Falling for Him

The sun had fallen behind the clouds now; leaving a gorgeous red-orange color in its place as it slowly disappeared out of sight. The ocean waves were crashing for miles ahead, growing bigger as the wind slowly picked up the closer we were heading towards nightfall. My father had told us of the storm that was supposed to brew up by nightfall, but Jeremy insisted that tonight just had to be the night we both took a late-night boat ride through the ocean. Something 'bout how he wasn't sure when we'd ever find an opportunity as perfect as tonight. All my best friends told me over and over that I should get myself prepared and pampered in preparation for this boat trip... a small part of me was hoping they had a good hunch. It has been about three years... a good hunch is as good as any.

"Jer, come look at this view!" I nearly shouted as my arms clutched the handrails. My eyes scanned the sky one more second before turning towards Jeremy, who was now preparing the boat for docking. "Come over here! You don't want to miss this moment."

"I can see it from here, Lils." He smiled without taking his eyes off his current task.

"Where's my phone?" I began patting down my entire body, "Jer! Where's my phone? Where's my-" I backed away from the railing, searching frantically around the boat deck- practically flipping over the deck chairs in search of-

"Here." Jeremy handed my phone back to me, "You left it at the table earlier."

"Thank you." I grabbed ahold of the cellular device, turning back towards the sunset once again. "I swear," I chuckled softly, "I'll lose my head if it wasn't attached to my body."

"Good thing I'm here to catch it." He smirked.

"What would I ever do without you?" I opened up the camera app before holding my phone up towards the sky and snapping a photo... or about fifty photos. Had to make sure I had the most perfect option. "Jer, come over here."

"I see the sunset, Lils."

"Just come over here." I gestured for him to stand next to me, "I want to get a selfie... of the two of us."

"You have plenty of those."

"Jer."

"Fine. Let me just-" He finished up the last final touches of docking the boat before he came over and stood behind me, locking his hands around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder, "You're way prettier than that sunset, Lils. I hope you know that."

I found myself blushing, "Have you always been this corny?"

"I was just saying." He shrugged.

Still blushing, I readjusted our bodies so that the sunset was located behind us as I raised the camera above our heads, "Just stand still."

"Get my good side." He made the silliest face for a split second before letting off the cutest smile.

"All of you is your good side." I told him, "Trust me. I've gotten your good side."

"I want to remember this night." He let off a corny little smile, pushing down the hand that was holding the camera before pushing my cellphone out of my grip and onto the deck floor, "No more photos."

"Photos will help us remember this-"

He turned me so that our bodies were pressed up against each other. His thumb reaching up to brush against my cheek before cupping it into his palm. Our eyes gazed into one another. "There are some parts of tonight I want to be cherished by just us." He held my face in the palm of his hand as he kept his gaze on mine, "You'll appreciate this night better if it was just visualized by us."

The sun had mostly set by now. The sky slowly going from its beautiful red-orange color to a heavy black. Some bright lights twinkled about the sky above us. Jeremy was holding his grasp over my cheeks. His eyes still locked on mine. "I love you." He told me, "I never want you to forget that, Lils."

"I w-won't." I stuttered out. A hint of fear began to overwhelm my body as I slowly moved my hands up to cover his own. "I-I promise, Jer. I love you t-too. I love-"

"Do you?" He asked me.

"Jer."

"If you loved me, Lils-" He paused for a second, "If you loved me, Lils, you'd join me tonight."

"I'll join you anywhere." His gaze looked stone cold by now. His eyes were glistening with water now.

"No." He pushed himself off me, leaning over the boat railing. "If you loved me, Lils-" His eyes focused onto the ocean surrounding our little boat, "You'd come with me."

'W-Where?" I asked him.

"You know where." He wasn't even looking at me anymore.

"Jeremy."

Quickly, he turned... grabbing ahold of my wrist with a tight grasp so that I was unable to escape. "Come with me, Lily. Join me. We can be together forever this way."

"You're scaring me, Jeremy!" I shouted out. The more I fought from his grip, the harder he held onto my wrist.

"I can't be without you." He told me.

"You won't be."

"That's not what my parents say."

"What?"

He pulled me towards the railing, pinning me up against it as he held his arms around my waist. Suddenly, this boat ride didn't feel so amazing as it once had moments before. "I overheard my father talking with my mother," He spoke softly into my ear, "They're moving. Thousands of miles away, Lily. Thousands of miles away from you... I can't- I-"

"They were probably just talking, Jeremy." I tried to reassure him, "My father talked to yours a week ago... it was just talk. Honest."

"No it wasn't."

"Yes it was."

"No." His grip tightened around my waist, "They want to split us apart. They think we can just be torn apart like a piece of paper and-"

"We won't be!" I shouted out, "Jeremy, I won't let them drive us apart! I promise! I'll call... everyday. I'll text. It'll be like we were never apart."

"We won't be." He held onto me.

"Long distance isn't all that bad, Jer. Lots of couples do it. We can make it through this. I promise."

"We won't have to worry about long distance." He told me, "Sucks for my father, though. He'll have to find himself a new boat."

"What are you-" Before I could finish my sentence, Jeremy grabbed ahold of me before flinging the two of us off the boat railing. Within seconds, the frigid waters glazed over our bodies, but he still refused to let go of my waist. Something felt as if it was anchoring us down - keeping me from fighting to stay above surface. My arms flailed but the waters was already passing my mouth before I had the chance to scream. I brought my hands to my waist, pushing Jeremy's hands off me as I attempted to unlock his grasp off me.

"Please!- Jer!- Let go!- Please!" I managed to get out with each breath I managed to get out above the water surface. The second I was able to undo his hands, I swam back to the top of the surface once more. "Jeremy!" I tried to wave my hand through the dark waters but couldn't feel any part of his body. I could barely see the boat floating against the water in front of me.

"Jeremy!" I called out once more into the darkness. The icy nature of the water began to hit me but I couldn't find myself to find the boat and get myself out of here. Not without him. Not without Jer.