"What now?" Melody asked softly, once they had pulled away.
"I guess we eat," Aj replied, smiling. They stood up and made their way back to the blanket. Melody pulled the lasagna and french bread out of the basket, laying it in the middle. She had the plates and silver wear already spread out. They sat closely together as they finished the meal, chatting about anything that came into their heads.
"Why don't we take a walk down the beach?" Aj suggested when they were done.
"Sounds great," Melody said, as Aj pulled her to her feet. They started walking, hand in hand. "So tell me about your group."
"We tour around the world, and are usually home for only a few months a year. We have gone platinum in many different countries, and have number one singles all over the world. Our CD, Millennium, that you have, is our fourth CD we have made, but only the second released in the US."
"Wow, I must have been living under a rock not to hear of you guys 'til now."
"You know what, our last concert of this tour is tomorrow night. You can come if you want, Vallery is going to be there too. Nick is planning on having her in the front row so she can see him on stage. He hasn't told her about the Backstreet Boys either, so he is going to show her instead. I could have you next to her, as long as you promise not to tell her what is going on."
"That's fine by me. You have to promise something too though."
"Anything."
"You can tell anyone that I'm dying."
"You mean you aren't going to tell your family or friends."
"I will, just not yet. I just want to have a few more normal days with them. I know how they will react, and I don't want that. I will tell them Thursday, so please don't say anything. Promise?" Melody pleaded, stopping and turning to look him in the eyes. Aj looked at her and realized he could never deny her of anything.
"Promise," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her again. Before they started walking again Aj picked up a pretty, small seashell from the sand.
"Take this seashell as not only a promise for me to keep your secret, but as a promise that I will never let you be unhappy, 'til the day you leave this earth to rise to heaven, and make it shine even brighter than it already does," he said putting the shell into her hand and covering it with his own. They continued to stroll by the water's edge. A few minutes later Melody began to feel very tired and weak, she slowed down.
"Melody, are you alright?" Aj asked, concerned.
"I'm just feeling a little weak," she said, her knee's trying to give out.
"No more walking for you," he said, picking her up and cradling her in his arms like a small child. Melody's head swam and she could hardly even tell that Aj was carrying her back across the beach towards her car. Soon Melody was out cold. Aj sat her in the passenger seat of her car and slid around to the driver's side and took her keys.
"This feels familiar," he said, shaking his head, and starting the car. He drove back to Melodies house, knowing how to get there from the other night and when he had dropped off the hat when he thought she was sick. He felt sorry for Melody; she was dying, but had kept it to herself. Pulling into the driveway he looked over at Melody, she had not moved since he sat her in the car.
The door of Melody's house opened as Aj was lifting Melody out of the car.
"Oh my, what happened?!" Mrs. Hartford exclaimed, running to her daughter, her husband following close behind.
"We were on the beach when she blacked out. I got her here as fast as I could, but I have to call a cab so I can go back and get my car and everything we left there," he explained, following them into the house.
"Set her down on the couch," Mr. Hartford instructed. Aj did as he was told, carefully laying her down on the sofa.
"I knew she was sick, I shouldn't have let her go out. She wouldn't die if she had to wait a few days to go out," Mrs. Hartford said, bustling around in the kitchen, searching for a cloth. Aj looked away when he heard her say that. It was definitely not something he wanted to hear. She really doesn't know, he thought.
After a bit Mrs. Hartford came out of the kitchen, a damp cloth in hand.
"I called a cab for you. They should be here any minute," she informed him.
"Thank you," he replied.
"No, thank you. Thanks for getting our only daughter back safe and sound. Your welcome to take Melody out any time you want," Mr. Hartford said, walking over and shaking his hand. Just then they heard the cab honk it's horn from outside.
"Will you tell Melody that I'll call her tomorrow?" Aj asked as he headed for the door.
"Of course, goodbye Aj,"
"Bye." He hurried out to the cab. Jumping in,
he told the driver where to take him. A few minutes
later he was back at Eagles Cove. He cleaned up
everything and threw it into the back of his car. Aj
drove home, unable to stop thinking about Melody.
