore the hurt that fills me at his question, as I slip into past memories once again.

"Whenever we need to escape from everyone, we'll come here"

"Us against your family?" I chuckled at the thought.

"No silly, it's us against the world"

"Is Travis here with you?" He asks, stopping a few feet away from me with a skeptical look on his face.