Shadows Of A Forgotten Spring Novel

Chapter 124 85 % Over the last couple of days , Brandon had been spending more and more time with Emma and her family ; the time he spent with them brought him enormous joy , yet at the same time , it filled him with a pang that was hard to ignore .

Feelings for her , long buried , now surfaced in ways he himself did not quite understand , They made him restless , filled his mind , and now made him question every decision he had ever made .

He had four years , four long years , to tell Emma how he felt .

But he didnt .

And now , well , Emma had moved on .

She was in a new relationship with Jaden , a man shed only recently met .

He couldnt blame her for moving on with her life , but he blamed himself for having stood still .

He despised the jealousy that clawed at his chest , the regret weighing upon his heart .

How could he have let her slip away ? It was today that Brandon finally gathered the confidence to ask Emma out , but not because he wanted her romantically ; it was a friendly outing .

Hed told himself it was just an excuse to spend time with her alone , but deep down , he knew it was a desperate attempt to feel closer to her before she became even further out of reach .

He picked her up that afternoon , his heart racing the moment she got into the car , her smile radiant as ever .

The drive to the beach , save for the soft hum of music drifting from the speakers , was silent : Brandon had carefully curated the playlist .

As a familiar song began to play , his hands gripped the steering wheel tighter .

Memories of Diana rushed through his mind , her laughter , her strength even on her sickbed , her ever compassionate kindness .

She was his world ; her passing had almost killed him .

Diana had been more than a soulmate ; she was his twin flame , his equal in every way .

Life had been unkind to her , and her health had always been fragile ; in the end , she was betrayed by those closest to her her own cousin .

Her death was still a pain he had , but then seeing Emma , who resembled Diana to an amazing extent , had seemed like light at the end of a very long tunnel .

The music began to make Brandon blink back tears and he steal a glance at Emma as she swayed to its rhythm .

She wasnt Diana , he knew that , but she was the one who had given him hope all over again .

As they approached the beach , Brandon felt a twinge of nervous anticipation .

He had hired the whole beach for the day , so they would have the place all to themselves .

He wanted this moment to be special , something that she would always remember .

He opened her car door and reached out his hand too assist her out .

Her fingers touched his , and in that instant , he felt a jolt of current and wondered if she could , too .

Emma changed into a bikini , her laughter ringing out into the air as she playfully teased Brandon .

She wasnt much of a beachgoer , she admitted , but shed make an exception .

They ran along the shore , playing in the water and laughing like kids .

For a couple of hours , Emmas cares seemed to melt away , and Brandon felt he was seeing a side of her the world rarely ever saw .

As the sun started to set , the mood turned .

They sat together on the sand .

They were quiet aside for the sound of the wave .

Diana used to love water , Brandon said suddenly , breaking the heavy silence between them .

Emma turned to him , her head jolting up in surprise at the change of his tone .

She did ? she asked softly , trying to read his mood .

She let out a sigh , sensing the weight of the memory about to be shared .

Brandon nodded , a faint , bittersweet smile tugging at his lips .

Yeah .

She loved it more than anything .

We used to go to the beach every week , come what may .

She said the sound of the waves made her feel at peace , like everything else in the world faded away , leaving only calm .

Emmas heart tugged at the tenderness in his voice .

She could tell how deeply Diana had touched his life .

It must have been nice , she said softly , though sensing the pain buried beneath the words .

The smile faltered and his eyes dropped to the sand .

It was , he muttered .

Until she was diagnosed with cancer .

His voice started to break , and Emma watched as the tears welled up inside his eyes before spilling over .

She tried to stay strong , you know ? Even when things got hard , shed still talk about going back to the beach one day , like it was this promise she made to 1/2 III Chapter 124 herself .

But , we never got to go again .

she said , her voice barely above a Emmas throat constricted as she watched him wipe at his tears.m so sorry to hear that , whisper .

She looked away , feeling awkward , unsure of how to comfort him in a moment so raw .

Brandon breathed shallowly , steeling himself .

The first time I met you , Emma .

He stopped , his eyes fixed on the waves .

You made me feel alive again .

Since Dianas death , I never thought it would be possible to feel anything , really .

But then you came into my life , and you made me feel whole .

It was like you were this light breaking through a storm I thought would never end .

Emma swallowed hard .

Brandon .

she started , but she trailed off He turned to her , his eyes filled with a mix of vulnerability and determination .

I couldnt explain it at first .

How you me feel .

It was beyond words .

And the more I got to know you , the more it felt like maybe just maybe everything that happened , as cruel as it was , had led me to you .

made Emma felt her chest tighten as the weight of his words soaked in She already knew where this was going but was at a loss on how to answer , if at all .

But I was afraid , Brandon said , his voice trembling .

I was scared to give in to my heart , to give in to these feelings .

I saw what you were going through , Emma , and the last thing I wanted was to make things harder for you or ruin what we already had .

I told myself it was better this way , that it was enough just to be near you .

He stopped , his hands fisting as he struggled to catch his breath .

But it wasnt enough , he finally said .

Every moment I spend with you , I realize how much you mean to me .

And now that youre with someone else .

I cant keep it in anymore .

Emmas heart was pounding , and she looked down to her hands , not quite knowing where to focus her gaze .

The intensity of his voice , the raw honesty , it was overwhelming .

I love you , Emma , Brandon said , his voice was firm and it was filled with heartbreak .

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