Desperation of Love Read Free Page B

going, princess. You can drive on the way back.”
    “Really?”
    “Yeah, it’s just a car,” he replies nonchalantly as if he’s driving a beat-up pinto. He opens the passenger door for me and waits until I’m situated with my seat belt on before closing it and coming around to the driver’s seat. As he drives, he grasps the steering wheel with his left hand and places his right hand on the nape of my neck. He’s never done that before and even though it’s a possessive hold, I like it.
    “So, this friend thing we’re doing now, does this mean we can’t make out anymore?” he asks, teasingly.
    “Make out? We’re not in junior high, Alex,” I say sarcastically.
    “Alright, well what do you call it, then? Groping, hooking up?”
    “I don’t know.” I giggle. “The answer is no. No more making out of any kind,” I say firmly, sounding more like a parent scolding a child.
    “You sure know how to take all the fun out of being friends, princess.” He pouts.
    “Elle is my friend, I don’t make out with her. Therefore, I’m not making out with you … anymore.”
    He squeezes my neck and laughs. “We’ll see.” Something tells me that he’s not going to let this notion of us being more than friends go. He’s not going to make this easy on me, so I have to strengthen my resolve and prepare to do battle. We pull up to a deserted dirt road and drive in.
    “What is this place?”
    “You’ll see.”
    Moments later, we’ve pulled up to a private strip of ocean. It’s a completely secluded beach. There are no homes around, no boardwalk, no people, it’s just us. “Oh, wow.” I sigh, taking in the beauty. Being close to the ocean is the one thing I’ve always loved about living in New Jersey. Nothing calms me quite like lying on a beach and listening to the sounds of the waves rolling in. I’m stunned that I’ve lived here all of my life and never knew this existed. He removes his hand from my neck as I look over at him and smile. “This is amazing. How did you find this place?”
    “I’ve been coming down on the weekends and exploring the area for months now. I just happened to end up here one day. I love it. It’s just peaceful, which is something that I’m not used to. I’ve lived in the city all of my life so this is like the perfect place for me to come and clear my head. The best part is that no one is ever here. It’s always like this,” he says. Looking at him now, I can see something that I haven’t noticed before. I’m pretty sure it’s pain. He keeps it hidden and he’s good at it. I would know, I’ve been doing the same thing for years. Maybe that’s why we’ve always been drawn to each other. Now I can’t help but wonder what has put that look on his face. What or who has caused Alex pain? “Come on. Let’s go get our feet wet.”
    “Yeah?” I can feel the shift in his mood and it’s infectious. I like when Alex is in a playful mood, it makes me giddy.
    “Yeah.” He gets out of the car and comes around to open my door. I hop out and take his cue, slipping off my shoes and rolling up the bottom of my jeans so they don’t get wet. He takes my shoes from me and tosses them in the backseat along with his. He grabs my hands as he walks backwards, pulling me forward as he goes. “You ready?”
    “Yes,” I squeal.
    “It’s probably cold,” he warns.
    “Just don’t do anything crazy, alright?”
    “What? Like this?” He tugs on my hands and jerks me forward until our chests are touching then bends down and pulls me over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold.
    “Alex!” I shriek, laughing at the same time. “Put me down. If you throw me in the water, I swear to God, I’ll kill you!”
    “I can’t hear you over the sound of the waves. What did you say?”
    “Alex, please don’t throw me in.”
    “Say it again, baby. I like it when you beg.”
    “Alex, please!”
    He laughs. ”Alright, princess.” He plants me back onto the ground, my feet coming into