The Letters To Her Heart

Chapter 14: Roots

"So you graduated from Yale, yeah?" Cole asked , shyly running his hand through his hair as we walked on the beach, the water splashing up against our ankles.

"Yeah, Cornell for you?" I asked, looking up at his beautiful hair that I missed so badly.

"Yeah, great school." He nodded his head, silence coming upon us making it awkward, again.

"Did you...meet anybody?" He asked out of nowhere.

"Um, y-yeah." I lied, I mean he probably had a girlfriend or two, I can't tell him the truth that my nose was in books all four years and that I didn't have anytime for a boyfriend.

"You're still a terrible liar." He chuckled, that perfect smile of his forming.

"Okay so what? I had a lot of studying to do. How 'bout you? Any girlfriends?" Talking to him was becoming more natural again and I could feel the butterflies rising in my stomach as I waited for his answer.

"Yes, actually. Elise." His face returned serious again and I felt my stomach drop.

"Was it serious?" I asked, obviously intrigued.

"I guess. She passed away sophomore year." Cole stopped walking and stared into the sunset for a moment.

"Oh my goodness, Cole." I felt the tears prick my eyes instantly and took his hand into mine softly. He squeezed tightly and the tears fell down his face. Our hand holding turned into a total sobbing into one other's shoulder fest.

"What happened?" I pulled apart when I felt him calming down.

"Car accident. She went shopping with a few girlfriends and a truck swerved into their lane to avoid hitting a pedestrian, Elise was the only one who didn't survive the crash." He explained, I could read the pain across his face as he told me.

"But running into you tonight, was the first time I smiled and had butterflies in my stomach for the first time since her accident." I had to do a double take for a second, did he just say that?

"No, you don't have to pretend to like me." I shook my head. If that Elise girl was alive today, they would probably be engaged right about now and I would be nothing but a stranger with memories to him.

"Don't be ridiculous." He grabbed my arms and pulled me close to him, our breathing in sync.

"She was nothing compared to you, no one will I ever compare to you. You're one of a kind Marissa and the day I met you, I knew you have a special place in my heart forever. That day on the bus, I was so nervous to talk to you but I knew I had to because I felt something." I felt like I could sob again. 

"Marissa Strong, I never stopped loving you." Yep, I was crying. I wiped away at the tears, laughing at my stupid self.

"You're last name really means something. You're the strongest woman I have ever met, losing your mother and having to transition with life without her, graduating from Yale, owning a business and your own house at twenty two. Who can say they did that? You." He lifted my chin with one finger and ever so softly kissed my lips. It felt like fireworks were going off but little did I know, there actually were. I laughed in between the kiss and pointed to the sky with the brightly lit fireworks exploding.

"Were they going off in your head too?" He chuckled, holding me close.

"Yes." I giggled like a little school girl.

"Well this seems like the most perfect time and place so..." Cole shuffled around in his pants, leaving my mind only to wander.

He took one hand into his and knelt down on the sand. I covered my mouth with my other hand in astonishment. No! This isn't happening right now.

"Marissa, will you marry me?" He opened up a little black box with a shining silver ring inside.

My mouth drooped open like a fool.

"How? We literally just reconciled after four years of not seeing each other." I know I was ruining the moment but I had to ask.

"I've always had this ring with me hoping I would run into you someday, now I have. Will you marry me?" He looked into my eyes through his shiny blue ones.

"Yes!" I cheered excitedly. He slid the ring on and more fireworks went off. 

"Where's Claire? I have to show her!" Cole nearly hugged me off the ground.

Seconds later, George came running off the pier and onto the sand beside me.

"Congrats guys!" George patted Cole on the back but I could tell he was hiding something.

"George, what's wrong?" I was fully concerned now, noticing him playing with the strings on his cargo shorts.

"Claire, she's in the bathroom. She's a little sick from the hot dogs I think." He explained, probably a little uneasy coming from his facial expressions.

"Okay, I'll go see if she's okay." I ran up to the deck of the pier and ran into the first bathroom that caught my eye.

"Claire?" I called, peeking underneath the stall doors for her feet.

"In here." She called all tired from the second stall from the door.

I opened the door and they she was on her knees, her hair a mess as she flushed the toilet.

"What's wrong?" I bent down beside her, fixing her hair.

She eyed my ring before answering, "He asked." She smiled.

"Yeah, he did." I touched my delicate ring, admiring it, totally forgetting about the situation in front of me.

Claire stood up and walked over to the sinks, washing her face. I gave her some emergency mouthwash from my purse and I let her settle down before answering my previous question.

"Marissa, that wasn't food poisoning... I'm pregnant."

"Claire, are you serious?" I was stunned, I don't know how many more surprises I could handle tonight.

"I'm dead serious and so is this pregnancy test." She whipped the pregnancy stick out of her purse and I read it, positive.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" I started jumping up and down.

"I'm walking down the aisle and you're going to have a mini-you!" I hugged her, congratulating her.

"But there's something else." She bit her lip. Oh gosh, please not another surprise.

"George isn't the father." And that's when I needed to grip the counter.

"Hold the phone, who is then?" I was sweating bullets.

"Marissa, you're going to be quite unhappy with me but I promise you I will fix it." She started and I was starting to feel the beads of sweat drip down my face.

"Say it." I demanded.

She stood there, waiting.

"God dammit, I said say it Claire!" I yelled.

Silence was the only answer I needed I guess. Silence was becoming my best friend at the moment.

"No...no, it can't be." I stepped a few feet back from her because I was about to start swinging.

"It was a one time thing, I'm so sorry." She cried, trying to come closer.

"Don't come near me." I put my hands out in front of me.

"Cole wouldn't do this to me." I backed away again, now against the cold bathroom wall.

"We were drunk, I'm sorry." She stepped closer, pushing my buttons now.

"DON'T YOU EVER TALK TO ME AGAIN CLAIRE, YOU'RE DEAD TO ME!" With that, I pulled the ring off my finger and threw it at her, walking out into the cold night.