Chapter 1.

 

The wind whipped through his dark brown hair, as he sat still on the sand; head down in between his legs. There was too much to process, too much to think about. James Cornell had let many things in his life leave, and it didn’t bother him as much as this one had. James had let his best friend go, there were no words he could form that would have changed her mind. They went through a humongous blow out which resulted in Elisabeth leaving in tears off to New York with her ex-fiancé. Two months had now passed and James still could not process it through his mind, every day he woke up with a hole in his heart where she once had been. He wondered day in and day out how she was surviving out there, thousands of miles away from there friendship which he so stupidly ruined. And every time James did the hole in his heart ached, sometimes it was too much to bear. Taking a long deep breath James used his right hand to push him off the sand, letting the microscopic specks of sand fall off him, not caring to wipe the others off. James began to walk the small distance back to his family’s beach side home that just 3 years ago he moved into to escape the danger his family was in back in New York.

 

Back inside his house James allowed himself fall down onto his couch where he let the coma take him under. As he slept the past memories that both James and Elisabeth shared played in his head like a film. Laughs, tears, heart ache is what their friendship was full of. He awoke from his unconscious state quickly, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead, heart pounding quickly, through this dream everything was now processed and James knew what to do. He knew what would make this right again, he had to visit her. Grabbing a duffle bag and filling it with contents of his life James hopped into his Escalade and began to take that long journey to New York. What was supposed to be a five day journey with rest stops actually turned into a three and a half day trip across the state to reach New York, adrenaline and red bull was all James lived off of for those short days.

 

Passing the “Welcome To New York” sign a small smile crept onto his face, as he tried to quickly find a vacant motel to sleep away a day or two before he confronted Elisabeth. While he slept New York brought back other memories from before he left for California. The good memories he had with friends and family were something to be remembered, but now that he was older and able to make decisions on his own New York didn’t feel like home to him anymore. California did. Startled from his slumber by a rapid knock on the door, and the high voice calling from the other side “Room Service” James groaned and yelled back to return later. Changing into a pair of clean clothes he took a breath and grabbed a unopened letter Elisabeth had sent with the Address to where she was living with Liam on the back of it. His hands began to shake, as he exited the hotel, and walked down to his car starting it up and driving around to find Central Park South. It came as a surprise to him that finding his way came easier than he thought, but it was expected because he lived there for his whole childhood.

Weaving in and out of traffic on Central Park South, James found the apartment number 17, and let his shaking hands take over while parking. The nervousness was beginning to be something he couldn’t control he had no idea what to say to her, or to Liam if one answered the door. “Maybe I should just go home. I shouldn’t be here.” James spoke to himself, fingers gripping the key, as he breathed in and out. Why was he acting so stupid? So scared, Elisabeth was his best friend, and he was acting like a baby. Manning up James left his vehicle and opened the door to the apartment building, then climbed the steps to Apartment 17b. His hand hovering in front of the door he reluctantly knocked a minimum of three times, waiting for someone to open the door. It was a minute or two before he heard the faint footsteps walk towards the door, noticing the doorknob turning, and the slight creak of the door.

 

 “What are you doing here?” Elisabeth immediately asked after she wiped away the shocked expression on her face from seeing him, which followed by a hand being placed on her hip and the tough exterior of hers being brought on. Right then James went blank, everything he was going to say to her had vanished and he found himself scrambling for words.

 “Well, uh..I’m here because.” He mumbled, and looked at her. She hadn’t changed a bit but he hadn’t expected her two what only was 2 months seemed like forever to James.

“I’m here because I want to apologize.” James told her finally regaining his composure, and standing up tall meeting the height of her. Their eyes met and she looked at him coldly, he could feel every emotion that was running through her, he understood how much pain that telling her to leave had caused her, and James wished he could just take it all back. Catching her body language as she dropped the hand that was on her hip down to her side, and feeling the cool air of her breath exiting her body as she sighed he stayed put in front of her waiting for her to speak next. Elisabeth rubbed her forehead in exasperation and looked at her best friend.

“Apologizing James really? It took you two months to come here and apologize to me? I sent you letters after letters none ever returned, maybe I don’t want an apology from you because of how much you hurt me I don’t know if I can do that real-“ She was cut off by the loud cry from Camden and rolled her eyes opening the door wider to allow him inside. James knew she wasn’t finished grilling him as he entered the apartment that she shared with Liam. He was overly excited that Liam wasn’t there at the time to witness this conversation between the both of them because he didn’t know if Elisabeth would act differently if she was in his presence.

He was still standing when Elisabeth returned from getting Camden to settle down, hands in his pockets as she leaned against the counter. It seemed like she was contemplating everything in her head on what to say next and however long it took James would wait. Finally he looked up to her to find a single tear stream down her face. He remembered Elisabeth promising him that when they saw each other next she would try her hardest not to cry because it always seemed their confrontations or talks ended up with her in tears. Walking up to her, James placed a reassuring hand on Elisabeth’s arm and looked into her blue eyes.

“Lis, don’t cry please. You’re not holding up your end of the bargain.” James joked to her as he caught glimpse of a small smile on her face, knowing she had remembered what she said a while ago.

“I didn’t return any of those letters because I was always too scared to open them. Scared of that they had to say inside. You could have written how you and Liam were getting married, or how you didn’t want to see me again so they sat there on the Island in my kitchen for the longest time, and then when I got the audacity to stop dwelling on the past and to come here I used one for your address.” James paused and took a breath, watching Elisabeth as her head hung to one side, listening to him intently like she was analyzing something very important. It looked like she understood so far, which was a good thing because he had a lot to explain.

Taking away his hand from her arm he smiled and stepped back.

“You don’t know how hard it was for me to come here, I’m usually never nervous but this visit made me so scared, and nervous that I may have puked. But when I came to terms that it was for you and to apologize for how much of a crappy friend I’ve been it manned up and knocked on your door only to have it all wiped away when I saw your face. Besides being angry when you saw me you seem so happy here, and I’m glad. And I’m sorry again a million and one apologies to you.” And with that he was finished. He delivered his speech and now it was her turn to make up her mind. Standing there away from her he watched as a wide grin gave him the answer, and the weight of her body hitting against his as she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him into a hug. “All is forgiven; it has to be I can’t live without my best friend.” She whispered into his ear, as they stood there for a while, embracing each other.

Three hours passed with keeping Elisabeth and Camden company and James knew it all had to end soon. And it had when Liam walked through that door and the confused expression on his face told him that he shouldn’t be here. “Hey babe” Elisabeth welcomed Liam as he walked into the house, as he kissed her lips passionately. James sat there his eyes away from them and set on Camden. Soon after he said his goodbyes to both Elisabeth Camden, and Liam to be nice and retuned back to his hotel. The whole in his heart filled yet once again.

In New York days seemed to fly by faster than days in California but time was spent here and there with Elisabeth while Liam was off working, or searching for art pieces so at that time they seemed to stretch on which none of them minded. They traveled to Manhattan, and Queens picking up tastes of culture all around. James visited his family and assured to them that all was well in California and he came here for a visit, he tried to keep as much information possible away from family. Italians always worried.

 

Soon enough his vacation in New York was coming to a close and James spent the day sleeping, and packing before his long ride back to California. But something unexpected caught him off guard, and postponed his trip. Her voice on the other end of his phone was quivering, she was trying her hardest not to cry, or yell out in anger, the sound of the free way was behind her, Elisabeth was on the move but where to? “James what hotel are you at, and what’s your room number?” She asked him quickly, and he replied only to be talking to himself as the line went dead.   James sat there, his legs shaking with anticipation, what was Elisabeth in such a hurry for? What did she need to tell him? Checking the clock constantly as the minutes passed with every  single blink of his eyes he wondered where she could be. Hitting send on his phone to her number he waited for the dial tone but the line was dead, the voice of the operator was the only thing on the other end.

 

Author's Note

NOT FINISHED!

Reviews

[LSS]

I'm not going to read the next chapter until I write this, Its absolutely wonderful! Your story captured me within the first few paragraphs, was interesting throughout, and left me hanging at the end. I want to read more. This is one of the things I noticed that sets this book apart and exposes your storytelling talent: "letting the microscopic specks of sand fall off him, not caring to wipe the others off", you see, you put us all in the picture, anyone of us that has been to the shore can relate, have done the same thing - you put us into your story. Will go on and look for more. Congratulations, you cannot be as young as you say and write as well as you do - talent.
LSS

[Autumn Reign]

i can't wait to read chapter 2! WOO