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Authors: Andrea Laurence
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plate. "I don’t have to explain this to you. I made what I thought was the best choice for me."
" And yet you are unhappy with it."
" I’m not," she said, although her heart wasn’t really in it. She was unhappy. But would living in town and waiting to die be harder or easier? Building a life just to have it ripped away? There was no way to know. It felt easier to have nothing so in the end she lost very little.
" I can heal you," he said.
Valerie looked up at him. She couldn’t possibly have heard him correctly. "What did you say?"
" You have two wishes left. I don’t have the power to raise you from the dead after it happens, but I can save you before it does." Raj reached across the table to cover her hand with his. "I can heal the defect in your heart, and you can live a long, happy life."
Her mouth dropped open, but she didn’t know what to say. She’d just decided she wasn’t going to make any more wishes. Ever. And not ten minutes later, he offered her the opportunity to get her life back.
Her life back.
What did that even mean? She didn’t have a life. She’d walked away from her career as a real estate agent after her diagnosis. She’d sold nearly everything she owned, including her house and her car. Most of that money went toward medical bills. What little salary she made on the island went to supplies and the savings fund she’d started for burial expenses. She’d been preparing to die for a very long time. Did she even know how to live again? To return home and try to integrate back into society? She had nothing. Her world fit into a suitcase.
She didn’t have the strength to fight her way back. At least, not alone. And by using that wish, she was one step closer to losing Raj. Somehow all of those things seemed pointless without him.
" That’s not possible," she croaked, pulling her hand away.
Raj frowned, his brow s drawing together. "It is possible. I can fix it and you can live."
" Maybe," Valerie said. "But that doesn’t mean I’ll have a long life. I could have an accident or get sick."
" Well, yes, things could happen. Bad things could befall anyone at any time. But you could leave this island and start living again. Fall in love, have children. You could have a second chance."
" No."
" What do you mean, no? How could you not choose to live? I’m offering you the life you never thought you would have. All you have to do is wish for it."
" You’re asking me to do what everyone else has done. I don’t want to use you, Raj. I don’t want to take a single thing from you. And I certainly don’t want to go on with this wonderful new life without you there with me. I would rather live the short life fate has dealt me with you."
" You’re refusing because of me? Of what it would do to me?" His head shook slowly in disbelief. "You have three wishes. Make the second wish to save yourself, then choose not to make a third, if that is what you want."
Valerie sighed. She didn’t want to talk about this anymore. She didn’t feel like she was on death’s door, so they had time. "Right now, what I want is for you to make love to me again." She made the demand knowing he couldn’t refuse her.
The irritation and confusion in Raj’s eyes were quickly replaced by the blue flame of desire. He pushed back his chair and stood, tugging Valerie up with him. He captured her mouth with the searing kiss she’d come to crave the last few days. Her whole body responded in an instant to his touch. She couldn’t live without it.
And one way or another, she wouldn’t.
Chapter Six
"I’m sorry I haven’t been able to make it out there yet," Benny said. "My boat took a beating."
Valerie carried her cell phone with her out of the house and opted to sit on her favorite rock overlooking the sea. The weather was remarkable today: a rare glimpse of spring with bright blue skies and calm waters. The weather seemed to match her outlook — sunny. Her whole life had turned around
" And yet you are unhappy with it."
" I’m not," she said, although her heart wasn’t really in it. She was unhappy. But would living in town and waiting to die be harder or easier? Building a life just to have it ripped away? There was no way to know. It felt easier to have nothing so in the end she lost very little.
" I can heal you," he said.
Valerie looked up at him. She couldn’t possibly have heard him correctly. "What did you say?"
" You have two wishes left. I don’t have the power to raise you from the dead after it happens, but I can save you before it does." Raj reached across the table to cover her hand with his. "I can heal the defect in your heart, and you can live a long, happy life."
Her mouth dropped open, but she didn’t know what to say. She’d just decided she wasn’t going to make any more wishes. Ever. And not ten minutes later, he offered her the opportunity to get her life back.
Her life back.
What did that even mean? She didn’t have a life. She’d walked away from her career as a real estate agent after her diagnosis. She’d sold nearly everything she owned, including her house and her car. Most of that money went toward medical bills. What little salary she made on the island went to supplies and the savings fund she’d started for burial expenses. She’d been preparing to die for a very long time. Did she even know how to live again? To return home and try to integrate back into society? She had nothing. Her world fit into a suitcase.
She didn’t have the strength to fight her way back. At least, not alone. And by using that wish, she was one step closer to losing Raj. Somehow all of those things seemed pointless without him.
" That’s not possible," she croaked, pulling her hand away.
Raj frowned, his brow s drawing together. "It is possible. I can fix it and you can live."
" Maybe," Valerie said. "But that doesn’t mean I’ll have a long life. I could have an accident or get sick."
" Well, yes, things could happen. Bad things could befall anyone at any time. But you could leave this island and start living again. Fall in love, have children. You could have a second chance."
" No."
" What do you mean, no? How could you not choose to live? I’m offering you the life you never thought you would have. All you have to do is wish for it."
" You’re asking me to do what everyone else has done. I don’t want to use you, Raj. I don’t want to take a single thing from you. And I certainly don’t want to go on with this wonderful new life without you there with me. I would rather live the short life fate has dealt me with you."
" You’re refusing because of me? Of what it would do to me?" His head shook slowly in disbelief. "You have three wishes. Make the second wish to save yourself, then choose not to make a third, if that is what you want."
Valerie sighed. She didn’t want to talk about this anymore. She didn’t feel like she was on death’s door, so they had time. "Right now, what I want is for you to make love to me again." She made the demand knowing he couldn’t refuse her.
The irritation and confusion in Raj’s eyes were quickly replaced by the blue flame of desire. He pushed back his chair and stood, tugging Valerie up with him. He captured her mouth with the searing kiss she’d come to crave the last few days. Her whole body responded in an instant to his touch. She couldn’t live without it.
And one way or another, she wouldn’t.
Chapter Six
"I’m sorry I haven’t been able to make it out there yet," Benny said. "My boat took a beating."
Valerie carried her cell phone with her out of the house and opted to sit on her favorite rock overlooking the sea. The weather was remarkable today: a rare glimpse of spring with bright blue skies and calm waters. The weather seemed to match her outlook — sunny. Her whole life had turned around
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