Translation of Love - By Alice Montalvo-Tribue Page 0,65
water is usually still too cold to get into but that doesn’t stop anyone from going to the beach. Memorial Day is the official start to summer on the Jersey shore and for most people just being there is good enough. I’m lounging on a beach chair soaking in the sun, eyes closed and iPod on. Sensing that I’m being watched, my eyes flutter open and Victor’s sitting in the chair next to mine, eyes on me. I pull the headphones out of my ear. “What?” I say, with a smile on my face.
He gets up. “Let’s take a walk.” He takes my hand in his and pulls me out of my chair. Hand in hand, we walk down to the shoreline, just close enough that our feet get wet. He touches the string on my tankini. “I like this.”
“Thanks,” I reply, blushing at the compliment.
“You know I have to go back home tonight, right?”
I sigh. “Yes. I know.”
“When the album is done, I’m going to have to do a small promotional tour and then a small concert tour.”
I know that this conversation is inevitable but I hate the fact that he’ll be away for God knows how long. “Which means you’ll be gone.”
He nods. “Yes, it means I’ll be gone.”
I take a breath and slow down. “Don’t take this the wrong way but I hate how I feel when you’re not around. It’s hard, and I hate that because it means that I’m becoming dependent on someone else. I promised myself that I wouldn’t ever do that again.”
He comes to a halt. “It’s not a crime to depend on someone else, Ellie. I know it sucks, but the first time around you got close to the wrong person. I’m not him. Your heart is safe with me, and I feel the same way about you. I hate it when we’re apart.” He starts walking again, pulling us along the shore. “I know that this has happened kind of fast, faster than you may have liked, but it feels right.”
I tug at his hand. “It does feel right. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“You didn’t. I want you to say how you feel. I would never try to filter you. Anyway, the reason that I brought it up is because I was hoping that you could plan to come out with me for some things.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know that you work, but I thought that maybe if you have some time that you can take, you could maybe come out on some of the promotional tour and then if you have time left over some of the concert tour.”
The thought of being out on the road with Victor excites me. I think it would be amazing to see what life is like for him out on tour. “I’m sure we can work something out. I want to spend as much time with you as I can.”
“We’ll make it work, Babe. I don’t want you to worry about it.”
“I’ll try,” I say, feeling a little bit sad. I know that none of this is happening right away but it is inevitable nonetheless. I push the thought out of my mind and allow myself to enjoy the beautiful beach. We walk back to our group and spend a couple more hours on the beach before we pack everything up and leave. After that, we all reconvene at Dad’s house for our annual Memorial Day barbecue.
At Dad’s, everyone seems to be paired off. Gemma had one of her little girlfriends drop by. Victor mans the grill with Dad. Alex and Gavin are drinking beer and talking sports, and Jordan and I are lounging in lawn chairs with wine coolers.
“Victor seems to fit in nicely with everyone, huh?” Jordan asks, taking a sip of her drink.
“I know, right? I don’t even know what to make of that. I thought after the way Dad found out about us, he would be a lot less supportive.”
“Sorry, Elle, but I think that everyone is just happy to see you with someone who treats you well and respects you.”
“Yeah. I’m happy about it too.” It’s hard for me to say those words out loud. I’m happy. They aren’t words that I’ve been overly familiar with over the last couple of years, so to say them is strange. To think that not so long ago, I would have closed the door on any opportunity to have a relationship with any man. I’m still not quite sure how Victor