Last Heartbeat (28 page)

She smiles, “Really? You said all that to Megan?” I nod my head yes and smile. “Wow, Phillip, you finally put Megan in her place. And in front of the whole group of people too. I bet she was embarrassed, and now I bet she is afraid to get around you. Just so you know, it did hurt Alexia. She thinks you moved on. She says she is moving on, but I know her better. She still isn’t over you.”

I can’t believe it. Alexia still loves me. What a fool I have been. I’ve wasted so many days in misery without her. I look at Kristen. “Do you think she have me back? I still love her, but I was letting her move on. I thought I’d lost my chance with her forever and afraid to tell her.”

Kristen grins. “If you play your cards right, I think you may have her back by Christmas, but you have to take it slow and not scare her off.”

So that day, Kristen and I talked about how I can win back Alexia. I realize that day, it doesn’t matter that Alexia has Gabe’s heart. I believe it was a gift from him to me. He would be happy for me to have this beautiful girl who I loved and who loves me back. I set out everyday to prepare the plans Kristen and I went over. Most of the plans were my ideas, but there was this one she had that was brilliant.

It is about mid-November when I find her special place she goes’ to everyday. It is the same one where we met before. I never let Alexia know that I am with her. When she finds a special something I made in the sand beside where she always sit. I think she might get the hint that it might be me. I left her a heart in the sand. She surprises me when she decorates it with shells carefully placed, and then she made a tiny castle in the middle. That makes me smile. I think back to the day at the beach when built a castle together.
I will win you back my Alexia
, I promised.

By the time it is time to go home for Thanksgiving, I have still been adding to Alexia’s heart and castle. She always smiles when she sees it and looks around to see if she can find who has been doing it. It isn’t time for her to find out yet. I keep back and try to keep patient.

I have to take this in steps to win her back. The only thing about waiting is that today she looks sad. I wonder why that is. Tomorrow is the day she flies home to see her family so she should be happy. She puts a few more shells on the heart and leaves. I’m guessing to pack.

When she leaves, I go to the heart in the sand. I don’t want anyone messing with it. I put ‘
do not cross’
tape around it with sticks in the ground. Hopefully that will keep off anyone until we get back. Not too many people come out at this spot this time of the year because it is chilly out now. I take a look at my creation and I am happy that it looks secure. Now it’s time to get ready for my next step of my plans and the holidays. I have something new to be thankful this year, and it is Alexia. Hopefully I can win her back and I will never let her go, ever again. She is and will be my forever.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Alexia

The Thanksgiving holiday is a great one. My parents have always showed me love, and that is what I am thankful for in my life. We have lots of family and friends who stop by to celebrate with us. I thought I would be happy to be home, but I miss being at the beach. There is something about it that always keeps me calm and happy. I wonder if the heart in the sand is gone by now. My mystery couple is still a mystery. Thinking about them makes me wonder if they have done some more decorating of their love heart and castle.

My mom notices that I am a bit sad and she tries to comfort me as best as she can. The day before I’m suppose to head back to campus, she takes me to get a manicure and pedicure. What girl doesn’t feel better after a bit of pampering? It helps and I like that I will get to show off my toes when I go to the beach.

Once I’m back to my dorm room, I notice that Kristen hasn’t made it back yet. I hurry and put my things away. Now is the time to see if my mystery couple left the heart alone or added to it. I am excited and happy for the first time in a while.

Driving to my favorite spot, I keep thinking that the couple is lucky to have love in their lives. Being alone and be lonely sometimes hurt. Arriving and unpacking my things, I notice that I’m a bit nervous too. What if something happened to the heart and castle? I shake from thinking that something might have happened to it.

Getting my nerves together to make myself move forward to my spot, I take each step as fast as I can. Soon I can see my place. I stand looking at it for a few minutes because I’ve found a surprise here. I closed my eyes and open them again just to make sure what I am seeing is true. I felt my face was getting wet and notice I have tears coming down my cheeks. I wipe them as I walk closer to my place. How did this happen? Who did this?

I decided to sit beside this perfection I see, so I can admire what is in front of my eyes. My tears stop and a smile grows on my face. I am glad I came here today to see this amazing creation. Now I wish I hadn’t left my phone in the car. I could have taken a picture and kept it always. I sit there looking and admiring it for a long time. My mystery couple has been back and their love must be growing. I feel happy for them.

What they have created has me in awe. They have kept building the sandcastle until it is huge and has perfect shapes. The heart around this beautiful castle is wide and deep. The shells have been placed in perfect spots were the sunshine is on the shells and making them shine like diamonds. I can’t take my eyes off it. I look at every detail, so that I can remember everything about it. This has taken them a long time. I was only gone for a few days and how they did this while I was gone is truly genius. I have seen on TV how people make castles like this and it takes them a long time. This one could be on TV, but I don’t want anyone to come and spoil my place. I will keep it a secret my mystery couple and me to enjoy.

I get back to my room and find Kristen there. We hug each other and talk about our holiday. She seems to be really happy and that makes me happy too. I want to tell her about the beautiful castle, but I’m afraid she will tell everyone. I will keep it a secret for now. When I go to bed that night, I think more about this couple who are in love. If Phillip and I were still together, we might have done something wonderful like that. He is a perfect guy and I still love him. I wish he could have accepted that I had this gift from his brother. I fall a sleep with mixed feelings, happy for the mystery couple and sad about Phillip and me. Why can’t we all have a happy ending?

That night I have this dream and it makes me smile, when I wake up. I remembered every detail of my dream. Could it be possible to dream such a dream and for it to come true? My dream was about Phillip. Maybe I dreamt of him because he was on my mind when I went to sleep. I only wish it weren’t just a dream. In my dream, Phillip told me he loved me and accepted that I had Gabe’s heart. He wanted me to be with him now and forever. Phillip told me that he’d made the sandcastle for me, his princess. He took me to the spot and showed me how he’d done every detail of the castle.

Yeah, it was just a dream. I shake it off and get ready for my classes. A few weeks from now, I will have finished my first half semester. Who knew five years ago, that it would have been possible to accomplish my first half semester?

I head out to go to class and Kristen yells, “Have a great day,” then she grins wide at me. I wonder what that was about. It is a fairly warm day today, so after classes, I will head back to see the castle, and this time I will take my phone to take pictures of it.

It happens that the class that I am going to is biology. After that dream last night, I am a bit shy to see Phillip. I hope he doesn’t look at me today because it may cause me to blush. The door comes into view and as I get to it, someone bumps into me from the behind. I turn around to see who it is. I look right into Phillip’s brown eyes. My dream comes flashing back to me in a hurry and I feel my face heated up. I hope he doesn’t say anything about my blushing.

He looks into my eyes and with the way he stares I believe I can feel it into my soul. We just stand there for what seems like forever. Phillip finally speaks first.

“I’m sorry to run into you, Alexia. I thought I was going to be late and was hurrying. I didn’t pay much attention. Please forgive me.” The way he says this, makes me think that he is asking more than forgiveness for running into me. It melts my heart a little.

I find my voice. “You’re forgiven, Phillip. How have you been?”

“I am doing better now that I ran into you. You look better than the last time we talked. You even have a tan, which looks good on you. Shows how bright blue your eyes are. I guess we better get to class. We don’t want to miss out on biology.” He smiles and waves me to go ahead of him.

I don’t know what to say to him and that compliment. I walk on ahead into class right to my seat. This is the first time he has talked to me in months and he has left me not able to speak.

I expect him to go to his seat up front, but I am surprised when he comes and sits beside me. What is he doing? Why is my heart beating so fast? I look over at him and give him a look that say,
What are you doing
? He doesn’t answer. He only smiles and winks at me. Is he flirting with me? Between his doing these things and that dream last night, I am so flustered. Why now after all this time?

The professor comes in and starts class. I thought he would jump on Phillip, but doesn’t pay any attention to him. I try to focus as much as I can on what the professor says. It is too hard to do today.

When the class comes to an end, I gather my things to go. Phillip does the same and looks like he is ready to leave. He turns to me then smiles, “Alexia I hope you have a great day today. Enjoy the bright sunny day.” Then he just walks off and leaves.

Is today another dream and am I still a sleep? Why is everyone hoping I will have a great day all of a sudden? Now I wish my next class were already over so I could hit the beach. Off to eat and get to my next class.

Finally arriving to the beach, I remember to put my phone in my backpack. I can’t wait to see the castle today. I wonder if anything has changed. Soon as I get close, I look at it. I stop in my tracks, because what I see is breathtaking. Before I know what I am doing, I walk closer so I can examine it further. The mystery couple must be amazing artists. The castle has grown and has even more detail to it.

The sun is setting and I know I should leave. I look at the sparkle coming of the shells as the sun sets. Something else catches my eye. I get up and ease over to it trying not to mess up the masterpiece. I stand before this sparkling thing and my heart skips a beat as I forget to breathe. I lean closer to make sure my eyes aren’t playing a trick on me.

I finally get the nerve to reach for it and put it in my hand. It is a note rolled up inside of a diamond ring. Who would leave this on a public beach? Then, I remembered that I have never really seen anyone around here. Tourists don’t come here this time of the year.

I look at the ring and note. Should I read it? Maybe I should because I might find out who it belongs too. What if it is meant for someone else to find? I know that this ring is expensive and probably a carat. It is a princess cut, and if it were mine it would be perfect match for me. I sure wouldn’t want to lose it. I decide to open the note to see whose ring it is.

I begin to shake for no reason while I open it. Maybe I’m nervous to see what is inside the note. I begin to read the note and tears start flowing from my eyes. They are happy tears, because of the words on the note. I smile and wipe my eyes. I look up to see someone slowly walking in my direction. I decide right then that he is too slow. I clinch the ring and note in my hand and run to him. When I get close, he stops and opens his arms so I can be embraced as I jump into them. I throw my arms around him and kiss him while tears still flow out of my eyes. We kiss until we can barely breath.

He sets me down and wipes my tears. Smiling at me, he twirls my hair in his fingers. “I take it with that welcome that you have an answer for that question on my note. I meant every word in the note. I’m sorry for everything I put you through. I never meant to hurt you. I just needed time to heal old wounds so they won’t affect us later on in life. I want to start over, but in a big way. I am done waiting on life and now ready to start living with a forever. I beg you to say yes, my princess. I love you and have never stopped loving you. I missed having you next to me. You are the air I breathe and the sun in my life. You make me feel complete. Alexia, please say yes and be my wife.” Phillip looks at me and with love in those eyes, which burns into my soul. How could I not say yes to him?

I take a second to stop to think about his note and all he said in it. He has been doing all this work to woo me back and I never knew it was him, the love in my heart. Phillip has never stopped loving me. Most people haven’t ever felt what I feel for Phillip, and I know most people wouldn’t understand that this answer will change everything, but I do now. Right here today, I understand what I am going to say and what it means- forever starts now. We both don’t have time to waste, because who knows what will happen in the future. Why waste more time?

I step closer to him and look into his big brown eyes. “Yes. Phillip I will marry you. I am ready for forever now, too.”

He grabs my hand and pulls the ring out of it. Then he places the ring on my finger. He goes down on his knee and kisses the ring on my finger. Looking up at me, he says. “Alexia, I will forever make you happy. Thank you for giving me another chance. I love you and will never leave your side again. I now have forever to make it up to you.” He pulls me down onto his lap and kisses me senseless.

Yes, this day is a great day. Could be the best day ever. Let today go down in history as forever, with my love by my side.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Phillip