Chapter 37°
I yanked my hand free and walked away without looking back.
Behind me, her voice turned hysterical, echoing across the café. “You think you’ve won? Jonathan will never let you go! You’ll never have peace for the rest of your life!”
The glass door closed behind me, shutting her voice out entirely.
The sunlight outside was glaring. I squinted, pulling out my phone. A message popped up from Julian. [Done talking? I’m at the bookstore on the corner.]
I looked back at the café one last time.§
Through the glass, Wendy was still kneeling, her shoulders shaking violently. I couldn’t tell whether she was truly crying or just putting on a show.
That chapter of my life was over.
The day after our divorce cooling–off period ended, Julian asked me to walk by the sea.”
The gentle waves washed over the sand and then quietly receded, leaving behind a damp trail.
Julian stood in the shallows, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, bending down as if searching for something in the sand.
Pax squatted not far away, tilting its head and watching him, its tail drawing fan–shaped patterns in the sand.
*Daphne!” Julian suddenly straightened up and waved. “Look what I found!“}
I walked barefoot towards him, the seawater cool as it lapped over my ankles.}
jjwalk
He opened his palm, revealing a smooth, round, blue–grey pebble, polished and gleaming by the sea.
“Doesn’t it look like the ones we used to pick up by the river when we were kids?” he asked with a smile, his eyes reflecting the dazzling
sunset.
I took the stone, my fingertips brushing against the thin calluses on his palm.}
When we were eight, Julian dragged me to the riverbank after a rainstorm to look for the prettiest stones. He said he would keep them as family heirlooms.}
We ended up covered in mud like little stray cats and got scolded all the way home.
“You said those stones were dragon eggs,” I laughed. “Said they’d hatch and protect me.“>
Julian scratched his head, the tips of his ears turning red. “I just wanted a reason to protect you forever.“/
Pax suddenly pounced onto me, leaving muddy paw prints all over my dress.§
Julian squatted down to wipe them off, but the playful cat knocked him over and he fell right into the shallow water.
We both burst out laughing at how ridiculous we looked.§
As the tide rose, he held my hand and led me back to the dry part of the beach.
He suddenly pulled a small tin box from his coat pocket and tossed it on the dry sand. The rusty lid still had a faded cartoon sticker on it. *Remember this?” He opened it gently. Inside were a few yellowed glass marbles, a crumpled candy wrapper and a pencil stub.}
I picked up the wrapper, surprised. “This is that orange candy from our elementary school!“}
“You always gave me half,” His fingers brushed the pencil, where the word “Daphne” was carved in childish handwriting. “That was the first time you taught me how to write your name.”}
“Julian.” I held the marble gently. “Why do you … “>
Why do you care so much about me??
“Because from the first time I saw you when I was six, I thought, I want to protect this girl.”
His voice was softer than the sea breeze.”
1 like you, Daphne.“%
Pax had run off somewhere, chasing the seaweed washed ashore by the tide.}
Julian took a deep breath and knelt on one knee in the fine sand, but it wasn’t a proposal; he was meeting my gaze at eye level.
“I know you don’t believe in forever and hate being tied down.”
“So, I’m not promising forever. Just now, I want to proudly tell the world that I’m Daphne Lancaster’s boyfriend.”
The sea breeze suddenly softened and all I could hear was the frantic beating of my own heart.”
