Just Another Happy Ending

Chapter 5: A Tragedy

In life I've learned, something's are inevitable. The people you meet. Even the small details like straightening your hair in the morning. It had to have happened to make the day the way it is.

I guess my thoughts have me wondering why I'm walking the shoreline quietly with Evan. I guess meeting him today was inevitable too.  I open my mouth to let the words fall out but nothing comes. I was about to hand a man I barely knew everything. I was about to tell him something I've never told anyone. I'm crazy one might say, for I hadn't even known him a whole day, but for some reason I trusted him. I felt the invisible pull of his care for me pulling me in to his soft embrace. How could I say no to that?

He sees me struggling and puts his arm around my shoulder as we walk softly listening to the waves crash. "Hey it's okay. I won't bite, I promise." I look up at him and I see how welcoming his eyes are. I sigh harshy. "I've never told anyone this, Evan." He smile squeezing my shoulder. "That means it's time to let it out, Riley." I nod knowing he's right.

Where do I even begin to start though? Before I could pin down my thoughts they come flooding out of my mouth like flood water through a broken dam. "I was three months from turning twelve when my parents set out on a rainy day. My sister and I had been playing board games all night because my parents warned that TV would rotten our brains. I remember that I had just won all the money in the middle of the board because we had been play Monopoly. When my sister, who had just turned eighteen the month before, got a phone call. My parents..."

I stop covering my face. I try to push the tears back. Five years wasn't anywhere near enough time to take the pain away. They fall and he stops walking. "They had slid off the road and crashed head on into a tree. They were killed instantly." He pulls me into him just holding me. He rubs his hand up and down my back as I softly sob into his chest.

I start to pull away from him and he holds me in his warm embrace by wrapping his arms around me. I freeze in my place and even my tears stop for a second. He takes this opportunity to put his two cents in. "Don't shy away from me, Riley. I don't understand your pain but you can't keep pretending like it's okay. You're parents died, even if it was five years ago, that's not something that can just be forgotten. So it's okay to cry, Riley. I'm here if you need me to be."

I take in everything he's saying to me. I just nod softly because I knew he was saying everything I wanted him to, even if it took me by surprise. I wipe my tears looking up at him. "I think I've cried enough for one day." He smiles unwrapping his arms from me and for some strange reason I miss there presence. They brought me warmth and protection. That's a feeling I won't be forgetting.

He turns to keep walking and I follow quietly at first as I watch some of the waves roll off the rocks. He sighs softly and I stare up at him. "Evan are we going back now?" He smiles down at me as if my question alone was ignorant. "No, it's my turn to spill. Unless you want to go back?" I shake my head rapidly because I never wanted to go back. I wanted to stay right here were the waves brought me overwhelming peace.

"Okay well, the reason I can afford fancy lunches is because my family has money. We aren't rich per se, we just have plenty of money." I take it in. Not like it's a lot to take in but I just never seen it coming. "How much money, Evan?" He smiles softly at me as if he was hoping I would ask just that question. He grips my arm softly, pulling me in front of him. He leans down to my level pointing over my shoulder.

"That, right there, is our beach house." I look back at him in awe because his definition of rich and my definition of rich were completely different. That beach house was the biggest of them all and it looked to be about three stories and it stood out from the rest because it was sold white.

He smiles down at my in awe face and I just watch him as I feel the raindrops start to fall. "Well we have two choices, we can make a run for the car or..." I grab his wrist pulling him after me as I take off towards the beach house. He smiles before pulling free to run next to me. We laughed as we ran alongside each other in the sand.

Just like that all my pain and sadness had slipped away and I had him to thank for it. As I felt the cool raindrops on my face and the sand loosening with each step letting my feet dig into it, I found a reason to smile and a reason to be happy.

Hope you liked this chapter. I'll be posting again in two days unless it comes early so you can follow me here or the link will be posted on my facebook page. Enjoy. 💝